1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to you Stuff you should know from house Stuff 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: Josh Clark with Charles W. Chuck, Bryant Cowdy and Jerry 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: for the last time this year. Yeah, it's just informed 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: us and she's all smiles. She is not very nice, Jerry. 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: How'd you like that presentation earlier? The sensitivity training? It 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: was great. Yes, people, because we worked for corporation, we 8 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: have things like sensitivity training, and in those trainings you 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: get shown video examples of various forms of harassment and 10 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: they are the best, most fun things to watch. Ever, 11 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 1: they're pretty overt. Yeah, I could watch those all day long. 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: I was wondering how much that production company made from that. 13 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: You know they did, but like five little vignettes they 14 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm sure they paid the actors like literal peanuts. They 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: were bad actors. They were like, there's the peanut bucket 16 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: over there, you can pay yourself. Yeah, the old The 17 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: one that really got me was the Actually they were 18 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: all really funny, but the one with the old guy 19 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 1: in the in the factory loading boxes like a shipping warehouse, 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: and they were giving the old man a hard time 21 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: about everything because he was old. Yeah, because he's old, 22 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: and you know, he'd they were giving a hard time, 23 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: so he'd, uh he was out of work for a 24 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: while and they had to cover for him, the old man, 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: and he had the back brace on, did you know what? 26 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: I said? And he just looked on his face. He 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: just kept getting a little more like pouty the whole time. 28 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: I was like, dude, that's good acting. Stick up for yourself. 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: Tell these young kids, you know what to do. The 30 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: back brace prevents him from it. Anyway. I just had 31 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: to bring that up because I just think that stuff 32 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: is so funny, And what's funny is people really do that, 33 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: some of that stuff that you're like, what, there's some 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: creeps out there. Um, that was a really weird set 35 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: up for Jimson because he's the least harassing guy he 36 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: was probably ever. Yeah, he certainly comes across that way. 37 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: He's a genuinely good dude. It's not one of these 38 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: stories you hear about, like, uh, maybe some of your 39 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: favorite children's books writers or cartoonists or something, maybe we're 40 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: kind of bad people. No, apparently not at all. Um, 41 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: he was not. Only so there's a lot of quotes 42 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: in this article. John no John. I thought John Strickland 43 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: wrote it. It turns out that's not the case. I'm surprised, um, 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: because he's friends with or down with at least one 45 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: of Jim Henson's kids, I believe lives here in Atlanta. 46 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: And but in this article, it's one of those things 47 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: where everybody who compliments Jim Henson, who worked with him, 48 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: they go to the trouble of complimenting him in a 49 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: way that's not just like, oh, he was such a 50 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: great guy. They all back up just a little bit 51 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: because they're cognizant that that doesn't get it across, and 52 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: they want you to understand that they're talking about more 53 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: than just the great guy. Like, oh, he's dead and 54 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: I'm not going to speak ill of the dead, and 55 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: he was a great guy. And that's a really thoughtless, polite, 56 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: inoffensive thing to say. So, like Frank Oz said something 57 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: like he was a he was a great guy, but 58 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: at the same time, you know, he was a human, 59 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: but he was still a really great guy. So like 60 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: what you're thinking of as a great guy, get rid 61 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: of that and actually replaced it with a genuine human 62 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: great guy. Yeah, because as a filmmaker, he's a puppeteer obviously, 63 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: but he was a filmmaker first and foremost, which a 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: lot of people kind of forget about. Um, oh yeah, 65 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: that's a tough, tough job, super stressful, and you and 66 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: I have seen it can make good guys and good 67 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: ladies be real jerks and you under stressful situations. You know, 68 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a tough thing. There's a lot of 69 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: money on the line each day, and uh, it's like 70 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: everybody relaxed. It's just millions of dollars. But frank Oz, 71 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: I think that's the point he was making, like even 72 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: when he would get frustrated in a stress like that, 73 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: it was he was still a good guy behind it all. Yeah, 74 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: and I read a read an I guess there was 75 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: a book review of biography about him that that showed 76 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: that it was all somebody said it was all just 77 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: play to him, like work was play. Even though he 78 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: worked really hard, he was able to commit himself like 79 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: that to his work because to him he was having 80 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: the time of his life all the time. And apparently 81 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: like there was just there was no line between work 82 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: and play, which now that we've seen that sensitivity training 83 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: could have gotten him in a lot of big you know, 84 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: a lot of trouble, but he, Um, he just enjoyed 85 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: the life that he had. From what I understand, love cars. 86 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: He had like a lotus that was the same color 87 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: as Kermit the Frog. Um, he had a role is 88 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: Royce early on from his work. Yeah, Um, let's talk 89 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: about let's talk about the guy. Yeah, I mean, if 90 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: you haven't, I just need to go ahead and say, 91 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: if you haven't listened to the episode on the Muppets, Um, 92 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: this is a what I consider just a more in 93 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: depth part two on the man himself. But that's one 94 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: of our favorite all time episodes and from feedback, one 95 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: of the great all time fan episodes. Yeah, it was 96 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 1: a great episode. Yeah, it was just a lot of fun. 97 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: And so I hope this augments that one. I hope 98 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: you do it justice. So, um, that's actually one of 99 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: the reasons why we can do this episode because we 100 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: already did a Muppets episode and they tweeted about us. 101 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: Do you remember the Henson Company did? Yeah, they did, 102 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: which was they approved, got their actual approval, right, man. 103 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: That was something. Um, the the Muppets episodes, it's own thing. 