- Here are your five words.
Limerick.
A limerick is a special
kind of rhyming poem
with five lines.
Structure.
Structure is how
something is put together.
Distracted.
If you're distracted,
your attention is taken
away from something.
Valid.
If something is valid then
it means that it counts.
It's right, but then
there's invalid.
If something is invalid, then
it means that it's wrong.
So, we have limerick,
structure, distracted,
valid, and invalid.
Watch out for these
words in today's show.
- Oh, here comes trouble.
- Hello Manny.
- Hello Hector.
I was wondering, do
you know what today is?
- Tuesday, glad to help. Bye.
- Ah, but today is not
just any old Tuesday.
- Manny, what are
you talking about?
- I'm talking about
the limerick slam.
It's today!
The greatest limerick
competition in the land.
- Forget it Manny,
I'm not interested.
- Wait, what's a limerick?
- A limerick is a poem with
its own special pattern.
And it goes a little
something like this.
There once was a
boy from the city
who was always so
charming and witty
but when it came time
to give a great rhyme
the result just
wasn't so pretty.
- Come on Jess, let's go.
- Come on Hector, sign up.
- No Manny, how about you
just win it automatically
like you do every other year.
Let's go.
- Hector, what's wrong?
- Poor Hector was just so afraid
of the horrible
goof that he made
so he runs and he hides--
- All right, Spamboni, don't
talk to my brother like that.
You want a match?
- [Hector] Jessica, no!
- You've got one.
- Ho, ho, so you think
you can limerick?
- My name is Jess
I'm a lyrical master
no body rhymes better
nobody is faster.
If you try to b*at me,
it will be a disaster.
(screeching)
- That is not valid.
- What do you mean
it's not valid?
- It doesn't count, Jess.
That's not how you
make a limerick.
- Wait.
- The limerick
competition is on.
See you at three
o'clock in the theater.
Buh bye.
(laughing)
- But Hector, I, oh.
Hey you guys!
Come on see the
power, feel the power
Feel the power,
you can plug it in
It's electric,
electric company
You connect to
electric company
It's electric,
electric company
You connect to
electric company
Yo, the power we perfected
Is electrically connected
So use it as directed
And expect to be respected
Turn it on and you will see
That you belong
in the company
Feel the power,
feel the power
Oh feel the power
Here we go, plug it in
Feel the power everybody
Wake up and plug it in
Electric company
Electric company
Electric company
The Electric Company
- There's one lunch
that I love the most,
lettuce and cheese on
a seven grain toast.
Add a little mustard,
put it on a plate
and you have a
lunch that's good,
no, you have a
lunch that's great.
- Oh, all right.
(laughing)
- Eh, eh.
It's not a valid limerick, Jess.
- What? I don't understand
why it's invalid.
- Okay, limericks have
their own rules and patterns
and you have to know those first
before you can make a limerick.
- Why do you know so
much about limericks?
- I don't want to talk about it.
I don't want to talk
about it right now.
I don't want to have anything
to do with this limerick slam
and I don't want to hear another
limerick as long as I live.
- Uh, all right, Hector.
What is the deal with
you and limericks?
Sorry.
- It was seven years ago,
in this very room,
in the days when the limerick
slam was held in the diner.
It was the second
annual limerick slam
and my opponent
was Manny Spamboni.
- And never did
finish his bagel.
- Ding, ding.
That limerick is valid.
- All right, Manny!
That's my little boy.
- [Hector] But as good as
Manny was, I was better.
I was the returning champion
and about to win again.
- Good luck, Hector.
- Hector, this is
for the championship.
Make up a limerick
about the beach.
- [Hector] I started my
limerick beautifully.
- I once took a trip
to the ocean and--
- [Hector] Then I started
hearing this awful sound,
like a bug, but I
didn't see one anywhere.
- Uh, uh.
- [Hector] It completely
distracted me.
I couldn't pay attention
to my limerick.
The sound distracted
me so much that I said
the weirdest thing.
- I am a chicken pot pie.
- Hm?
- Eh, eh, that's not valid.
