Jim Henson - Ten Years Later

by Tim Wick

Have you ever been in the right place at the wrong time? That happened to me ten years ago when my wife and I were on our Honeymoon at Disney World. There is a replication of Mann's Chinese Theatre at the MGM Studios theme park and we stopped there to look at the hand prints on the morning of May 16th, 1990. We saw hand prints of Alan Alda, Harry Anderson and many others. We also saw the hand print of Jim Henson, who had also taken the time to draw a picture of Kermit the frog in his slab of concrete. We thought that was cool, so I took a picture.

The next morning, we learned that Jim Henson had died the day before. Somehow that picture has attained an almost eerie quality as a result. I can't show it to people without recounting the fact the picture was taken the day he died. It's not even a particularly good picture.

We were two of thousands of people who had seen Henson's hand prints that morning. I wonder if anyone else noticed the timing. For my wife and I, Henson was a connection to our childhood. For the last ten years, there have still been muppets, but I can't listen to Kermit without bitterly remembering that his voice isn't quite right.

Just take a look at his credits on the IMDB if you want to know just how many characters we lost when he died. Of course we all knew about Kermit and Ernie, but how many of us remembered that he was the voice of Guy Smiley on Sesame Street? Or Rowlf? Or the Swedish Chef? Other actors have tried to give life to these characters and for a generation that doesn't remember Henson, I'm sure they are good enough.

Why do I write about all of this now? Because two weeks ago I was in Disney World for my tenth anniversary. I looked at Henson's hands in cement again and I went to Muppet Vision 3-D, which hadn't been open in 1990. And I heard Jim Henson's voice as Kermit again. He had just finished recording the voice's for the film when he passed away. On the screen in front of us, then, was a bridge to a world where Kermit's voice sounded right. A world where the Muppets were the Muppets I grew up with.

I didn't find turning 30 too much of a big deal. I imagine 40 might be a little tougher, but what really hurts the most is losing those connections to my childhood. In 1989, we lost Mel Blanc. That was followed by Henson in 1990 and Dr. Seuss in 1991. When I think back to my childhood, I wonder if any three people were more important to me that them. Sure, I loved the works of C.S. Lewis and E.B White, but I sure wouldn't have chosen to read one of The Narnia Chronicles when The Muppet Show was on.

So a true measure of age for me is the knowledge that my son won't know a world where Bugs Bunny and Kermit didn't have a couple different voices. Is it worse for me or him? I don't really know that. I haven't been able to enjoy anything the Muppets have done since Henson died because it all sounds wrong to me. My son will never have to live with my personal prejudice. He'll never see The Muppet Show as I saw it, either. It's hard enough to find the show in syndication anyway. He can watch a new Bugs Bunny cartoon without thinking it just sounds wrong. He might be unable to appreciate the brilliance of What's Opera Doc or Duck! Rabbit! Duck! either.

But as I sat in that theatre and drifted back to a world that wasn't dominated by Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat (whom I love), but was controlled by a loveable Frog who could tap dance, I made a promise to myself that I would make sure my son knew a little about that world. I don't want him to be left out when one of my friends says "Movin' Right Along" and the rest of us instinctively reply "doog a doom, doog a doom". If you don't get that line, go rent The Muppet Movie now and come back to finish this article later.

Our views section is dominated by two things, movie reviews and obituaries. The reason for the latter is simple. Communication has reached the level where more and more people can touch our individual lives on a daily basis. We no longer know the name of just a few authors and local politicians. We know the names of movie stars, TV stars, authors, directors, politicians, athletes, etc. Many of these people have enriched our lives and so we all feel a collective sense of loss when they are gone.

Though not an obituary, this article is recounting my sense of loss that has lasted ten years and will probably last the rest of my life. We lost Jim Henson too soon. It is my hope that we never forget him and those of us who remember him make sure the next generation appreciates him. He can touch the lives of many more children if those of us who were first touched by him refuse to let his memory die. In us, Dr. Teeth, Guy Smiley, Rowlf, Waldorf and Kermit live on.

We lost Jim Henson too soon.