Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Marc Quinn
I took a brief look at Marc Quinns work. I realy like the concept behind it all. looking at people born with various limb disorders and vcreating sculpures to show that. it also shows the distant relationship we have with our bodies.
Man or a Muppet
This song is from the muppets. its call 'man or a muppet' my point is that are they not both. there human like because they have features and characteristics , only they have thier lives mapped out for them from the writer and designer. someone has created them to thier specification. so technically they are human in a way . they have the same as we do, but are inanimate and controlled by us.
Punch and Judy
I dont really like Punch and Judy . it just has this really cringy feel about it . but then again is that what its all about. ? is it there to make people uncomfortable ? or there to make people laugh ? normalising abuse . if this sort of thing was to be aired on tv i dont think it would pass due to all of the abuse. but when it is put in the puppet setting its ok. its allowed .
The Ugly Fairy
There was once a fairy who was learning how to be a fairy godmother. Most magic and wonderful, she was the kindest and cleverest of all fairies. However, she was also a very ugly fairy. And no matter how much she showed her wonderful qualities, it seemed that everyone was determined to believe that the most important thing about a fairy was her beauty. In the fairy school they ignored her, and every time she flew off on a mission to help a child or anyone else in trouble, before she could say a word they were already screeching and yelling at her: "Ugly! Get out of here, weirdo!"
Despite her being little, her magic was very powerful, and more than once she had considered using it to make herself beautiful. But then she remembered what her mother had always told her: "My dear, you are what you are, warts and all; and never doubt that you are this way for a very special reason..."
But then, one day, the witches of the neighbouring land invaded and destroyed the country, putting all the fairies and wizards in prison. Our fairy, just before being attacked, put a spell on her own clothes and, helped by her ugly face, she managed to pass for a witch. That way she was able to follow the witches back to their den.
Once there she used her magic to prepare a big party for everyone, decorating the cave with bats, toads and spiders. The music was provided by a pack of howling wolves. While the party was in full swing, the fairy hurried off and set free all the fairies and wizards who had been imprisoned. When all of them were free, they worked together on one big spell which succeeded in trapping the witches inside the mountain for the next hundred years. And for the next hundred years, and more, everyone remembered the great bravery and intelligence of the ugly fairy.
And from that day on no one in that land ever saw ugliness as a disgrace. Whenever someone ugly was born, people were filled with joy, knowing that for that new person great things lay ahead.
The Donkey
Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen,
who were rich,
and had everything they wanted, but no
children. The queen
lamented over this day and night, and said, I am
like a field
on which nothing grows. At last God gave her her wish, but when
the child came into the world, it did not look like
a human child,
but was a little donkey. When the mother saw that, her lamentations
and outcries began in real earnest. She said she would
far rather have had no child at all than have a
donkey, and that
they were to throw it into the water that the
fishes might devour
it. But the
king said, no, since God has sent him he shall be my
son and heir, and after my death sit on the royal
throne, and
wear the kingly crown. The donkey, therefore, was brought up
and grew bigger, and his ears grew up high and
straight. And he
was of a merry disposition, jumped about, played
and took especial
pleasure in music, so that he went to a celebrated
musician and
said, teach me your art, that I may play the lute
as well as you do.
Ah, dear little master, answered the musician, that
would come
very hard to you, your fingers are not quite suited
to it, and
are far too big.
I am afraid the strings would not last.
But
no excuses were of any use. The donkey was determined to play the
lute. And
since he was persevering and industrious, he at last
learnt to do it as well as the master himself. The young lordling
once went out walking full of thought and came to a
well. He
looked into it and in the mirror-clear water saw
his donkey's
form. He was
so distressed about it, that he went out into the
wide world and only took with him one faithful
companion. They
traveled up and down, and at last they came into a
kingdom where
and old king reigned who had
a single but wonderfully beautiful daughter. The donkey said,
here we will stay, knocked at the gate, and cried,
a guest is
without.
Open, that he may enter. When the
gate was not opened,
he sat down, took his lute and played it in the
most delightful
manner with his two fore-feet. Then the door-keeper opened his
eyes, and gaped, and ran to the king and said,
outside by the
gate sits a young donkey which plays the lute as
well as an
experienced master.
Then let the musician come to me, said the
king. But
when a donkey came in, everyone began to laugh at the
lute-player.
And when the donkey was asked to sit down and eat
with the servants, he was unwilling, and said, I am
no common
stable-ass, I
am a noble one.
Then they said, if that is what you are, seat
yourself with the soldiers. No, said he, I will sit by the king.
The king smiled, and said good-humoredly, yes, it
shall be as
you will, little ass, come here to me. Then he asked, little ass,
how does my daughter please you. The donkey turned his head
towards her, looked at her, nodded and said, I like
her above
measure, I have never yet seen anyone so beautiful
as she is.
Well, then, you shall sit next her too, said the
king. That is
exactly what I wish, said the donkey, and he placed
himself by her
side, ate and drank, and knew how to behave himself
daintily
and cleanly.