We have a limerick slam
champ, Manny Spamboni.
- Woo!
(applauding)
Woo!
- Better luck next year, Hector,
you'll certainly need it.
(laughing)
(laughing)
- You're a chicken pot pie.
- Hey look, I was distracted.
- Oh, come on Hector.
Why have you not taken
Manny on since then?
- Yeah, you never give up.
- I didn't give up, okay?
I, you know, I'm just
not that in to limericks.
Okay, they're not my thing.
(phone ringing)
- [Lisa] Okay.
- A message from Manny.
- There once was
a poet named Jess
whose limericks did not impress.
She didn't have Hector
to come and protect her
because Hector was
just such a mess.
(laughing)
- Okay, that's it.
Jess, are you ready to become
the next limerick slam champion?
- I am.
- Good, let's do this thing.
- All right!
- Yeah!
- [Announcer] Today's
show brought to you by
short I, ih.
- [Announcer] It's time
for Electric Sound Off.
I'm your host, Hector Ruiz.
(cheering)
Let's spin the wheel.
What sound are we
playing with today?
Short I, the ih sound.
Let's plug it in to
see it in action.
(buzzing)
Ih, as in, big lid.
Or ill inchworm.
Or a pig's ship.
Is sit a short I word?
- [Audience] Yes!
- [Announcer] Is
site a short I word?
- [Audience] No.
- That's right, it has an I,
but it's a long
I, not a short I.
And now, I need two
volunteers to go head to head
with the ih sound.
- I'll do it.
- I'll do it.
- Well, come on up.
(cheering)
Let's see some words.
Make a sentence
using these words.
The person who uses the most
words with the ih sound wins,
but be careful,
we have hidden some long
I words on the wall too.
Ready?
- [Together] Ready.
- Work on your sentences while
we hear a word from our sponsor.
Francine
- Zip, zip, zip.
I, Francine Corothers, have
the best zippers around.
For only $, I'll
zip you into your coat,
zip you into your shoes,
experience what it's
like to be zipped by
a true zipper zipper.
Francine
- Time's up.
Let's see what
sentences you made.
- Well, my sentence is,
a kitten in mittens
is sitting on a twig.
- Look at that, kitten, in,
mittens, is, sitting, twig.
Six ih words.
You have your work cut
out for you, Danny.
- No problem, my sentence is,
a twig on a mitten is
behind the nice kitten.
- You've got twig,
mitten, is, and kitten.
That's four points, but
nice and behind have the
I sound, not the ih sound.
That means, Jessica wins!
(cheering)
- What did I win?
- A big blimp!
(cheering)
- Wow!
- I'll see you next time
on Electric Sound Off.
- Ick.
(b*at boxing beats)
Ick.
- Let's kick it
- Ick, ick.
I pick you for my sidekick
I pick you for my sidekick
I pick you for my sidekick
Ick, ick
I pick you for
my slick sidekick
I pick you for
my slick sidekick
I pick you for
my slick sidekick
We're kicking it
We are kicking it
We are kicking
kicking kicking it
Kicking it
We are kicking it
We are kicking it
We are kicking it
Kicking it
Kicking it
So let's kick it quickly
Let's kick it quickly
Let's kick it quickly
Let's kick it quickly
Quickly, quickly,
quickly, quickly
Quickly, quickly, quickly
Quickly, quickly, quickly
Quickly, quickly, quickly
Quickly, quickly, quickly
(laughing)
- We kicked it.
- Quickly.
(laughing)
- I'm special agent Jack Bowser.
Huh, chew on this.
I'm stuck.
This thing is about to blow.
But I can't cr*ck
the code to get out.
Help me read this.
Flick, the famous goldfish,
had chicken flavored gum.
Flick, the famous goldfish,
had chicken flavored gum.
(cheering)
(exploding)
- Okay, so the most important
thing about a limerick
is that it has it's
very own structure.
- Structure? What do you mean?
- I'm talking about the
way that it's built.
Like, okay, you see that
building over there?
It has its own structure.
It has the foundation,
the walls, the roof,
a limerick has its
own structure as well.
