RUTH
BUZZI
Ruth Buzzi in 2002
An
excerpt from her interview on YCDTOTV.com from January 2002:
I
know you have been a part of Sesame Street for several seasons
as Ruthie, the owner of Finders Keepers. What are you currently
doing? Perhaps you could tell us more about your work on
Sesame Street?
Sesame
Street has been an incredible experience.
Seven years for me so far! Longer than being on Laugh-In,
which lasted 5 1/2 seasons! I really learned the "power
of the tube" on Sesame Street
and how it can influence a very young mind. In fact, its
power is a bit frightening. That's why it's so very important
as to what a child watches on TV. I feel for every parent
that knows this, and cares, because they only have control
of the child's viewing to a certain point.
Modern
technology is a fantastic thing, but it can also be an enourmous
negative in this area. I almost wish a child can't be exposed
to TV until they're 9 or 10 years of age. Sometimes I'll
say to myself, "Hey Ruthie, how did you turn out to be a
pretty good Italian without a Sesame Street
style show to watch as a youngster?" I was outside playing,
creating, and having a wonderful healthy childhood with
my young friends day in and day out!
If
I had to stay home I'd play paper dolls, paint, draw, read
Nancy Drew Mysteries, do home
work, help my Mother clean house and my Dad with yard work,
ride bikes barefoot, go blueberry picking in the woods behind
our house, go boat rowing/motoring and swimming in the Wequetequock
(hometown name) River across the street in the summer, and
ice-skating on it in the winter & on & on & on. We all had
great times in Wequetequock. We weren't glued to TV sets
(there were none for a long time) and pinball machines.
God's playground was our Master! Around age 7, we girls
all took dancing lessons, joined the Brownies, the Girl
Scouts, and better than all, the 4H Club. I don't think
4H exists anymore, does it? I learned the basics of cooking
and sewing in a fun, wonderful way. I don't eve know what
the boys were learning, but I'm sure it was a lot. Anyway,
do you get the "jist"? I'm not putting down Sesame
Street and all the other kids shows. I'm putting
down other shows that "surround" them. Shows too adult for
the young, impressionable mind . I guess that was also the
reason I wanted to do Sesame Street.
I knew it was and is a wonderful show for young minds, knowing
they will be exposed to the tube. I wish I were singing
a song with the Muppets right now! They all are incredible
performers and terrific people to work with. They too would
have been great on Laugh-In. Not
as Muppets, but as themselves. Great talents. I'm so honored
to be a part of Sesame Street
at this time of my life.
Last
month, I guested on The Young And The Restless,
which was great fun. Lovely cast, and I just completed a
starring part, a villianess on a big cartoon movie to be
called Squeeshies. The writer,
producer, director's father created Felix The
Cat, so I was in good hands and I'm really
looking forward to the completion of the movie.
