What makes Ralph Nader run?

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Ralph Nader can still remember his lines from a long-ago appearance on "Sesame Street." "Consumer advocate in the neighborhood," Mr. Nader gently sings over and again in a raspy voice. "I must have been told to say that 200 times to get the right inflection."

Mr. Nader didn't get invited on "Sesame Street" for his deliberate phrasing. The man who once revolutionized car safety has been popping up in some unexpected places ever since he became a national figure.

"Sesame Street." "Saturday Night Live." "Da Ali G Show." "The Simpsons."

The famously ascetic activist has been trading on his renown for decades and getting laughs along the way.

Truth is, he's pretty funny in person. His wit is as dry as a regulatory hearing transcript, but his laugh is a welcoming rumble.

Humor helps spread his advocacy message, and he says his performances have an historical precedent, albeit a thin one.

"In the medieval period, one day a year everybody would dress in costume, whether they were rich or poor," Mr. Nader says. "It was a leveling process."

His method, be it for "SNL" or a cameo in 2005's "Fun with Dick and Jane" remains the same.

"Even though you're acting, you better be yourself," he says. "That's not an easy prescription."

During one "SNL" skit, a toy air bag meant to expand when Mr. Nader bumped into a cast member didn't go off as planned. He speaks of not losing focus with a surprising touch of pride.