The RHLC!

[Skye]

But he had the right idea; the best way to make friends is to be a friend yourself first.

That reminds me of this one quote from Full House... DJ was having a big fight with Kimmy, and Joey told her, "Part of having a best friend is being a best friend." I think about that quote so much. And it's so true for tons of things in life! Anyway, I just wanted to mention that, hehe.

I haven't had the chance to find Street Gang yet. I can tell it's definitely is something I'll want to check out, though! It sounds amazing.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. And Happy New Year... here's to a fun, successful and very happy 2009!

 

[CensoredAlso]

That reminds me of this one quote from Full House... DJ was having a big fight with Kimmy, and Joey told her, "Part of having a best friend is being a best friend." I think about that quote so much. And it's so true for tons of things in life! Anyway, I just wanted to mention that, hehe.

Thanks Skye, it's great how these things always stay with us!

It also perhaps explains how easily generous he was later on. It's something we often overlook in life, how little gestures can mean a lot to people.

Hope you had a great holiday too!

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Oh, I forgot about one other big thing I got, a muppet whatnot catalog! Basically the way it works is there is a list of features to pick from: skin color, eye color, Etc., just as on the website, with stickers that you can place and rearange to see how different configurations look. I didn't use the stickers, (I'm preserving them as a suvineer, but my mom and I filled out the form this evening! I wish I could have gone down to the store to do it in person, so that I could have actually seen and felt what they looked like, and what I was getting, but I'm not complaining! It was lovely of my aunt and uncle to arange to get it for me!
There's no actual mail-in address, so I guess we'll have to repeat the process online, but I'll check on that. Seems silly to do it twice. Anyway, I'll try my hardest to get pictures in the appropriate thread when I get the muppet!

 

[CensoredAlso]

That's so cool! Can't wait to hear how it went. And I agree, save those stickers for posterity!

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

That's really cool, being able to design your own Whatnot - I think a lot of fans have daydreamed about being able to build their own Muppets.

(However, I'm pretty certain that the design specs for the principal Muppets are kept under lock and key - I mean, Muppet blueprints are practically state secrets.)

That said, keep us posted on what your Whatnot looks like, okay?

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Well I know, in theory at least, what she'll look like, but I was planning on leaving it a surprise until I was able to put up a picture, or at least had her in my posession. That is, of course, unless you really have a desire to know...
Suficed to say that for a muppet, she looks rather normal, or plain, but I like her.
Now I've just got to think up a name, but I guess that can wait 'til she gets here... Sheesh, it's like expecting a designer baby!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hehe, that's so cute, the anticipation must be quite difficult, yet exciting!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

It anyone was not read the part in the Street Gang on Mary Robinson, he talk about Richard and how when he was the new Guy on the set. Richard had this sort or pecking order with him and thought him to be a sort of Snot nosed little brat in a sense, heh! He said that Richard always gave him particularly a hard time Mary was like His "tormenting pet" He says that it was nothing underhanded, but it was always open and honest and with a certain amount of humor. But the book says that there was a breakthrough in there relationship after abut a year. It was due to Richards love for performance and live theater. Marty said that when Richard found out that when he was that he was doing something totally separate from Sesame Street witch was puppet building and manipulating the plant Audrey II from Little Shop Of Horrors, that Richard totally appreciated it and that Marty started to be okay with him.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

That's right - Richard decided that the guy behind the "pistil-packing vampire" was not half-bad. The book also says that Richard became very close friends with the original Audrey, Ellen Greene - who was seeing Marty at the time.

In that same chapter, the book tells how Richard would occasionally play the devil's advocate during brainstorming sessions with Jim; Jim would be surrounded by all these people saying, "Yes, yes, that's perfect," and Richard would ask, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Another thing I was mulling over about the book; in the early part, where they're discussing Howdy Doody and other kids' shows of the 1950s, one person said HD was bad in that Buffalo Bob and the others didn't understand the way things worked with kids - mainly, the kids would come in dressed in their best, only to go home tired and irritable because Buffalo Bob either ignored them half the time or talked down to them, or something. The book also says that Bob was occasionally hostile to the kids as well.

I remember thinking that it was the complete opposite of the way Richard, as an adult, interacted with kids who were visiting the sets on TMS and SS; they'd have his complete, undivided attention, and he'd do everything he could to make them feel welcome.

 

[CensoredAlso]

It anyone was not read the part in the Street Gang on Mary Robinson, he talk about Richard and how when he was the new Guy on the set. Richard had this sort or pecking order with him and thought him to be a sort of Snot nosed little brat in a sense, heh! He said that Richard always gave him particularly a hard time Mary was like His "tormenting pet" He says that it was nothing underhanded, but it was always open and honest and with a certain amount of humor.

In that same chapter, the book tells how Richard would occasionally play the devil's advocate during brainstorming sessions with Jim; Jim would be surrounded by all these people saying, "Yes, yes, that's perfect," and Richard would ask, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Kinda reminded me of what people said about Groucho Marx in real life (though Groucho was probably much worse, hehe). That he could be very brutal to people, even in his own family, and it was sometimes difficult to live with. But you also knew he genuninely cared about his friends and family too (though he was very good with children). He just had an unusual way of expressing himself (or sometimes had trouble doing so, which we all do).

And in Street Gang, I remember his older sister Kate basically saying Richard was such a perfectionist in performing because he felt he had the weight of the world on his shoulders a bit, providing for his family. Sort of the "Tears of a Clown" syndrome. Still, I'm glad that it seems the Muppet Show years were something he truly cherished.

Another thing I was mulling over about the book; in the early part, where they're discussing Howdy Doody and other kids' shows of the 1950s, one person said HD was bad in that Buffalo Bob and the others didn't understand the way things worked with kids

I've read about Howdy Doody elsewhere; their audition process for the Peanut Gallery was pretty intense. They had to make sure kids would sit quietly or wouldn't start crying. They'd also get the kids all excited and then stop to see which kids actually calmed down after awhile (amazing that Richard got past that part hehe). Some former Peanut Gallery kids recalled years later that sometimes when they didn't stop talking, Clarabelle the normally silent clown would go "Shut up, kid!" The kids' first reaction was often not to cry, but go, "Wait...Clarabelle can talk? !" Lol

Obviously they had a show to get through, time is money in the business, hehe. And it was a bit more acceptable to talk to kids like that back then. But thankfully, Richard seemed more able to organize kids and make them feel good at the same time.