Kami (HIV Muppet) Appearence at UN

[Muppetfreak]

Hi guys,

More Muppet tidbits from the Newroom. Kami (the HIV pos Muppet from Takalani Sesame (South Africa) will be appearing with Whoopi Goldberg at a "Town Hall Meeting to discuss the role of HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination in the global epidemic." It is Tuesday, November 26th from 3-5 PM EST at the UN in NY. This is from the press release so there should be press coverage (though we don't seem to be covering it).

Just thought I'd give you all the heads up. It may be on TV somewhere. You cannot, however, get in unless you have UN accreditation.

Hill

 

[Foreignman]

Hey guys,
I'll be at this event tommorow! I'll be writing an editorial on it for Muppet Central, so even if their isn't extensive news coverage on the muppet-appearance, you'll get to hear all about the conference, and Kami's appearance, from the perspective of a fellow muppet fan. Can't wait to see the dialouge between Whoopi Goldberg and Kami, that should be really interesting.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

HHEEEEEYYYYY, MuppetFreak,

Maybe you can copy and paste the whole article here at MC, that's what I do with headlines.

FOZ

 

[Muppetfreak]

Um...yeah...see the problem is that I don't have the article. I work at the evening news and we get press releases. They basically are very short and just give a who, what, where and when. They are just to let us know where to send camera man if we are interested.

I'm sorry I couldn't give you more info, that was all I had. :-(

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Oh.

Well, nevermind then.

What evening news do you work for? I'm trying to get a local news station interested in my puppet character that does stuff with Ronald McDonald House and local radio stations all the time.

Heh, go figure. A puppet on radio...

 

[Muppetfreak]

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. You know those people typing in the background? One of them is me.

Unfortunately, we only handle the big stuff. The local CBS affliate might be interested though.

How does the whole puppet on the radio thing go for ya? ;-)

I loved that Sesame Place commercial from way back when with Elmo telling Big Bird to wave to the people, not getting it was radio.

I am simple minded.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Simple Minds attract Simple Minds...

Hay,

I'm simple minded, too. I enjoy the small, unnoticeable things in life...like the aftertaste of chocolate milkshakes (within that first 2 minutes).

Well, Muley's been on channels Fox 13 and ABC 24 here in Memphis in a few spots, actually performing 2 times on Fox 13 news. We (a pal and me) are editing some video footage we shot of Muley around Memphis called "Mule on the Street" where he talks to people and gets pushed around some by security and police. It's funny, even unedited.

Some of it is "PG" because of drunk people, mostly drunk women! LOL! Just not in the edited version, of course.

The radio thing has happened for a while with Rock 103 because the Muley Comix were posted on their website for a while, but they ran out of space and time to update their "Funny Pages" so they dropped the local comics page, and Muley with it. Since then, Muley's been Maitre'd at Bosco's Celebrity Waiter night where local celeb's waited tables, was a host at the Gibson Guitar Factory Leather Ball and the Rock 103/Ronald McDonald House Radiothon, and several other events. On radio, Muley is Muley...the DJ's realize they're talking to Muley, and it goes over well. Um, as well as radio goes for puppets! LOL!!

Kind of the whole Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy thing, tho. Except I never talk, it's all about the Mule.

Still chasing 'the Magic Store' you know?

So, you'll have to wave to your MC family some nights. Now that we know our own is on there, we'll certainly have to watch!

FZ

 

[Muppetfreak]

Most of the time I work until 4 so i leave before the evening news starts, but I am usually in the background of Newsbreak or when they inturrupt the shows with breaking news.

Foz, that is awsome for you! Aren't we all looking for the Magic Store. I am just at the news right now to meet people and make money until the job market gets better and I can do something else. What, you ask? No idea. Everything. Jim Henson had the right idea, he got to do a little bit of everything once he got his standard Muppet characters to pay the bills.

I used to work at Sesame Workshop and they are looking to maybe take me back, but thus far there have been no openings. In the meantime, I am just working on publishing my first play (it is good! very Muppet like! We sold out every night of its 5 night run last year. ) and then we'll see what happens.

The appeal of the Muppets for me has always been their style (the threshold of chaos) and their back story (the comaraderie and drive of Henson and the Muppeteers). I have puppetered in a few plays but I'm not entirely sure that is what I want.

I'll tell you what, though, I like life because you can pretty much do whatever you want. I met William Stout (this really cool artist who had worked with Jim Henson) and he talked for the longest time about his career and how he basically went from project to project and did what he want and how he made a career out of it.

OH well. Right now we are working on the writing thing because the job market is criz-ap. The play has the best chance because it has already been produced and was successful and once I get that under my belt, I have some childrens books and YA novels. I also have a story about the Muppets, but its not done yet, so y'all will have to wait.

Foz, how did you get started with Muley?