I remember from a time when I was about two or three years old, I was situated in a high chair about six feet away from the television screen, shoving cereal bits into my mouth, one by one. My favorite movie, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was playing. I was mesmerized by every minute those goofy little puppets were on screen. The scene where the main character, Emmet, and his mother share a heartfelt moment that strengthens their bond starts to unfold. From my highchair, I look at my own mother from across the room. "Mommy, I can be your Emmet, and you can be my mommy. I love you, Mama." is what I babbled to her. Because I saw love through my favorite characters, I was encouraged to do the same. This moment lives in my memories vividly, …show more content…
even now, all because of the genius of one remarkable man: Jim Henson. Jim Henson was a powerful figure who benefitted society by reshaping the entertainment industry, inspiring other with his big dreams and positivity, and by making the world a friendlier, smaller place through his Muppets. Jim Henson was a hardworking visionary who contributed to society in numerous ways. James Maury Henson was born September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi to parents Paul and Betty Henson. As a child, Henson grew up during the introduction of television. He would spend hours watching this marvelous new invention, as well as traversing from cinema to cinema to witness the beauty of Hollywood. After moving to Maryland while still in high school, Jim began his film career performing puppets on a local Washington, DC Saturday morning show. Eventually he was given his own five-minute slot on the station, and from there on, Henson was a prodigy of the screen. Until his death in 1990, Jim Henson was the head of such projects as The Muppets Franchise, Sesame Street, The Dark Crystal, and countless others (Meltzer). He has truly contributed to today's world in several ways. Jim Henson, a hardworking visionary, immensely benefitted society by reshaping the entertainment industry. In the late sixties, the entertainment industry greatly relied upon live action television and movies. A few examples of animation scattered throughout, but very standard. Luckily for the world, it all changed one fateful year. In 1969, Jim Henson was invited to work on the pilot episode of a new show that The Children's Television Workshop was hoping to air. That show was Sesame Street. Henson accepted this job with a few thoughts in mind, but above them all, was that perhaps this new, groundbreaking show might just be what he needed to bring to light a new form of mainstream entertainment: puppetry (Bryant and Clark). His entire career, Henson struggled with his art not being taken seriously enough. The world still viewed puppets as unsettling toys, not actors. Henson saw this not as a threat, but more so as a challenge. To overcome this stigma, he worked diligently to develop new ways of puppeteering, new cinematic styles, as well as creating an empire of loveable characters the world now admires. Thanks to Jim Henson, we now have an entertainment industry that has dramatically changed for the better. In addition to reshaping the industry, Jim Henson benefitted society by inspiring countless individuals with his hard work and positivity. Jerry Juhl, one of Henson's close working partners, thought very highly of his colleague, and perfectly depicts Henson's attitude toward his creations. "Jim inspired people to do huge amounts of work; more work than they thought they were capable of. And he did that by pushing himself...You had to try to keep up with the guy-it seemed only fair (Henson 57)." Jim Henson was a rare type of person. Somebody who was so absolutely devoted to his work that he instigated hard work in his cast and crew. Because of him, they wanted to be able to take pride in their work, more so than ever before. Not only was Henson an impeccably sedulous individual, but he was also known for his positive ambitions. Ever since he was a small child, Henson knew that whatever he decided to do in life, he would be extremely successful at it (Henson, 68). One is able to learn a lot from this man. For instance, success is relative. A person has to want success in order to be able to achieve it. Among his many fantastic accomplishments, perhaps the greatest is that in which he simply encouraged society to dream big, and work hard. Jim Henson benefitted today's world in several ways such as defining the entertainment industry and inspiring others, but above all, he made the world a friendlier, smaller place through his Muppets.