When the noble beast had stayed a long time at the
king's court, he thought, what good does all this
do me, I
shall still have to go home again, let his head
hang sadly,
and went to the king and asked for his
dismissal. But the king
had grown fond of him, and said, little ass, what
ails you. You
look as sour as a jug of vinegar, I will give you
what you want.
Do you want gold.
No, said the donkey, and shook his head.
Do you want jewels and rich dress. No. Do
you wish for half my
kingdom.
Indeed, no. Then said the king,
if I did but know what
would make you content. Will you have my pretty daughter to wife.
Ah, yes, said the ass, I should indeed like her,
and all at once
he became quite merry and full of happiness, for
that was exactly
what he was wishing for. So a great and splendid wedding was
held. In the
evening, when the bride and bridegroom were led
into their bed-room, the king wanted to know if the
ass would
behave well, and ordered a servant to hide himself
there. When
they were both within, the bridegroom bolted the
door, looked
around, and as he believed that they were quite
alone, he suddenly
threw off his ass's skin, and stood there in the
form of a handsome
royal youth.
Now, said he, you see who I am, and see also that
I am not unworthy of you. Then the bride was glad, and kissed
him, and loved him dearly. When morning came, he jumped up, put
his animal's skin on again, and no one could have
guessed
what kind of a form was hidden beneath it. Soon came the old king.
Ah, cried he, so the little ass is already up. But surely you are
sad, said he to his daughter, that you have not got
a proper
man for your husband. Oh, no, dear father, I love him as well as
if he were the handsomest in the world, and I will
keep him as long
as I live.
The king was surprised, but the servant who had
concealed himself came and revealed everything to
him. The king
said, that cannot be true. Then watch yourself the next night,
and you will see it with your own eyes, and hark
you, lord king,
if you were to take his skin away and throw it in
the fire, he
would be forced to show himself in his true
shape. Your advice is
good, said the king, and at night when they were
asleep, he stole
in, and when he got to the bed he saw by the light
of the moon
a noble-looking youth lying there, and the skin lay
stretched on
the ground.
So he took it away, and had a great fire lighted
outside, and threw the skin into it, and remained
by it himself
until it was all burnt to ashes. But since he was anxious to know
how the robbed man would behave himself, he stayed
awake the whole
night and watched.
When the youth had slept his fill, he got
up by the first light of morning, and wanted to put
on the
ass's skin, but it was not to be found. At this he was alarmed,
and, full of grief and anxiety, said, now I shall
have to contrive
to escape.
But when he went out, there stood the king, who said,
my son, whither away in such haste. What have you in mind. Stay
here, you are such a handsome man, you shall not go
away from me.
I will now give you half my kingdom, and after my
death you shall
have the whole of it. Then I hope that what begins so well may
end well, and I will stay with you, said the
youth. And the old
man gave him half the kingdom, and in a year's
time, when he died,
the youth had the whole, and after the death of his
father he had
another kingdom as well, and lived in all magnificence.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
ELMMOOOOOOOO !!!!!!
Sesame Street® and associated characters, trademarks and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop. © 2006 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved Ticklish Muppet Elmo is the best-known children's character in the U.S. See more pictures of children's television shows.
Elmo is the world's favorite furry red monster. In fact, Elmo is the most recognizable children's character in the United States, according to research from Marketing Evaluations, Inc.
For the past 21 years on the award-winning television show "Sesame Street," Elmo has been educating and entertaining fans worldwide. Both children and adults are smitten by his cute, googly eyes and his high-pitched laugh. Through singing, laughter, and educational play, Elmo encourages children to use their imaginations and helps them learn preschool fundamentals.
Elmo, his pet goldfish Dorothy, and their silly friend Mr. Noodle are the stars of "Elmo's World," one of "Sesame Street's" most popular segments. Elmo's adventures have been made into more than 50 "Elmo's World" episodes, numerous home videos, and a full-length feature movie. In this article, we'll take a look at all things Elmo, with a little help from Rosemarie Truglio, Ph.D., vice president of "Sesame Street" Education and Research.
The world's most recognizable puppet was once simply called "Baby Monster" and appeared without his signature high-pitched voice and contagious giggle. Baby Monster was used in several sketches on "Sesame Street" in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the sketch "Near and Far," staring Kermit the Frog and Henry and Harvey Monster. Elmo also made a brief appearance in the storybook "The "Sesame Street" Circus of Opposites," published in 1981, but was colored dark orange instead of his usual red.
"Sesame Street" Muppeteer Brian Muehl (Telly Monster, Barkley the dog) was the original voice for Elmo. The late Richard Hunt (Forgetful Jones, Gladys the Cow, Sonny Friendly) also performed as Elmo for a brief period. Legendary Muppeteer Caroll Spinney recalls in his book, "The Wisdom of Big Bird" (Villard Books), that Elmo repeated his words a lot, such as "Play! Play! Elmo wants to play!" and talked very fast.
