Elmo Muppeteer Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street

[jvcarroll]

I’ve been staying off this subject because little good can come from stoking the flames. I do feel that a few things must be addressed:

• Fans are seeking closure. The time for criminal charges to be filed has long passed. The NY Statute of Limitations ends 5 years after the Plaintiff’s 18th birthday. These cases are, and have always been, civil suits. That means private arbitration and money. There is no “Guilty” or “Innocent” verdict to be handed down here. We are unlikely to get any of the answers we are seeking. We all will have to somehow find a way to move on without knowing much more than we do right now. The only information we will get is from the accusers who have been promoting head-shots, books and talk show appearances. That sensationalized noise is best ignored. Nothing is gained by furthering the discussion.

• Trans men and women are unfairly marginalized even in many areas of the gay community. The second accuser may be considered strange or unattractive by conventional standards, but he/she should only be singled out for his/her character and not his/her femininity. (I do not know what gender the accuser wishes to assign him/herself, if any at all, hence the notation.)

• LGBT people have come a long way in 8 years. The 2004 Presidential campaign was won in large part by instilling an irrational fear of gay people. The fight for LGBT equality is far from over, yet we now enjoy a greater freedom of transparency in our lives that has been much more difficult in the past. Unfortunately, accusations have a way of lingering around those who live in the shadows. This is another reason why LGBT equal rights are very important! It is my hope that it will no longer be necessary either to promote or hide one’s way of life or the one they love.

I really do feel that we need to figure out a way to move on because I fear there's really only ugliness ahead. Thanks.

 

[MelissaY1]

I don't think you're quite understanding what we mean when we say that we're sticking by him no matter what. We are DEFINITELY NOT dismissing any of this as false yet, as we don't know for sure. What we mean is that even if Kevin does prove to be guilty, we would still forgive him and support him and be behind him. Everybody makes mistakes, and we all learned that on the street. We're saying that no matter the outcome, we still believe not that Kevin did no wrong, but that we'll still be a supporting people to him and still love him just as much.

I'm sorry but IF the accusations against Kevin are true, it's unforgiveable. Don't be like the throngs of Beatles/John Lennon fans, who because the Beatles sang "All You Need Is Love", etc. that what Mark David Chapman did by murdering Lennon was ok. If someone does something really messed up, where it's clearly hurting other people and their families, um, it's not ok.

Just like the whole Sandusky debacle, I don't care what a "swell" guy he was on the field, how great a coach he was, etc. He was a kid toucher, the end, he should be justly punished. Don't tell me the parents and family members of the abused were "forgiving". It's HUMAN to be angry/upset with someone when they screw up. How you handle it, is another matter. Again, I hope to goodness, all these people coming out of the woodwork accusing Kevin are just in it for the money, and it's not true just like everyone else here.

 

[CBPuppets]

Read this! http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=776735 also see this! http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/2012/11/jim-hensons-son-brian-voices-support-kevin-clash-video

 

[D'Snowth]

You guys are right, Brian IS looking a LOT like Jim these days.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

I don't know, I've been to some Muppet events in the past, where there were a LOT of wackjobs there. In fact, the first time I met Jerry Nelson at the Museum of T.V. and Radio in NYC there were people bombarding him, that his wife, Jan gently dragged him out of there. People were asking him to do the character voices, etc. and basically blocking his path as he was trying to walk out.

And NOTHING beats the "Gonzo Girl" at the big Henson festival they had in Huntington, Long Island several years back, who came dressed as Gonzo from head to toe with the nose, etc. and CRIED after one of the live Q&A's as they were putting the Gonzo puppet back in storage, because she didnt' get a picture with him. And this was no kid, mind you. Anyone who was at this event definitely remembers this quack.

So I hate to say, I think the loonies are everywhere.

Got to agree. There are "more sophisticated" Muppet fans, but that doesn't make the fanbase as a whole more sophisticated. There are some really obnoxious quacks out there who like Muppets just as much as the friendly, normal people.

