Video: Ricky Gervais Teaches Elmo About the Holocaust
We knew that Office creator Ricky Gervais doesn't hold back on his signature off-color smarminess when he appears on award shows, but apparently children's shows aren't safe from it either. Gervais recently visited the set of Sesame Street and taught Elmo a word we're pretty sure the show hasn't learned before. But despite Gervais's notorious quick wit, puppeteer extraordinaire Kevin Clash didn't miss a beat. Here's the AP's clip of the two of them behind the scenes.
He did say necrophilia, right? Gervais has written quite a bit on his blog about his trip to Sesame Street for their upcoming season, an appearance he calls "a career highlight." Before shooting the segment, Gervais looked forward to it by saying, "That might be close to a perfect day. Waking up in New York, singing to a muppet, then having dinner, before squeezing one of my weird headed bald gimp friends' heads."
The video making the rounds today might even be a surprise to the British comedian because he had written, "There were loads of outtakes but the producers are worried about releasing them as they may get the show taken off air."
Other guests stopping by the Children's Television Workshop for its 40th season include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jimmy Fallon and 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander. That list also recently included Gothamist, who got an equally warm hello from Elmo. Last season, Sesame Street got the net buzzing with a sneak preview that included musician Feist performing "1, 2, 3, 4" on the show.
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