Jim Henson Documentary

I have some peculiar hobbies. For instance, I sometimes enjoy trying to figure out muppet songs on guitar and then re-arranging them a bit jazzier or folkier or what have you. And it gets me thinking; what is it about Jim Henson that tugs at the heart strings of our generation? Is there anyone who can keep his heart from beating a little harder while ‘Rainbow Connection’ plays? Those of us born since 1969 were practically raised on Sesame Street. The sets of values Henson provided us are the foundation for our legacy.

I’ve heard that by 4-years-old your entire personality has been formed. As I re-watch old Sesame Streets, Fraggle Rocks and Muppet Shows I see the subtle things Henson impressed upon us. The Muppets often display a lot of suspicion when faced with consumerism. Sesame Street is basically a half hour of commercial parodies, recasting products as letters and obedience as creativity. Giving us the brain tools we need to make our own decisions stands in direct conflict with the ‘buy this, do this, want this’ lifestyle advertisers want us to lead; and this from a man who was trained in advertising. Growing up in the 80’s, where every other television show or beloved childhood icon was marketed and commercialized to dizzying heights, perhaps Henson’s influence is all that kept us from becoming little Reaganites. (Although, the tragedy of two George W. Bush terms may show that many of us did get suckered by the wretched sale of childhood that peaked in the mid-eighties). Perhaps Kermit’s calm, rational voice is what reminds us to be considerate to other. “Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?" Like a yearbook collage, the Muppets takes the best aspects of 60’s counterculture and serves them back as an easily swallowed childhood lesson. And it was the 60’s too. In a way, along with the sexual revolution and the civil rights movement, it was a time of educational revolution. “Teach your children well, their father’s hell did slowly go by. Teach your children what you believe in, make a world that we can live in.”

Speaking of that succession (Sesame, Fraggles, Muppets) it occurs to me that Jim Henson’s covered us for life too. Like a parent’s advice that will always be there, Henson’s influence rears it’s heads at every stage of our lives. Early Childhood: Sesame Street, Under 8 years: Fraggles and The Muppets Show can be enjoyable well into your teens. I remember going to the theaters with a bunch of friends to see ‘Muppets From Space’ at like 16. An age you especially seek to not be associated with children. By our later teens and early adulthood we can appreciated the grace of skill of the art: the puppetry, the songwriting, the tasteful incorporation of jokes for adults, i.e. musical parodies of 60’s hits and Saturday Night Live alum guest stars. And should we have children or nieces or nephews or some child in your life, you see the cycle begin again. Even if your kids don’t watch the show, you default to those lessons as the lessons of childhood and try to instill them.

Anyway, here’s a great documentary on Henson on youtube. It helps to show that when it came to raising a generation or two, this was one of the right men for the job. I’ll just add the first one here and let you follow the labrynth to the other parts.

-billy.