Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    I thought I heard that Jim Henson died.  When did he die?  Did he have
    a heart attack or something?  I didn't think he was that old.
    
    Therese
    

    Therese
    
    He was 53 and he died of a bacterial infection yesterday.
    
    Bonnie

    One of my daughter's first toys was a stuffed Kermit the frog. 
    When I heard he died, the image came into my mind of Kermit sitting
    in the boat in the swamp singing Rainbow Connection (?) and my daughter
    being a little kid, and me being in my 20's and I started
    to cry.  Another reminder that time passes, things change, people
    die and we have to adapt I guess.
    
    Lorna
    

    The news last night said that he died of viral pneumonia.  They also
    said that his death could have been avoided if he had seen a doctor
    sooner.  He knew he was sick, but preferred to continue working and not
    see a doctor.  
    
    great comment for our times.
    
    vivian

    
    Famous song and dance man, Sammy Davis Jr.  died yesterday morning from
    throat cancer. His family said he died at home in his sleep with his
    family around him.  
    
    He was quite a talented person.  
    
    vivian

	When I heard that Jim Henson died, I remembered the how I felt
	on reading the end of "The Lord of the Rings"...you know...
	when the magic went away...

					cathy

    I cried when I heard Jim Henson died yesterday. And I cried again at
    the NPR piece. I met Henson once at the 1983 World Science Fiction
    Convention. He was every bit as nice and gentle as you would imagine
    from his characters. I agree, Cathy. Some of the magic has left. 
    
    I'm sure my friends, Beowulf Monstergarde and Enzio Paladini will light
    a candle for their friend, Jim. It's amazing what real people his
    creations were.
    
    Tamzen

Thanx for mentioning "Rainbow Connection" Lorna. I'll have to pull out the
album this week.

According to Joe (the doctor's son I love best), pneumonia can be bacterial as
well as viral. I heard bacterial infection and pneumonia as well.
	Mez

    I too, cried when I heard the news. I was saddened by Sammy Davis'
    death, but was numbed by Jim Henson's. Please everyone remember that we
    can still enjoy his works through reruns and videotapes and that his
    characters will live forever in our hearts. And for those of us who
    believe that we shall live again on this earth, the magic will return.
    
    Phil

No one, like when Mel Blanc died, will do Kermit or Ernie justice now that
Jim Henson is dead.  Mel Blanc Jr. only does a poor imitation of Bugs.

The characters will live on but they have lost their soul.

I wonder if Sesame Street will write Ernie out like the time they dealt
with Mr. Hooper's death.  Can you imagine a despondant Bert?  Looking at
a sad rubber ducky?  Bert's paperclip collection and pigeon recordings
would seem meaningless and he would rue all those times he didn't play
with Ernie.

Cathy (.6) is right: the magic is gone.

Ah, the rainbow connection...

    I haven't told my little ones yet. they know all the characters like
    they know their own names but they wouldn't recognize Jim Henson's
    name. That was his magic. 
    
    Has anyone ever seen the Muppet Christmas Special? ALL the characters
    are there. Incredible. Such talent.
    
    Lorna, your story touched me. I felt the same way.
    
    Kate

    It may well be that no one has done more to change the world we
    now live in than Jim Henson, and he did it without anger, hate,
    or violence.
    
    Rubber Ducky you're the one.  Rubber Ducky you're so much fun.
    Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond....of......you.
    
    So long Puppet Master.  Have a happy forever.
    fred();

    personal-name modified to suit my mood.
    
    he's jim, dead.
    

I heard that Ernie and Kermit were being retired.  Can anyone confirm this?

I heard that the only stuff you'll see of Ernie and Kermit are re-runs.
Granted, no one could have done them justice, but three deaths!?!  Who
can bear it?

"Hey Bert!  Guess what I am?"

"This is Kermit The Frog of Sesame Street News signing off from the home
of the three little pigs!"

Before Evan's birth, the news of Jim Henson's death would have saddened
me a *little*, but now...I cry every time I read more about it.  *sniff.

         Carol

Boy, we aren't getting much "silence" in this silence topic.

I cried when I heard the news.

People I have talked to about this have had oen of two reactions; either, Oh
what a terrible, sad loss, or Well that is too bad, but Disney bought the 
Muppets anyway, so what's the big deal?

