Beastie Boys’ Sabotage cop show pastiche reimagined through old Sesame Street clips might be the best thing you see this week

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This video is brought to you by the the letter W

Bird Bird superimposed on a frame from the Beastie Boys' Sabotage video
(Image credit: YouTube)

Beastie Boys’ clip for their 1994 single Sabotage is a keenly observed parody in the vein of classic TV cop shows like Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco. Directed by Spike Jonze, the promo quickly achieved god-level status when it was regularly played during the heady days of MTV, i.e. when they broadcast actual music videos. In under three minutes, those who watched the gritty adventure unfold found themselves rooting for Bobby “The Rookie”, Cochese and “The Chief”, not to feeling a quiver of excitement during Sir Stewart Wallace's cameo appearance (guest-starring as himself). 

While we’re keen as you like on music mash-ups, this is a video with a difference. YouTube veteran Adam Schleichkorn – aka isthishowyougoviral – has been making mash-ups of classic hip hop and TV shows for well over a decade and this may well showcase his skills at the peak of his otherworldly powers.

“I spent a Sunday editing a video of the Muppets rapping So What’Cha Want which ended up being a total game-changer for me,” he explains. “The original Sabotage music video is without a doubt, one of the greatest of all time, so I knew I couldn’t do a regular old lip sync video, I had to bring it! RIP MCA."

While Beastie Boys’ features Ad Rock, Mike D and the late MCA playing the majority of the roles on a deliberately meagre budget, this puppet-heavy retooled version features clips from the 1985 movie Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird. Joining the towering canary in this slice of fried gold are the Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Super Grover, Bert and Ernie, and more.  

Settle down to watch the eight foot tall hero in all his flaxen glory in the clip below.

Simon Young
Simon Young

Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty-six years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.