For Big Bird's birthday, the Sesame Street icon's feet replaced the L in Google's search logo. Is Google pressing Big Bird into the service of its charm offensive?
(Google screengrab)Photos (1 of 1)
Big bird’s birthday: Part of Google’s charm campaign?
By David Grant | 11.04.09
Google celebrated Big Bird’s 40th birthday today by replacing the L in its search homepage with the Sesame Street character’s tell-tale orange legs.
So why did the president of Consumer Watchdog call it “the Trojan Muppet?”
Artful logo play is nothing new for Google, who has paid homage to bar codes and H.G. Wells in the past, little flourishes that build an image of a company with a playful and congenial posture. It’s an image Google has spent quite some effort burnishing of late, sending a team far and wide (including to the Monitor) to talk about Google’s role in Internet search, Web advertising, book digitizing, and antitrust, among other issues.
But the Trojan Muppet idea has its roots in mounting criticism of the Mountain View, Calif., megafirm. Critics say its corporate motto of “Don’t be evil” is a smoke screen for invasive procedures that are stripping away privacy (like scanning your gmail account for keywords to create targeted advertising).
“I love Google. But I also fear Google,” says Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “It’s made finding information remarkably easy, but I’m not under any illusion that that’s a free lunch. And most Internet users have had their eyes opened recently to the fact that they are being tracked and they don’t have a way of stopping that.”
Don’t believe Mr. Court? Start typing “Google is” into the main search bar and the search offers “going to take over the world” and “SkyNet” as completing phrases.
Google’s own keywords service suggests that those terms are actually searched about 28 and 390 times per month, respectively. (Somehow, you’d expect it to be more.)
Of course, there are millions of Internet users worldwide that Google doesn’t need to charm.
Start typing “I love” into the search box. See what comes up first.
(Is that a subtle Google message?)
See also:
Sesame Street at 40: Our favorite clips
Big Bird goes Google for Sesame Street’s 40th
Don’t forget the Wallace and Gromit doodle
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– David Grant is a Monitor contributor. Is Google evil? Is Google awesome? Tell us on Twitter.
Comments
2. Andy | 11.04.09
“Christian” and “science” is a contradiction to begin with. The premise of science is that you do not know the answer before you ask the question, and are open to anything that you might find. Religion, on the other hand is based on the premise that the answer to the question of the existence of a god is “yes”, even before an investigation is started. The answer “no” is simply not allowed.
This article is as unscientific as anything I have ever seen. Yes, I am concerned about a too powerful Google as well, but the “evidence” presented in this article is anecdotal at best. There are no data, no statistics, no business information, no market share comparisons, no references to legal proceedings to back up the claim. Discover the beauty of the scientific method, and you will be enriched beyond imagination.
3. Rebecca | 11.04.09
Think of it this way, if it wasn’t for Google, you wouldn’t have any website visitors. How do you think people are finding this site? That’s right, if it weren’t for Google I would have never read this article. I’m active with Blogger, which is totally free, and is the best blogging service. I love Gmail, it’s the best free email you can get. Google gives people a chance with nothing more than a computer and connection, to make money on the net with Adsense. There are many people I’ve known who wouldn’t be able to make there bills without the opportunities Google provides for the little guy. Google isn’t GOING to take over the world, they already have. I love Google!!!!
4. Laci | 11.04.09
I think this is a very intresting idea. I would have remembered if it werent for googles’ always intresting pictures. I think it demonsrtates how creative and informational this search engine can be and I think we always need a little sesame street to cheer us up! I know that they were always there you me when I was feeling low. But at times google is too graphic and shows inapropiate pictures to young children! So lets’ not judge or make up silly things about why google put Big Birds’ feet as the “L”. Just be loose and enjoy it. And I don’t care what any of you think about my opinion! Even if this dosen’t make any sense at all!
~Laci
~Sorry this is a “novel”
5. ash | 11.04.09
i typed i love and nothing odd came up…who’s really trying to run the world on fear? oh ya, christians and any other bs religion…oh ya, that’s all of them
7. DavidW | 11.04.09
The two phrases you suggest to search for are called Google Bombs.
They are intentional manipulation of Googles search results by others taking advantages of some knowledge of how Googles ranking system works.
Those search terms, are in fact, a joke, played by others.
Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_bomb for more info.
A good example Google bomb is to enter ‘google chuck norris’ on the main page and hit I’m Feeling Lucky. It takes you to nochucknorris.com which displays a faux google page, that says you don’t find Chuck Norris, Chuck Norris finds you. This is a play on the Russian commedian Yakov Smirnoff’s ‘In Soviet Russia …’ jokes from the 80s.
8. editorial | 11.05.09
Well, when we put “I love” into the search bar, Google was the top return. Today, Google launched its “Dashboard” where you can help limit the information that it stores about your online habits. Find a quick article about that here: http://bit.ly/2LJyLD.
Thanks for commenting.
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1. Name (required) | 11.04.09
“I love you man” is the name of a movie, how is that a subtle Google message?