Elmo Muppeteer Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street

[mupcollector1]

I'm officially welcoming the end of the world.

Please note: This isn't about defending or condeming Kevin.

I saw the story break over on IMDB and, even though I knew it was a bad idea, couldn't bring myself to not look. In the comments section under the article, there were people cracking tasteless jokes and laughing (that's right LAUGHING) over what they only saw as the end of Elmo. They didn't care that either a serious wrong has been committed, or a man's career has been ruined by lies and exaggerations.

I read it last night and still feel like I'm about to throw up.

I know how you feel.

 

[mupcollector1]

I was shocked when I heard about this. I mean, for the most part I've never really liked Elmo, but I thought Kevin Clash was kind of a cool dude. I went to the SST40 event at William Paterson University a few years ago, where Kevin and some of the other Muppeteers showed up (with Muppets, of course). It was a fun evening.

Here's hoping everything works out okay in the end.

I was fortunate enough to shake his hand at MuppetFest. I probably already said this but whatever happens. Kevin's performances always has a special place in my heart. Very talented performer. Especially when he was Harold Handupme on Dinosaurs. So many good lines. One of my favorites was the episode where he says "There doesn't seem to be an end in sight of the crankiness among males, and now here's Dwayne with sports" then enters Dwayne who's the blue duckbilled dinosaur or unisaur I think the term was used since the puppets always got recycled. lol) performed by Steve Whitmire "Great, great, throw it to me with only thirty seconds left, huh!" Then the two characters grawl at each other and Dwaye lightly smacks Harold with his script and Harold stands closer trying to look taller then Dwaye says "Come here, I'll bite your little leg off." lol I really wished Dinosaurs came to iTunes. I have the DVDs but I'd love to have them on my ipod on the go.

I was even watching the Bill Cosby Jim Henson Hour episode last weekend and just seeing Leon brought a smile to my face. There's something just magical about The Muppets and their Muppeteers how they can take this figure made of foam and other materials and bring them to life in a way where they seem so real. Like everyone here, I wish Kevin the very best. Again, he was a great performer and his voices were hilarious.

 

[Squigiman]

Hey,

Some people have already said some really good things on here that I agree with, so I'm not going to carry on, so much, with repetition. It is all very sad, no matter what the case may be, as far as where the truth in these accusations lies. I got to see Kevin perform Elmo at New York Comic-Con, JUST LAST MONTH, and even came close to getting backstage, with Tau and his mom, who I am friendly with, after having met at a prior event. I even posted video of the whole thing on YouTube. It was a great time. It's just insane what's going on.

I really like the care and respect put into that NBC report, so thanks for sharing that. I just saw something on CBS, talking to the first accuser. It was pretty dumb, as it made it all about him "breaking his silence", which was just him saying he didn't want people looking at HIM like a monster, but when asked about certain specifics, he was clearly not able to talk about them, most likely for legal reasons. It provided nothing, except the show making it seem like he was such a victim, including him saying the "rumors" of him recanting were not said by him.

Look, maybe he IS a victim, and Kevin really did stuff we just have a hard time accepting, because of who he is and what he's meant to us. Then again, Kevin's the guy visiting sick children in hospitals, and Sheldon's the one robbing former employers at knifepoint. He said he wanted to talk to Kevin, one on one, encouraging him to just be mature and act like a man or something like that. The reporters were acting like he was sympathetic, too. I don't know where the truth lies, but it's all horrible for causing what it has, and I hope all involved can work things out and move on.

-Zach

 

[D'Snowth]

I got to see Kevin perform Elmo at New York Comic-Con, JUST LAST MONTH

KEEP MUPPETS AND CONVENTIONS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!!!

I'm sorry, but those are two worlds that need to be kept as faaaaaaar apart from each other as possible, otherwise, worlds will collide, and they cannot stand!

 

[mupcollector1]

KEEP MUPPETS AND CONVENTIONS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!!!

I'm sorry, but those are two worlds that need to be kept as faaaaaaar apart from each other as possible, otherwise, worlds will collide, and they cannot stand!

I don't know why? I always figured everyone and everything is welcome at Comic Con. Even The Jim Henson Company promoted some clips for The Dark Crystal sequel whenever that's going to happen. But perhaps that's just another discussion for another thread. lol

But yeah, I don't really have much more to say about all this and really trying not to repete myself, I just wish for the best for Kevin. He's a great Muppeteer, always has, always will.

 

[Squigiman]

Um, I also got to meet Eric Jacobson at a table, last year. I think Muppets of all sorts would be awesome additions to any Con. I also (purely by coincidence) bumped into Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and Rick Lyon in Artist Alley, this year. I even got to take part in a video with Rick, though he was unfortunately convinced to go for the obvious joke:

Anyways, this is rambling off-topic. Sorry.

-Zach

 

[LamangoNumber2]

Seeing the guy's mugshot... He looks exactly like the type who'd make up a story just to get fast money.

 

[Hubert]

I guess I'm a little late here, as I choose this past week to vanish off the face of the web.

But excuse my ignorance, Kevin is pretty much gone from Sesame for good, if I'm absorbing this whole story correctly?

 

[D'Snowth]

He did resign, yes. He and SW came to an agreement that these issues with his personal life have become to much of a distraction that SST doesn't deserve, or need to deal with, so, in the best interest for both parties, Kevin did resign from SST altogether.

In a nutshell: the original accuser has recanted his recant, claiming he was pressured into recanting, and decided he wants to resume pressing charges against Kevin; a second accuser has come forward saying that Kevin lured him into a relationship; and the last we heard, two other accusers have also crawled out of the woodwork.

 

[mupcollector1]

Um, I also got to meet Eric Jacobson at a table, last year. I think Muppets of all sorts would be awesome additions to any Con. I also (purely by coincidence) bumped into Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and Rick Lyon in Artist Alley, this year.

I got to meet Leslie one, I remember asking her "Were you Spamula Hamerson on Muppets Tonight" and she laughed and said yes, Spamula was probably one of the riskiest characters she ever performed. lol Very nice person