Telly attacked at Sesame Place

[Phillip]

Man cited for disorderly conduct for poking "Sesame" character
Courtesy of the Associated Press

A New York City man became annoyed with a theme park worker dressed as Telly from "Sesame Street" and shoved an umbrella into the worker's stomach, police said.

Hiram Cruz, of the Bronx, was cited for disorderly conduct for poking the 17-year-old employee Friday during a visit to Sesame Place outside Philadelphia, police said.

The teen complained of minor stomach pain and was taken to a hospital as a precaution, Middletown Sgt. Ken Mellus said.

"He felt that Telly was bothering him in some way," Mellus said. "I don't think he was trying to hurt the kid. He thought the costume had padding."

Cruz was visiting the theme park with his ex-wife and 3-year-old child when the altercation took place, police said. A message left for a Hiram Cruz in the Bronx was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Two years ago, a Maryland man kicked, punched and knocked down a Sesame Place worker dressed as Cookie Monster because she wouldn't pose with his 3-year-old daughter. Lee P. McPhatter Jr., then 22, of Waldorf, was convicted of simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment and sentenced to a year of probation. He also was ordered to take an anger-management class.

http://pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1060094997286220.xml

 

[MuppetDude]

First Cookie Monster, now Telly. How come nobody ever harasses Donald Duck?

 

[somethingofafan]

First Cookie Monster, now Telly. How come nobody ever harasses Donald Duck?

Because Donald would harass them right back!

 

[MuppetDude]

That's right! He'd probably do that weird "fighting pose" he always does.

 

[punkNpuppets]

..........have u guys ever noticed......that...niether donald duck or daffy duck wear any pants.....but when they get out of the shower they put a towel around their wastes....................?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I was going to ask if anybody had any details on this story, I caught the last little bit on Rock 103 yesterday morning.

Speaking of nekkid characters, how about that Grover and Elmo run around nekkid all the time, but look at them in the 'pool' picture on the homepage of MC! They're in clothes, to go swimming. I mean, if you're going to be nekkid anyhow, might as well just hop in the pool!! Why get dressed to swim?

Unless there's some kind of code at the SS Public Pool...

 

[Luke]

Needless to say, this is a moral outrage - is no costume character safe from the swinging fists of the general public (and the pesky kids) ? You'd think goosing them twenty times a day would be enough but oh no, it has to come to violence. Personally i would advise all the costumed charcater people to come out on strike together, that'd be guaranteed publicity, ask for more money and security, complain to the union ! (Acme) The worlds gone mad !

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Anytime I've ever been in costume, you can guarantee you're going to get smacked. I was performing Count Chocula at a Kroger Grocery in Germantown, TN, and this kid and his little brother/friend kept chasing me down and hitting me. Suddenly, I hear this rattling sound behind me and they slam into me with a shopping cart!! OUCH!! I turned and looked at them, broke character and shouted at them, then went immediately to the manager and told him what had happened.

The cape and suit were made of thick velveteen and so that kept me from getting hurt outside of a bruise.

 

[Hays]

Yup, been there myself...and if you're performing a live puppet show within throwing range, you can guarantee that somebody's going to throw something at you.

The (sort of) positive in all this is that people get so wrapped up in the characters that they forget there's a real human being underneath. What about that guy at the baseball game in Milwaukee who whacked the woman in costume with a bat?

Though the theme parks should be aware by this time, and have enough bouncers for their walk-around costumes.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Character handlers are essential to a character performer's LIFE!! LOL! Being a costumed character is a heckuva dangerous job! I've seen Tigger get his shoulder dislocated at Disney World by a girl who ran up, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward her.

Not only are you hot and getting weaker by the second, but you have people who think beating up on the character is fun and funny, and movies with people beating characters up does NOT help the mascot workers. I don't mind films of mascots jumping mascots, that's kind of funny, but not when they're showing people walking up and punching characters.