In a quote from Henson himself in regards to his work, he perfectly encapsulates the importance of his art. He uses his Muppets to relate to humanity, and to spread the message that we never lose that childlike sense of wonder, and that in itself is how the universe bleeds perfection. "As I [Jim Henson] try to zero in on what is important for the Muppets, I think it is a sense of naïveté...Even the most worldly characters are innocent. Our villains are innocent, really. And it's that innocence that I think is the connection to the audience (Henson, 25)." Ever since Jim Henson picked up his mother's old dress coat and decided that out of it he would craft the world's most famous frog to the day he passed away, he filled the world with warmth. Through his songs and his movies, his television shows and books, Henson was kind. His characters were gentle. And because of that, society is all the better for it. Jim Henson benefitted today's world in several ways such as defining the entertainment industry and inspiring others, but above all, he made the world a friendlier, smaller place through his Muppets. Jim Henson benefitted today's world in several ways however, making the world a friendlier, smaller place through his Muppets trumps
all. To know what nectar one intends to harvest from the tree of life, is the most important step to true happiness and success. Jim Henson knew what he wanted and exactly how he needed to achieve it his entire life, never once deterring from the path to unnecessarily complicate anything. Success is most definitely something that Jim Henson must have known very well. Not everyone in this world will get to shake hands with success, however. It also depends on how one defines it. Whether someone defines success by money, fame, power, love, or even knowledge, Henson can sum everyone's never ending hunt for contentment up in these words: "Simple is good"(Henson, 11). Keep life simple and kind. With these words, anybody can achieve self-satisfaction. To this very day, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is still my absolute favorite movie. Not just for nostalgia's sake, although that is a large reason, but because of the beautiful story and the important morals that influence me every day. Jim Henson's passion and ingenious made this movie happen, along with several others. They are his morals. They are his Muppets. Jim Henson was a powerful figure who benefitted society in many ways, such as creating entertainment and instigating values into the world; and fortunately, his legacy lives on today. I have been inspired by this visionary, to work hard, be kind and love. Now, my question for the world is, what can they be inspired to accoplish? Page Break Works Cited Bryant, Charles W., and Josh Clark, producers. "How Jim Henson Worked." Stuff You Should Know, HowStuffWorks, 6 Jan. 2015, www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-jim-henson-worked.htm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2017. Henson, Jim, and Cheryl Henson. It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider. New York, Hyperion, 2005. "Jim Henson." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Jul. 2016.school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Jim-Henson/40071. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017. Meltzer, Brad, and Chris Eliopoulos. I Am Jim Henson. New York, Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group, 2017. Stevens, Elizabeth Hyde. "Muppet Performers Share What It Was Like To Work For Jim Henson." Fast Company, 11 Aug. 2014, www.fastcompany.com/3034164/muppet-performers-share-what-it-was-like-to-work-for-jim-henson. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.
The Notebook (Cassavetes, 2004) is a love story about a young couple named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun, who fall deeply in love with each other. The Hamilton’s are financially stable, and expect for their daughter Allie to marry someone with the same wealth. Noah on the other hand works as a laborer, and comes from an underprivileged family. Throughout the film there were several negative behaviors, and interpersonal communications within the context of their relationship, which relates to chapter nine. This chapter explores relationships, emphasizing on affection and understanding, attraction, and the power of a relationship. The focus of this paper is the interpersonal conflict with Noah, Allie and her mother, Anne Hamilton.
A parent may want to understand their child and connect to them, but they may not know how to do it. In Li-Young Lee’s poem “A Story”, the literary devices point of view, metaphors, and the structure of the poem are used to portray the complex relationship of the father and child and their inability to be able to connect with one another despite their wishes to do so.
Along with a patriotism kind of love, the heart-quenching portrayal of two siblings and their childhood love fo...
When several films, including “A Raisin in the Sun” and “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” make the focus of films working for and acquiring his or her dreams, despite being made almost twenty years apart. A main factor in these films typically comes motherly support. Many times, you see the mother sacrificing her wants and needs in order to help her children succeed and achieve their dreams. Since the theme is common over time, it is relatable to the audience of the films and is a way to capture the audience and keep them focused on the film. Due to the similarities in both the theme of the role of the mother and achieving his or her dream, it can be shown that over decades, these themes remain constant, though the dreams, race, gender, and stories can change.
Presenting the story from a third person perception and having the narration by the mother or “Mama” gives the story great relevance to real life situations that ha...
Disney has made it his life 's goal to create home entertainment for both young and old. From the creation of Mickey to his work in films, Disney had made it clear that happiness is something that everyone should have. Disney had also know that animations is not just for the imagination of the children. Early movies such as Snow White and Pinocchio have clear messages for the younger views. “In Snow White- the main characters are victims of injustice who are eventually restored to their rightful place. In Pinocchio, the characters Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and Geppetto are faced with dilemmas, and their own actions result in them becoming victims of ev...
Disney’s new movie “Frozen” has caught the eyes of viewers and has surprised us all, reaching No. 1 in the box Office and have pass over $300 million of tickets sold, this movie has no sign of slowing down any time soon. “Frozen’ is one of the few recent Disney films to capture the classic Disney script, like “Cinderella” or “Snow White”, it’s a heart warming and loving story, guaranteed to thaw a frozen heart. Unlike the usual Disney princess story line where the girl has a poor life or things just don’t turn out like there suppose to, they wish upon a star, fall in love, then bibbidi-bobbdi-boo they have a happily ever after. Frozen strayed off from tradition and decided to go for more of a different approach. True love has always been a key concept for Disney films. Sleeping Beauty, true loves kiss broke the spell, Beauty and the Beast, true love broke the curse, Snow White, again true love broke the spell, its the same concept, but in Frozen instead added a twist and showed love between sisters Elsa and Anna. It adds a twist in tradition, so that a reason why older viewers and even critics can enjoy, its something new and different. The movie “Frozen” is based off of “The Snow Queen”, a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about an evil troll, also known as “the devil”, makes a mirror that when looked into distorts the beauty and good of people and things to the complete opposite, ugly and bad. One day the troll and his friends try to take the mirror to Heaven the make angels and God look like fools, but when they were almost there the mirror falls and shatters into little pieces almost dust. This “dust” travels around the world and gets into peoples eyes and into their hearts freezing them. Years later a girl n...
