Jim Hensons Funeral

[Tim]

The main problem is that people in general even so called "fans" these days have a VERY short memory. I won't even get into attentions spans and instant everythings, but if it didn't happen today it's "old school". Sure, there are still people lighting candles for Elvis and holding seances for Houdini, but there is also an entire SECOND generation growing up that don't know (or care) about b & w films, "old" movie stars, former Presidents or last year's technology. And God forbid they actually read. There are already members of this Board that weren't born yet when Jim and Frank were doing their best work, and are accepting the poor level of quality put out by the company today as the best standard. I would hardly consider these "over zealus collectors" looking for a quick voyeristic thrill, since they have no real connection with the man and what he was all about.

I also hadn't realized that attending a memorial service (even by video) for someone we loved and wish to say goodby to was making us all "voyerus". I suppose saving the original newspaper reports or reading the last chapter of a celebrity biography makes as all sick as well. Let's all just stay at home and send a note to the family that we are thinking of them and remembering the person that way. We can also skip weddings and birthdays as well, because heaven help us if, invited or not, we should exploit or infringe on a family's feelings.

I'm sure that there are people who are simply going to look at this as a curiosity piece, and there are others who will try to profit from it. There are also people who read and believe everything the tabloids print, and will download or otherwise get a hold of this kind of material for all the wrong reasons, and that is a sad fact of the world we live in. Whether or not this material is provided or pirated that situation will not change. But I like to think that there is a greater good. That we are the keepers of history and the protectors of fact, no matter how unpleasant at times they may be. If we sweep segments of life under a rug we are doing an injustice to future fans, students and entire generations. In doesn't matter that we are discussing Henson or the Hitler, we have to remember it all.

I know the family and the compannies are between a rock and a hard place. Jim was a public figure, vital to pop culter history, and loved by all. If they sanction or provide the material to provide a record, it looks like they are exploiting his memory, if they don't, it looks like they are trying to bury him all over again. There is no easy answer, and someone is always going to get hurt. I stick to my original arguement that the determanation of when it becomes true "exploitation" is when someone profits from it.

Jim Henson was a casual friend of mine. Like others here, I grew ups with his work from some of his earliest days. We corresponded, and he directed and taught me a bit. His influence on me and my work is unmeasuable. I'm sorry I was unable to attend his public memorial in person, and this way I am able to say goodby in my own way. I am not looking for a quick thrill or another piece of Muppet memorabila. We all need to decide for ourselves whether or not we want or need to see this, and hopefully for the right reasons.

Thank God we live in a society where we still have this choice.

 

[crazed gonzo fa]

Once again Tim, nicely said! I couldn't have done it better myself!

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

Once again Tim, nicely said! I couldn't have done it better myself!

yeeeep!

 

[MeepBorkMeep]

There are already members of this Board that weren't born yet when Jim and Frank were doing their best work, and are accepting the poor level of quality put out by the company today as the best standard. I would hardly consider these "over zealus collectors" looking for a quick voyeristic thrill, since they have no real connection with the man and what he was all about.

I agree with everything else ya said, Tim, cept this part. I don't know if you were implying this, but there are many members born after the Good Muppet Era that think the best standard is the earliest Muppet stuff, and not the new crud they're pouring out, including myself. But I do agree with you in some cases. I absolutely hate the post Good Muppet Era fans who say "Omg I love Kermit the frog" without knowing anything about Jim Henson or his company at all. Otherwise, I couldn't say it any better than you did.

 

[ravagefrackle]

once again i still think ist more than creepy that people are looking for this, and paying for it,if it was being veiwed for free sure go ahead, its ridiculous that people are paying others for this,

But if saying good by or paying resoect to his memory is what people are aftyer , do they really need to wacth a video to do that?

i have lost many friends and family members over the years, and i find my memorys in my head are more than enough

 

[Tim]

Well, we will just have to agree to disagree. However you wish to remember a loved one is fine for you. I don't like of go to funerals, and the only way I would be caught in a cemetary would be dead. But I feel that a memorial service or other get together to remember someone close is another matter. I'm not about to second guess what Jim himself would make of all this, but givin his sence of humor and totally open mind, I'm sure he would find it curiously fastenating, and maybe even a little bit funny. This is the same guy that had a dixieland band playing, and let's not forget Kermit's line at Edgar Bergen's farewell: "I've never played a funeral before!".

I would respect any decision made by anyone concerning their own final arraingemnts. Walt Disney would have NONE of it. Johnny Carson left us without a trace. Even Eren Ozker spoke of herself at the end (paraphrasing) "My death is not important..my LIFE is."

