The MuppetCast - Show #59 - Proud on Memorial Day

[stephenjlizard]

This week we observe Memorial Day on the show, mostly by discussing Sesame Workshop's recent building onto their outreach program Talk, Listen, Connect. Along with hearing parts of the freely available resource videos hosted at sesameworkshop.org, we talk with Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, head of the project and Vice President of Outreach and Educational Practices for Sesame Workshop.

There's really a lot going on in this week's show. Lots of news, email, audio, and links to explore, so let me know how you like it!

Just in case you can't get enough Muppets podcasting, next week it looks like I'll be appearing on THREE podcasts (not counting my own)! And in each case we'll be discussing the Muppets:
* All About The Mouse ("What if Disney had the rights to ALL Muppet properties, including Sesame and the Fraggles?")
* The Disney PinCast (Discussing Disney's line of Muppet collector pins)
* WDW News Today...actually we'll probably be talking more about Walt Disney World in this one, now that I think about it. But I'll make sure to get the Muppets in there too!

I'd really be interested in hearing YOUR thoughts on the question "What if Disney owned all Muppet properties, including Sesame and the Fraggles?" This might have been discussed around here before, but I don't remember seeing a thread. We're recording that show Tuesday night (Eastern time), so you've got until then to send me your thoughts so I can possibly share them on that podcast!

I haven't gotten any voicemails in a few days. Jack sent me a good 'un a while back that I meant to play this week but ran out of time. The voice mail number is 614-364-4270. Or just Skype me, my usename is "stephenjlizard", just like here on the forums.

Have a good one!

 

[The Count]

Steve! Disney owning all? Don't scare me like that!


Sounds like you might have another all listener email show on your hands soonish.

Looking forward to when you continue reviewing JHH, incidentally, Dog City was released on a DVD of its own over in the UK. Talk with some of the Brit folks to see if they can snag you a copy for Fran.

Listening to the highlights from all three releases of Deployments, Homecomings, and Changes... Dunno where it happened... Probably when Louie came back from his tour of duty... But the stuff rully got me in the waterworks department. And I guessed you skipped the songs in favor for use in the show's montage.

All in all twas a good show. Keep em coming.
*Salutes Steve.

PS: Oh, and just in case... I hereby dub Quesal as "Lord of the Puppetdance!"

 

[dwayne1115]

Hey Steve great show as always,

I sent you an e mail but I want to bring this up on here as well.
I want to donate my Sesame Street old school Vol. 2 to the young man who is serving our country over seas. I feel that since I can't serve this great counrty, but there is a Muppet fan who is then I should help them any way I can. If at all posable could we get of list of Muppet things he would like to see or has not seen and see what we can come up with. I would also be willing to donate my Drak Cristal and Laberateh DVD's as well.

 

[Luke]

I'd really be interested in hearing YOUR thoughts on the question "What if Disney owned all Muppet properties, including Sesame and the Fraggles?" This might have been discussed around here before, but I don't remember seeing a thread.

It's been discussed quite a lot long ago, realistically it would never happen as far as Sesame's concerned - what with them being realtively non-commercial and having got quite a good deal when they got total control of the characters. They would never need to sell. I think it's a good thing Disney didn't get Fraggle, they would have just buried them away - its taken them long enough to do anything with the Muppets. HIT/Henson have done wonders re-focusing on Fraggle Rock, with Disney a movie would have probably been out of the question. Personally i think Disney was always more interested in the steady regular financial income of the Muppet brand rather than actually being that concerned about where the characters came from or whether it would be better to buy the whole stable of Henson brands rather than break them up.

Regarding the whole Military thing Sesame is doing - i'm not really that supportive of it. I think Jim would have been shocked that the Sesame Muppets were being used as a "tool" during the war. His idea of the Muppets were that they were not specific to any gender, religion, country or political stance - you just have to look at Fraggle to see that. In a way it's nice that they are being used to make the kids feel a little more re-assured when their parents are away at war, but its still kinda domesticating it and making it seem an acceptable part of everyday life which Jim definitely didn't agree with and they were HIS characters - so although they can't approach every project with a "what would Henson have thought" attitude i do think this was a bit of a step too far in the political direction.

