Its my Birthday today. Im 35. I'm feeling somewhat reflective....
I built a carear on a dream in the late 80's that involved working at Hensons. By 93, it was looking promising, and K Clash seemed to really enjoy my work..... However, I sat and watched the company die a slow and painful death, and finally the final insult was watching the Jim Henson part of the Muppets legacy stripped from the brand in that ABC promo.
So, time to have a Muppet Spring Clean and to move on... so the Christmas Carol Crew Jacket, Jerry Juhls' directors chair and all the signed Muppet books filled with empty promise from Kevin is either heading to the trash can, or E bay....
Keeping the spirit of the Muppets was an impossible task.... the charm went "by the by" a long time ago, and I dont think it can be attributed to anyones passing on...... I think the rot set in as far back as the Muppets go to Di$neyland Special. I think its just down to not knowing what to do with a good thing. With the Mastercard ads and the superbowl pizza hut spots, I see my childhood hero's now being corperate whores, on spots dreamed up by wannabe muppet fans who think that such a campaign will tap into my nostalgic side and make me want to part with my hard earned cash. Im sorry fella's, but allyour doing is taking what was once the flagship brand from one of the most daring artists and watering it down to not even a shadow of its former self.... I used to consider Hensons as the pinacale of Puppeteering, but I see the UK output from Hensons these past 10 years awash with a closed shop mentality, and iffy performances mired by that closed shop, Puppet Mafia mentality where anyone who actuallyhas a voice stands little chance of getting a job, just in case it upsetrs the status Quo. It was heart breaking to hear that Kevin Clash was asking why the **** I was not on Treasure Island, only to find out that he was told that I was not available..... which as it turns out is a lie, perpetuated by the leaders of said closed shop. And its all down to one thing, That kinda thing would never happen in Jims day.... this self preservation, look after the boys mentality that have invaded the UK puppet scene..... and if you look at the UK output from Hensons, I promise you wont find one single performance that is worth writing home about.... (apart from Storyteller, butthat was a long time before the rot set in).
My friend M****s was also a very talented Puppeteer, and would have easily have created a performance of astounding quality at Hensons, but he too, like me has a voice and somehow that voice didnt fit in with the Camden Mafia and so he just did the right thing and set up his own shop.... So, unless there is a change of guard, I think that the Henson output from the UK will always be so so, and until that day happens, I will continue on my CG quest, of killer robots and Martian invasions until someone at Hensons actually has the balls to put someone who has a passion for performance and a REAL passion for the Muppets in charge of who gets work, as oppossed to the chaps in charge at the mo who just want to give jobs to the boys, regardless of whether or not they are actually any good. And as you may be able to tell, this had a real negative effect on my childhood dream....... I was one of the few people I know who actually wanted to do this, and didnt just fall into it from Acting, or Dance or who knows what. I made a concerted effort to follow this dream that I had since 79.
Anyway, this is starting to get personal, so let me get my original thoughts back on track....
So, if you want a Crew Jacket and the other stuff, PM me before it goes for good, because I have no use for it now... I just see it as a dollar value waiting to be realised.
How terrible is that??? I never thought I'd see the day.
Kermit and Gang, you inspired me, and helped me realise a dream (for a while) but now, well...., your no more special than Rollie Poly Ollie and the Teletubbies..... and thats a real heart breaker.
We'll always have Manhatton and Ice skating Penguins
C
PS: Here is the killer birthday Vibe.... It was on Feb 13th, 1990 that I was stood in Jim's Hampstead house, in the lounge, with Brian, in front of a massive mirror... puppeteering. I was invited to the creature shop for the day and it was all down to the fact that I was after a Job and B asked me to come in for a chat..... so that was 15 years ago today.... spooky..... because in 15 years, I have watched a dream crumple in such a devastating manner, im really not enjoying this birthday at all. To be in that house, surrounded by things created by one mans imagination.... the Skeksis throne at the end of the hallway, the bronze piggy on the mantle..... THAT was the stuff that someone with a dream just loves, its like the best trip ever.... Now, im 35, very imbittered towards what has happened with the creative legacy and see no way that London could ever be the creative hub that it was at the time of my first visit.
Its now just money men, yes men and people that work in marketing. Listen to what Bill Hicks once said about those type of people and you may too have a glance at where your favourite brand may be heading.
Call me back once you get it sorted, ive got better things to do....
You know, when your 24, and doing a workshop with Kevin, its never a good idea to slope off to the toilet for a pee, because invariably he will shout out for you and ask you to take the puppet off of the guy who is HELPING HIM teach US, a puppeteer of some standing in these here parts... simply because this 2nd teacher just cant fathom the routine that Kev is trying to teach the rest of the class.... neither could the 3rd teaching assistant.... Kevin got two of the UK's most experienced puppeteers to help in a workshop, and they were really no more better than the people that Kev turned down in the elimination stages... and I think that went down like a ****** sandwich with that 2nd puppeteer.... (the third, I dont know...) and that may be why I was not on treasure Island.... and he is now in charge of the puppet stuff in London and the people he hires are actually the people who didnt even get through the elimination stages of the workshop..... Can you imagine, I was over the moon that Kev was shouting for me to come rushing from the loo to releive this other teacher of his Fraggle because it was a hopeless task getting him to perform this routine that simply require two backing singers for Aretha's RESPECT to move in sync with a complicated routine to compliment the main fraggle as she lip synced to the song..... So, there we are, Elmo and my fraggle cutting up the floor where moments earlier, I was having a pee.... Man, this is why the output from the UK sucks....... Thats the mentality that is crippling Hensons UK.... anyway, none of the above will make any sense if you were not there, but if you happen across KC one day, tell him I said hi,
Brian, get your house in order man, its falling apart. Especially over here in the UK...
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