If we are quibbling about the legalities of it all, then I am ridiculously guilty of selling copyrighted Muppet collectables on eBay...and so are six million other uses. Let's put a stop to that, along with every garage sale, antique shop photo copy shop and VCR manufacturer, as they are all going to **** for stealing. I truly believe that there is a greater good to come from something like this. Preserving history, and keeping the facts strait. Though a memorial service is not the way I want to remember Jim (especially knowing what the future brought), I would hate to think the Jim Henson story ended with a half-finished 3-D film or overly violent Turtle movie.

I was lucky. I got to see Jim and Frank with Johnny, Merv, Dinah and almost every variety show host on TV. I'm only sorry VCR didn't exist for the common man back then, what a library I would have had! The audio tapes I made will have to do--OOPS! there I go, stealing again!

Which brings me to my other point. I know that there are plenty of members here who know that Kermit didn't originate with Steve Whitmire. But there are also that many that weren't even born when Jim died. The have no personal connection with him or his work. The "good" performances we are getting now are "good enough", since they have no area of reference. Henson is going to have the same problem Disney has now-keeping their founder's memory alive-if they even care to do so. History is already being altered. Did anyone catch the black and white photo of Jim on the US Postage stamps? Sorry guys, he was holding a Fisher-Price Bert toy NOT Kermit, who wasn't even Photoshopped at the right scale! I guess they figure "We'd rather do it our way then pay a few bucks to Fisher-Price to keep the facts strait. So what? Who cares?"

TRUE fans like me care. All material-even a "creepy" memorial service MUST be made available for future generations. Fans MUST demand it, and the holders of such MUST make it available for the greater good.

Just not for profit.

 

[crazed gonzo fa]

You sure have a way with words Tim, excellent!

 

[Tim]

Thanks. I'm sorry to vent, but being a major Walt Disney fan, I see what's happening to his memory. I would hate to see the same happen to Jim, especially with all the technology that is available, to anyone who cares to know more about him.

I would love to see someone start a cable channel of all old talk shows, sport, polititcal and celebrity themed so we can see for ourselves the "old vintage" (1970's) interviews these folks gave. I especially liked the old "Dinah!" show since she would theme the guests and keep them onstage for most of the 90 minutes. The Muppet segments-including Kermit's 21st Birthday show were great. So relaxed and in depth, and not like the MTV style pre-packaged publicists promo segment with some "American Idol" kid wo remembers Watergate from her High School history books.

I only wished I had been able to tape The Muppets hosting the "Tonight" show in '79 or their guest shot on Cher's short-lived variety hour. Sure, it's "old school", but it's also so much a part of the entire Muppet story, and I only hope someone, somewhere has the forsight to at least be saving and preserving this stuff, even if it doesn't get shown again in our lifetimes.

As for funerals, memorial or wakes, of course I would rather see Jim joking with Carson, or accepting an Emmy. When I was younger, I lived for those prime-time appearances and live "Saturday Night" segments. But the facts are what they are. It's part of the story, part of history. Looking back on farewells to the famous is fastenating, and not in a morbid way. Be it Lincoln or Reagan, Rudolph Valentino or Lady Di it's all history, all fact and just like the rest of life, the bad has to go along with the good.

I would NEVER support any material that truly exploited Jim's family or their emotions. I find it disgusting when a reporter shoves a microphone in the face of someone who his hysterical with loss just to get a sound bite for the 6 o'clock news. That is NOT reporting-THAT is true exploitation. But a public farewell for a famous man with cameras recording everythig for fact is different. We sweep this under the rug, and we are all doing ourselves a diservice.

I'm certainly sorry for the Henson family's loss, and I know it has to be painful still. But they know that Jim, to a certain extent belonged to all of us, just by the nature of his choosing to be a public person. Their loss is our loss and we are far and away worse off because of it, as both an audience and a people. The same can be said of Disney. Losing Jim henson once was bad enough, God knows. Losing him again because no one wants to protect, preserve or present his work if there is no profit in it would be nothing short of criminal.

 

[crazed gonzo fa]

Thanks. I'm sorry to vent, but being a major Walt Disney fan, I see what's happening to his memory. I would hate to see the same happen to Jim, especially with all the technology that is available, to anyone who cares to know more about him.

Yeah, if Walt was still alive Disney wouldn't make all this cheap-straight-to-DVD sequeals.

 

[Tim]

Yeah, if Walt was still alive Disney wouldn't make all this cheap-straight-to-DVD sequeals.

Muppets need what Disney got-a John Lassiter to ride in and save the day. Any volunteers?