Cookie Monster Sings the Praises of Restraint

In his latest music video, Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster gives kids an entertaining lesson in good eating habits. “Me Want It (But Me Wait)” is an energetic and fun take-off of Icona Pop’s techno-pop hit, “I Love It.” Cookie Monster has long been known as a lover of sweet treats. He wolfed down his beloved dessert and delivered his signature lines — “Me want cookies!” and “Om nom nom nom!” — to generations who grew up watching the show. And another generation of children is watching as the show enters its 44th season.

Now parents, teachers, doctors, and the First Lady encourage us to eat healthier. Enthusiastic mayors and city councils put limits on empty calories. And obesity is acknowledged as a disease. So Cookie Monster’s days of chowing down chocolate chip cookies without restraint were clearly numbered.

To be fair, Cookie Monster began to see the light a lot earlier than most. In 2006, Cookie Monster was doing the rounds of talk and morning shows discussing his conversion to a more health-focused philosophy. Cookies, he said, were still tasty, but they were “a sometimes snack.” And he confessed to liking fruit and eggplant.

In 2008, a survey showed fruit had surpassed cookies for the first time in 20 years to become the favorite snack of children under six and a belligerent Stephen Colbert confronted Cookie Monster on The Colbert Report. Colbert demanded to know why Cookie Monster abandoned his “pro-cookie agenda.” Cookie Monster assured Colbert he still loved cookies but said he they should be saved until getting your fill of healthy foods. And then he ate Colbert’s Peabody Award.

The latest video from Cookie Monster goes a step further. In it, Cookie Monster, sings about his love for cookies over a throbbing techno drumbeat, but proudly acknowledges not giving in every time he feels like having one:

Me get this feeling when me see a cookie on the plate
Me want to grab it, want to eat it, oh, me no can wait
But now me know that self-control is something me must learn
Me want to grab it, want to eat it, BUT ME WAIT! BUT ME WAIT!

Will it make a difference? Who knows? But we all know children who learned how to count, do the alphabet, and a myriad of other lessons from the songs on Sesame Street. Let’s hope this one has similar impact. We await Oscar’s music video on recycling.

Click here to read the Huffington Post article and watch Cookie Monster’s video. Click here to watch Cookie Monster’s interview on The Colbert Report.

Cookie Monster, photograph by Lance Cpl. Martin R. Egnash / Wikimedia

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