Jim Henson
Jim Henson once said, “Follow your enthusiasm. It’s something I’ve always believed in. Find those parts of your life you enjoy the most. Do what you enjoy doing” (qtd. in Fionaurora). Jim did just that. He loved puppetry and made many others love it too. The creator and a performer of the Muppets, Henson is known worldwide for his creations, which include shows like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, and characters such as Grover, Elmo, Big Bird, the Swedish Chef, Bert and Ernie, and Miss Piggy to name a few. Jim’s most famous character was Kermit the Frog. Kermit remains the Muppet with which Henson is most closely associated. Through television and feature films, Henson developed the art of puppetry to new heights of popularity and storytelling capabilities, especially the ability to create sympathetic and emotional characters that are humorous at the same time. Jim Henson’s countless movies and television shows were loved by audiences young and old, and they continue to have an impact on people nearly ten years after his sudden death.
James Maury Henson was born September 24, 1936, at King’s Daughters Hospital in Greenville, Mississippi. Jim was the second son of Paul Ransom and Elizabeth Marcella Henson. He grew up in nearby Leland, where his father, an agricultural research biologist, worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His father was busy working and his mother was more concerned with Jim’s brother Paul. As a result of this he was somewhat neglected. Jim turned to his grandmother, who he called Dear. She helped him develop his love of art and performing (“Biography”). He also enjoyed exploring the countryside near his house. He spent much of his time with friends by a little stream called Deer Creek. “Kermit always said he came from a small swamp in Mississi(WRITTEN BY ERIC G.*)ppi. Actually it wasn’t a swamp, it was a creek—Deer Creek” (St. Pierre 15). One of his childhood friends, nicknamed “Kermit,” would later become the name of Henson's most celebrated creation. When he was in fifth grade, his family moved to Maryland.
At the age of fourteen, Jim’s life was changed forever after the Henson’s got their first television. He was fascinated. He once said, “I loved the idea that what you saw was taking place somewhere else at the same time" (qtd. in Collins). Jim loved puppet shows like Kukula...
... middle of paper ...
...for his work that taught and entertained at the same tim(ERIC G.)e. His shows Sesame Street and The Muppet Show are two of the most watched shows ever. Jim Henson has touched three generations with his artistry and will continue to for many years to come.
Bibliography:
Andres, Natalie. “A Man of Great Imagination.” Jim Henson. 1997. Online. Internet. 3 Jan. 2000. Available http://www.avana.net/~bandres/Nat/jim_henson.html
“Biography of Jim Henson.” Henson.com. 2000. Online. Internet. 3 Jan. 2000. Available http://www.henson.com/creators/biography/index.html
Collins, James. “Time 100: Artists & Entertainers: Jim Henson.” Time.com. 1999. Online. Internet. 2 Jan. 2000. Available http://pathfinder.com/time/time100/artists/profile/henson.html
Fionaurora. “Jim Henson Biography.” Fionaurora’s Jim Henson Page. 1998. Online. Internet. 29 Dec. 1999. Available http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3108/henson.html
Mc Farlin, Jim. “Jim Henson.” Detroit News. 17 May 1990, 1A.
Roush, Matt. “Like Deaths in the Family.” USA Today. 17 May 1990: 1A.
St. Pierre, Stephanie. Jim Henson, Creator of the Muppets. NY: Dell Publishing, 1991.
In the late 1940s, Davis met Gil Evans. Evans to many is seen as one of the most important jazz arrangers of all times. Alongside Miles Davis, he played a significant role in the development o f cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz, and jazz fusion. Gil Evans was known for his ability to bring attention to impulsive improvisation within the structure of his arrangements. Evan’s took advantage of the rich textures between the various instruments and the use of harmonies.
Walt Disney is the greatest entrepreneur of all time in most minds of little people and big people everywhere. The reason for this is he started his ‘business’, selling sketches, at the age of around seven years old. He was a vibrant child, as well considering he painted the side of his barn with tar. To him schoolwork was boring which he actually said once he was a lot older. Walt Disney was a family man, considering he had so many children; his children even had lots of children. Walt Disney was a man with a lot of talent, character, and imagination, who deeply loved fairy tales.
Trites, Roberta. "Disney's Sub / Version of Andersen's The Little Mermaid." Journal of Popular Film and Television 18.4 (1991): 145-52. Print.
Born on December 5th, 1901, Walter Elias Disney, grew up in Chicago, Illinois with his parents and four other brothers and sister. His father, Elias Disney, an Irish-Canadian, whom he inherited his name from, and his mother, Flora Call Disney, who was of German-American descent. They raised him in Chicago until they day they moved to Marceline, Missouri. Walter Disney spent his younger years taking an interest in art classes and writing activities and also the scenery around him. His family farm was placed in the countryside, near the Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Walter enjoyed his time spent outside listening to the trains pass by. It allowed him to imagine new things. He had a large imagination, growing with every activity he performed his talents in. Walter Disney took on his main talent of drawing. He began to doodle and sketch regularly. It became his favorite past time and he began to focus more on his drawings and animations then he did school. Since his drawings were becoming his main priority, Walter Disney began to sell his better d...
