Some time ago, I was listening to some interview with Muppet performer Stephanie D’Abruzzo. I don’t remember when this was or what podcast/show it was on, so I can’t recall 100% of what she said. But, she was talking about Sesame Street and mentioned that she always considered Roscoe Orman (who has played Gordon since 1974) as the “king” of the “Welcome to Sesame Street!” thing that all the characters do. And as soon as she said that, I could hear in my head exactly him saying “Oh, hi!” in that particular cadence of his, and realized she was absolutely right.
And what am I wont to do when somebody brings up a notion like that on a podcast? I gotsta make a stupid video about it! Thus began the arduous task of poring into the umpteen-hundred episodes of Sesame Street and finding as many examples as I could of Gordon saying “Oh, hi!” or some variation thereof to the camera, because I am a sad person who has little going on in their life. But, if this video brings a little bit of joy into somebody’s day, then I suppose it was worth it! …right?
A lot of the human characters were able to develop their own trademarks during their tenure on the show – Bob became a sweater fancier, Alan’s always got that dishrag on his shoulder, and ain’t nobody can do a take to the camera like Sonia Manzano. But, beyond setting a good example of a loving, caring male parental figure, Roscoe Orman was able to take a fairly standard thing and somehow make it his own to the point where, yes, he could be the king. To many people, Sesame Street was a real place where everyone was welcomed. And nobody could make us feel more welcomed than Gordon.
Ah, anyway, enough of that, let’s get to why we’re here – to watch a ridiculous supercut! Presenting “Oh, Hi! A Tribute to Roscoe Orman.” Enjoy!
There, wasn’t that ridiculous? Like me, I bet those two words are now seared permanently into your brain.
For the curious, that was 91 clips ranging from 1975 to 2018. While he didn’t do it a whole lot in the 1970s, you can tell by the early-mid 80s, he started to find his hook. And by 2001 (which had the most examples of any season, a total of seven), he pretty much had it perfected. Way to hone your craft, Roscoe!
Click here to greet someone on the other side of your TV screen on the Tough Pigs Discord!
By Shane Keating
