Monday, May 16, 2011

It Wasn't Easy Being Green...

Hi ho...



Twenty-one years ago today Jim Henson passed away...

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Twas a sad day...

Anonymous said...

I was home sick from school when I heard the news, which came as a shocker to those of us who grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. The latter program was a work of genious that both kids and adults enjoyed together for completely different reasons.

Watching repeats now, I didn't realize how much double entendre there was, but that is the art that has been lost among most of today's writers. Nowadays, whatever is adult in nature, just gets blurted out, but back then, it was so quick and a play on words that if you didn't listen closely, you just might miss it. The first season, they had challenges trying to get celebrities to appear on the show, but by the 2nd season, the celebrities were asking their agents for a chance to guest star. And what guest stars they had from singers Roy Rogers & Dale Evans to Alice Cooper, and comedians like Milton Berle, George Burns and Steve Martin. I know that Disney has talked about reviving the Muppet Show, but I'm not sure that the magic of the 70s show can be duplicated. I hope I'm wrong.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZyMptC2eQ

Anonymous said...

It can't be. Hollywood is too into itself to care about spending time on a simple fun loving show.

All of society is like this now. It's quite sad.

Joseph Catlett said...

Jim was one of the good guys. As a fan I still miss him. His was a work that ranged from anarchic mad humor to gentle loveliness, full of heart.
Some people ask who the next Walt Disney is, in many ways it was Jim Henson. Now....maybe John Lassetter, but only time will tell.

Anonymous said...

Walt Disney didn't do drugs, didn't cheat on his wife and didn't sell his creations to another company.

In what way was Jim like Walt?

Joseph Catlett said...

In response to anonymous....
Jim Henson like Walt Disney was a creative genius who expanded their art forms to new heights. They thought outside the box and shared their gifts with the world.

Walt Disney was also a heavy smoker (which ultimately did him in), was a drinker (self medicating basically to help alleviate the constant discomfort from his polo injuries suffered in the 1930s) and is heavily rumored to have had an affair with Vivian Leigh. Then again, most men of his station in life at the time had mistresses, no shock there.

This by the way is not meant to be an indictment of Walt Disney. He is one of the most inspirational people in my opinion of the 20th century. I just felt I had to set the record straight here, just because you're human and not the second coming of Mother Theresa does not disqualify you from admiration.

Oh and by the way the final sale to the mouse of the Muppets DID NOT happen until waaaaaay after Henson died.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Jim had absolutely nothing to do with the sale of the Muppets.

And he's no different from Walt when it comes to the abuse of chemicals and their influences on the body.

I'll say again what Joseph said- "Jim Henson like Walt Disney was a creative genius who expanded their art forms to new heights. They thought outside the box and shared their gifts with the world."

Anonymous said...

There IS no Vivien Leigh/Walt Disney rumor. Check even the most scurrilous book about Walt and you'll find no mention of such a thing. How sad that some feel that they have to drag an innocent through the mud to make *their* hero seem less tarnished. Tsk, tsk.

Walt's only real vice was smoking. He drank a little, in the manner that people did back in his day (he was far being from an alcoholic.)

As for "expanded their art forms to new heights" -Walt expanded SEVERAL art forms to new heights - animation, audioanimatronics and amusement parks. He would have accomplished even more than that had he lived to build EPCOT the way he envisoned it.

Jim did puppets on TV. He did them well, but in no way does his legacy compare with Walt's

Ol' Arnold (the idiot) is getting bashed right now for boinking a maid. Funny how the press overlooked Jim's many indescretions during his lifetime. Ah, but he had the right politics, after all...

Joseph Catlett said...

Actually, I am a huge Walt Disney fan (even more so than of Henson's...so don't assume what you don't know).
Now, regarding the Vivian Leigh rumor, this comes from a biography of Miss Leigh published a few years back that speculated on her relationship with Mr Disney. Now, onto other sources, the book Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince (whose "facts" I take with a grain of salt) features all types of scurrilous rumors I give very little credence too, but they are all out there.

Walt and Jim were both humans, I fear some of us on these boards try to make them more than they were. Its very easy to assume the company line is the truth in regards to both these gifted individuals.

So, there you go.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous commented that the press is after The Governator because of his politics. You do realize that Arnold is considered one of the most left wing conservatives out there and whose politics are closer to John Kerry's than Newt Gingrich, right?

Anonymous said...

If the "rumor" comes from a discredited source, then it's hardly worth mentioning, wouldn't you think? If there were even a grain of truth to it, the facts would have come out long ago. The media in general has never been overly kind to Walt (not since he switched from liberal to conservative - at least in the press' eyes) and if there were any credible dirt to dig up on him, ESPECIALLY involving adultery, he would not have been spared. I think it's interesting that of all the many female actresses he worked with for his live-action pictures, there has not been ONE story of him even making a pass at any of them. (Quite the contrast to the shenanigans of other studio bosses). His own animators have even talked about his devoted faithfulness to his wife, and how puzzled he seemed to be when his animators spent their weekends chasing girls. One of them even mentioned a conversation in which Walt said "You know I just don't get it with those guys. It's like women are their hobby!"

There's a sad tendency in this day and age to not believe that ANYONE, especially men, could be faithful to their spouse. Walt was one, however, who was. It was part of his unshakable belief system, and it was, at the very least, smart. People were a lot less tolerant of Hollywood peccadilloes during Walt's day than they are now. If the people back then had ever heard that Mr. Wholesome Entertainment had cheated on his wife, it would have been the end of his company.

I daresay the same thing could have happened to Mr. Henson - had the press not protected him, which they almost certainly did. He not only cheated on his wife many times, his employees helped him do it. Nice.

Jim was a talented and successful man who deserved every bit of his success. But on a par with Walt Disney? Not in any way, shape or form.

As for The Governator, as far as the press is concerned, a Republican is a Republican, and therefore a target. (Not that I'm defending the idiot. I hope his career in politics AND Hollywood is over).

Anonymous said...

Walt on numerous occasions had to be helped out of the park as he was wandering around drunker than a worm in a thimble of 151. There are old CMs who personally had to do this.

The guy was a chain smoker and an abuser of alcohol. Did great things yes, but had his flaws as does everyone.

Anonymous said...

^Source?

A chain smoker, I'll grant you. But it's kind of a stretch to believe that Walt got drunk in a park that he didn't allow to serve alcohol.

Anonymous said...

"Walt Disney didn't do drugs, didn't cheat on his wife and didn't sell his creations to another company."

Jim Henson didn't marry his stepdaughter, threaten to kill his wife or allegedly molest young boys. What's your point?

Anonymous said...

^That's known as damning with faint praise.

Anonymous said...

Passed away? He died. Why can't people use the word "died" any more?