A couple years ago they did a True Blood parody called "True Mud."

True Blood is a very much not-for-kids show on HBO.

They also had a bit with Gob from Arrested Development (and got Will Arnett to play the role).

I wouldn't be surprised if they've done a Breaking Bad thing, too.

oh and don't forget their Twin Peaks pastiche, "Twin Beaks." That one was downright creepy (and hilarious).

"Twin Beaks" also gets double parody points because it was presented as a segment of "Monsterpiece Theatre" which in turn is a parody of Masterpiece Theatre. So yeah, they've always done this and they will continue to do this.

Fluffy, the 'True Mud' sketch makes my 3yo daughter giggle like a maniac.

BJ, Right now the Cookie Monster segments are all produced as fake movie trailers, and they are fucking brilliant.
Cookie's Production company: Crumby Pictures.

Uh, "Me, Claudius"? Sesame Street has always done this and will always do this.

From its very beginning, the folks who create Sesame Street wanted to have a show that was:

A) Educational
B) Entertaining to kids
C) Entertaining to the kids' parents.

The idea behind C was that they wanted parents to watch the show with their kids in order to foster quality time together & help them bond. So Sesame Street has always had stuff in it that are designed to keep the parents entertained; that stuff was never meant for the kids.

Exactly, xago! It also was stuff that if their kids asked them questions, they could explain it to them without having to get all awkward about it.

The best kids entertainment operates on multiple levels, and it's also smart marketing. No parent I know wanted Barney the Dinosaur on in the house because the songs and stupid dialog would melt their brains. Sesame Street has things going on that different age groups will recognize while still being educational for the kids.

Besides, if you just need a character, why not just riff off of pop culture? What does a kid care if they see a guy with a microphone at a game talking about the letter P is some muppet they just met or a parody of Howard Cosell? It's how you're introduced to references, by BEING INTRODUCED TO REFERENCES.

> It's how you're introduced to references, by BEING INTRODUCED TO REFERENCES.

Right, so Sesame Street is to blame for postmodernism and hipsters.

That's not a good thing.

More like this, EH:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjG9JcyLYbw

And "references" doesn't mean quipping quotes as one-liners. It means recognizing allusions to other people, works, and culture.

If you get any more cynically obtuse, you're going to need a knitted scarf, Clark Kent glasses and a trilby.