As Atrios informs us, The Department of Homeland Security has reduced the terrorist threat level from Ernie to Bert.
This is obviously good news. I don’t know about that scale, though. Cookie Monster and Oscar are kind of threatening and/or grouchy for the lowest threat levels; I think Grover and Kermit might be better choices. I guess Elmo’s excessive cuteness is vaguely creepy (especially hokey pokey Elmo), but I don’t think it’s enough to symbolize “Severe” risk of attack–not when evil-doer Bert is only “Elevated”.
You could make Animal “Severe” if you’re willing to look outside of Sesame Street, but he’s so annoying in those Muppet Babies cartoons. Ernie himself is a reassuring figure, but he may not convey the balance between vigilance and calm resolve required of us during an orange alert as well as this character could.
I don’t know. These are not easy times or easy decisions. Maybe I should cut Tom Ridge more slack….
Nah.
P.S. I wanted to close with a Mr. Snuffalupagus/weapons of mass destruction joke, but I don’t quite have it. Also, I can’t figure out how to spell Snuphaluppagaus, or even come close enough for google to tell me. Can anyone help me out?
Snuffleupagus. Sometimes with a hyphen between the ‘e’ and ‘u’.
Many thanks.
In return, I will remind you that the “Regina Monologues” airs in your coutry tonight. But I bet you knew that.
I don’t think there’s a person in the UK who wasn’t aware of that. And if there was, they must be publicly shamed.
Um, didn’t geek assign alert levels based solely on muppet color?
probably. this was a joke.
Could raise the issue of profiling.
ah. Now I get it. Judging muppets by the color of their (skin? fur? cloth?) rather than the content of their character.
It is funny – and I agree about Elmo’s excessive cuteness. I just don’t trust it one bit.
By the way, love the sniper kitty pic.
Actually, I think the most brilliant thing about the muppet scale is its perfect spectrum from ‘grouchy’ to ‘cute’ as one goes up in threat. Sort of Orwellian.