Jim Henson –
Muppets – Puppetry – 1955-Present – Range in size from a couple inches to 8 feet tall –Combination of marionettes
and puppets using soft materials such as fabric and durable materials such as
wood or steel.
The first Muppets sightings are found in early
commercials and a local children’s television show in Maryland, Sam and Friends in 1955. This was the
introduction of using the Muppets and
the use of “marionette/puppets” to communicate ideas.
In 1955
artists such as Jackson Pollock and Williem de Kooning were beginning to gain
recognition. These artists were beginning to gain recognition as a part of the
New York School of Art. They were much more focused on the actual action of
painting rather than its aesthetic appeal.
These types
of images of women by de Kooning were not well received by the female
community. People found these works highly offensive. However, de Kooning was
far more interested in capturing the emotional essence of her beauty rather
than the way she appeared in real life. Similar to this thought, Henson created
non-animal-monster characters to represent certain moods or personalities often
associated with humans. (Oh gosh how I love Miss Piggy!)
Another
emerging wave in the art world during this time was Pop Art. Artists such asAndy Warhol began commenting on the media’s tendency towards mass production
and the popular demand for consumerism. Pictured above is one of Andy Warhol’s
self-portrait alongside a line of O.P.I. nail polishes that were named after Muppet characters. It’s this type of
marketing and consumerism that led to the Muppets
explosion and Henson’s attempt to sell the Muppet
franchise to Disney for $150 million.
Even after
Jim Henson’s death we still see the Muppets
all around us. There has been Muppet
Treasure Island, Baby Muppets, Muppets in Space, Muppets Tonight, and the
most recent Muppet success was with
Jason Segal’s revival, The Muppets, which
premiered in 2011.
The graphic novel, Tale of Sand, developed by artist, Ramon K. Perez, is the
unproduced screenplay of Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl adapted as an experimental
tribute to the late contemporary artists. It's quite the read, folks. Notice the action in the image that correlates with Henson and Juhl's stream of consciousness humor.
The cameo
system within the Muppets has also
held its incredible and defying success in the entertainment world by appealing
to many different and developing audiences. Mickey Rooney, Stevie Wonder, Neil
Patrick Harris, Whoppi Golberg, Ethel Merman, Elton John, and Diana Ross are
only a small portion of celebrities who have opted to hang around the Muppets. Oh and some guy named Steve Martin's picture came up when I Googled the Muppets.
The purpose
of the Muppets was to use nondescript
creatures to communicate ideas through humor. The fact that Muppets are neither monster, animal, or
human, makes them relatable to any type of person regardless of sex, race,
sexuality, age, education, etc. There is a Muppet
for everyone. What this means for audiences and viewers is that it’s okay
to be green or tell bad jokes or enjoy bossing people around. Even though we
don’t all look alike, we’re all friends and family at the end of the day.
