LJ Idol Week 13: Current Events Round 2
Feb. 4th, 2008 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
As many of you know, I am a big fan of all things Henson. It is with some trepidation that I read the following article Jim Henson Bio Pic to be filmed .
On the plus side Penny Marshall who has proven to me to be a magnificent director on more than one occasion is directing it. On the minus side, I am really concerned how Jim is going to be portrayed warts and all and I am really concerned about the latter part of his life which I know a lot about a bit more than most of the rest of the population. I also can't tell if the family is fine with this or if this is being done without their blessing. I have a feeling I am going to hear about that in a day or so.
Jim Henson holds a special place in my heart. He showed me possibilities that existed for puppets that I had never thought of. He created a whole new form of expression for me. I still have my pantheon of those who came before Jim and those that came after Jim but then there is the time of Jim and that is a special time for me.
It was not just me. My family would gather around the TV to watch Sesame Street or the Muppet Show as a family. Phrases and gags from those shows are still part of my family's vocabulary. Such phrases as "Don't Oops me PM. I am no mood to be Oopsed at" and manamana are just normal parts of conversation to us.
I got to watch Jim on several occasions at various functions as he interacted with children and that was magic indeed. Jim was just a big kid with a sense of wonder who knew he was fooling all the adults. I will always treasure that time and the few times I got to talk to the man himself.
But I also know a lot about the other side of Jim's life too. I know about the frustration he felt any time he had to work so hard to raise money and convince people to invest in his vision. Thank goodness for Lord Lew Grade who banked on the Muppet Show which turned the Muppets from puppets to Icons. But Labyrinth (even with George on board) almost didn't get made due to lack of investors who looked at Dark Crystal which did OK at best but still cost a lot of money to make (eventually both films recooped and then profited for those who invested in them.) And this really bothered Jim. He had to do a long song and dance routine anytime he wanted to make something.
Then there is his family life which he took great pains to keep private. He wanted his kids to grow up as themselves rather than under some sort of spotlight because of who their father is. I sort of understood it then and I sure as heck understand it now considering what turns my life has taken. And I think that part of a bio picture is what is disturbing me the most and sorry I can't really clarify beyond that at this point.
If this movie does come out will I see it? Only if the family gives its blessing because anything less just doesn't seem right.
On the plus side Penny Marshall who has proven to me to be a magnificent director on more than one occasion is directing it. On the minus side, I am really concerned how Jim is going to be portrayed warts and all and I am really concerned about the latter part of his life which I know a lot about a bit more than most of the rest of the population. I also can't tell if the family is fine with this or if this is being done without their blessing. I have a feeling I am going to hear about that in a day or so.
Jim Henson holds a special place in my heart. He showed me possibilities that existed for puppets that I had never thought of. He created a whole new form of expression for me. I still have my pantheon of those who came before Jim and those that came after Jim but then there is the time of Jim and that is a special time for me.
It was not just me. My family would gather around the TV to watch Sesame Street or the Muppet Show as a family. Phrases and gags from those shows are still part of my family's vocabulary. Such phrases as "Don't Oops me PM. I am no mood to be Oopsed at" and manamana are just normal parts of conversation to us.
I got to watch Jim on several occasions at various functions as he interacted with children and that was magic indeed. Jim was just a big kid with a sense of wonder who knew he was fooling all the adults. I will always treasure that time and the few times I got to talk to the man himself.
But I also know a lot about the other side of Jim's life too. I know about the frustration he felt any time he had to work so hard to raise money and convince people to invest in his vision. Thank goodness for Lord Lew Grade who banked on the Muppet Show which turned the Muppets from puppets to Icons. But Labyrinth (even with George on board) almost didn't get made due to lack of investors who looked at Dark Crystal which did OK at best but still cost a lot of money to make (eventually both films recooped and then profited for those who invested in them.) And this really bothered Jim. He had to do a long song and dance routine anytime he wanted to make something.
Then there is his family life which he took great pains to keep private. He wanted his kids to grow up as themselves rather than under some sort of spotlight because of who their father is. I sort of understood it then and I sure as heck understand it now considering what turns my life has taken. And I think that part of a bio picture is what is disturbing me the most and sorry I can't really clarify beyond that at this point.
If this movie does come out will I see it? Only if the family gives its blessing because anything less just doesn't seem right.