- So, how do you build one?
- Uh, check it
out, I'll show you.
Okay,
I'm standing here
by a brick wall
a great place to
throw a word ball.
I'm teaching you how
to limerick now
and I hope you remember it all.
You see? This is
the rhyme structure.
The first two lines end
in a rhyme, wall and ball.
- Mm and the next two lines
end in a rhyme, how and now.
- Exactly, and then the
last line ends in a rhyme
with the first two.
- [Jess] All rhymes
with wall and ball.
- Exactly, that's the
limerick structure.
That's how it's built.
- I can do that, step aside.
- Okay.
- I'm a limerick queen.
I'm only .
I know how to rhyme
each and every time.
See what I mean? Yeah.
I nailed it.
- Eh, eh, that is invalid.
- I got the rhyme
structure right.
- Yes, you got the
rhyme structure right,
but the rhythm was off.
It's, oh Shock, what's up man?
A b*at please.
(b*at box b*at)
Okay, now let's listen to
the rhythm without the words.
All right?
Bah, bahbahbah, bahbahbah, dee,
bah, bahbahbah, bahbahbah blee.
Bah, bahbahbah, doo,
bah, bahbahbah, goo,
Bah, bahbahbah, bahbahbah, bee.
- Oh, I get it.
I can do that.
There once was a limerick queen
a girl at the age of .
She learned how to rhyme
and keep it in time
and now she knows
just what you mean.
- Ding, ding, that
is a valid limerick.
Nice, thanks Shock.
What are you doing here, man?
- Yeah.
- It's beautiful out,
just running around.
- Well, well, well, looks like
Hector has taught his sister
the art of the limerick.
It would be a shame
if she got distracted.
(laughing)
I have a mechanical bug
that lives in a little red jug.
It buzzes around
distracted with sound
and for that I
will give it a hug.
(laughing)
- [Announcer] Today's
show brought to you by
mb, mmm.
- Mm.
- You know what I don't like?
I don't like silent letters.
I find them really annoying.
Like when a b comes after an m.
It's dumb, what's the point?
The b's just hanging
around there for no reason.
I say thumbs down to mb
and so, with a stomp, I
will flip the mb to an mp.
(stomping)
Now see? That P is
doing something.
Thumps.
I can hear that P.
Now I can make words
like, like, like stamp
and trample, and bump.
(stomping)
Now I'll take the
words climb and crumb
and comb and put
them in the dump.
Oh yeah, I'm pumped.
I feel so much better.
(upbeat music with a b*at)
- [Woman] Mm.
- L.
- Imb.
- [Together] Limb.
- L.
- Amb.
- [Together] Lamb.
- Cr.
- Umb.
- [Together] Crumb.
- Cl.
- Imb.
- [Together] Climb.
- Th.
- Umb.
- [Together] Thumb.
- Thumbs up to you.
- Good job.
- Oh, you're great.
- You are really good.
- You're fantastic.
- You're the best.
- You're awesome.
- Thanks, I know.
(b*at boxing)
- Thumb.
Comb.
Climb.
Lamb.
(b*at boxing)
- Lamb.
- Baaa.
(laughing)
- All right, stay focused.
Don't get distracted and your
name could be right up there.
- Limerick slam champion.
Yikes, that's a lot
of Manny Spamboni's.
- Don't worry about it.
You're ready.
- Manny, you do your best.
You try hard, you play fair.
Do you understand?
- Of course, mommy,
I always play fair.
- And one more thing.
- Hm?
- Win.
- All right limerick lovers,
are you ready for
three frolicking rounds
of limerick lunacy?
(cheering)
All right, you all know the
rules or maybe you don't.
You will each compose three
limericks on the spot.
I will give you a word
and you will rhyme it
in your limericks and your
limericks must make sense.
Should you fail, you
will hear this, eh, eh.
All right?
Let the limerick slam begin.
(audience applauding)
We will start with our
reigning champ, Manny,
make up a limerick,
using the word poet.
- Poet.
I'm Manny, the limerick poet
I'm good and boy do I know it.
