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Bird brained
April 27, 2006
Caroll Spinney has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street" for 37 years -- enough time for Oscar to turn from orange to green, Snuffy to be revealed, and a little red monster named Elmo to achieve world domination. At the Daytime Emmys tomorrow, Spinney will accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. We caught up with him by phone to discuss fantasy, reality, and the Muppets in-between. -- JOANNA WEISS
Q. I have to admit, my toddler likes Big Bird, but her first love is Elmo.
A. He's adorable.
Q. But it strikes me that he sometimes gets on Oscar's nerves.
A. Oscar is a refined individual. He doesn't speak bad English. He may have his coarse ways, but I say there's no sense in reinforcing bad English. [Also,] Elmo's too helpful and nice. Oscar is too . . . you know. One time he was so unpleasant I had to ask the producers, ''Why is he even on the show?" He's just rude to Gordon, called him ''Chrome Dome." . . . They said, ''Oscar is an example of how it takes all types."
Q. Still, I have to say, lately Oscar seems almost nurturing. He reads bedtime stories to his worm.
A. Wherever I can, I take the edge off.
Q. Snuffleupagus has changed, too, since I was a kid. He's real now.
A. Well, he was always real, but he had the annoying thing of going around the corner. Back in 1984, a group said, ''This is child abuse that people are not believing Big Bird." So they decided they would have to reveal him. They did it all in one show. If you miss Thursday, the next day he's leaning against Hooper's store chatting with people.
Q. Is there anything you refused to do as Big Bird?
A. I had a 20-minute argument on the phone with Mr. Rogers over fantasy. I was going to be on his show. The script came: Mr. Rogers says, ''What's it like in there, Caroll? Take off the head." I called him up and said, ''Fred, this is something that can't be." He said, ''We don't believe in fantasy. That's why we call it 'make believe.' "
Q. How was that resolved?
A. I said, ''Jim [Henson] does not want this, and I honor that." And he says, ''Well, then you won't be able to be in my little house. You'll only be able to be in make-believe land."
Q. Kids understand a lot. But parts of ''Sesame Street" are clearly meant to go over their heads . . .
A. [Once] Big Bird was supposed to look at the camera and say, ''Hey, kids, want to impress your mommy and your daddy? Just go in and tell them that 'E equals MC squared' and you learned it on 'Sesame Street.' " The director said, ''No, we're not doing that. That's fatuous." I thought it might be fun. But maybe he was right.
_________________________
Source: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/04/27/bird_brained/
That Fred Rodgers story is amazing!
Who would have thought two of the nicest guys on TV arguing!
Of course Caroll was right.
April 27, 2006
Caroll Spinney has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street" for 37 years -- enough time for Oscar to turn from orange to green, Snuffy to be revealed, and a little red monster named Elmo to achieve world domination. At the Daytime Emmys tomorrow, Spinney will accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. We caught up with him by phone to discuss fantasy, reality, and the Muppets in-between. -- JOANNA WEISS
Q. I have to admit, my toddler likes Big Bird, but her first love is Elmo.
A. He's adorable.
Q. But it strikes me that he sometimes gets on Oscar's nerves.
A. Oscar is a refined individual. He doesn't speak bad English. He may have his coarse ways, but I say there's no sense in reinforcing bad English. [Also,] Elmo's too helpful and nice. Oscar is too . . . you know. One time he was so unpleasant I had to ask the producers, ''Why is he even on the show?" He's just rude to Gordon, called him ''Chrome Dome." . . . They said, ''Oscar is an example of how it takes all types."
Q. Still, I have to say, lately Oscar seems almost nurturing. He reads bedtime stories to his worm.
A. Wherever I can, I take the edge off.
Q. Snuffleupagus has changed, too, since I was a kid. He's real now.
A. Well, he was always real, but he had the annoying thing of going around the corner. Back in 1984, a group said, ''This is child abuse that people are not believing Big Bird." So they decided they would have to reveal him. They did it all in one show. If you miss Thursday, the next day he's leaning against Hooper's store chatting with people.
Q. Is there anything you refused to do as Big Bird?
A. I had a 20-minute argument on the phone with Mr. Rogers over fantasy. I was going to be on his show. The script came: Mr. Rogers says, ''What's it like in there, Caroll? Take off the head." I called him up and said, ''Fred, this is something that can't be." He said, ''We don't believe in fantasy. That's why we call it 'make believe.' "
Q. How was that resolved?
A. I said, ''Jim [Henson] does not want this, and I honor that." And he says, ''Well, then you won't be able to be in my little house. You'll only be able to be in make-believe land."
Q. Kids understand a lot. But parts of ''Sesame Street" are clearly meant to go over their heads . . .
A. [Once] Big Bird was supposed to look at the camera and say, ''Hey, kids, want to impress your mommy and your daddy? Just go in and tell them that 'E equals MC squared' and you learned it on 'Sesame Street.' " The director said, ''No, we're not doing that. That's fatuous." I thought it might be fun. But maybe he was right.
_________________________
Source: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/04/27/bird_brained/
That Fred Rodgers story is amazing!
Who would have thought two of the nicest guys on TV arguing!
Of course Caroll was right.