104 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: It's about Muppets. This is about Jim Henson. And it's 105 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: appropriate that we're doing this because he was more than 106 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: just the Muppets, even though everybody pegs him with the 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: Muppets and like that is a huge thing. He was 108 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: more than that. Like you said, he was a filmmaker, 109 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: but originally started out as it a puppeteer, but kind 110 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: of a reluctant one. Yeah. He was born in uh 111 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: ninety six September James Marie Henson, m A U r 112 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: Y in Mississippi, and his grandmother, maternal grandmother was a 113 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: painter and a quilter and a needle worker. And apparently 114 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: it was a big inspiration to him, uh, just to 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: seek out the creative in life, right, which is pretty great, um, 116 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: and one of the one of the things he got into. Well, 117 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: he was originally a kind of a fan of ventriloquism 118 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: a little bit, but he he said later on in 119 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: life that he was never he was never like obsessed 120 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: with puppets or anything like that like you would have 121 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: expected him to be. And as he went to college 122 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: I think in Maryland, he uh, he got into he 123 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: started out as a studio artist, that's what he was studying. Yeah, 124 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: he loved television above all else. From the time he 125 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: was a little kid, he was just transfixed by the tube. 126 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: He almost kind of made himself destined to be on 127 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: television by being obsessed with it. But um, he kind 128 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: of stumbled into puppetry uh in college, and he started 129 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: out as a studio art major and ended up graduating 130 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: with a home X degree because home X was the 131 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: only degree that offered puppet making courses. Yeah, he he 132 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: majored h or He took a puppetry course at first, 133 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: and h then a bunch of textiles and crafts courses, 134 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: which is a great way to you know, start building 135 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: and making your own puppets. Right. So, but he graduated 136 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: with the home X degree. But by the time he graduated, 137 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: he was already extremely successful. The UM the Rolls Royce 138 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: that I mentioned he bought in time to drive to 139 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: his college graduation because he had already created successful shows 140 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: UM in his town. Yeah, I think he was in 141 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: high school. He was on the local TV station doing 142 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: little guest spots and then uh, in nineteen fifty five, 143 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: the show Salmon Friends debuted and that uh. You know, 144 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: he also did work on the side making money with UM. 145 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: I think he did some of the like really cool 146 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: concert posters of the day, really color colorful silk screen posters, 147 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: and salmon prints did really well. Uh, but he still 148 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: wasn't quite sure, Like I still don't know if I wanted, 149 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,239 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a filmmaker. I did. Did these short 150 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: films really sort of weird abstract short films, live action 151 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: experimental that totally experimental. Did you see the time Piece? Yeah, 152 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: that one was pretty cool. It was great, um, and 153 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: it's way and did you see the Cube? I watched 154 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: parts of the Cube that was did you see the end? Now? Oh, 155 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: you've got to see the end. I skipped the middle 156 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 1: because I was like, Okay, I get where you're going 157 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: with this. Yeah, well we should just set it up 158 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: real quick. The Cube was a show on NBC. It 159 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: was a one hour show um in nine. The name 160 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: of the show NBC did was called Experiment and Television, 161 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: and it was a different thing each week. And he 162 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: had one week's installment called The Cube, which was a 163 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: guy just stuck in a white room but other people 164 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 1: could come in and out of the room, but he 165 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 1: could not write yes, and he starts to go kind 166 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: of crazy and it has the look and feel of 167 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: a color TV ad um, like all lots of overacting 168 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: and like Carol burnettesque characters and stuff like that, but 169 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: the sentiment behind it and like the everything behind is 170 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: really neat and it really gives you a good, an 171 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: eye opening example of like what Jim Henson was capable of, 172 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: but also like what he was into, because you know, 173 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: when you think of him, you think of muppets and 174 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: Sesame Street in particular. Sure, and these are weird abstract 175 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: art films, um not unlike you know, you watch like 176 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: a Jim Morrison art film him from film school and 177 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: it's kind of the same style. You know, that was 178 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,719 Speaker 1: what was going on back then. And he actually got 179 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: nominated for an Academy Award for time Piece. Uh. I 180 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: think Jim Henson had Jim Morrison beat by a mile 181 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: as far as experimental films. When yeah, I'll agree with 182 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: you there. Um So, like I said, he wasn't quite 183 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: convinced that puppetry was his future because he was a 184 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: filmmaker and he was like, puppets are still kind of 185 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: kids stuff. But post college he did the Old Tour 186 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: of Europe, and in Europe, puppeteering is a whole different business. 