Some want me to make
a great big mistake
but sorry, I'm
not gonna blow it.
- Ding, ding, that's
a valid limerick.
(audience cheering)
And now, the challenger,
Jessica, your word is, dozen.
- Dozen.
I went to the store
with my cousin
to pick up donuts, a dozen.
We thought we heard flies
but to our surprise
all that was there
was a buzzing.
- Ding, ding, that's valid!
- No, time out, time out.
- That's a new one, okay.
I'll allow it.
- Come over here.
What happened?
- I did hear the buzzing sound
and it was really distracting.
- Buzzing?
- Yeah, like buzz.
- Okay, go distract
everybody for a second, okay?
I need to check something out.
- Okay, distract, right?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Hey, I want to thank
everybody for coming out
to the ninth annual
limerick slam.
I want to thank um,
(whirring)
- Bingo.
Now, about seven years ago.
(whirring)
- I want to thank Paul
the gorilla, my man.
- Excuse me, good job, Jess.
Excuse me, hi.
Do you mind if I take
Jessica's place in this round?
- Another new one.
Let's check with your opponent.
- Bring it chicken pot pie.
- All right folks, the slam
is on with a tag team twist.
Hector, you're up.
Your word is, hair.
(dramatic orchestral music)
(buzzing)
- Ha, hair.
I just grabbed this
thing from the air
that was buzzing
around by my hair.
It might seem weird,
but it kind of appeared
that someone was
not playing fair.
- Ding, ding, that's valid.
- Give me my bug!
- Manny, what bug?
- Well, he's probably
referring to the
tiny mechanical
bug that he's been
flying into our
ears to distract us.
- Yeah, that one, give it to me.
- [Mom] Manny.
- Yes mommy?
- What did I tell you
about playing fair?
- Um, that I should do that.
- We're going home.
- But mommy.
- No more robotics for a week.
- Mommy.
- I guess that means that
Jessica is the winner!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
No, I'm sorry.
I know I keep doing this.
But, why don't we just
have one more round?
Fair and square.
No bugs, just limericks.
What do you say, Manny?
- Can I mommy?
- All right, but
give me that bug.
- And um, how about we
make this one a team round,
if that's okay?
- Why not?
- I pick Jess as my partner.
- Okay, Manny, you
chose your partner.
- He chooses me.
Let's do this.
- All right folks, get ready
for the freaky freestyle round.
Your limericks can
be about anything.
We will keep going until someone
makes an invalid limerick.
- Here we go.
There once was a
sister and a brother
- A pair that could
rhyme like no other.
- Our skills are supreme
and we work as a team
- Now Manny here is
joined by his mother.
- I can not believe
that you cheated.
- It's better than
being defeated.
- That's not how you play
that's just not the way.
- I promise that it
won't be repeated.
- Manny's bug caused
a major distraction
and his mom, well
she had a reaction
- She got really mad
and she yelled at the lad.
- Now let's watch
their next interaction.
- Let's hope that you
did learn your lesson.
- Yes, mommy, I have
learned my lesson.
- Eh, eh, ohhhh.
(audience reacting)
- What happened?
- You rhymed lesson with lesson.
You can't rhyme one
word with the same word.
That's completely
invalid which means that
Jessica and Hector win!
(audience applauding)
(cheering)
(crying)
- There, there, Manny.
Next year.
- Jessica and Hector Ruiz.
- Limerick slam champions.
Nice.
(clapping)
- Hector, I'm glad you're
back on the limerick scene.
- I must say, it
is nice to be back.
- Hey Hector, do you think I
could be in the
limerick slam next year?
- Oh Keith, what an
excellent question,
but please let me
make the suggestion.
If you're seeking success,
take your lessons from Jess
cause today she made
quite the impression.
(giggling)
- [Lisa] Yay!
- Thank you.
- [Woman] Wow, look at that.
01x17 - The Limerick Slam
Watch on Amazon Merchandise
A comedy series that teaches basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes now known as Sesame Workshop.
A comedy series that teaches basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes now known as Sesame Workshop.