The latter invariably comes from people who *weren't* weaned on Sesame Street.
When I was a child (age 4 till around 8) Sesame Street was as real a part of
my life as my family and friends. I was intimately involved with the people
and characters on Sesame Street.  It was *home*.  Kermie and Gover and Big
Bird (I know BB isn't a Muppet but he was a major SS character) had as
much three-dimensionality in my mind as Danny, my next-door girlfriend.

Saying "But the Muppets are still there" seems akin to saying "It's okay
that your dog died because you can just buy another dog at the pet store."

D!

    D!
    
    I may not have been 'weaned' on Seasame street, but my oldest is
    the same age as the show and I watched it for years - even after
    the yougest out grew it.
    
    Bonnie

    re .16, and .17, I feel like Bonnie.  I wasn't personally weened
    on the Muppets or Sesame Street but my daughter was, so my life
    was touched too.  What's important to her has always been important
    to me.  After years of buying Sesame Street toys and having
    conversations with puppets when Melissa was little, I just considered 
    the characters to be a part of life as I know it! :-)
    
    When Melissa heard the news she said, If he's dead it's like they're
    all dead.  (similar to D!'s pet dog comparison)
    
    Still it's encouraging to think how a person whom everyone described
    as being shy and gentle was able to touch so many lives through
    his creativity.  He helped bring fun and happiness into a lot of
    lives.  It's just sad that he died so young.
    
    Lorna
     

     My son Jesse (2 years, 4 months) will not be able to see, fell, touch
    what Mr. Henson might have done. He watches Sesame street every morning
    and on the weekends as well... He will only be able to see what was
    done before he had a chance to really see, feel, touch the Muppets...
    
    REK
    
    Kinda makes me fell like what the world has missed with Walt Disney
    passed away... Sometime real life can be so sad....

    	My son Ryan watched Sesame Street as far back as from his infant
    	seat.  I was amazed that they could capture his attention even
    	when he was only barely starting to be able to follow things with
    	his eyes.  They held his attention (and mine) for years.
    
    	One of our favorite skits was when someone interviewed Kermit to
    	do a segment about how frogs live.  Rather than confirming that frogs
    	live on lily pads, of course, Kermit explained that frogs live in 
    	apartments.
    
    	When the person asked what frogs eat, Kermit happily listed such things 
    	as French Fries, pizza, etc.  When the interviewer said that frogs eat 
    	flies, Kermit did a classic muppet flinch.  ;)
    
    	We also loved Grover, and one of our favorite things was when Grover
    	would call out to Kermit, "Froggieeeeee Babyeeeeeee" (then slap Kermit
    	on the back, knocking him over, saying, "Hello little Froggie.")
    
    	When Ryan was 5 (and was working as a performer for the PBS television
    	station where I worked as a camera operator,) he once did a show with 
    	Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch (both played by Carroll Spinney.)  Ryan
    	has his own segment (where he talked by himself into the camera,) and
    	he also played the part of Raggedy Andy in a skit with other kids.
    
    	Ryan had the chance to talk to both Big Bird and Oscar between takes.
    	Carroll Spinney was nice enough to remain in character as much as he
    	could when the young children performers were present (which I thought
    	was very considerate of him.)  The Big Bird costume is hot and tiring
    	to wear for very long, but he would step out of the upper portion of
    	it behind a screen (so that the young children wouldn't see him doing
    	this.)
    
    	At one point, Ryan was having a conversation about Sesame Street with
    	Oscar, and they were talking about the monsters on the show.  Ryan
    	said (with the sincerity of a 5 year old,) "Actually, I'm kind of a
    	monster myself."  Carroll Spinney chuckled (in character as Oscar.)
    
    	As Ryan was leaving, Oscar called out, "Have a rotten day!"  Ryan
    	said, "You have a rotten day, too!" (to which Oscar replied, with
    	obvious gratitude, "Why, thanks!!!")  ;^)
    
    	What a special world Jim Henson created for all of us during the past
    	couple of decades!
    
    	Imagine how much our children would have missed without him!
    
    	I hope his work will continue (as a tribute to the importance of his 
    	contribution!)