Muppets and Monsters

I’m the worst Jim Henson fan ever.  I didn’t realize yesterday was the anniversary of his death.  Then again, I always think it’s nicer to celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.  Which, for Jim, is September 24th.  But I saw this video this morning and there’s no way I’m going to remember to save it until September 24th, so I’m posting it now.  Because it made me cry.

And NO I’M NOT HORMONAL so shut it.

I just miss Jim.

‘Cause he always makes me think of Dad.

When we were kids, we measured time in Muppet Shows.  When we were all crammed in the car driving to Illinois to see Mom’s family, we’d scream from the back, “How much further?”

Dad would calmly answer, “Five more Muppet Shows.”

We were SO into the Muppets, that Dad even made his very own monster puppet and spent hours pretending to gnaw off our faces with that fur-lined mouth.  He still has that Muppet.

I have a sneaking suspicion I’m going to be seeing a lot of that bug-eyed creature over the next couple of years.

Comments

  1. Your dad even looks a little like Jim Henson.

    I have a Statler & Waldorf doodad on my desk, it plays quotes.

    When we lived in Greece, my dad filled a video tape with episodes from the original muppet show and sent it to us (ostensibly for the kids…). We ’bout wore it out.

    I remember when they revived the muppet show (i’m a king prawn, okay?). It was terrific too.

    I miss the guy.

  2. Your dad’s muppet is adorable.
    I have 5 or 6 DVDs of the Muppet Show–the entire first season, plus a bunch of random episodes from later seasons. There are a shocking number of songs that I cannot hear without imagining the Muppets.

      1. For What It’s Worth.

        Also, I was definitely an adult before I realized that Crocodile Rock wasn’t NECESSARILY sung by crocodiles.

  3. All the people I have ever met in the working world fall into one of the following Muppet archetypes.

    Kermit
    Fozie
    Ms. Piggy
    Gonzo
    Animal
    Statler & Waldorf

    Seriously.

    1. I’m more of a Rowlf the Dog kinda gal. But then again, we’ve never worked together. So you probably don’t believe me.

  4. We must be around the same age because DUDE WE WERE ALL ABOUT THE MUPPET SHOW. My Dad, incidentally, looks *JUST* like the Swedish Chef. And we’re Swedish, and his impression of the SC is spot on.

    Kermie was my first twoo love. We recently bought a boxed set of the Muppet Show and Isobel has been enjoying it greatly. The Swedish Chef & Dr Bunsen Honeydew are her faves. In fact, we were watching it the other night and I totally thought of you because they did a skit where Kermit was PLAYING THE UKELELE.

    Ok, I probably deserve to have my capslock rights taken away BUT I CANNOT HELP IT. THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE MUPPET SHOW.

    And your muppet is AWESOME.

    1. See… I knew I liked you right from the get go. It’s our muppet connection. *points at own eyes, points at your eyes, points at own eyes, waggles eyebrows*

  5. Once again, you stoke the flames of love I have for your Dad. And Holy Offspring, Batman – I did not even know that my entrance into mommyhood was JH’s bday. I always knew I had good timing (not at all…)

  6. Thank Morgan Freeman I can’t here the video. Just watching it makes me teary, and it’s not just the PMS.

    I really do miss that kind, gently soul who shaped my childhood more than any other show!

    Aand again, just more proof we’re already related!

  7. My mother died on the morning of the same day as Jim. I found out Jim had died when I read the evening paper that night and it felt like I had lost all the best parts of my childhood on that one day; the real memories with my mother and the childlike joy that Jim provided in my adult life with his work.

    Yer still missed, dude. Wocka wocka. *sniff!*

  8. Please adopt me. That is all.

    When Father’s Day comes around, is it ok for us to wish your dad, one of the coolest I know that exist, a happy father’s day?

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