Icona Pop Immortalized in Sesame Street Sketch Starring Cookie Monster

The slow but sweet surprise success of Swedish girl DJ/production team Icona Pop's breakout single, "I Love It," officially reached its cultural zenith this week after peaking in the top ten on the US charts back in May. The critically and commercially adored party/breakup anthem, written by and featuring British pop upstart Charli XCX, was co-opted as a Sesame Street musical sketch called "Me Want It (But Me Wait)," starring Cookie Monster.

Though the voracious, grammatically challenged blue monster is known for his hysterical passion for that most ubiquitous of American baked dessert treats (which the Brits call "biscuits"), Cookie Monster's shtick has always been as much about his constant, often unsuccessful efforts to control his compulsive behavior. The best Sesame Street sketches entertain while also (at times surreptitiously) presenting a lesson, be it specific (the letter "U"; how peanut butter is made) or broad (race, individuality and self-acceptance; keep Christmas with you - all through the year), and this one depicts an earnest struggle for self control in the face of - let's face it - addiction.

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! 
Me want it! (But me wait.)
(*Sigh* This not easy)

When me lose control
When me on the brink
Need to just calm down
Me need to stop and think
Me need control meself
Yeah, that's the way to live
And then me functioning
Like an executive.

It's not the first time the pop world and Sesame Street have crossed paths. Cookie Monster also starred in a 2011 sketch based on Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," in which the rapacious ethical warrior trouncing around an office building in pursuit of an elusive bowl of cookies, entreating the mostly oblivious staff to "Share It Maybe." One of the more notorious recent examples was when a clip of Katy Perry playing with Elmo and singing a spoof of her hit "Hot 'N' Cold" was pulled when "concerned parents" objected to how much decolletage was displayed (hardly any, but apparently these moms don't want their 3 year old kids seeing any breasts except when they're breastfeeding. AND NO WIRE HANGERS!). Cookie Monster also appears as a comically icky euphemism in Perry's dirty "Dressin' Up," from the Teenage Dream - The Complete Confection re-release.

For those of you who worry, Cookie Monster does eventually obtain a cookie. Several, in fact. This is Sesame Street, after all.



Further Reading:

Carly Rae Jepsen Immortalized in Sesame Street Sketch Starring Cookie Monster

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