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Date: 2008-02-04 08:15 pm (UTC)It is interesting to find out more about who he is. I hope that this movie (if it does indeed happen) will portray him in the best way possible. So that fans, friends and family, will be content. It is always sad to see bio pics that don't do justice to the person.
Even though I never knew Tolkien, obviously!, I still hate hearing people talk about him or write about him when the obviously know nothing about who he was. I love reading the JRR Tolkien letters because you can get a little bit of who he was.
Same for Jane Austen. So little is known about her, and people always want to create stories about her based on scattered information.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:18 pm (UTC)Jim always said that the work was more important than he was and he wanted to be remember for the work rather than for himself.
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Date: 2008-02-04 08:29 pm (UTC)My son is 18 months old and is a huge fan of Sesame Street but also LOVES the Muppet Show. He brings the DVD over to me to ask me to put it in. We just watched the John Cleese episode this morning. It makes a mama proud. I cannot imagine what my life and childhood would have been like without Muppets.
Great entry.
Also: do dooo da do do.
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Date: 2008-02-04 09:22 pm (UTC)Amen.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 11:20 pm (UTC)But they are so much a part of our lives. Caroline loves the Muppet Show too. We have been working through the two box sets we have so far with the 3rd season to be released soon.
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Date: 2008-02-04 09:30 pm (UTC)Henson is a hero of mine, too. Nice entry!
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:22 pm (UTC)I don't think that Jim really realized the number of people he has touched. He had an inkling about it but he was a rather modest man. Hard to miss though, he was over 6 feet tall.
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Date: 2008-02-04 09:32 pm (UTC)Teddy is a fan of Sesame Street as well. We have to watch it every day and he cries when it goes off for Big, Big World (today, he threw things because he wanted to keep watching it). But he learns things from it. Years after Jim Henson is gone, he's still teaching our children, making them laugh, getting them where they need to be to grow up strong, health and smart. Of course he's a man with flaws. No one goes through life without them. But sometimes I prefer to live in my bubble of ignorance and remember the man for what he's given me. Naive, maybe. But it's how I prefer it.
Thanks for the great article, hon.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:25 pm (UTC)Jim always saw the work as the important part. He felt like a puppeteer. He had a knack of finding the creative people he needed to fulfill his vision like finding Brian Froud.
I still watch Sesame Street with Caroline. The funny thing is that I can tell who is puppetering what and sort of the when on it. Each puppeteer has a rhythm that, to my eye, is as distinctive as a finger print.
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Date: 2008-02-04 09:42 pm (UTC)Yep... One perfectly enchanting, sweet souled, irreplaceable guy.
My girlfriend and I have a way of saying how we feel on those tough days.
"It ain't easy bein' green."
Wonderful topic, luv!
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:27 pm (UTC)Have you ever seen the pictures of the Labyrinth costume I did with Caroline as Toby a number of years ago?
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Date: 2008-02-09 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 11:52 pm (UTC)Manamana is our pet name for the President of Iran, after a parody song was down about him, using the tune. I can almost pronounce his name now, but I still can't spell it.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:31 pm (UTC)I think you combined either two or they did the song more than once.
Peter got me the Complete SNL season one which contains a number of Muppet sketches.
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Date: 2008-02-09 04:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-06 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-07 02:42 am (UTC)Thank you for a great entry!
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:34 pm (UTC)He did touch so many lives. I have made good friends in other countries over our love of the Muppets.
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Date: 2008-02-09 07:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 01:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-11 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-11 02:20 am (UTC)And poke around the other links for other puppets.
More recent work is at
More current work (http://web.mac.com/kathodavid/iWeb/Kath%20O%20David/DragonCon%20Art%20Show.html)
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Date: 2008-02-23 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-07 05:01 pm (UTC)You speak as if you knew him personally?
Nice entry.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:35 pm (UTC)I also know a BUNCH of people who worked for him and have had dinner with Jane Henson and a couple of the kids.
Puppetry is not a large family so we tend to know each other.
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Date: 2008-02-07 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 11:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 05:03 pm (UTC)I am a big Jim Henson fan myself. I love the song "A Boy & His Frog". :) I think that, if done correctly, it could be a great movie.
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Date: 2008-02-08 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 11:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-08 11:40 pm (UTC)I really can't see how they could make the film without both Disney and the Hensons agreeing to it. Too much is under copyright.
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Date: 2008-02-09 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-09 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-11 05:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-11 04:00 pm (UTC)