Top Annoying Misnaming People Do

[JJandJanice]

I've honestly never heard this until the other night, and I don't know who started that, but it's so obviously not true, because we all know that Jim married his high school sweet heart, had five kids, and even though they separated, they remained good friends... he's even dated Daryl Hannah.

AIDS relating to homosexuality is a bit of a stereotype anymore; I remember shortly after Dick Sargent (Darrin #2) came out, he was diagnosed with cancer, and was so afraid that people were going to assume he was dying of AIDS simply because he was gay - not everyone who's gay has AIDS, and not everyone who's gay and dies died of AIDS. It's sad that it's happened that way to same, including Richard, but it doesn't happen to everyone like that. In a way, that's like saying ALL obese people die of heart attacks/strokes, or ALL women die of breast cancer, etc.

I've never heard that rumor as well, . But Jim didn't die of AIDS, and as D'snowth explain despite the whole thing. AIDS being relating only to homosexuality is a stereotype. I'm thinking some of the less knowledgable fans were confusing Jim Henson with Richard Hunt.

 

[D'Snowth]

Yes, thank you.

 

[dwmckim]

I've never heard that rumor as well, . But Jim didn't die of AIDS, and as D'snowth explain despite the whole thing. AIDS being relating only to homosexuality is a stereotype. I'm thinking some of the less knowledgable fans were confusing Jim Henson with Richard Hunt.

Actually the Jim-died-of-AIDS rumor had existed pretty much since the time it happened before Richard passed away a couple years later. One of the tabloids (Globe i think) had a headline along the lines of "Did Jim Henson die of AIDS?" (Of course when you actually read the article it says he didn't). Being 1990, there was a bit more visibility of heterosexual AIDS via Magic Johnson so even though people who knew nothing about Jim had the gay rumors going on, AIDS gossip/rumor was being attached to both straight and gay celebs. (Not that this all makes the rumors any less repellent.)

 

[Super Scooter]

I've honestly never heard this until the other night, and I don't know who started that, but it's so obviously not true, because we all know that Jim married his high school sweet heart...

Sorry, but since this is a thread about common misconceptions, I should refute this one. Jim didn't meet Jane until college. And even then, they knew each other for a while before they started dating... but, yes, everything else is just right and makes a fine point.

 

[Drtooth]

Oh Sesame Workshop put that label on their "old school" dvds themselves.

I guess, modern parents are horrified at the sight of inner city kids in real inner city neighborhoods or something.

I've been saying that for years now... and I also have been saying that the labels were also put on there so some near sighted grandma wouldn't buy it for a one year old kid. I've seen that review ALL too many times on Amazon. "Little Sydney can't sit still when we're watching this Sesame Street VHS that came out almost 20 years ago." Uh... maybe it's because little Sydney's not even a toddler yet and learned how to move on his own? But I do agree that these old shows contradict the new model of instant gratification and pseudo-interactivity that just hasn't been discredited yet. And frankly, that's a GOOD thing.

Seriously? That's awesome! I knew about Miss Piggy's picture showing on a Sesame Street sketch, but I didn't realize Dr. Teeth's photo was in a sketch too! Cool! I will have to look this up now.Seriously? That's awesome! I knew about Miss Piggy's picture showing on a Sesame Street sketch, but I didn't realize Dr. Teeth's photo was in a sketch too! Cool! I will have to look this up now.

Oh yeah. Check out the skit on Sesame Street's video player... it's MUCH clearer than the ones on Youtube, which are all off of video tapes.

Bert and Ernie are gay, that's one I wish would just die already the most. (I mean it's one thing when shows like Madtv or Family Guy make jokes about that, but it really annoys me when people think that's an honest to god fact and in some cases actually attack them for that)

I was going to mention that, but I didn't. I've said before there's a fine line difference between drunken fratboy talk (pairing up any cartoon characters that are male and saying that sa a harmless joke) and certain people who use that to promote a hateful agenda... What happened with Spongebob was a crime.

Oscar the Grouch is an "evil character" on Sesame Street (I don't know why, but that one really bugs me) and he's gotten a lot "softer" or "nicer" over the years. The fact is Oscar gets annoyed by other Sesame Street characters, but he still cares for them. He doesn't want to see bad things happen to them or anything like that.

Again.... Two Skits from 1971. This is the friendliest Oscar has EVER been, I don't care what anyone says. Helping Ernie and Bert in such a way? You wouldn't even see that now.