187 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: It was a lot more serious um and a lot 188 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: more um. I guess it was treated his art, Yeah, exactly, 189 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 1: and he said, you know what, I Am going to 190 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: give this a shot. Came back to the US, married Jane, 191 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: and even though he and Jane separated, they never divorced. 192 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,319 Speaker 1: Oh really I thought they did. No, they never uh 193 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:59,079 Speaker 1: fulfilled the divorce. They just stayed separated and um. Then 194 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: he started making TV commercials and formed his own company 195 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty three with I don't know if he 196 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: formed it with Frank Oz, but he hired Frank Oz 197 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: and Jerry Jewell, who ended up being obviously legendary puppeteers 198 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: and lifelong collaborators of his. Yeah. Yeah, But he started 199 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: out making a basically a puppet based commercial ad agency 200 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: in New York in nineteen sixty three. Yeah, and they 201 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: weren't making funny commercials back then, so he was really 202 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: pretty revolutionary at the time. And they, I mean, they 203 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: did pretty well for themselves. And one of the smartest 204 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: moves he made early on was all of his contracts 205 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: said that he retained the rights to any of the 206 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: creations he made for these companies, So he was creating 207 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: what some of the things that would later become famous muppets, 208 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: Like the Cookie Monster was originally made for a chip maker, 209 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: and it was this puppet that couldn't get enough of 210 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: these chips. Yeah, he was the wheel steeler and he 211 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: stole cheese wheels. Yeah, okay, that's what it was. Um, 212 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,559 Speaker 1: And he ended up being the Cookie Monster. The reason 213 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: he ended up being the Cookie Musters because Jim Henson 214 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: retained the rights to that creation. That was he was 215 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: a very savvy business guy too. Yeah, and he was 216 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: he was using somebody else's dime, these these advertisers like 217 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: Budgets to kind of hash out and form and make 218 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: his muppets. Yeah. Rolf the Dog started out on Purina 219 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: commercials and was later a sidekick on The Jimmy Dean 220 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: Show in nineteen sixty three, which I remember that from 221 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: the Muppets episode Wolf was the first big Muppet. Then 222 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: it's he's such like a bit character now that you know. 223 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: It's just mind boggling to think he was the one 224 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: that started at all, even before Kermit, before Big Bird, 225 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: it was Rolf. Kermit kind of stole the show. I think. Yeah, 226 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: we'll talk a little more about Kermit and where he 227 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: came from, right, after this. Alright, so it's nineteen sixty 228 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: nine and a very very big thing happens to Jim Henson. 229 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: He was invited to be on the pilot of a 230 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: show created by the Children's Television Workshop called Sesame Street. 231 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: He did not create it, some people think he did, 232 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: but he did make his mark by creating most of 233 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: the iconic characters. And if you were a fan of 234 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: the old Sesame Streets back then, all, not all, but 235 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: many of those little short films, the little claymation ones, 236 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: are the live actions. He directed those as well, which 237 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: is pretty cool. I never knew that. I think I 238 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: knew that, did you? Yeah, he was he was our restive. 239 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,439 Speaker 1: Yeah he was there. Rustivick, that's right. Russevick is ours. 240 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: That's right. So um chuck. Uh. The whole thing that 241 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: changed everything for him was Sesame Street. He's not a 242 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: he wasn't a creator of Sesame Street. They's hired him 243 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: on and they actually kind of went him over because remember, 244 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: one of the things that Jim Henson always struggled with 245 00:13:55,080 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: his whole career was he wanted to explore places that 246 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: puppets had never really gone to. In themes that they 247 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: hadn't gone to at least not in the modern age. Um. 248 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: But he was fighting against them not being taken seriously. Yeah, 249 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't like he was anti puppet by any means. 250 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: He was or anti kids because one of the big 251 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: reasons he signed on with Children's Television Workshop was their 252 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: goal to educate kids meant a lot to him. But um, 253 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: like you said, I think to merge those worlds successfully 254 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: was a big part of his goal and struggle for 255 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: a little while. Russ Vic, by the way, made the 256 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: little intersticial things for the stuff you should know television, 257 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: the animation, which is why I reference him. So the 258 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: Children's Television Workshop, which is now called the Sesame Workshop. 259 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: From what I understand, they want him over big time. 260 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: He makes all of these characters from like Big Bird, 261 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: and I think Kermit came before Sesame Street, and he 262 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: started out I think we talked about this in The 263 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: Muppet episode two. He started out looking really weird, not 264 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: cool at all, like really kind of freaky, which is 265 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: something that I now that I know a little more 266 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: about Jim Henson, I think maybe he might have even 267 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: been going for. But one of the things that Sesame 268 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: Street allowed him to do was to really kind of 269 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: explore something that he'd long been obsessed with, which was 270 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: television and where it converged with puppets, which was all 271 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: new territory, and Jim Hanson was at the bleeding edge 272 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: of it because if you think about it, when you 273 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: go to a puppet show live, you know, you're you're 274 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: looking at what's essentially a mechanism for hiding the human 275 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: and there's just a little area that the puppet can 276 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:53,359 