How It's Made

February 23, 2021 9:03 PM

The Sesame Street Crayon Factory video.

This video is probably what you expected.

posted by cosmic.osmo (26 comments total)

It’s incredible that this can trigger memories I haven’t accessed for well over 20 years—the image of the raw crayons being stacked is almost visceral
posted by hoyle at 9:35 PM on February 23, 2021 [13 favorites]

oh he is so endearing and precious (in the good way)
rocking out in the corner video
posted by mephisjo at 10:16 PM on February 23, 2021 [2 favorites]

I am amused
posted by bq at 10:21 PM on February 23, 2021

Ah, I had wondered where I had seen this as a young child back in the early 80s. Thanks so much!
posted by wierdo at 3:35 AM on February 24, 2021

During the 1990s when the cigarette wars were ongoing in the courts, it was not uncommon to have B-roll of a cigarette factory playing under an interview or report on television. It's only now that I realise that some of the machinery in the crayon factory is almost identical to the devices used to sort and box cigarettes.

I wonder which use came first.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:55 AM on February 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

It took me a moment to work out that the composer is in a separate screen (picture-in-picture? I don't know the terminology) and I was just thikning "Wow, that bloke's got crazy-huge monitors for his DAW".
posted by pompomtom at 4:25 AM on February 24, 2021 [9 favorites]

I vividly remember watching this, but the music didn't click until the scene with the crayons in the hopper being dispensed to the label-affixing machine.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:06 AM on February 24, 2021

These films were the best part of Sesame Street for me. I never formed any attachment to the muppets but the unnarrated manufacturing and process shorts were sublime.
posted by ezust at 6:19 AM on February 24, 2021 [7 favorites]

HUH I only ever saw the Mister Rogers one.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 6:40 AM on February 24, 2021 [4 favorites]

The only other bit of industrial film that has stuck with me from my youth is this earworm from Reading Rainbow.

(I couldn't find the video of it, unfortunately)
posted by LeDiva at 7:09 AM on February 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

Ezust: you might like Die Sendung mit der Maus.
posted by Reverend John at 8:35 AM on February 24, 2021

It’s rare that a piece of video can so completely evoke my sense of smell. That fresh-crayon aroma is incredibly palpable.
posted by Mchelly at 10:41 AM on February 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

they still make em in Forks Township too!
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:52 AM on February 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Those crayons look delicious.
posted by Reyturner at 1:01 PM on February 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

I only ever saw the Mister Rogers one.

Which can be found here.
posted by TedW at 1:09 PM on February 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

I shouldn't have watched that crayon video right after reading an MST3K-related thread. I got to the point where the two older women were loading fresh crayons into the labeling machines and I couldn't help myself:

"Ah cripes, Mabel. Inhalin' this wax all day every day...I'm tastin' metal, don'tcha know. Uff da."
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:41 PM on February 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

Other old Sesame Street clips about how things are made, an incomplete list:

Cheese
Chewing gum
Chinese noodles
Recycled paper
Recycled bottles
Recycled cans
Hamburger buns
Apple cider
Postage stamps
Peanut butter
Milk
Honey
Pizza
Saxophones

Bonus link that, with the possible exception of Pinball Number Count, might be the Sesame Street clip that made the strongest impression on my psyche: Geometry of Circles
posted by box at 1:48 PM on February 24, 2021 [16 favorites]

Oh lord Mr. Rogers with that Western PA accent for crayons....crans.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 2:12 PM on February 24, 2021 [3 favorites]

The Mr. Rogers one is the best.
posted by thefool at 2:13 PM on February 24, 2021 [2 favorites]

Such beautiful memories. I watched Sesame Street far longer than any other child in my neighborhood. Mr. Rogers too. My excuse was that as I was outgrowing the shows, my brother was growing into them. Then came my youngest brother. I'm still known to watch old Sesame Street on YouTube.

box: I love that circle one.
posted by kathrynm at 4:43 PM on February 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Just here to post the magnificent Braces Tower rejiggle of 'Eleven Twelve' - relentlessly groovy...
posted by prismatic7 at 5:34 PM on February 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Peanut butter clip is the one that stuck with me. I find myself humming the song even though it's been probably 40 years after I last saw it.

♫ ♬ ...it takes a lot of little nuts to make a jar of peanut butter... ♩ ♪
posted by Gray Duck at 7:02 AM on February 25, 2021

If you go to one of the Crayola Experience stores (if you have very young children, recommended!) you can see this in person as show/demo. The coolest part is they do the show many times a day, so they endlessly melt down the same crayons to make them over and over again.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:05 AM on February 25, 2021 [4 favorites]

Beet Beet Sugar Beet Beet!

Filmed not far from where I'm sitting right now.
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:48 AM on February 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

THE BABY IS HUNGRY HURRY!

That milk clip must have first aired in 1971 or 72, because I only remember the part where the milk goes into the pan and the kitties get their breakfast. I would've been only 2 or 3 years old.

I do remember the crayon video, though. And in first grade, if you had the 64-pack with the sharpener in the back, to me, well, obviously, you were rich!
posted by droplet at 11:00 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Geometry of Circles

Can you imagine a current show introducing kids to Philip Glass? Freaking amazing.
posted by nushustu at 11:01 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]