The whole Gonzo/Grover mix-up I've gotten pretty used to. Let's not deny it, the two puppets do look fairly similar (blue fur, wide eyes, close personality traits) despite the obvious differences (Gonzo's beak, Grover barely wears clothes, etc.).

I feel that way too. Grover and Gonzo DO have a similar build, and they have very similar rod arms. In fact, I was going to mention that a while ago, but didn't. They have a similar look to them when it comes to their puppet bodies (though Grover has an extra finger).

 

[muppet maniac]

As for as misconceptions and/or urban legends go...
the whole Kami thing (as mention)
A Sesame Street Muppet either has died or will die soon, usually Ernie, Bert or Grover falls into this group and it usually cause of cancer, aids, or a car accident.
Bert and Ernie are gay, that's one I wish would just die already the most. (I mean it's one thing when shows like Madtv or Family Guy make jokes about that, but it really annoys me when people think that's an honest to god fact and in some cases actually attack them for that)
Cookie Monster being changed to Veggie Monster
Oscar the Grouch is an "evil character" on Sesame Street (I don't know why, but that one really bugs me) and he's gotten a lot "softer" or "nicer" over the years. The fact is Oscar gets annoyed by other Sesame Street characters, but he still cares for them. He doesn't want to see bad things happen to them or anything like that./QUOTE]

I didn't think about that last one (Oscar being a "negative" character) until you mentioned it. Yeah, that one also bugs me. The whole hype basically started with the two Christmas specials from 1978, those two being Christmas Eve and A Special __ Christmas. The former as we all know went on to become a "treasured classic", yet forever colorized people's perception of the character, which was far from what he actually was in the actual show: just a grouch, nothing else. Would also like to add that the TV show and the TV specials line are totally separate areas from each other* And they seem to carry on this "negative" trait in projects outside of the actual show, which still shows him in a positive light. Heck, they even had him as a member of the "Evil League" in the Imagination Land episode of South Park.

Of course, I liked how they poked fun at this in the "Night at the Museum" sequel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj5ykA-3ZhE

* - I think I've seen a similar pattern like this somewhere before: If anyone's ever been to the ToonZone Forums, where they've had numerous discussions of Scooby-Doo, mostly on the whole "Scrappy Debate" (liking or hating the character), one of the users makes a good observation on the differences between the "true" and "nega" canons, and how Scrappy is portrayed negatively in the latter (eg: the live-action movie, and the spoofs on CN, including the "Shaggy Busted" episode of Harvey Birdman)

 

[Gelfling Girl]

Bert and Ernie are gay, that's one I wish would just die already the most. (I mean it's one thing when shows like Madtv or Family Guy make jokes about that, but it really annoys me when people think that's an honest to god fact and in some cases actually attack them for that)

That thing has practically been done to death and yet there are still people seriously accepting it as the truth. As a kid, I always thought they were brothers.

Oscar the Grouch is an "evil character" on Sesame Street (I don't know why, but that one really bugs me) and he's gotten a lot "softer" or "nicer" over the years. The fact is Oscar gets annoyed by other Sesame Street characters, but he still cares for them. He doesn't want to see bad things happen to them or anything like that.

That is pretty much the same as saying that Sam the Eagle is evil.

 

[kdking]

I remember a number of years ago, one of the TV evangelists ( Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggart I can't remember which one) was on TV saying that Ernie and Bert were a gay couple. I remember it kinda torqued me off, at the time.

That whole idea should be buried in a big, big hole.

 

[beaker]

The thing that bugs me the most is when people tell me that Jim Henson died of AIDS because he was gay... That makes me want to strangle them.

Was this a conflation of Richard Hunt's passing a mere two years after Henson's death? I think perhaps that may be the source of the mix-up? I met Richard Hunt's sisters, they couldn't have been nicer and I can only imagine what a kind talented person Richard was, as well as JH himself.

 

[beaker]

I was going to mention that, but I didn't. I've said before there's a fine line difference between drunken fratboy talk (pairing up any cartoon characters that are male and saying that sa a harmless joke) and certain people who use that to promote a hateful agenda... What happened with Spongebob was a crime.

Funny thing is, Sesame Workshop put out a gay Bert and Ernie shirt as part of Hot Topic's newer gay youth line they were trying. If I recall it had the heads of Bert and Ernie with a rainbow on the front and some catch phrase.

Of course I've also seen at Hot Topic a spoof of the popular Saturday Night Live "I'm On A Boat" music video with Elmo on it, so Sesame has been tapping into various memes.