Speaker 1: move around in. Yeah. So Jim Henson stepped back and said, Okay, 277 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: the television is that little tiny area that the puppet 278 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: can stay, can move around in. But it all so 279 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: opens up the whole world for a puppet because you're 280 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: using camera angles and there's editing, and it's not in person. Yeah, 281 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: just frame out the people. So and again we talked 282 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: about this in the Muppet episode. He created something called 283 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: platforming up to where the the puppeteers no longer had 284 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: to like crouch down and in to to to maneuver 285 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: the puppets. Because he was a tall guy, yeah, tall 286 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: and lanky man. He was skinny. Those running shots and 287 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: time pieces because he was in it, they were hysterics. Yeah, 288 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: and he weighs about seventy pounds somehow big lanky legs. 289 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: But um, so yeah, the performers could stand up, which 290 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: was a huge weight off. But at the same time, 291 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: because you're working with cameras and stuff like that, and 292 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: they have the whole universe to move around in and 293 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: Jim Henson wanted him to move around as much as possible, 294 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: it also put him in some weird positions. Yeah, if 295 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: you ever well, some people might think it's like kind 296 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: of ruining the thing, but I think it's really neat 297 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: if you if you just look up on Google images, 298 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: mupp Spot, Muppet Show behind the scenes pictures, and it'll 299 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: show the stage sets you know, like uh, six ft 300 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: off the ground and all the people standing beneath. Um. 301 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: I think it's awesome to look at. But some people don't, 302 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: like you know, they want to keep that illusion alive. 303 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: So depending on what kind of person you are, either 304 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: seek that out or don't. And we gave that warning 305 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: in the Muppets Episode two, did we. Yeah. I think 306 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: they're really cool pictures because you know, a lot of 307 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: times they're looking at they're looking at video monitors. UM, 308 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: standing there contorted using both hands. Um, like the way 309 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: puppeteers work together, to me is is just a miracle 310 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 1: because they're acting as the puppets, but they're moving still 311 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: moving among one another as humans underneath, which can be 312 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: really complicated. We, in fact, we know some really really 313 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: talented puppeteers here in Atlanta. Yeah, the Center for Puppetry 314 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 1: Arts is yeah, I think the nation's largest puppet puppeteer organization. Yep. 315 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: And that is where we had our TV show debut party, 316 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: premiere party. Like, it was a really cool experience, Like 317 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: emmett Otter and the gang are right there on display. 318 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: I think the Hintson and Kermit cut the ribbon for 319 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: the grand opening back when it opened, and UM ended 320 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: up donating like five hundred puppets and muppets to the 321 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: Center for Puppetry Arts. So if you ever visit Atlanta, 322 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: people always email us and say what should we do? 323 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: Highly recommend going and checking out the Center for Puppetry Arts. Yeah, 324 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 1: because they have a museum with, like you said, emmett Otter, 325 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,719 Speaker 1: like a full size life size s yeah behind glass, 326 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: scary as you can imagine. Yeah, But I was talking 327 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: about Raymond Carr, our friend who I hate to keep 328 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: bring up the TV show, but it all kind of overlaps. 329 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: He was a production designer for Stuff You Should Know 330 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: on Science Channel, and he and his friends Brandon and 331 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: the Gang are amazing puppeteers and they're doing some really 332 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: really leading edge, like cool stuff here in Atlanta, Like 333 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: these giant puppets operate, like, you know, fifting foot tall 334 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 1: puppets operated by like six and eight people. Have you 335 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: ever seen the spaceman that they do. No, man, it's unbelievable. 336 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: It's really cool. It's like, I don't know how tall 337 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: he is. He seems like he's twenty ft tall. And they, 338 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, do these at parades and stuff, and it's 339 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: just really really cool stuff. That's awesome. Yeah, but Hinton 340 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: is a huge inspiration to them obviously. Oh yeah. I 341 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: think anybody who works even remotely in puppets has got 342 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: to be inspired by Jim Um. One of the other 343 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: things that he came up with was that was based 344 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: on putting muppets or puppets on TV. Was using softer materials. Yeah, 345 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: everything else is like up to that point, stiff wood marionettes, 346 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: ventriloquist dummies, that kind of stuff. He used like foam 347 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: and it allowed the puppets themselves to have more expressive faces, 348 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: which was great for close up on TV. Yeah. Absolutely, 349 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: and it also I mean now looking back, he just 350 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: are like, well, yeah, of course, it's what puppets do. 351 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: That's what I know. But that was Jim Henson that 352 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: came up with that, and it changed everything because it 353 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: took something like, I mean, imagine, how do he dot? 354 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: It was like, yeah, it's cool, you know, it's how 355 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: do he doty? Or whatever? But whether close up or 356 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: far away, he looked exactly the same. It was like 357 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: a wood head with like a moving lower jaw, and 358 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: you know, he gave you nightmares. But with the Termit, 359 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 1: the frog or something like that. The fact that he 360 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: could have different expressions and react differently, and and his 361 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 1: emotions could be shown on his face, that made him 362 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: that much more popular, that much more approachable, uh, to 363 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: people who were into him, absolutely, which is everybody. Yeah, yeah, 364 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: show me someone who doesn't like muppets in any form. 365 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: I get it. If you don't like it anymore, maybe, 366 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: but your heart is cold and dead inside um for 367 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,120 Speaker 1: a while. And this is something I don't think I knew. Uh. 368 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 1: He dabbled on Saturday Night Live in season one, h 369 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: Lauren Michael's got him a deal to perform some sketches 370 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: and ultimately it wasn't a huge success and it wasn't 371 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: the greatest marriage, but it was pretty cool that he 372 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 1: was uh seeking out, you know, different avenues to get 373 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 1: those puppets on television. It was and his big break came, 374 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: um in nine he had it. He wanted to make 375 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: The Muppet Show. And he had a lot of trouble 376 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: in the US still, even though he had his various 377 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: successes on commercials and stuff. Uh. So he had to 378 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: go to London and a TV producer named Lord lew 379 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: Grade gave him a deal with grades A TV Studios 380 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,959 Speaker 1: and said, you know what, you can make your show. Uh, 381 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: and the Muppet Show was born. Oh yeah about it 382 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: being about a boom, that was it. That was it. 383 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: And um you can really see Jim Hinson's love of 384 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: variety shows and just kind of um, well, just the 385 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: stage uh in The Muppet Show because if you think 386 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: about its set, the whole thing set backstage at a 387 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 1: variety show. It's such a great idea when look back 388 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: at it. Let me take it for granted a little 389 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,719 Speaker 1: bit because we were kids, but now as an adult, 390 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: it's like, what a perfect way to frame this world 391 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: is It's basically like thirty Rock or thirty Rock was 392 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: the Muppet Show? Right? Well, the Muppet Show started all that. Yeah. 393 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if Carol Burnett was before the Muppet Show. 394 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: Yeah it was before, was it? So she did a 395 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: lot of backstage stuff, didn't she. I wonder if who 396 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: started that. I don't know. He hurts was more sketch, Yeah, 397 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: but some of it was like backstage, wasn't I believe 398 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: So I don't remember that. I'm hallucinating right now. They 399 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: to have a good old fashioned variety show again, Yeah, 400 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 1: they don't have those anymore. Those are big back in 401 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: the day, you know, like the host comes out and 402 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: then their sketches and singing and remember our cabaret, No, 403 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: it was in cabaret. What was it the episode we did? 404 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: Oh burlesque burlesque? Yeah? Yeah, how that started out in 405 00:22:55,720 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: vaudeville and burlesque cad that's where stand up comedy came from. 406 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 1: That was an interesting episode. Yeah. I missed those variety 407 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 1: shows though, like the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton and 408 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: uh Cail Burnett all the van drell sisters, although Kenny 409 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: and Dolly could just sit on a couch and stare 410 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: at the camera for an hour and I'd watch that 411 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:20,719 Speaker 1: the best great entertainers too. Um. Alright, so where are 412 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: we in our timeline? Well, Chuck, the Muppet Shows just hit. 413 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: Things are going pretty well. They happened going pretty well 414 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 1: already for Henson. Apparently in nineteen seventy, rubber Ducky hit 415 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: number sixteen on the Billboard charts. And for those who 416 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: don't know, uh, Ernie is voiced by Jim Henson. So 417 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: Jim Henson sang a song rubber Ducky that made it 418 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: to number sixteen on the Billboard charts. And that was 419 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy, a year after The Cube, before the Muppet 420 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: Show even happened, before Sesame Street even right, No Mystery 421 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: was same year as The Cube. That's good, it's did 422 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: a new touchstone for his life. The Cube yea PC 423 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: and BC. Um. So the Muppet Show was. It was 424 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: a huge hit. It won uh you know, a lot 425 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: of awards, It connored critical praise and won the hearts 426 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: of children all over the world. But it was also 427 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: for adults too. Oh yeah, I think that's why he 428 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: was able to pull it off in Great Britain because 429 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: they have better senses of humor. Yeah. And speaking of adults, Uh, 430 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: he got into some more serious themes with his next 431 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: great show, Fraggle Rock in I never saw a second 432 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: of that show. Oh man, really it wasn't an HBO. Yeah. 433 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: It was one of the first HBO original series. We 434 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: either had showtime or we didn't have HPOU. It was awesome. 435 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: Fraggle Rock was great, and uh, the idea there is 436 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: you had the the Fraggle Gang, and then you had well, 437 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: you you had three different groups. You had the home 438 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: of Doc who was an inventor in his dog's procket um. 439 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: You had the Fraggles who share caves underground of Fraggle 440 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: Rock with their neighbors the Dousers, and the Gorg's and 441 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: these gigantic creatures, uh that are in Gorg's garden. And 442 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: the whole point of that show was to show how 443 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: different types of people can live together and work together 444 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: in peace. It was really cool. Didn't know it at 445 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: the time when I was, you know, twelve years old, 446 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: but what I was learning about was acceptance and uh. 447 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,719 Speaker 1: He won three Cable Ace Awards. Uh. Five International Emmys, 448 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: and Fraggle Rock was one of the first big hits 449 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: for HBO as far as TV goes, great, great show, 450 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: lots of great songs that I mean, he had every 451 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: kind of like reggae, rock, country, bluegrass. He was all 452 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,199 Speaker 1: over the map with the music and Fraggle Rock, and 453 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: he I mean, he wrote a lot of songs too. 454 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 1: I think he wrote rubber Ducky. I'm sure he wrote 455 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:49,679 Speaker 1: a lot of the stuff on Fraggle Rock. It was 456 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: just yet another thing he did, was right. M Renaissance 457 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: man Um the other show that he came out with 458 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: in the eighties, in the mid eighties that I was 459 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: big time into his Muppet Babies. I never saw one 460 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: second of that, and I love that show. Yeah, we're 461 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: just enough apart in age, where like certain things I 462 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: saw you, I was you were too young for, and 463 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 1: then certain things I was too old for. You know, 464 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: it's weird though, I'm just gonna say this, so you 465 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: me and I are the same age. Her sister is 466 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: like five years younger than us, and I used to 467 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: love Muppet Babies. You mean's sister used to watch Muppet Babies. 