A brief blurb on the values of love and connectedness Jim Henson inspired in me on this day of remembrance:
I’m not really back and I'm certainly not going to delve into the political deep water of the moment or this thread. There’s far too much toxicity and poorly-formed hyperbole in the world already. I’ve had my fill. What I will say is this. On this crazy day, my mind is calmed by thinking of Jim. I really wish the truly good people would stick around this world a little longer than they do.
I know this thread was a retread of the critical one about a Tough Pigs article that I happened to enjoy. I am not aiming to relitigate this (even though it probably seems like that). I'm not planning respond to any subsequent comments either, so please address those to other people here. I’m only interested in stating the facts. Dear God, that word almost means nothing these days.
On January the 23rd of this year, the popular Tough Pigs site published an article tilted,
“Donald Trump: The Anti-Henson.” I understand why some fans objected. I also understand why most didn’t. The now infamous article didn’t quite say one couldn’t both be a fan of the Muppets and of Donald Trump. They did, however, question of how a person could support such conflicting ideals and messages. That’s an entirely fair question to pose. And it most certainly is posed as a bewildered question rather than a statement of fact.
Mr. Trump famously celebrates the vulgar way he pushes people around in order to get things done, while Jim had a soft touch and understood humility. Trump sees America First, while Jim took a much more thoughtful world view. Neither of those things is up for debate. They are facts on record. I could talk about the environment and a whole host of other issues, but I'm not going to open that can of worms. I'm keeping it to simple sensibilities.
Jim Henson never entered the world of politics, but he did utilize the Muppets for many great causes. His programs, while entertaining, maintained his good values about how we should treat one another. He also did this in a way that was neither preachy nor too sticky sweet. Is entertainment just to be consumed with no real purpose of critical thinking or growth? I don’t think so. Listen to Jim talk about the world of Fraggle Rock. He didn’t think so either.
I’m an out and proud gay, progressive fella who comes from a religious-evangelical, hyper-partisan, conservative family in Houston, Texas. I came out as a teenager in the 90's while still living at home. While we all love each other, it’s not always easy. It’s been very hard. Everyone seems to believe my family has a lot of tolerance. They didn’t always. My parents taught me much, but I taught the lesson of tolerance to them. Not acceptance, mind you. I’m not asking for the world from them. They’ve given me enough. The only way I survived growing up, however, was through the morals and values of Jim Henson. It took me years as an adult to figure out where the heck my values came from. He's who taught me tolerance. I tend to be known for that, but I do stumble a lot too. Hey, coming from where I did required a thick skin and it doesn't always immediately to occur to me that many other people don't have that, but I eventually figure it out and do my best to make things right. Yeah, I believe in
WWJD, but Jim is the J in that acronym.
Would Jim have written such an article? I don’t believe so. At least, not outright. He wasn't a writer of articles, so that's kind of moot. He would have probably found another clever and simple way to lampoon Mr. Trump and the things he stands for that poked fun at itself and made us all feel connected. The Tough Pigs article does a lot of that if you read beyond the headline and without prejudice.
It’s really the headline that made people so darn angry. The subtext of the article points to a disturbing lack of unity. A lot of the public in general, regardless of political affiliation, has trouble understanding facts. Many folk have lost the ability to recognize nuance. Both the Muppets and the Tough Pigs articles use a great deal of that! Nonetheless, the place is called Tough Pigs for a reason. They don’t tiptoe around anything. They require fans use their real names in order to be accountable for what they say on their forum. Tough Pigs is comprised of a colorful group of bold misfits, very much like the Muppets they celebrate. In fact, they are the most Muppety people I know. Some literally! As one of Tough Pigs' many members, I also share the conflict of their leadership in that I'm a progressive person with Trump-supporting friends whom I still talk to on a regular basis.
Again, I can see why the article made some folk fighting mad, but it was a discussion that needed to be had. My plea for anyone who feels animus toward anyone else is to please first look inward. The support and disdain of Trump is tearing actual families apart, not just the Muppet family. It’s clear that the world needs Jim Henson more than ever! We can try our best, but only Jim Henson was Jim Henson and he probably fell short of his myth when he was among us.
We should try to see the good in each other a little more. All of this political stuff. Yeah – it’s very important and it matters much! It requires vigilance and with that it will likely be sorted out eventually. I just hope good friendships will remain after the storm clears. I think it's going to require patience and honesty from everybody. One or both of those two things always seems to be missing in modern America. On this day, I miss Jim very much. He did what he said. He left this place better than he found it. I just wish people would find their way back to the themes and messages he taught us through the most wonderful characters ever created.
Peace,
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