When this tale is looked at from a deeper perspective, it is learned that the mothers wish is to be loved and not have to worry about her child that has come in the way of her and her
A little girl sits on the floor with her gaze fixed on the television screen in front of her, watching magical images dance before her eyes and catchy songs flow through her ears. Even though she had seen it at least twenty times before, she still loved The Little Mermaid just as much as she did the first time she watched it. As she watched it, she longed to be a beautiful mermaid with a curvy body and wonderful singing voice like Ariel. She longed to be saved by the handsome Prince Eric, and fall in love and live happily ever-after like Ariel did. In today’s society, women strive to achieve equality between the sexes. Despite the tremendous steps that have been taken towards reaching gender equality, mainstream media contradicts these accomplishments with stereotypes of women present in Walt Disney movies. These unrealistic stereotypes may be detrimental to children because they grow up with a distorted view of how men and women interact. Disney animated films assign gender roles to characters, and young children should not be exposed to inequality between genders because its effect on their view of what is right and wrong in society is harmful to their future.
Nonetheless, this really is a tale of compelling love between the boy and his father. The actions of the boy throughout the story indicate that he really does love his father and seems very torn between his mother expectations and his father’s light heartedness. Many adults and children know this family circumstance so well that one can easily see the characters’ identities without the author even giving the boy and his father a name. Even without other surrounding verification of their lives, the plot, characters, and narrative have meshed together quite well.
In her 2014 article entitled “Why Are All the Cartoon Mothers Dead?”, author Sarah Boxer emphasizes her belief that the seemingly coincidental or harmless tendency to eliminate mothers from animated movies results in a cleverly incorporated patriarchy. Boxer’s article starts out by questioning the role of the dead-mother trope, mentioning the the overused plot device is dated back to ninth-century China. Moving on to the suspected reason for such a morbid plot device, Boxer claims that mothers are killed off in order for the father to take his position in the spotlight. The father now has the ability to come off as a charming, sensitive man capable of making mistakes while still being a good father. Boxer mentions the fact that animated movies
In today’s modern age, young children are being raised by their TV screen. Reining from the original tales of Perrault and the Grim Brothers, the Disney princess line has been a staple on the screens since the 1930s (Do Rozario 1). However, these princesses have gone through dramatic changes to remain relevant to todays youth. The effects that can be influenced by the roles expressed in these types of films send mixed messages to the audience, causing them to ask themselves whether or not they should believe what the princess is expressing on the screen.
Where most children’s movies start with a narrated backstory, like in Beauty and the Beast, or a tragedy like in Frozen, this film begins with the creation of a doll. The doll is not ordinary, nor are the hands that build it, as they are almost mechanical in origin. The doll created by these strange hands is revealed to be an exact replica of the film’s protagonist, Coraline, who has recently moved into an old house inhabited by rather strange neighbors. Feeling neglected by her busy parents, who are barely able to tear themselves away from their computers long enough to pay attention to her, Coraline explores her new home. After a short time, she discovers a small, hidden door that seemingly leads to nowhere. That night, the door magically opens. She crawls through into a surreal, parallel world whose occupants mirror those in her own world except for one small detail; they have buttons for eyes. Her “other parents” are the exact opposite of her real ones, as they listen to Coraline and care about her opinions. Their attention keeps drawing Coraline from the real world to the parallel one. She is offered a place in this “perfect” world, but she must become like the other inhabitants. She must replace her eyes with buttons. Horrified by the Other Mother’s offer, Coraline does all she can to escape the parallel world and return to her true home, dull as it may
It is just one scene where the children come to the realization that parents are people too. When the coworker/suspected boyfriend of Samantha played by Kristin Chenoweth, drops in on the family kidnapping is an example of this. Another is the scene where the parents are discussing what went wrong in their relationship after the family puppet therapy session. The kids seem to over hear this dialogue between their parents and realize that they are not super heroes they are people.
Analyzing the movie helps to look at love in a broader window. Humans normally will assume that they are “the only ones” to experience love, and see love threw their own glasses. But one can see that love has no limits, shape, or form, and every human being can experience it in some level.