Episode 1172

	Sesame Street
	Big Bird loses a contest
Air date	May 9, 1978
Season	Season 9 (1977-1978)
Production	February 23, 1978
Sponsors	L, M, 7

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Maria hangs out on the stoop reading when Oscar yells at her to beat it. She tells him she has just as much a right to live how she wants as does Oscar, and gets an idea to switch roles so Oscar can experience what it's like to put up with someone like him on the block. They imagine such a scenario, where Oscar is a neatly-dressed, friendly individual and Maria is the local Grouch residing in a trash can who tells him and Mr. Hooper to get lost. After the fantasy, Maria hopes Oscar has learned something about treating others the way he'd like to be treated. Instead, he wishes Maria would yell at him like in his imagination.
	Cartoon	Two kids find different uses for a cooking pot. (First: Episode 0795)
	Muppets	Ernie plays a game of "Touch Your Face" with the viewer. (First: Episode 0869)
	Film	A baker decorates a birthday cake to a jazz percussion beat.
	Cartoon	M for Moon Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1163)
	Celebrity	Flip Wilson shows how his teacher, Miss Johnson, taught the ABCs. (First: Episode 0151)
	Cartoon	M in space (First: Episode 0516)
	Film	A man writes the word ME in the snow. Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0294)
	Cartoon	Kids around the world say "ME." (First: Episode 0389)
	SCENE 2	Big Bird has a new mirror, in which he can see "me" (himself). He shows it to Mr. Hooper, who sees "me" too. Big Bird takes this to mean that Mr. Hooper can somehow see Big Bird's image in the mirror, guessing it must be magic. He shows it to Maria, who clarifies the difference between saying "me" and "you." Big Bird then brings the mirror to Gordon and assumes he'll see "me" in the mirror too, but Gordon asks why he would see Big Bird's image rather than his own. Big Bird tries to explain what he just learned, but gets his pronouns all mixed up and leaves in a flustered mess.
	Cartoon	A man takes advantage of his television appearance to display his giant ME sign. (First: Episode 0781)
	Celebrity	Madeline Kahn sings "Me-me-me-me...."
	Cartoon	Melvin the Moving Man has magnificent muscles. Music: Dick Lavsky and Alan Cagan, Narrator: Allen Swift (First: Episode 0207)
	Film	Kids identify a piece of cabbage in close-up. (First: Episode 0368)
	Cartoon	M for mouse, mud, and mother (First: Episode 0073)
	Muppets	Herbert Birdsfoot explains what the letters M and W look like with a very uncooperative letter that keeps switching itself. The letter eventually stops switching, and Herb solves the problem by rotating the camera angle, turning the letter upside down. (First: Episode 0155)
	SCENE 3	In limbo, Gordon makes the sound of the letter P for the word "pie." He then receives a pie to the face.
	Cartoon	A boy builds a house out of blocks, and when the girl builds a Victorian house, the boy calls her a copycat. (First: Episode 0780)
	Film	A film of camels eating. Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0388)
	Cartoon	Billy Jo Jive and Sunset help out Wrong Way Willie, a kid who gets many things wrong (such as wearing a football outfit on the way to play basketball).
	Insert	Bob sings "Have a Nice Day." (First: Episode 1022)
	Cartoon	A girl trains her dog on here and there. (First: Episode 0769)
	Muppets	The Count's bats are upset because the Count always gets to count, but the bats don't. The Count decides to let the bats count all of the Counts, while the Count counts all the bats...but there is only one Count. (First: Episode 0625)
	Film	Things that start with M (First: Episode 0620)
	Cartoon	The weary traveler asks the Wise Man to demonstrate "here" and "there." He does so by throwing his household items off the cliff. (First: Episode 0769)
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Bert and Ingrid count backwards from ten to one. (First: Episode 0527)
	Cartoon	Pinball Number Count #7 Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 0989)
	Film	A girl and her mother go on a journey to find out where potatoes come from. (First: Episode 0984)
	Cartoon	He, She and It: The IT knows about locks and keys.
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Big Bird and Scottie read a ONE WAY sign. (First: Episode 1051)
	Cartoon	A kid travels through an extra-dimensional map inside a mono-wheeled box while a narrator reads a series of One Way signs.
	Muppets	Waiter Grover: Mr. Johnson orders bacon and eggs, but he can't decide how many of each he wants. Mr. Johnson says that Grover takes too long and asks for two hot dogs and two pickles for lunch. Grover then throws a tantrum in the kitchen. (First: Episode 0408)
	Cartoon	L is for Lips (First: Episode 0147)
	Song	"Me and You," over footage of rhinos in love (First: Episode 0940)
	Celebrity	Madeline Kahn: "I love rhinoceroses...but I wouldn't invite one to lunch." (First: Episode 1106)
	Cartoon	Kids hear an L poem. (First: Episode 0198)
	Muppets	Sesame Street News Flash: Princess Chooses a Prince — A princess selects Kermit as her prince. (First: Episode 0859)
	SCENE 4	Big Bird excitedly shows Maria and Gordon the letter he got in the mail today. He explains that he entered the Bird Seed Toasties cereal drawing contest and the winner will be announced soon; he's sure that his letter will declare him the winner. Gordon and Maria open the letter and read it aloud, announcing one Isabelle Schultz as the winner instead. Big Bird is devastated and goes back to his nest in tears. Maria comes over to comfort him and tells him even if he loses a drawing contest, he shouldn't give up drawing. Big Bird admits that he's still sad about losing the contest, but feels a little better thanks to Maria.
	Muppets	A greaser sings about his relationship that was almost ruined by a "One Way" sign. (First: Episode 0973)
	Film	Mad Painter #7 (First: Episode 0314)
	SCENE 5	Big Bird tries to write a poem about losing the contest to lift his spirits but has trouble with the ending. After consulting the viewer, he finds a good way to end his poem and continues as Maria announces the sponsors.
	CLOSING SIGNS	Susan holds the Sesame Street sign, while Ernie and Bert hold the CTW sign.