Big Bird's names for Mr. Hooper

Big Bird's names for Mr. Hooper

An excerpt of one of Sesame Street's "rhyme game" segments, playing off of Mr. Hooper's name.

"Mr. Pooper" is written out in popsicle sticks in Episode 1747.

One of Mr. Hooper's many attempts to show Big Bird how to say his name correctly in Episode 1307.

Big Bird's inability to properly pronounce or remember Mr. Hooper's name was a running gag on Sesame Street for years.

Typically, Mr. Hooper would casually correct Big Bird and he would quickly comply. On a few occasions, Mr. Hooper attempted to address the problem head on. In Episode 1307, he used large cards to piece his name together to help Big Bird sound it out. In Episode 1434, Big Bird claimed it would be easier to remember his name if everyone's names were the same, so Mr. Hooper asks him to imagine how confusing that would be.

When Mr. Hooper, Gordon, and Susan commit to a gag in which they claim not to recognize Big Bird wearing a disguise in Episode 0919, Big Bird desperately calls out Mr. Hooper's correct name; in response, Mr. Hooper replies, "Looper! Looper, to you!"

In some instances, Big Bird doubles down on the error, either innocently or by design. Episode 1423 implies that Big Bird perpetuated the error on purpose: when he calls him by his correct name, he says that he did it "just for a change." When he makes a sign out of popsicle sticks in Episode 1747, it reads, "Mr. Pooper."

Names

Mr. Tooper

0006, 0072, 0154, 1970 promo

Mr. Sooper

0008, 0066

Mr. Booper

0072, 0427, 1307, 1308

Mr. Pooper

0154, 0158, 0546, 0577, 0690, 0956, 0957, 1006, 1052, 1074, 1081, 1148, 1172, 1205, 1252, 1307, 1565, 1747, 1806, 2073, Sleepytime Bird, Getting Ready for School

Mr. Looper

0158, 0313, 0320, 0343, 0427, 0461, 0539, 0545, 0546, 0593, 0595, 0701, 0748, 0759, 0811, 0813, 0830, 0834, 0845, 0847, 0850, 0926, 1006, 1017, 1040, 1056, 1058, 1074, 1090, 1229, 1246, 1294, 1308, 1317, 1359, 1404, 1422, 1457, 1462, 1478, 1497, 1545, 1575, 1625, 1671, 1706, 1710, 1790, 1839, 1869, 1968, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2069, 2073, 2083, 2209, 2333, 2360, 2455, 2525, 2795, 3160, 3786, 3978, Numbers!, The Sesame Street Fairy Tale Album, Sesame Street Sing-Along!, Evening at Pops, A Special Sesame Street Christmas, Follow That Bird, Big Bird's Story Time, Getting Ready for School, Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Mr. Crooper

0181

Mr. Dooper

0320, 0813, 1671, The Sesame Street Book & Record

Mr. Stooper

0461, 0929

Mr. Hooker

0471

Mr. Blooper

1052, The Count Counts, The Sesame Street Cookbook

Mr. Glooper

0810

Mr. Cooper

0813, 1246

Mr. Cunningham

1123 — Big Bird's performer, Caroll Spinney, has mentioned that one day he came up with a new one: "Hello, Mr. Cunningham -- oh gee, I wasn't even close."

Mr. Zooper

1307

Mr. Wainwright

1307

Mr. Snooper

1467

See also

• Big Bird's misnomers
• Oscar's nicknames