468 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 1: So you mean it was like, why were you watching 469 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: Muppet Babies. If my younger sister was watching babies, now, 470 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: she watched like Donna Hue or something like that. I 471 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: watched the Muppet Babies. I'm not ashamed anymore to say, 472 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,360 Speaker 1: Well when was that in four? I was thirteen, so yeah, 473 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: I was just I was starting to be a teenager. 474 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: Muppet Babies didn't appeal. I think it was on for 475 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,479 Speaker 1: like four or five seasons, so maybe I was watching 476 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: it at the beginning of the series and it was 477 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: watching it. That's what I've been telling you. Me and 478 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: eighty four, you would have been what eight? Oh yeah, 479 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: that's perfect age for Muppet Babies. So I think I 480 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: think we just saw it on different ends of the series, 481 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: is what it was? Is that what it is? Um? 482 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: But have you ever heard of Ron Funches? Uh? Yeah, 483 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,480 Speaker 1: the comedian. Yeah, yeah, he has a little bit about 484 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: Muppet babies. That's pretty hilarious. Yeah he's awesome. I love 485 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: that guy. Yeah, we saw him live. He's just a 486 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: beautiful human being. Um, Muppet Babies was cartoon though, right right? 487 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: It was not live puppets. Correct, it was cartoon, Okay, 488 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: it was so cute. Were they just the regular muppets 489 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 1: as babies. Oh, we'll have to watch that sometimes. Yeah, 490 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: and they like use their imagination. Like Gonzo had a 491 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: thing for Indiana Jones, so he was frequently like exploring 492 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: caves and like swinging on vines with the Indiana Jones 493 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: Fedora on and that kind of stuff. Well, see, I 494 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: would probably enjoy that, now you would. Yeah, definitely. All right, 495 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go get Muppet babies, chuck. He did even 496 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: more TV that we'll talk about in a second. Okay, okay, okay, okay, 497 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: and we're back and we're still in the eighties, that's right, 498 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: And you were talking about other TV. As we said, 499 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: the man loved television and filmmaking, and so he got 500 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: away from the muppets and puppets every now and then. 501 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: Uh collaborated with Raymond Scott, who was an electronica pioneer 502 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: actually on shorts called Ripples and Wheels that go h 503 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: and he did that for the Montreal Expo in sixty seven. 504 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: And I know we're jumping around in time, but we're 505 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: just trying to paint the full picture here, not going 506 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: necessarily in order. And then he also did this cool 507 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: thing called the Floating Face, which was a sketch that 508 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: was on the Tonight Show, on the Mike Douglas Show 509 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: in the sixties. Um, which did you see any of 510 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: that a little bit? It was a little weird. It 511 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 1: was like two eyes and a mouth and they were 512 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: like these invisible wires and background images, and it was 513 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: definitely a little more on that surreal tip, the Hinson 514 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: surreal tip, not kid oriented necessarily. But he got into 515 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: the movies with the Muppet Movie, which was a big hit. 516 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: It still holds up, man, it's still so great. And 517 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: if you want to know more about that movie, into 518 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: some of the cool facts from it, go again, listen 519 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: to the Muppet episode. As a matter of fact, pause this, 520 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: go listen to the Muppet episode and then come back 521 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: to this one. Probably enhance your experience, agreed, or listen 522 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: to him both at the same time. But he followed 523 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: the Muppet In nineteenade two he made The Dark Crystal, Yeah, 524 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: which was puppets and it was based on m some 525 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: drawings by fantasy artist Brian Froud, and um, there were 526 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: no humans. It was all puppets. And I don't think 527 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: it holds up as well, but it still looks pretty good. Well, yeah, 528 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: I think it actually is probably better received now than 529 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: it was originally. I think critics appreciated it, but it 530 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: didn't do so well at the box office. But now 531 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: it's become like kind of a cult classic for sure. Um. 532 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: And one of the reasons why it didn't do that 533 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: well at the box office because audiences didn't quite know 534 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: what to make. They heard Frank Oz who co directed it, 535 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: Jim Henson, uh and puppets, and I think they went 536 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 1: expecting the Muppet movie this and they they got the 537 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: Dark Crystal instead, which is really dark. A lot of 538 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: the like the theme is, you know, good versus evil, 539 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: and it's the evil and it is really really evil. 540 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: And the stuff that happens to some of the puppets is, 541 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: including really cute puppets, is really horrifying. And um, I 542 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: read this awesome quote by Frank Oz and basically he says, 543 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: like Jim thought it was okay to scare kids. As 544 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, he thought it wasn't healthy for 545 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: kids to never be scared, so like he purposefully was 546 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 1: trying to scare kids, and he wanted to take the 547 