Davis was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from the New England Conservatory in 1986, an award which recognized his lifetime of success (“Miles Davis” PBS). Miles Davis’s approach to jazz wasn’t very popular when he died, but he did a lot in the jazz genre to make it more popular. He was also very good with solos and was able to appeal to audiences using this solo technique. He serves as a remembrance of being inventive and a reminder that jazz can move forward through these inventions (Ruhlmann).
All children and teenagers will discover character traits and qualities that they want to possess from the adults they come into contact with. Jim Hawkins is no different. He uses the attributes he learns from Ben Gunn, Dr. Livesey, and John Silver to help mold him into the man he is becoming.
Among one of Jim Henson’s greatest quotes is, “My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” While the current status of the world is up to debate, there is no doubt that Henson touched the lives of both children and adults through his work with puppets and entertainment as a whole. The Muppets is a show that continues to engage and attract people throughout the world while Sesame Street still puts out quality work that touches on topics most people would not even dare to bring up. To say that Henson did not leave even a little bit of a positive impact on the world would be a tremendous understatement. However; despite Jim Henson being regarded as one of the world’s greatest puppeteers because of his revolutionary
He lived a life without parental guidance. His mother left him with his father when he was only 4 years old. James was often left alone while his father traveled to turpentine camps selling tar for a living. James recalls the times he spent alone walking around in the woods looking for doodlebugs, and playing a harmonica his father gave him. During this time alone, he never had anyone around to talk to but himself (Brenchley, 2003).
He paved a new path for entertainment with animation. "His "uniquely American" vision as a creator and an entrepreneur lives on, through his animated and live-action films, music and also in his Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks" (Wasko, Philips, Meehan). Disney 's work used fantasy and imagination to speak of the nation 's most promising dreams and its deepest concerns. He shaped America with his films, that had ideas about multiculturalism, racial diversity, sexuality, political preference, or religious background. "While his accomplishments are remarkable and varied, what made Walt Disney an icon was his ability not only to reflect but to create a truly American culture and influence Americans ' views of their nation" (Disney 's Vision for
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” –Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s name may be acknowledged only as it occurs to the TV show. On the contrary, Walt Disney had not been just an artist in animation; He was a man who epitomized the American dream like few others. He was not perfect, but he affected many lives during the 1930’s in low times, and for this he may not be classified just as a hero, but also a legend.
Walt Disney said "I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment. I am never satisfied with my work. I resent the limitations of my own imagination" (JD). In creating Disney stories and movies, Walt Disney demonstrated that he was a true visionary. His acclaimed imagination wasn’t always apparent, though. It has been said that Walt was fired from a job at the Kansas City Star newspaper because of a lack of creativity (Brown). Years later, Disney purchased ABC, which owned the Kansas City Star. How ironic that he was fired from a company because he wasn’t creative enough and then ended up owning it because of his creativity. Walt Disney is one of the most significant individuals of our time. His distinguished business acumen and abounding creativity enthused children for generations.
Some people would say that Arnold Schwarzenegger has been an influential person. Others would call him a sham and opportunist who was obsessed with power. Do I think he is an influential person? I am confident when I say he should be in the top 100 list for the most influential people in American history. Schwarzenegger lived the dream that anyone would want to experience, he was a professional athlete, became an actor and then a governor. Writer and bodybuilder Anthony Church said “ This champion would soon have one of the greatest influences over the bodybuilding and fitness community of all time and help change the society in which he lived, and in which we exist today.” At the age of 15, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a skinny boy weighing
He had a goal of moving to America and marrying Kenny. Being a actor he did all three. He was supposed to be the role of Kyle Reese in The Terminator, but after reading the script, Arnold asked Cameron to let him play the part of the Machine. He saved a man’s life while on vacation in Hawaii in 2004 when he was drowning.
Connellan, Thomas K. Inside the Magic Kingdom: Seven Keys to Disney's Success. Austin, TX: Bard, 1997. Print.
Everyone is deceived and believes Portia is truly a man therefore showing that she has the capabilities to exert the traits of a man. Portia is described as the “wise young judge” (IV, I, 228) and an “excellent young man” (IV, I, 252) by Shylock showing that he believes in the gender identity of Balthazar. Bassanio, Portia’s husband, is also fooled as he states that Antonio’s life is more valuable to him than Portia. Her credibility in turn gives her power over the men in the scene. She is able to use the balances of justice along with her knowledge in order to save Antonio. The turn in this scene is when she repeats, “A pound of flesh” (IV, I, 315) and states the specific words used in the document as no blood can be dropped from Antonio or else Shylock will be punished and strikes fear into Shylock. This shows that it is possible for a woman to obtain the masculine qualities of being powerful and intellectual. If Portia were to have not dressed as a man, but merely a woman, due to the social constructs of the time she would not have had any power in this situation. Portia tells Bassanio “I pray you, know me when we meet again” (IV, I, 432) which shows her feelings towards Bassanio not knowing her true identity, even through her disguise. Her actions were that of her individual, but due to her altering her appearance of gender it changed the way others viewed her