Bert falling over backwards

[Ziffel]

When I watched the first several seasons of SS as a child it seemed like Bert falling over backwards in exasperation was a frequent close of Ernie and Bert skits. Yet now I can't think of too many where this happened. I know Bert did this in the one where Ernie leaves a cookie on the table. And also at the end of the "Ernie counting sheep" skit. And both Ernie and Bert fall over backwards in the skit where Cookie Monster comes in dressed up like Ernie.
That's all I can think of for now, though. Seems like there has to be more unless it wasn't as common as I had thought.
I can't remember what Bert did at the end of the string skit (where Ernie says the last piece of string on his finger is to remind him he's all out of string). And I think someone mentioned in a thread that originally Bert fell over at the end of the skit where Ernie writes a story that is just the alphabet but then it was changed to Bert just sighing. Perhaps some other ones were modified like that and that may be why I seem to recall a high number of times between 1969 and 1971 of Bert falling down.

 

[minor muppetz]

both Ernie and Bert fall over backwards in the skit where Cookie Monster comes in dressed up like Ernie.

Is this the clip of ernie and ber fainting that is in the opening clip montage in Sesame Street: 20 and still counting? There is a clip at the beginning with them fainting, and i don't ever remember seeing anything (besides the clip) where Ernie fainted (and I don't recall seeing the skit where Cookie Monster dresses up as ernie).

 

[fuzzygobo]

Another gem from 1969 shows Ernie with a scrape on his finger, and he tells Bert of his wild story of everything that happened at the zoo.
It ends with Bert getting increasingly hysterical as Ernie telling him about how
elephants and hippos were running around lose, a bus crashes, and a flying saucer was spotted (remember those? We haven't seen any in a while!)

Bert: "Ernie, a minute ago you said nothing happened today!"
Ernie: "Well, I was wrong, Bert. I just got a teeny scrape on my finger, see?"
Then we see Bert faint, for the first of many times. With the ending music, we don't get to hear the thud as he hits the floor.

 

[jeffkjoe]

Grover falls over backwards a lot too.

Even to this day, they have him ending with a faint.



What's with Frank Oz's characters fainting?

 

[Xerus]

I also remember when Ernie was pretending to be a doctor, Bert asks him when can he tell him he's healthy. Ernie said he needed more school to be an offical doctor, so he replied, "In about 23 years, Bert." That caused Bert to faint. Ernie goes, "Bert fainted! Is there a doctor in the house?"

 

[Ziffel]

Is this the clip of ernie and ber fainting that is in the opening clip montage in Sesame Street: 20 and still counting? There is a clip at the beginning with them fainting, and i don't ever remember seeing anything (besides the clip) where Ernie fainted (and I don't recall seeing the skit where Cookie Monster dresses up as ernie).

Yes that's it. In the skit, Bert thinks Ernie took his cookies but Ernie is innocent this time. Cookie Monster fooled Bert by wearing a shirt like Ernie's, wearing a tuft of short black hair like Ernie's, and laughing keeheehee like Ernie. When Cookie then comes on the scene again dressed and acting like Ernie, Bert and Ernie look at each other in shock and then fall over backwards.

Then we see Bert faint, for the first of many times.

Ah then I was right in thinking it was many times Bert fainted. I don't really recall this one from 1969 you mention, though, so there's probably a few others I either never saw or forgot where Bert did this.

I also remember when Ernie was pretending to be a doctor, Bert asks him when can he tell him he's healthy. Ernie said he needed more school to be an offical doctor, so he replied, "In about 23 years, Bert." That caused Bert to faint. Ernie goes, "Bert fainted! Is there a doctor in the house?"

Yeah, that's right. Here's a case of a skit that I know and recall well but had forgotten that Bert fainted at the end of it.

Grover falls over backwards a lot too.

Even to this day, they have him ending with a faint.


What's with Frank Oz's characters fainting?

Seems like a lot of Grover's falls were related to his penchant for over-exerting himself with running up and down the screen and other physical activitity (like when he, Herry, and that little monster tire themselves out with their "one, two , three; three monsters" shuffling around sketch.

And still another Oz character falling backwards was Cookie Monster when he went, "E, egg," and then ate the egg in one piece!

 

[SesameMike]

Both Ernie and Bert fall over backwards in the skit where Cookie Monster comes in dressed up like Ernie.

That was actually Beautiful Day Monster wearing Ernie's shirt, an Ernie wig, and emulating Ernie's trademarked laugh. But he had Cookie Monster's voice, so this was probably before they really differentiated the monsters. Or maybe Ernie's striped shirt just fit BDM better than CM.

Yes, Grover fainted backwards a lot too. You often heard the exact same "boom-ba-doomp" sound as he hit the "floor" behind the wall.

 

[Mickey Moose]

That was actually Beautiful Day Monster wearing Ernie's shirt, an Ernie wig, and emulating Ernie's trademarked laugh. But he had Cookie Monster's voice, so this was probably before they really differentiated the monsters. Or maybe Ernie's striped shirt just fit BDM better than CM.

Are you sure? I'm almost positive that it was Cookie Monster dressed as Ernie in that sketch.

I know there was a similar sketch where Ernie had eaten a piece of Chocolate cake that Bert bought, and Ernie said "Maybe a monster ate it". He doesn't actually say that happened(that would be lying). But after Bert leaves, Beutiful Day Monster comes in, and eats the other piece of cake and then leaves. When Bert comes back, and sees the other piece gone, Ernie tries to explain, but Bert doesn't want to hear it.

 

[mikebennidict]

That was actually Beautiful Day Monster wearing Ernie's shirt, an Ernie wig, and emulating Ernie's trademarked laugh. But he had Cookie Monster's voice, so this was probably before they really differentiated the monsters. Or maybe Ernie's striped shirt just fit BDM better than CM.

Yes, Grover fainted backwards a lot too. You often heard the exact same "boom-ba-doomp" sound as he hit the "floor" behind the wall.

i'm afraid I myself have to disagree. I watched SS many times when I was older and recall see the skit used many times and I'm sure it was CM.

 

[Ziffel]

Yeah I think Mickey Moose has it right that it was the skit where Ernie eats Bert's cake that had Beautiful Day Monster but CM was the one who dressed like Ernie. The skit with the cake was older too, probably 1969 or 1970. But the cookies one I think was a little later. Ernie and Bert had a slightly different look. Also, I think in this skit it is mentioned or inferred that Ernie has taken Bert's cookies before (as we saw in several skits) therefore placing this skit past the BD period.