Herbert Birdsfoot

[Censored]

I just found this out from the "Muppet Morsels" (the "Pop-Up Video" of the Muppet World) on The Muppet Show DVD first season.

It says,

"Jim Henson's father was an agricultural researcher for the federal government. One of the crops he would research was called Bird's-foot trefoil. This name stuck with Jim and he memorized it in the Sesame Street character Herbert Birdsfoot."

 

[tutter_fan]

Thanks!

 

[mikebennidict]

And here's a transcript of a skit with Ernie and Herb. Wow! There's definitely some good stuff here I need to see sometime.
http://members.tripod.com/Tiny_Dancer/vacuum.html

Actually, just check out the whole site. There's tons of great song lyrics, song files, and even sketch transcripts and some classic video clips!

I wonder if there were any real life inncidents were kids saw this and they go around their neighborhoods knocking at doors and the minute someone answers, they yell OH YEAH? WELL IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT IT YOU COULD JUST KEEP YOUR ROTTEN OLD VACUMM CLEANER SO THERE!

 

[mikebennidict]

I wonder how they ever came up with his last name Birdsfoot?

For years I wonder if I had even heard that right and it wasn't till learning more abour SS past I realized I was right after all.

 

[MuppetDude]

According to Muppet Wiki (which got it from the TMS season one Muppet Morsels): "His name is a play on the pasture crop "bird's-foot trefoil," which was familiar to Jim Henson because of his father's work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

 

[mikebennidict]

Herbert was on SS long before TMS.

 

[Mokeystar]

There's an old clip on the Sesame Workshop website with Herb trying to explain how a W is an upside down M. The letter keeps turning upside down, changing from a W to an M until it finally refuses to turn again and stays as a W. So to prove his point once again, the camera turns the stage upside down which shows the reluctant W as an M. I loved those "upside down" clips. And Herbie did such a wonderful job at being patient!

 

[ISNorden]

There's an old clip on the Sesame Workshop website with Herb trying to explain how a W is an upside down M. The letter keeps turning upside down, changing from a W to an M until it finally refuses to turn again and stays as a W. So to prove his point once again, the camera turns the stage upside down which shows the reluctant W as an M. I loved those "upside down" clips. And Herbie did such a wonderful job at being patient!

I saw Herbert's W/M clip myself as a girl, but the letter still got the better of him after the camera turned the view upside-down: once more, M became W as typical "frustrated character" music ended the sketch.

 

[mikebennidict]

Think all along the M was intentionally turning upside down and rightside up for spite and then realizing how Herb was making good use of this action, the M stopped which lead to HB's desision to turn upside down.

 

[mikebennidict]

Recently thought of this.

Wonder if HB was supposed to resemble a teacher considering how he was dressed?

Most muppets who hand propper names weren't generally dressed in suits and ties and the only another one I can think of was Professor Hastings,