Jim Henson's 75th Birthday

[reallyhateskateonlost]

http://www.google.com/

Today would have been Jim Henson’s 75th birthday. To celebrate, Google's Doodle today is an interactive Muppet affair. There are a couple of hidden surprises to discover, so it’s worth clicking around the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY

[EricMontreal22]

Big fan--very very cool. I still remember when he died I was 8--and kept a scrapbook of every news clipping about him.

[Max]

Thanks for starting this thread.

In my opinion, the quality of Sesame Street really went to hell after Henson died. TPTB decided to ignore Sesame Street's roots as a low-tech show, and instead went gung-ho in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the show became less and less about the classic characters and sense of community and instead was used as marketing vehicle for the annoying Elmo.

I consider Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street (during the years Henson was alive) to be the best children's television programming ever created. All the shows that have been created since 1990 have been absolutely horrendous, especially Barney and Friends, Teletubbies, and Yo Gabba Gabba!

[DRW50]

I think Henson already had a very small role in Sesame Street by his last years - I think it was the death of others in the Sesame Street circle which really hurt the show the most. There was a very good, if sad, book put out last year about the birth of Sesame Street and the passing of many of its guiding forces.

I'm mostly just sad about what's been done to the Muppets. He just understood the Muppets in a way no one has since. They seem more ordinary now, more vulgar, lacking heart.

My favorite Muppet moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=penzsVANV0k

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0P5FzSe3qw&feature=related

[quartermainefan]

His was a needless death. I still remember when Mr Hooper died. I had outgrown SS by many, many years but tuned in to see that episode. It was heart breaking.

[~bl~]

CarlD2 are you talking about Street Gang? That is a really great book that came out about the history of the show.

[DRW50]

Yes. I could only read it once, it was too sad for me. But it was a good book, and Joan Ganz Cooney is an inspiration.

[EricMontreal22]

The first death I ever remember... And thanks Carl for posting a song that always makes me cry. I'll counter it with one of my fave moments as a kid from the same film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npUdoua5JSs