Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Simon Soundman

SIMON SOUNDMAN

Performed by...
Jerry Nelson

First appearance...
Sesame Street: Season 2 (1970)

Most recent (new) appearance...

Sesame Street: Season 24 Episode 3068 (1993)

Best known role...

Sound mimicker; "Sound Song" singer

WHO IS SIMON SOUNDMAN?
Simon Soundman is a classic character from Sesame Street who speaks mostly using sound effects to communicate. Although he can speak using actual words, he elects to use sound effects such as "THUMP THUMP" or "RUFF RUFF!" instead, leaving others on Sesame Street to have to figure out what exactly he means. Simon Soundman first appeared in Sesame Street's second season in a sketch with Ernie. Simon runs into Ernie's apartment asking to use his phone and it's up to Ernie to figure out why by deciphering Simon's sounds. (Turns out his car had broken down.)

In his first appearance, Simon Soundman had brown hair and a brown mustache (resembling Grover's frequent customer Mr. Johnson). As Simon Soundman evolved into a more recurring character, he gained black hair and mustache as well as a brand new pair of eyebrows. Perhaps Simon Soundman's best known appearance is in the "Sound Song" from early in Sesame Street's run. In the song, Simon sings about how hiss "ruff ruff" chased a "meow meow" up a tree, while handy animations of a dog and cat assist young viewers in figuring out what he's singing about.

Simon Soundman has interacted with numerous classic Sesame Street characters, always aggrivating them until they can figure out what his sound effects mean. He has tried to order a chicken sandwich from waiter Grover at Charlie's Restaurant, played weather reporter on reporter Kermit the Frog's news show, taught Bert to make the sound of a tuba, and helped Old MacDonald find his lost animal.

Simon Soundman made frequent appearances on Sesame Street consistently until about Season 25, when he was phased out from the show and no new segments featuring the character were made. He appeared in silent cameos in the backgrounds of The Muppets Take Manhattan, Follow That Bird, and A Muppet Family Christmas.

WHY DOES SESAME STREET NEED SIMON SOUNDMAN?
Simon Soundman is as important to Sesame Street as a RUFF RUFF is to a man! Why, they go together like a VROOM VROOM on the street! (Thus ends our lame attempt to imitate Simon Soundman.)

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com