Simon Soundman



Simon Soundman is a Sesame Street character who has the ability to mimic any sound he hears. He often drops pre-recorded sound effects into conversation, using them to represent common words. For example, if he visits a tool store to buy a hammer, he doesn't say to the store clerk "I want to buy a hammer," instead he says "I want to buy a (POUND POUND!)"  Other characters, and the viewers, must then figure out what he means by identifying the sounds (though some sketches end with the other characters replacing words with sounds in the same manner).

This guesswork is frequently used as the basis for his skits, as the on-screen characters attempt to interact with him. Though he often makes sounds of objects instead of naming them, he is capable of saying the actual words as well, such as in a sketch where he meets Old MacDonald, and in a sketch where he sounds out the word "Call". In one of Simon's most notable appearances, he sang "Sound Song," a song about his (RUFF RUFF!) chasing a (MEOW!) up a tree. As he made each sound effect, pictures accompanied them so the viewers could easily tell what the sounds were.

Simon debuted on Sesame Street in Season 2 and was mostly active until Season 29. He made cameo appearances in The Muppets Take Manhattan, Follow That Bird and A Muppet Family Christmas.

Simon once appeared at Charlie's Restaurant, where he was waited on by Grover. During this sketch, Simon remarks that he can't believe his brother recommended the place, which implies that he and frequent Charlie's customer Mr. Johnson (another Fat Blue puppet performed by Jerry Nelson) are brothers.

Appearance
The first Simon Soundman had brown hair, a bushy mustache, orange nose, and no eyebrows. He was later given a smaller mustache, pink nose, eyebrows, and black hair (though the 1979 style guide refers to his hair color as brown).

Some illustrations (such as the inside covers for The Sesame Street Treasury series and the Big Bird's Super Spectacular Totally Amateur Show program book) depict him without a mustache.

Sketches
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