Classic Sesame Street - Professor David lectures about trees

[afriendofbean]

As David was mentioning everything to the audience what a tree is good for at the end of the skit after he told the boy and the bird to sit down and before he fell down, David forgot to mention that trees are good for receiving wood.

[triviaer]

I believe that the bird is performed by Kevin Clash because it has a little bit of Elmo in its voice.

[afriendofbean]

Yes, he sure doesn't. I wonder why they chose David to do this skit because on all the Sesame Street skits, David was so loving, caring, and friendly (especially the skit where he sings about how to tie shoelaces with a little girl where Herry Monster learns too).

[triviaer]

I know for a fact that Kathryn Mullen does the carpenter and Karen Prell the teacher.  Also, I believe that Brian Muehl voices the farmer. But does anyone know who does the little boy and the bird?

[efil4own1]

I don't know about the bird, but the little boy sounds like Richard Hunt.

[cvfdfdfdf]

Well, this was taken in the 1970s, and at that time the teachers were extremely strict and there were not a lot of fun ones. All at that time there was no law about beating or something like that!

[Marbles471]

Well, this is actually the '80s, not the '70s (quickest way to tell that is by looking at David, who spent the '70s being much thinner than this :)

But anyway, your description of what school was like in the '70s would apply much more to a few decades prior. I wasn't around, but I know the '60s and '70s was when the older, stricter methods were beginning to die out. Besides, I'm sure there were plenty of sweet teachers throughout the 20th century.

[Marbles471]

To my amazement, though, I read recently that corporal punishment in school is actually still allowed in more than half the 50 states. (!!!) I'd be curious if anyone can either corroborate or debunk this, because it surprised me greatly.

[afriendofbean]

Yes, I heard something like that in the 1970s where there wasn't a rule about teachers beating or hitting kids in school. But I wonder if that was the same in the 1980s because in the late 1980s I was in 1st grade and my 1st grade teacher was very nice but, if someone misbehaved or made a mistake, she would hit that person hard on the head with her hand. When I made a mistake with classwork once, she hit me hard on the head with her hand and I almost started to cry.

[Mommy246]

I think there was.... my brother was in grade 1 when his teacher pulled his ear from the playground to the class when the bell rang and he didn't come right away. She was also a chalk brusher thrower. That would have been in the late 80's.

When I was in grade one a teacher tied a kid to his desk because he wouldn't stay seated. That was in 83. I released him and we both got detention. She did get in trouble though when I had to explain why detained.

[culpit]

Trees are also good for giving you shade during hot days.

[lixcgirl]

OH!! Sesame Street at its best! I LOVED this episode!! :)

[airwolf28]

What ever happened to David??

[Marbles471]

I was 7 when he left. I'll never forget the day I tuned in and Gordon told the audience "Hi, David moved away to his grandmother's farm. This is Mr. Handford..." I was like "Huh? He moved WHERE?"

About a year later I overheard my parents mentioning that he had died, and suddenly it all made sense. (My parents knew him a little bit when they were all in the same NYC acting class in 1972-73.)

[afriendofbean]

Yes I remember Gordon telling the audience where David went too. Also, Gina told the audience too inside Hooper's Store that David moved to the farm, and he sold the store to Mr. Handford. I also remember in one Sesame Street episode that they mentioned that David passed away from stomach cancer.

[afriendofbean]

Yes, I remember Gordon and Gina telling the audience that David moved away to the farm to live with his grandmother but, that wasn't really true, (they probably just didn't want to tell the audience that David passed away). The reason why David was not on Sesame Street anymore was because the directors and producers of Sesame Street told him to leave the show in the year 1989 because of his health reasons, and some of his health was contagious and they didn't want anyone on the show to catch it

[afriendofbean]

David did used to work in Hooper's Store with Gina but, in the late 80s, he moved away to the farm to live with his grandmother, and he sold Hooper's Store to Mr. Handford. Also, in the year 1990, David passed away from stomach cancer.

[HeyButtahfly]

Amen! God bless Northern!

[tpirman1982]

I dedicate this skit to the late Northern Calloway.

God bless Northern Calloway.

[cosmowanda868]

I've been waiting to see this one! "Trees are good for leaning against... and that's... ALL!" Little did he know that that particular tree wasn't as good for leaning on as a real one is...

[efil4own1]

Well, even in his later years, he could still take a good pratfall.

[HeyButtahfly]

HAHAHA! The "Aaaaah!" as he went down was hilarious.

[afriendofbean]

Yes, I thought that it was funny too, and everytime I see that, I laugh.

[efil4own1]

As funny as Northern Calloway was in this segment, why do I think they could've substituted Grover as the professor? :)

[DRUMMERMAN77]

The carpenter sounds like mokey fraggle lol

[efil4own1]

Yep, that's Kathy Mullen for ya! :)