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: tradition back to like grim fairy tales, which were very 548 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: very dark graphics, good that's what he was going for 549 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: with The Dark Crystal. Yeah. I think it was ahead 550 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: of its time for sure. If you look at some 551 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: of these, uh, like some of the C G I 552 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: movies today, I think that Dark Crystal was a precursor 553 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: a lot of those. Uh. Then he went on to 554 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: make the movie The Labyrinth with Bowie, right, Yeah, David 555 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: Bowie and a very young Jennifer Connelly. Now that was 556 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: a legend. Okay, um, good movie. But this was written 557 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and then rewritten 558 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: a bunch by a bunch of other people, including executive 559 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: producer George Lucas. Um. Labyrinth was okay, not bad. Again, 560 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: not a huge hit for Hinson though as far as 561 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: movies go. But he was still out there exploring these 562 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 1: cool fantastical worlds and fantasy worlds. And he still had 563 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: a lot of credit. Um, even in the late eighties. Uh, 564 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: if you think about it, his heyday was the late 565 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: seventies early eighties with The Muppet Show, the Muppet Movie, 566 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: and then after that it was like, yeah, I'll try 567 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: this with Jim Henson. I'll try this with Jim Henson. Um. 568 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: And even even still he had like a He was 569 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: on a pretty eight streak and at the end of 570 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: the A d C had two TV shows on the 571 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 1: Jim Henson Hour and Storyteller. The Storyteller, Yeah, the Jim 572 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: Hinson Hour. He was always pushing the boundaries. The Storyteller 573 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: looking Back Now, I'm sorry, Jim Hinson Ower looking Back 574 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: was really different from what you were getting at the 575 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: time because it was it was all over the map. 576 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: You had certain shows that were like, you know, four 577 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: or five sketches in one and then three of the 578 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: episodes were full on one hour little mini movies from yeah, 579 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: from beginning to yeah. That's a good point actually. Um. 580 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: One of the little mini movies was called dog City, 581 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: which was great. It was narrated by Rolf and it 582 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: was I remember watching this. It was like a film 583 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: noir gangster thing with puppet dogs. Uh and the main character, 584 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: A s U was the guy who did Elmo. Kevin 585 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: Clash did the character of a s U and that 586 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: was fantastic. I think Dog City went on to be 587 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: a TV show in its own right too for a 588 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: little while. But it was really good. I mean, it's 589 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,719 Speaker 1: total like gangster crime, film noir, but it's you know, 590 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 1: Rolf the Dog, the Gang. I love it's really cool. 591 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: Um the Storyteller I hadn't seen before. I was, I 592 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: guess aware of, but I don't know why I wasn't 593 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: watching it because it would have been like right there 594 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: for me because I would have been twelve. But I 595 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: watched one today and it was really good. It's like 596 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: human um puppet interaction, which is and it's just seamless. 597 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: Like There's one of the things from studying this that 598 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: I've realized is like we take for granted and expect 599 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: our puppet human interactions to be so seamless that we 600 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: don't even realize that we're looking at puppets right then. 601 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: And the reason why we expect that is because of 602 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: Jim Henson and the people he worked with in and 603 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: inspired to work so hard at creating that illusion. Well, yeah, 604 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: the illusion that these are living, breathing things. Uh, he 605 00:33:56,040 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: would go I remember Kermit as guest on talk shows. 606 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: He wouldn't go out as Jim Henson. He would go 607 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: out as I mean, he did those appearances as well, 608 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: but Kermit the Frog would be a guest on The 609 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or host or host the 610 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 1: night guest House, The Night Show and Larry King. Yeah, 611 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: and it was all a part of this um goal 612 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 1: of making these real people or real living things not people. Yeah. 613 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: Apparently somebody who was working with Jim Henson was I 614 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: guess the director of the Muppet Show would be giving 615 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:33,239 Speaker 1: Jim notes on Kermit, and Jim would just respond, like, 616 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: let Kermit respond, and the director said, eventually you're just 617 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: sitting there. You turned and you address Kermit like he 618 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: just forced you into like interacting with the puppet, even 619 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: during a note session. Yeah, and probably without feeling silly 620 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: or stupid or anything. You know, it probably seemed like 621 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,080 Speaker 1: a totally normal thing to do eventually once he forced 622 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 1: you to do. Uh. He also pioneered the Henson Performance 623 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: Control System and won an Academy Award for that, and 624 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 1: that was a remote control system that helped puppeteers out. 625 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: So he was always pushing technical, visual, um stylistic thematic 626 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 1: boundaries as far as he could UM, and they didn't 627 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: always work. You know, the movies weren't aside from the 628 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: Muppet Movie, they weren't the biggest hits UM. The TV 629 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: show a couple of you know, neither one of those 630 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: lasted very long, but I think he was. He was 631 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 1: just intent on doing something different he uh, and he 632 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: did too, and he died in of us staff infection. 