Talk:Oscar the Grouch

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Eric Jacobson[edit]

I don't have good references, but Eric Jacobson is supposedly Spinney's understudy for Oscar the Grouch, and performed the character in at least two appearances - both episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Eric Jacobson appears in the credits, but not for a particular character. Caroll Spinney is not credited. Balazer (talk) 03:38, 1 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Outside the can[edit]

I'm looking for evidence about 1) whether or not Oscar actually has been seen outside of his trash can on any episode, and 2) why anyone would say Oscar is particularly smart. Comments? -Ryguasu

Don't forget that Oscar represents the _homeless_ in NYC. (Of course he's a grouch! You'd be grouchy too...) -zuzu

Can we vote on 2)? I vote he is not smart, as he lives in a garbage can. That must be smelly. 65.80.103.232 17:13, 15 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Well, it only looks like a garbage can. It is actually an entry into hammerspace. How else would he keep a pet elephant in there! --Knife Knut 01:35, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and I don't even think he has legs, so I doubt anyone has seen him outside the garbage can. 65.80.103.232 17:14, 15 Dec 2003 (UTC)

I thought I saw him in a car once Terrible Tim 16:01, 19 Jul 2004 (UTC)
Actually, he has been known to walk around (while still in his trash can), so he has got legs. 174.0.46.168 (talk) 22:12, 5 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Um, the image for this article doesn't exist....I'm removing the image link until someone can point me to a working copy. Flockmeal 04:41, Feb 18, 2004 (UTC)

Um, have you read the top of Wikipedia:Village pump? --mav
Aha, thanks, I had not. All is clear now. --Flockmeal 20:41, Feb 18, 2004 (UTC)

there was 1 in the 70s where Big Bird was in there and he comes out to talk to some of the adults and Oscar yell out. hey! what are all these yellow feathers doing in my swimming pool? don't rememebr what it was about.

"The hack was so popular that some parents lost the entire contents of their hard disks to preschoolers wanting to see more of Oscar. (Late Nights with MacHack, p. 27)"

All I can say is "Ooph!" --Ihope127 20:32, 12 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]
It's quite funny (it certainly made me laugh), but it sounds urband legend-ish. Is there any possible way to even remotely confirm this? It's just not encyclopedic as is, which stinks because it's such a neat thing to have in the article. -- DocSigma 14:56, 16 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"Oscar the Grouch" has been a proverbial term for somebody who acquires many hand-me-downs from people who are getting rid of them." Is it really? Can anyone back this up?

I'm surprised that the grouchkateers were not mentioned...is there a reason for that

Rumpel is not Oscar[edit]

Hi, I didn't edit wikipedia in some time, so I probably got the style a bit wrong. The reference given for the identity of the german Rumpel with Oscar didn't work any more and the german wikipedia page gives an account of both Rumpel and Oscar, which is correct, since just renaming oscar to rumpel would have raised objections from the older german viewers, who remembered Oscar from their own childhood. Rumpel is way more friendly and mild-mannered than Oscar. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.237.148.73 (talk) 22:06, 14 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Criticism on Oscar[edit]

Why is it that a criticism section hasn't been created?Angie Y. (talk) 18:12, 2 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree...This character is meant to glorify homelessness and unemployment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Seattlehawk94 (talk • contribs) 08:07, 6 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are you serious? Sioraf (talk) 22:33, 8 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No wonder[edit]

No wonder why this article needs cleanup. Because he lives in a trashcan. {Tim C} 21:44, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Hilarious pun! Oscar would laugh at your use of humor. Angie Y. (talk) 12:32, 2 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Un-broke[edit]

What did Oscar the Grouch have to say about the economic mess that the US is in? If there's one thing I believe he loves more than trash, it's cash. ;) Angie Y. (talk) 12:32, 2 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

TARDIS[edit]

Not really sure how necessary a Doctor Who reference is to this article. While humorous, it seems out of place. 10 Nov 2009 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Defenderoffuture (talk • contribs) 17:57, 10 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Right Arm[edit]

When I was a kid, I noticed that Oscar had a left hand but not a right hand. I figured the operator used his left hand to operate Oscar's hand and right hand to operate his mouth. When did Oscar grow a right arm? Victor Engel (talk) 20:43, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well I was at the Simithsonian American History museum in DC back in july and the puppet of this character on display has both hands (left and right) showing so it is likely he does have a right hand. trainfan01 —Preceding undated comment added 01:32, 5 May 2010 (UTC).[reply]

Yes, Oscar DOES have a right arm now, but he didn't used to. Victor Engel (talk) 04:34, 6 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

International[edit]

Sesame Street is localized for some different markets, and Oscar is often renamed and/or replaced by a family member.

