Grouchland USA

GROUCH land U S A, " the land of a thousand stenches " , is the hometown of Oscar the Grouch  in  The Adventures of Elmo in Grouch land . Prior to the film , in Sesame Street  episode 2648  ( & then repeated as  episode 2899  ) , Bob visited Grouch land , a neighborhood which was the opposite of Sesame Street , although it was called Grouchytown. In the film , however , the only known way to get to Grouch land , despite apparently being in America , is through a swirling door portal in  Oscar  ' s  trash can  on Sesame Street. Visitors are then deposited, through a pipe , onto a pile of trash  bags , the gateway to Grouch land. Grouch land is ostensibly run by the Grouch   Mayor.

Grouch Architecture
Grouch land is a teeming metropolis, populated solely by Grouches  , littered with  trash  , ranging from small , messy piles to huge mounds. Trash is not just on the streets as  trash , however. A living embodiment of the saying " 1 man ' s trash  is another man ' s treasure ", Grouch land incorporates  trash  of all kinds into the very fabric of the city ' s architecture & economy. Trash is prized as better than " good " stuff. The buildings are tall but lopsided, resembling stylized versions of the worst urban tenements. Though many Grouches  still appear to live in trash cans, many of the buildings also serve as homes , sporting tilted jigsaw - like windows , crooked doors , & a teetering floor placed on top of another. The entire city skyline is angular & juts in odd directions. Cars & garbage  trucks drive to & fro, adding to the smog , & the occasional  Grouch  Dog wanders the street ( while a  Grouch  parrot is on display in the marketplace ). Oscar also nostalgically mentions the old septic tank.

Grouch Commerce
Grouch land ' s business district is a thriving marketplace of shops & services, most of them centered around trash  or just much general  Grouch  surliness.

Storefronts include the Book Dumpster, the Wilting Rose florists , the Car Mess , the Tone Deaf music shop , Bad Humor Man  's ice cream cart & a restaurant called The Rotten Egg. Patrons can buy a quart of muck or a glass of Icky Yuckee at the Inconvenience Store. The bank of Grouch land is the 1 st Savings & Leave Us  Alone, while female  Grouches  can receive a make - over at  the Ugly Parlor. For entertainment the local cinema plays such movies as  Basically It Stinks  starring the Grouch  celebrity  Sharon Groan. Although, most of the Sesame Street visitors find accommodation at the Grouch land Jail.

Outside of the city itself, surrounding environs include a for est teeming with very grouchy  animals & such locales as the steep  Mount Pickanose  , Huxley ' s castle , &  Da Dump  , the domain of the  Queen  of  Trash  & a kingdom all to itself.

Oscar has referenced the Rusty Bucket, a  Grouch  jazz club. " Can ' t wait for the sound of 12 broken trombones playing different tunes at the same time ! "

Behind the Scenes
 Design Team: Val Strazovec • ( conceptual designer ) Alan Cassie • ( production designer ) Grouch land, like many other Muppet sets , relies heavily on forced perspective , creating an enormous landscape , vast in relation to the Grouches  & other Muppets , but still able to accommodate hum an visitors. Wide camera angles & other techniques made the space seem more open.

Design consultant Val Strazovec was largely responsible for the essential design & look of Grouch land, & he discussed his approach in the film  ' s production notes : " At 1 st , th ey thought I had gone too far with Grouch land . Th ey envisioned a real town with the  trash  being the  trash  , but I said ' no , no , no , this is such an opportunity to show something that isn ' t tradition . The whole thing should be as  grouchy  as those who live there . ' Grouch land is about crankiness & fun. I thought, let ' s make it look silly , make it look funny. Almost like a chi ld would draw, with crazy angles. It was crooked. The foundations were real but w e twisted them. "

In addition to specially fabricated Grouch  houses & props, real actual  trash  was a vital ingredient. The props department visited flea markets & other places, collecting 10 truck loads of suitable trash.

TV / Movies / Specials

 *  The Adventures of Elmo in Grouch land  ( 1999 )
 *  The Adventures of Elmo in Grouch land : Sing &amp; Play  ( 1999 )

Books

 *  The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland Movie Storybook  ( 1999 )
 *  Grouch land  Surprises  ( 1999 )
 *  Happy Grouchy Day  ( 1999 )
 *  Unwelcome to Grouchland  ( 1999 )