Exchanges with People that Make Your Brain Hurt

[Dr. F.]

I remember an interview with someone (I forget who) who was a guest star on the old Muppet Show. He said it was amazing the way he just blanked out that there were people below him and above him working the muppets and being their voices - he said he just interacted with the muppets as if they were people, and got something of a shock every time the scene ended. I guess it was particularly rough after a love scene with Miss Piggy  .

I can't find the source, so I'll call this story apocryphal, that when Kermit was a guest star on some show, the sound folks tried to mike HIM, not Jim Henson.

Following up on my own post:

It was *Morley Safer* when he did an interview for 60 Minutes! There was a bit where he was chatting with Miss Piggy, and she was flirting, and he said something like, "I bet most of you viewers would be willing to swear that Miss Piggy just batted her eyelashes at me. She can't - the eyes are fixed. But it's still a shock when Frank Oz says something to you in his own voice right after the camera stops." (NOTE: Total paraphrase - that's how I remember it.)

I also remember him saying that he'd interviewed most of the world leader politicians and businessmen, and I've only met two people who I think could run the world. One was Barbara Woodhouse. The other is Miss Piggy.

[Luci45]

My brain breaker is from a distinct memory  age 5 or 6, when I found out the Muppets were puppets, not real, um, people.

I've known for decades that the Muppets were puppets, and yet, every time we play our "Christmas on Sesame Street" CD, I envision all of the Muppets in a sound studio - as opposed to the actors.

I remember an interview with someone (I forget who) who was a guest star on the old Muppet Show. He said it was amazing the way he just blanked out that there were people below him and above him working the muppets and being their voices - he said he just interacted with the muppets as if they were people, and got something of a shock every time the scene ended. I guess it was particularly rough after a love scene with Miss Piggy  .

When Jim Hensen was still alive, I do remember Johnny Carson and Martha Stewart both saying they had trouble not remembering that Kermit and Elmo were just hands. They kept up the conversation during the breaks and thought of it later.

[KenveeB]

I grew up with a hunting father, in a farming community, and can't remember a time I didn't know where meat came from.

My brain breaker is from a distinct memory  age 5 or 6, when I found out the Muppets were puppets, not real, um, people. Oh tragedy! I have no clue why I thought they were real people, but I did until that day.

Don't be ridiculous. Muppets are real, I saw the movie!

Exactly. They're not people, but they're still real!

[Minmom3]

I broke my own brain a few days ago. I can get pretty kooky - putting peanut butter in the fridge when it's not the kind that needs it, almost putting a whole thing of mayonnaise in the trashcan, etc.

However, I've never been absentminded enough that I got a dinner plate to put my ice cream on. Yes, a dinner plate. I only realized my error when I put the scoop in the ice cream and looked over to the dish I'd gotten on which to put my ice cream. After I'd gotten a bowl and put the plate back, I laughed like a loon for a minute straight.

I do that sometimes. I go about my business and have a sudden moment of clarity--WHY am I attempting to place the Cheerios in the freezer?

I have walked away from the fridge very confused....  I went back, still mystified, and found the carton of milk carefully put into the trash, and the full glass of milk in the fridge on the shelf...  The REALLY bad thing is it took me several minutes to a) figure out WHY I was confused AND empty handed, and b) track down the relevant portions of what I'd had and what I'd wanted!  High school was a tough time, I guess.   

[Minmom3]

I haven't been keen on beef ever since I drove down I-5 and saw the Harris Ranch on the side of the freeway.

My mother grew up on a farm and saw her share of butchering animals.  Mom told me that she was so traumatized by her pet pig, chicken, calif, and/or lamb being slaughtered, that she never could eat any meat that resembled part of the animal.  She would only serve ground or canned meats on her table.  I didn't have a full roasted turkey until DH and I moved into our own house.

Harris Ranch didn't put me off beef, because I didn't TRULY connect the beef on my plate with The Stinking Cows....  My kids did, and didn't care.  But, Holy Moly, we all wanted really effective nose clips so we wouldn't have to SMELL it anymore.

[BB-VA]

I grew up with a hunting father, in a farming community, and can't remember a time I didn't know where meat came from.

My brain breaker is from a distinct memory  age 5 or 6, when I found out the Muppets were puppets, not real, um, people. Oh tragedy! I have no clue why I thought they were real people, but I did until that day.

Don't be ridiculous. Muppets are real, I saw the movie!

Many, many years ago, I met Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson.  I had a brief conversation with the two of them, and shook Kermit's hand.  Being around the two of them convinced me that Kermit was his own person (frog?) and more than just a puppet.

\

The sculptor who created the statue for the Henson Memorial Garden at the University of MD thought so too...

Jay Hall Carpenter later said of his design, "I think everyone else sort of had them in the traditional pose of Kermit sitting on Jim's shoulders. My idea was a little different. Jim always presented Kermit as a separate entity so I wanted to do that as well.  The way I see it, they're talking about their next big project, and, so they're in this animated discussion, and in the middle of it, Kermit reaches over and touches Jim, as a little gesture of solidarity."

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Jim_Henson_Statue

This page has some nice details:

http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2010/01/jim-henson-memorial.html

[Piratelvr1121]

I didn't know Jim Henson attended College Park! I didn't attend there myself, but my brother did for about a year.  I never did see it though, guess I was never at the right part of the campus!  (he attended in 2005)

[Shalamar]

What a great statue! 

