PBSDan Sandler, also known as Adam Sandler (not that one) and best known as "Evil Elmo" (a street performer in a Sesame Street costume who wreaks havoc in NYC) found himself in Manhattan courtroom again yesterday.
His (alleged) crime? Trying to extort $2 million. From the Girls Scouts of America.
(Note: While the idea of blackmailing the Girl Scouts into dolling out million-dollar payments is morally reprehensible—not to mention illegal, obviously—they do have that Girl Scout cookie money, so it's not unbased.)
Sandler, who temporarily worked for the Girl Scouts five years ago (he was fired for allegedly sending a series of romantic emails and semi-nude photos to a supervisor; the organization says he never worked with children), is said to have sent a series of emails to his old employer saying such things as:
"I will show up at Girl Scout functions and other places that parents and kids congregate and hold signs, connecting the Girl Scouts with the Cambodian Rape Camp man." (More on the Cambodian Rape Camp man in a moment.)
He also apparently claimed that he would claim that the Girl Scout organization arranged sexual meetings between the underage scouts and adult men. The 50-year-old is being held on $200,000 bail (money that he will not receive from the Girl Scouts, assumedly).
This is not Evil Elmo's first time at the controversy rodeo. Though the third time might be the charm (charm = demise). His history of Elmo extracurricular activities include:
1. Hating Jewish people. Also knows as the Anti-Semitic Elmo, Sandler has been arrested in Times Square for disorderly conduct after screaming such things as, "I hate Jews!" This was not the first time he did such. It may not be the last.
2. Hating women. Sandler said, "I hate those bitches…I hate American women" when interviewed about his website, "Welcome to the Rape Camp," a live-porn site he ran for which he was arrested in 1999.
3. Scroll to the top and read this story again.
Money laundering. Anti-Semitism. Sex scandals (puppeteer Kevin Clash, not Sandler). This has not been a good year for Elmo. So if you see him, throw him a tickle. If he yells back, "I hate you bitch!", run.