 

[dwayne1115]

It's been discussed quite a lot long ago, realistically it would never happen as far as Sesame's concerned - what with them being realtively non-commercial and having got quite a good deal when they got total control of the characters. They would never need to sell. I think it's a good thing Disney didn't get Fraggle, they would have just buried them away - its taken them long enough to do anything with the Muppets. HIT/Henson have done wonders re-focusing on Fraggle Rock, with Disney a movie would have probably been out of the question. Personally i think Disney was always more interested in the steady regular financial income of the Muppet brand rather than actually being that concerned about where the characters came from or whether it would be better to buy the whole stable of Henson brands rather than break them up.

Regarding the whole Military thing Sesame is doing - i'm not really that supportive of it. I think Jim would have been shocked that the Sesame Muppets were being used as a "tool" during the war. His idea of the Muppets were that they were not specific to any gender, religion, country or political stance - you just have to look at Fraggle to see that. In a way it's nice that they are being used to make the kids feel a little more re-assured when their parents are away at war, but its still kinda domesticating it and making it seem an acceptable part of everyday life which Jim definitely didn't agree with and they were HIS characters - so although they can't approach every project with a "what would Henson have thought" attitude i do think this was a bit of a step too far in the political direction.

Well I can see your point about what Sesame Workshop is doing for Milatray familys. Then again I see the point that they are trying to make, and I personaly support it. Now I'm not saying that because I think that this is a good thing that all Jim thought should be flushed down the toliet. I think that since Sesame Street is branched out all over the world, and that on thoues branched out shows they show things that represent what is going on in that country. Then why not have America's Sesame Street help kids understand what is going on when there parents leave to serve our country. In fact I think that all the other countrys that have a branch of Sesame Street should do the same thing.
I also love the fact that they are using Elmo for a very serious role. Elmo has such potintial of being a great tool to reach so many kids, and now that they have him doing some more sirious issues, it is going to make Elmo a better Sesame Street Muppet. I feel it makes him more at kids levle when they show him going through something so real.

 

[RedPiggy]

Disney should never have Fraggle Rock. What is the point of having the Henson company if you're just going to get rid of everything?

At any rate, I agree with previous posters: Disney barely finds the time to nurture their own characters, much less the Muppets. Giving them anything else ... and it really will be like that funny youtube vid "Disney vs Henson".

 

[dwayne1115]

I don't know I do think that all Muppet/Henson things should be owned by the same company. Do I think that it should be Disney? well I'm not really sure. I think if Disney did own all three that things would be a lot different then they are now. Some things would be better others not so hot. I think that Disney should have tried to meger with Henson, and that way be its kind of parent, and help them make good stuff all across the bord.

 

[Luke]

I agree that if Henson had been bought entirely by Disney and then allowed to remain as a branch of them (like Pixar) it would have been a much better option. I don't think that there would be anything better for Sesame/Fraggle, if Disney had bought them but they might have done something with Labyrinth, Dark Crystal or Farscape. The thing with Disney is they have so much and are so big they can't give equal attention to everything so most stuff just gets buried until they decide to give it another push or there's some kind of anniversary.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I do think it's important for SW to help give support to kids whose parents are overseas, it's a lot to deal with in their young lives. In the case of this particularly conflict, I personally would not be seen supporting it a TV special or educational video. Such a special should be about the kids and their suffering, not focusing on this conflict.

 

[dwayne1115]

I do think it's important for SW to help give support to kids whose parents are overseas, it's a lot to deal with in their young lives. In the case of this particularly conflict, I personally would not be seen supporting it a TV special or educational video. Such a special should be about the kids and their suffering, not focusing on this conflict.

I don't understand what you are saying. Are you saying that SW should not have done or be doing this because of the war that we are in? Or are you saying that regardless of if we are in a war or not this should not have been done?
You had it right though from what I hear on the show they are dealing with the sruggles of what it is like to have a parent go away and help people. Like I said before it does not seem preachy about the war it's self, I think that it has been a problem for some time a family membere having to leave his family behind to serve his country. I think it is at kids levle, and to see Elmo and Rosita go through the same thing will help some kids.