As for the third accuser, let's see this book of his. I doubt the guy can read, let alone write.

Also - stay classy, TMZ. Attacking someone close to Clash while he's with his family. Nice. And I love the look on Henson's face when the guy told him he was from TMZ.

 

[Reevz1977]

I’ve been staying off this subject because little good can come from stoking the flames. I do feel that a few things must be addressed:

• Fans are seeking closure. The time for criminal charges to be filed has long passed. The NY Statute of Limitations ends 5 years after the Plaintiff’s 18th birthday. These cases are, and have always been, civil suits. That means private arbitration and money. There is no “Guilty” or “Innocent” verdict to be handed down here. We are unlikely to get any of the answers we are seeking. We all will have to somehow find a way to move on without knowing much more than we do right now. The only information we will get is from the accusers who have been promoting head-shots, books and talk show appearances. That sensationalized noise is best ignored. Nothing is gained by furthering the discussion.

• Trans men and women are unfairly marginalized even in many areas of the gay community. The second accuser may be considered strange or unattractive by conventional standards, but he/she should only be singled out for his/her character and not his/her femininity. (I do not know what gender the accuser wishes to assign him/herself, if any at all, hence the notation.)

• LGBT people have come a long way in 8 years. The 2004 Presidential campaign was won in large part by instilling an irrational fear of gay people. The fight for LGBT equality is far from over, yet we now enjoy a greater freedom of transparency in our lives that has been much more difficult in the past. Unfortunately, accusations have a way of lingering around those who live in the shadows. This is another reason why LGBT equal rights are very important! It is my hope that it will no longer be necessary either to promote or hide one’s way of life or the one they love.

I really do feel that we need to figure out a way to move on because I fear there's really only ugliness ahead. Thanks.

The voice of reason everybody! Jamie, as always, you are right!

 

[Hubert]

I'm sorry but IF the accusations against Kevin are true, it's unforgiveable. Don't be like the throngs of Beatles/John Lennon fans, who because the Beatles sang "All You Need Is Love", etc. that what Mark David Chapman did by murdering Lennon was ok. If someone does something really messed up, where it's clearly hurting other people and their families, um, it's not ok.

Just like the whole Sandusky debacle, I don't care what a "swell" guy he was on the field, how great a coach he was, etc. He was a kid toucher, the end, he should be justly punished. Don't tell me the parents and family members of the abused were "forgiving". It's HUMAN to be angry/upset with someone when they screw up. How you handle it, is another matter. Again, I hope to goodness, all these people coming out of the woodwork accusing Kevin are just in it for the money, and it's not true just like everyone else here.

I'm not saying that anyone shouldn't be justly punished, as I believe they should be. And I'm not saying that we should say that Kevin's actions were OK (if they would be true). That's not what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is acknowledging someone's wrongs as what they are, yet still having enough faith in a person to know that they were truly sorry for their actions, and not hold them against him forever. What I'm saying here doesn't have to do with punishment, and they still should serve that punishment, but I'm saying that we as a person still can say "look, we know you committed these wrongs, but we still believe you are a good person, and do forgive them."

 

[jvcarroll]

The voice of reason everybody! Jamie, as always, you are right!

Thanks. I really fear fueling the media opportunists and tabloid websites. It's only likely to get muddier from here on out.

We can all have satisfaction in our fond memories of Kevin's body of work and his acknowledged altruism while we stand by Sesame and the Street's renovations ahead. That is a lot and it will have to be enough.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

I for one am only focusing on the good memories of Kevin. I think that's what we as fans should do. I'm not saying sweep what's happened under the rug and not acknowledge what's happened but I prefer to view Kevin as the guy who has brought millons of smiles and touched the lives of children and even adults all over the world. That's the Kevin I am choosing to remember. And as Elmo said "NOTHING'S GONNA BRING US DOWN!" That line has so much meaning now.

 

[muppetlover123]

brian henson looks just like his dad