The Five: Five essential lessons from Grover

post from TV Squad on 23 September 2006 09:59:00 AM. © TV Squad

Filed under: OpEd, The Five, PBS, Children

grover High on the list of things none of you probably care about is the fact that Grover is my favorite Muppet of all time. He and I even share a birthday (it's true). What I love about Grover, besides his lovable furriness, is how willing he is to do himself bodily harm in the name of education. After the jump I've placed five clips of Grover doing what he does best: teaching kids no matter how much physical punishment it causes him. Now let's all learn together, shall we?

Have you ever been inside a building and didn't know how to get out? Sure, we all have. Thankfully, Grover is here to explain what "Exit" means, and how it can aid you in your desire to egress. Just try not to get trampled like Grover does.

Next, Grover explains what an echo is. Did he really have to climb that mountain to explain it? No, not really, but we love him for his tenacity. His mountain climbing clothes are adorable, and the way he says "Oh, mommy!" in the beginning cracks me up every time I watch it.

This time, Grover enlists his pal Kermit to tell kids how to take care of their teeth. Remember kids, see your tooth checker regularly, eat crunchy bananas, and comb your teeth after every meal. Kermit's speech impediment after he gets his false teeth is hilarious, and he and Grover make a hilarious comedy team. Frank Oz and Jim Henson worked together like veteran jazz musicians, and this proves it. The jokes and the timing are absolutely perfect.

Again, Kermit joins Grover to help explain the difference between "short" and "long," but this time Grover is the foil. That's fine with me, Grover is always funniest when he's experiencing physical and emotional anguish.

Finally, what I consider to be the quintessential Grover lesson: his demonstration of "near" and "far." The furry blue one is not content on merely telling kids the difference between these two words, he's going to demonstrate it over and over again until every child watching understands and appreciates what the words mean and how to use them. Truly a classic moment.