--- title: Watch Christina Hendricks and Elmo Teach About Technology description: Find the Mad Men allusions! canonical: https://time.com/3889680/christina-hendricks-elmo-sesame-street/ author: Esther Zuckerman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-19T20:44:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:33.754Z og:title: Allow Christina Hendricks and Elmo to Teach You About Technology og:description: Find the 'Mad Men' allusions! og:url: https://time.com/3889680/christina-hendricks-elmo-sesame-street/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Allow Christina Hendricks and Elmo to Teach You About Technology twitter:description: Find the 'Mad Men' allusions! twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Allow Christina Hendricks and Elmo to Teach You About Technology > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=cb9863cc-837f-4673-9ef3-a0fd61b89dc0&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) by [Esther Zuckerman](https://time.com/author/esther-zuckerman/) ## Esther Zuckerman Zuckerman is a contributor for TIME. May 19, 2015 8:44 PM UTC by [Esther Zuckerman](https://time.com/author/esther-zuckerman/) ## Esther Zuckerman Zuckerman is a contributor for TIME. May 19, 2015 8:44 PM UTC In _Mad_ _Men_‘s first episode Joan tells Peggy, “now, try not to be overwhelmed by all this technology” while unveiling a typewriter. Even though _Mad Men_ is now over, Christina Hendricks is still doling out technological wisdom alongside Elmo for _Sesame Street_. Maybe _Mad Men_ is just on the brain, but the show’s DNA is all over the clip. “If I need to record myself playing the ukelele, this is the tool of choice: the tablet,” Hendricks says. Doesn’t she [doesn’t mean the accordion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r79RpKFNcH0)? ### Meet the Man Behind Sesame Street's Big Bird  Caroll Spinney joined Sesame Street in its inaugural 1969 season playing both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Courtesy Robert Fuhring  In the first year of Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch was orange. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney and Jim Henson are seen on the set of Sesame Street in 1969, the first year of the show. Courtesy Bill Pierce  Caroll Spinney with Oscar the Grouch and Picklepuss, one of his first puppet creations. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney tests a puppet in the concept stage. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney filming Big Bird in China with Lisa Ouyang. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney with his children and Oscar the Grouch at his child's birthday party. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney and Oscar the Grouch shooting Sesame Street in Hawaii. Courtesy Gary Miller  Caroll Spinney takes a break from shooting a cameo in The Muppet Movie. Courtesy Debra Spinney  Caroll Spinney with First Lady Hillary Clinton on Sesame Street. Spinney has worked with all the first ladies since the Nixon administration. Courtesy Sesame Workshop  Caroll Spinney is seen with First Lady Michelle Obama. Spinney is a distant cousin of President Barack Obama. Courtesy Richard Termine—Sesame Workshop  Caroll Spinney performs on a recent season of Sesame Street and continues to perform as Big Bird and Oscar to this day. 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