Sesame Street: Ernie And Bert Do The Laundry

Scene: A rather elaborate room, wallpapered and rather cluttered, a grandfather clock stands in the corner. In fact the Cluttered Room was only in a few skits, was it an early attempt at redecorating? Bert walks in on Ernie, who's basically fiddling around.

Bert: "Ernie--look at this! Ernie, when are you going to clean your room?" [Does this explain why Ernie and Bert share a bedroom? That said bedroom is actually Bert's room--it's tidy enough--and Ernie sleeps there because there is no room in his own? Makes sense to me.]

Ernie: "Tuesday after next, I think. Tuesday after next is when I was planning to clean the room."

Bert: "Anyway, Ernie, it's your turn to go to the laundromat. Take the clothes basket and go on down."

Ernie: "Okay, no trouble." (He picks up the basket, which is empty, and heads off)

Bert: "Ernie, wait a minute! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Ernie: "Oh yeah, I forgot! (gets something) Rubber Ducky! (squeaks him) Okay, off we go!" (starts off again)

Bert: "Wait a minute, Ernie, are you forgetting something else? Something important?"

Ernie: (pauses to think) "Oh yeah ... a radio! (puts one in the basket) Have to have a radio, you know, play music down there. Okay, we're off!" (tries again to leave)

Bert: "Aren't you forgetting something else?"



Ernie: (thinks again) "Oh yeah, books! (puts them in the basket. In fact Ernie keeps piling more and more stuff into the laundry basket as he speaks.) Books, so I can read a story to Rubber Ducky while we wait! Oh yeah, and a basketball, in case someone starts a game while we're down there! And I'll take an umbrella, just in case it starts raining! Coloring books and a box of crayons, so Rubber Ducky and I can color while we wait for the laundry to get done! And--"

Bert: "ERNIE!!"

Ernie: "Did I forget something else, Bert?"

Bert: "Ernie, you forgot to put the LAUNDRY in the laundry basket!"

Ernie: "Oh no!"

Bert: "Yes, and now the laundry basket is so full of junk, there's no room to put the laundry in!"

Ernie: "Oh no! That means there's only one thing I can do!" (he goes off briefly)

Bert: "Yes, and that is ..."

Ernie: (reappears with ball and mitt) "That means I'll just have to go and play baseball! Bye-bye! Kkehehehehe!"