:: Dano's Production Journal ::

:: 8/30/2003 ::

A good friend recently said of me: " I like having a friend whose Muppet fandom makes mine seem so much less obsessive in comparison."

How obsessive is Dano about the Muppets, you ask? Well, I'll let you judge for yourself.

Dano's Muppety possessions:

1 large Dave & Buster's Kermit
3 Bean Bag Muppets (Kermit, Animal, Piggy)
1 Muppet Chess Set
5 1980 Muppet Show action figures (Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter... I lost Animal)
5 Sesame Street finger puppets (Big Bird, Ernie, Grover, Cookie, Oscar... I lost Bert)
20 Palisades Muppet Action figures (Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Daredevil Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter, Rizzo, Crazy Harry, Lew Zealand, Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Zoot, Beaker, Bunsen, Sam the Eagle, Swedish Chef, Dr. Strangepork, Link Heartthrob, and Koozebane Kermit... coming soon: Janice, Muppet Newsman, Pepe, and a new Gonzo with Camilla)
2 Muppet Show records (the original cast albums)
4 Sesame Street records
1 Muppet Show 25th Anniversary CD
1 The Muppet Show on Tour flag (the equivalent of Sesame Street Live - man, do I wish I had the program!)
1 8x10 of Kermit and Jim Henson
1 8x10 of Jim Henson's Muppets 30 Anniversary special
1 8x10 of the Muppet Movie poster
1 8x10 of reporter Kermit from the Muppet Show fan club
1 Muppets from Space poster (gift of an indulgent ex-girlfriend)
6 Japanese/Korean Sesame Street posters (Elmo, Cookie, Oscar, Big Bird, Little Plum, Hu Hu Zhu)
1 Japanese Sesame Street puzzle (from SW internship)
6 movie muppet figurines (Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, Animal, and Rowlf - gift of friend)
1 Kermit Muppet Treasure Island shampoo bottle (weird gift from ex-girlfriend)
1 Gustavo doll (Kermit's name in Spain - gift of ex-girlfriend)
1 Kermit bracelet (gift of ex-girlfriend)
1 Muppet Treasure Island Kermit doll (gift of friend)
1 Ernie & Bert PVC (from Sesame Workshop internship)
1 Big Bird Team Japan doll from the 2002 World Cup
1 Sesame Street Toy fare 2000 bag (from SW internship)
1 medium size Elmo bean bag (from SW internship)
8 Sesame Street beanie babies (Ernie, Bert, Cookie, Grover, Big Bird, Guy Smiley, Elmo, Tweedle Bug)
1 Kermit Pez dispenser (gift of friend)
1 handmade Kermit pillow (gift of relative)
1 Jim Henson: the Works book
1 Jim Henson: Designs and Doodles book
1 Sesame Street:Unpaved book
15 Muppet Show DVDs
14 additional Muppet related DVDs (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppet Xmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, Kermit's Swamp Years, The Dark Crystal, Emmett Otter's Jugband Xmas, Elmo's World Xmas, Elmo Saves Xmas, Christmas on Sesame Street 1979, Muppet Magic from the Ed Sullivan Show, John Denver Rocky Mountain Holiday with the Muppets)
8 Muppet related VHS (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets from Space, Follow That Bird, Elmo's Adventures in Grouchland, CinderElmo, The Life of Jim Henson)
1 Sesame Street shower cap from the United Arab Emirates (gift of friend)
1 Sesame Street Disco T-shirt (from SW internship)
1 Snuffalupagus baseball cap
1 Japanese Oscar the Grouch T-shirt ("Oscar the Grouch: He is known for his grouchiness.")
1 artistically enhanced Ernie & Bert placemat (gift of psychadelic filmmaker friend)
1 artistically enhanced "Elmo in Grouchland" children's book (ditto)
1 email from a Muppeteer/Emmy winning writer of Sesame Street (okay, not a possession, but have you ever gotten an email from someone who performs a Muppet? NO!)
and 1 Fisher Price "My First Elmo Guitar" (from ex-girlfriend)

So if that's obsessive to some people, maybe I am. I'd like to think of myself as a compulsive supporter of most things Henson (note the absence of Fraggle Rock memorabilia). Is that so wrong? I never collected anything in my childhood, so now as a young adult I feel it appropriate to defy market stereotypes. I will not purchase Vin Diesel films on DVD. I will however buy "The John Denver Muppet Rocky Mountain Special DVD". I will not be seeing 'My Boss' Daughter' this holiday weekend. I will be seeing 'The Dark Crystal" Monday at the Alamo Drafthouse. And when my sweatshop job, confused career aspirations, or dwindling creative output get me down, hearing "It's Not Easy Being Green" will always make me feel better. I don't need commercials telling me to get the 'Axe Effect'; I've got the Rainbow Connection, assholes!

"At some point in my life I decided, rightly or wrongly, that there are many situations in this life that I can't do much about - acts of terrorism, feelings of nationalistic prejudice, cold war, etc. - so what I should do is concentrate on the situations that my energy can affect. I believe that we can use television and film to be an influence for good; that we can help to shape the thoughts of children and adults in a positive way. As it has turned out, I'm very proud of some of the work we've done, and I think we can do many more good things.

When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here. It's a wonderful life and I love it."
- Jim Henson, 1986

If it's obsessive to have a hero who speaks words so true, I'm guilty as charged!


:: Dano 1:46 PM [+] ::
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