633 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: Organ failure brought on by a staff infection. Did you 634 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: know that? Yeah? I think pneumonia had something to do 635 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: with it, too, didn't it. Not that I saw, I 636 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: really I saw organ failure caused by a group a 637 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: strep infection. I'm sorry. That's staff. Very sad. And if 638 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: you're ever in the mood for a good cry, watch 639 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: the Jim Henson memorial We're Big Bird sings It's not 640 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: easy being green. Yeah, tough stuff people. His children, His 641 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: legacy lives on through Jane, his wife, formed founded the 642 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,760 Speaker 1: Jim Hinson Legacy to preserve his contributions chairing with the public, 643 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: and like I said, he donated five puppets to the 644 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: Center Puppetry Arts and uh. There is also the Jim 645 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: Hinson Memorial in Muppet Museum and traveling exhibits. And his 646 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 1: sons and daughters help run his foundation, and some of 647 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: them are themselves and run the company. The company has 648 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 1: changed hands a lot um. I have sort of the 649 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: boring history. When he was still alive, he was going 650 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:43,959 Speaker 1: to sell it to Disney for a hundred and fifty 651 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 1: million because apparently he believed in Disney's commitment to characters, 652 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: so he thought like that would be a good place 653 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: for the Muppets to live. Yeah, and Disney went he 654 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: bought it, but he did not get that deal finished. 655 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:00,919 Speaker 1: But it turns out a hundred fifty million with chump 656 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,800 Speaker 1: change because in two thousand his children sold the entire company, 657 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 1: including the Sesame Street characters, to a German media company 658 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 1: for six and eighty million, And then I believe that 659 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 1: company fell on hard times and they bought it back 660 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: in two thousand three for eighty four million. Isn't that crazy? 661 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: The Hanston children are smart. And in between all that 662 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,080 Speaker 1: there are various exchanges of percentages of steaks with other 663 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 1: companies and rights of certain characters. Uh, it's a little 664 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 1: doll to go over all of that, but needless to say, 665 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: they made up pretty well, and eventually Disney now does uh, 666 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: they do own all the Muppet studio. They own the Muppets. 667 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: Apparently the Henston company sold the rights to the Sesame 668 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 1: Street characters to Sesame Street, which is pretty yes, and 669 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,720 Speaker 1: the Jim Henson Creature shops still builds the Sesame Street 670 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,320 Speaker 1: Puppets and Muppets. Yeah, since they sold the rights of 671 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,440 Speaker 1: the Muppets and there in the Big Blue House characters, 672 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:01,720 Speaker 1: which I'm not familiar with that one, nor am I, 673 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: but Disney wanted. I guess that's sort of the the 674 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: player to be named later that's included in the in 675 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:12,839 Speaker 1: the baseball trade. Man. I'm proud of the Henson kids. Yeah, 676 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: they're great and uh, I hope we get tweeted about 677 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: this one. From then they seem he seemed pretty great, 678 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,239 Speaker 1: Brian and Cheryl and the gang. He seemed like they're 679 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 1: doing right by the dad. And there's other siblings too, 680 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,280 Speaker 1: and I think they're all involved, super involved. And sadly 681 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 1: Jane passed away I think in two thousand thirteen at 682 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:33,200 Speaker 1: the age of seventy eight. I would have loved to 683 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: have seen what kind of work he did later in 684 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: his life. Oh yeah, the fact that he died still 685 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: had like a couple of TV shows going. I'm years old. Yeah, 686 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: he hit a lot of left in. Uh. If you 687 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,120 Speaker 1: want to know more about Jim Henson, go listen to 688 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,759 Speaker 1: our Muppets episode. And while you're looking that up, you 689 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 1: can also uh search Jim Henson on the search bar 690 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: at how Stuffworks dot com and we'll bring up this 691 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: great article and us since I said search parts, time 692 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: for a listener mail. Uh this is I'm gonna call 693 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: this sophomore smart sophomore. Hey guys, my name is Matt 694 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 1: and I'm a sophomore in high school. Smartphomore. I'm a 695 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: newer fan of the show, and I listen while I 696 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 1: do everything. I just wanted to say the Dark Ages 697 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: were only dark in Europe. The life expectancy in the 698 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,840 Speaker 1: Dark Ages is actually a little longer than before, but 699 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,840 Speaker 1: mostly because there were smaller wars. But things were certainly 700 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 1: brighter in the Islamic world. In fact, people in the 701 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 1: Middle East were really enlightened during this time. Within about 702 00:39:32,239 --> 00:39:34,720 Speaker 1: a hundred years, they conquered a lot of new land, 703 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 1: including Spain. Also, the Arabic language grew to be the 704 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: language of philosophy, medicine, and poetry, and Baghdad became the 705 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 1: world center of scholarship. They translated almost all of the 706 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 1: famous Greek philosopher's work into Arabic. Muslim Muslims developed algebra 707 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 1: to simplify inheritance laws, and they made important strides in 708 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 1: trigonometry to help people find a way to Mecca. Architecture 709 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:00,720 Speaker 1: grew to the Great Mosque in Spain. We took roughly 710 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: a year, while medieval cathedrals took hundreds of years to build. 711 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: So the Dark Ages weren't that dark. And the Enlightenment 712 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 1: came earlier than most think. And that is from Matt. 713 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,839 Speaker 1: Thanks Matt. That is enlightening stuff, my friend. Yeah, our 714 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: numerals are Arabic. Yeah, it's true. We should, we should 715 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 1: hit on some more Middle Eastern topics. Let's do it. Yeah. Uh. 716 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: In the meantime, if you want to suggest some Middle 717 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:27,359 Speaker 1: Eastern topics for us, you can tweet them to us 718 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: at s I s K Podcast. You can post them 719 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,880 Speaker 1: on our Facebook page at Facebook dot com, slash stuff 720 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: you Should Know. You can send us an email to 721 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast at how stuff Works dot com, and as always, 722 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 1: hang out at our beautiful home on the web, Stuff 723 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:48,400 Speaker 1: you Should Know dot com For more on this and 724 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is it how Stuff Works dot 725 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: com