  • Bodoque was/is a brown Mexican Grouch who lived in a pile of boxes on Plaza Sesamo (from 1981 to 1995).
  • Rumpel is a green German Grouch (since 1989).[1][2] He is not identical to Oscar, who was featured in the early German adaptions of the American episodes.
  • In Portugal his name is Ferrão, and he does not live in a trash can, but rather in a barrel.[citation needed]
  • In Turkey he is named Kırpık and lives in a big basket.[citation needed]
  • In Pakistan he is named Akhtar and lives in a rusty oil barrel.
  • In Israel a slightly different, brown puppet who lives in an old stationary car is called Moishe Oofnik: "Moyshe the complainer", loosely translated. It was mentioned in the show that Oscar was his American cousin.[citation needed]
  • In Brazil his name is Gugu.[citation needed]
  • In Poland his name is Oskar Zrzęda, a literal translation of his English name.
  • In France his name was Mordicus in the first adaptation of the show (1, Rue Sésame).
  • In Spain his name is Óscar el Gruñón, (Angry Oscar).
  • In the Netherlands his name is Oscar Mopperkont, which is the literal translation for his English name.
  • In Italy his name is "L'Oscar il Brontolone".
  • In Russia his name is "Оскар".
  • In Germany his name is "Rumpel aus der Tonne" which means "Rumpel from the wheelie bin".

References

  1. ^ Sesame Street Characters in German wikipedia
  2. ^ http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Rumpel Muppet Wiki entry for Rumpel

Appearances in other media[edit]

Oscar made what he called "a very brief cameo" in the 1981 Jim Henson movie The Great Muppet Caper. When Miss Piggy threw a truck driver (played by Peter Ustinov) into a pile of boxes and a trash can, Oscar emerged from the can and demanded "Hey, what's all the racket?" The driver asked him, "What are you doing here?" Oscar replied, "A very brief cameo." The driver muttered, "Me, too." Oscar also appeared in the Jim Henson holiday special, A Muppet Family Christmas, when the Sesame Street Gang comes to the Grizzly Farm House for the holidays, in the film he befriends Rizzo the Rat who asks the Grouch if he could stay in his trash can for the night.

Oscar could be seen among many villains in the South Park episode "Imagination Land III".

Oscar was on an episode of Scrubs imagined as the new Chief of medicine.

Oscar was one of numerous PBS personalities chasing after Homer for not being able to pay a pledge in a Simpsons season 11 episode, "Missionary: Impossible". Oscar crashes through the window of the church Homer is hiding in, and demands the money while Elmo, who was hiding in the can with him, tells Homer he knows where he lives. He also appeared in "Trash of the Titans".

Oscar inspired an Apple Macintosh hack written by Eric B. Shapiro and shown at the 1989 MacHack conference, featuring a singing animated Oscar that appeared from the trash can whenever a file was thrown away. The hack was so popular that some parents lost the entire contents of their hard disks to preschoolers wanting to see more of Oscar.[1]

Oscar first appeared on the January 11, 2008 episode of the television game show 1 vs. 100 as a member of the mob. He was eliminated on both games, but was so popular he continued to appear for the remainder of the season as a regular member of the mob until the program's cancellation, but didn't win much money.

The fumetti comic Twisted Toyfare Theater once featured Oscar in an issue in which he sings a variation of his "I Love Trash" song about Wesley Snipes' movies. In the end Wesley Snipes (as Blade) unfortunately decapitates him.

Oscar was adopted as the mascot for Waste Reduction Week in Canada, an environmental campaign that took place October 19–25, 2008.[2]

In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, an Oscar-like character emerges from a dustbin and instructs the viewer that it's "not cool" to play with scythes (in response to Irwin's stealing and misuse of Grim's scythe) and instructs viewers to "tell an adult immediately" if they find one.

In Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Oscar has an appearance with Darth Vader, trying to become part of Kah Mun Rah's team - only to be discovered that he's not evil, just "vaguely grouchy." This Oscar puppet that was used in filming is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

On May 29, 2009, Oscar the Grouch appeared in an ABC television special on economics called Un-broke: What You Need to Know About Money. He appeared showing the viewers what investing stocks means. It's shown that he has investment filings with Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Washington Mutual even though they are bankrupt companies, but he then says that they're not really his filings. The press kit for the special reveals that Oscar was popular with the crew for the special even during filming.

On October 11, 2009, Oscar appeared on the CBC Radio One show, Q, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi. Beyond talking about his time on Sesame Street, his love for trash and recycling, Oscar revealed that his father is actually from Saint David, New Brunswick and his mother grew up in Nova Scotia, thus making him of Canadian descent. He further went on to suggest that he had an affair on Grundgetta, his long time girlfriend.

On November 12, 2009, Oscar appeared on CNN to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Oscar reveals that he would still be orange if he bathed; his green exterior is apparently moss.

Oscar appeared in two episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

References

  1. ^ Late Nights with MacHack, p. 27
  2. ^ http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hr5xOKyormdfCmLWURxL-T5zv2vg

Appearances in other media[edit]

At some point in the future, someone should seek a consensus on whether or not parodies should be listed alongside authorized appearances. I'd lead the discussion myself, but I'm a bit of a grouch. Wickedjacob (talk) 10:13, 7 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Connection[edit]

I always wanted to know whether there's a connection to Diogenes of Sinope. Do anyone of you have a source for that? -- N3MO — Preceding unsigned comment added by 31.17.207.55 (talk) 10:59, 9 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

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