... Man, I miss Henson.

[Library Dragon]

Forgive me if I've vented before....it happened again today.

A patron came and complained that our Internet was broken. I checked and the research desk computer was working.  Let's see what's wrong. The gentleman walked over and clicked on the IE icon. The library's homepage came up.  "See it just goes to the library." He closed the browser and repeated the action.  'Yes sir, that's the library's webpage.  Where are you trying to go? Okay, put the Victorias Secret address in the address bar.'

******
On meat farms....

DS1 when he was 3-6 years old would puzzle people.  We lived in Italy and he loved to watch butchers or fishmongers prepare meat.  We were wandering the streets in one town and he stood and watched as the butcher prepped a whole sheep.  The butcher kept telling us that nothing exciting was going to happen.  It didn't matter, our son was fascinated by thechnicality of it. 

He's now a line cook in a fine dining restaurant.

[MommyPenguin]

I didn't know Jim Henson attended College Park! I didn't attend there myself, but my brother did for about a year.  I never did see it though, guess I was never at the right part of the campus!  (he attended in 2005)

I knew he attended, because there were references to him all over, but I'm pretty sure I never saw the statue!  I can only offer, in justification, that the school was renovating the student union most of the time I was there and much of it was out of service, we used a different entrance, etc.  In fact, half the campus was constantly under what to us students seemed like unnecessary and constant renovation that wouldn't be done until we left and so seemed pointless and just raised our tuition ridiculously.  The statue does look really fun, though.

[PastryGoddess]

Hello UMCP alums!!! The founder of Under Armour is also a UMCP grad and played on the football team

/threadjack

[BarensMom]

I grew up with a hunting father, in a farming community, and can't remember a time I didn't know where meat came from.

My brain breaker is from a distinct memory  age 5 or 6, when I found out the Muppets were puppets, not real, um, people. Oh tragedy! I have no clue why I thought they were real people, but I did until that day.

Don't be ridiculous. Muppets are real, I saw the movie!

Many, many years ago, I met Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson.  I had a brief conversation with the two of them, and shook Kermit's hand.  Being around the two of them convinced me that Kermit was his own person (frog?) and more than just a puppet.

\

The sculptor who created the statue for the Henson Memorial Garden at the University of MD thought so too...

Jay Hall Carpenter later said of his design, "I think everyone else sort of had them in the traditional pose of Kermit sitting on Jim's shoulders. My idea was a little different. Jim always presented Kermit as a separate entity so I wanted to do that as well.  The way I see it, they're talking about their next big project, and, so they're in this animated discussion, and in the middle of it, Kermit reaches over and touches Jim, as a little gesture of solidarity."

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Jim_Henson_Statue

This page has some nice details:

http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2010/01/jim-henson-memorial.html

I'll bet Miss Piggy was highly offended at being left out.

[Iris]

I'm working on having one of those nice bucolic farms. At least in part because a lot of people will pay more for meat knowing the animal was well treated.

What makes me giggle is the different ways people name alternate sources of meat so people will eat it. Many people won't touch goat meat, but if it's labelled chevon they will.

And those marsh rabbits people eat, are really just muskrat. It's all in the name.

Fortunately, because of this there is a niche for people who are willing to raise healthier and alternative animals for meat. Thus, we'll have rabbits, fish, and goats as some of our major meats.

I'm one of those people. I figure if I'm going to eat something, the least I can do is make sure it is treated well when it is alive and killed humanely. I'm aware that that's a weird argument, but it works for me.

I find though that people can take personal offense when I say that. Not sure why, since I'm not reflecting on them at all, simply assuaging my city-girl guilt. When people ask me why I buy certified free range meat I've learnt to reply that "Happy meat is yummy meat". If I phrase it that way it seems more acceptable to people. Go figure.

[Diane AKA Traska]

I'm working on having one of those nice bucolic farms. At least in part because a lot of people will pay more for meat knowing the animal was well treated.

What makes me giggle is the different ways people name alternate sources of meat so people will eat it. Many people won't touch goat meat, but if it's labelled chevon they will.

And those marsh rabbits people eat, are really just muskrat. It's all in the name.

Fortunately, because of this there is a niche for people who are willing to raise healthier and alternative animals for meat. Thus, we'll have rabbits, fish, and goats as some of our major meats.

I'm one of those people. I figure if I'm going to eat something, the least I can do is make sure it is treated well when it is alive and killed humanely. I'm aware that that's a weird argument, but it works for me.

I find though that people can take personal offense when I say that. Not sure why, since I'm not reflecting on them at all, simply assuaging my city-girl guilt. When people ask me why I buy certified free range meat I've learnt to reply that "Happy meat is yummy meat". If I phrase it that way it seems more acceptable to people. Go figure.

If I ever actually hit the lottery, that's how I'll get all my meat, from steaks to burgers.  Sadly, I've got to go with lowst-common denominator meat.  I think it's cows that were part of a bizarre murder-suicide pact.

[Shalamar]

I get that!   I only buy eggs from a local farm where the chickens are free-run and fed a vegetarian diet.    They cost about twice as much, but I can afford it.