You may be surprised to learn that Elmo was put into storage for several years. Elmo got his big break when "Sesame Street" producers decided they wanted a red monster on the set. They liked the look of the Baby Monster puppet, but Hunt didn't want to perform it. Hunt asked Kevin Clash, then a Muppeteer-in-training, to take on the role.
According to Clash's biography, " My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud," Hunt tossed him "a shapeless, soft bundle of red" and challenged him to come up with a voice for the Muppet.
"I'd used that falsetto voice in my characters before," Clash wrote. "When he gave me the puppet, I knew that was the voice."
Not long after Clash gave Elmo his distinctive falsetto voice and brought to the Muppet his cheerful, curious outlook on the world, Elmo became one of the most popular characters in the history of "Sesame Street."
For those behind in their Elmo trivia, Elmo is a never-aging three-and-a-half-year-old monster. Elmo lives on the third floor of the 123 Sesame Street apartment building with his mother Gladys, his father Louie Monster, and his baby sister Daisy. He loves to tap dance, ask questions, play with his friends Zoe and Grover, and care for Dorothy, his pet goldfish.
"Well, first of all, Kevin is an amazing puppeteer," said Truglio. "Beyond that, he's red, and although that is a simple thing, red attracts very young children. Same thing with the voice. Children really react well to Elmo's voice."
Elmo's age also resonates with preschoolers. "Children often gravitate to Muppets around their own age, who act like they do and are going through the same experiences they are. Elmo represents a preschooler, and much of our audience is made up of preschoolers," she said.
There are a couple other aspects that make Elmo so loveable. "It doesn't hurt that Elmo is also cute, cuddly, and funny," Truglio said.
The Man Behind the Muppet
The 45-year-old, six-foot-tall African-American with a slightly gruff voice seems to be an unlikely match for the tiny preschooler Elmo, but Kevin Clash's enthusiam for his furry red alter-ego is undeniable.
In "My Life as a Furry Red Monster," Clash talks about life with Elmo and explains his interesting beginnings in puppetry and children's television. Clash began building puppets at a very young age. Although he was teased for his unusual hobby, Clash's parents were supportive, providing him with materials and driving him to puppet shows. When Clash cut apart his father's good overcoat to create a puppet, his father reacted by asking, "What's it's name?"
After Clash was hired by Sesame Workshop, he tried his hand at a few different Muppets: a sportscaster, an elderly professor, and a juggler. These characters didn't really catch on, so Clash was free to take up the part of the little red monster.
Clash divulged an Elmo fact that fans might be surprised to learn: There are actually eight Elmo clones in the "Sesame Street" New York studio, each with different features and functions. To make Elmo as real as possible and to maintain the illusion for young viewers, Clash and the other Muppeteers rarely appear in public and virtually never on screen.
We know Elmo is one of the biggest stars on "Sesame Street." In the next section, we'll talk about how exactly Elmo fits into life on America's favorite street.
Jim Henson Company Productions
The cast of "Puppet Up!Uncensored" in Sydney, Australia
Patrick Riviere/Getty Images
Jim Henson Company Productions
More recent prime-time Muppet TV series include "The Jim Henson Hour" (1989), "Dog City" (1992-95) and "Muppets Tonight" (1996-97). The latter was an updated version of "The Muppet Show," hosted by a human-type Muppet named Clifford instead of Kermit and with a mix of classic Muppets and new characters. The same year that "Muppets Tonight" went off the air, the Disney Channel began airing "Bear in the Big Blue House," a children's TV series starring a full-body Muppet character named Bear. It lasted four seasons.
In 2001, the Jim Henson Company created a children's TV series aired in Great Britain called "The Hoobs." It ran for five seasons inGreat Britain and began airing in the United States last year.
2006 marked a return to Henson puppetry for adults. Brian Henson debuted a live improv puppetry comedy show, "Jim Henson's Puppet Up! Uncensored," at the U.S. Comedy Festival. The show was also performed live in Hollywood, Scotland and Las Vegas. TBS aired theLas Vegas performance as a one-hour special in 2006 and began showing Web episodes in 2007 on TBS.com. "Puppet Up!" continues to perform in various locations, including Sydney, Australia, and at the 2007 San Diego ComicCon.
Classic Muppet characters like Kermit and Miss Piggy continue to make appearances on TV shows like "America's Got Talent" and "The Today Show" and in commercials. The Henson Company is developing a show for the Logo Network called "Tinseltown," which centers around the lives of a homosexual puppet couple. A "Fraggle Rock" movie is tentatively scheduled for release in late 2008 or early 2009.
For lots more information on the Muppets and related topics, check out the links on the next page.
Origination
Muppet Origins
Given their status today, it's hard to imagine that the Muppets didn't begin as children's characters, or that initially Jim Henson balked at the idea of creating them for "Sesame Street." But "Sam and Friends," Henson's first TV show, was for adults. He started it in 1955 as a college freshman with a classmate, Jane Nebel (whom he later married). "Sam and Friends" Muppets included the lizardlike Kermit as well as Sam, Yorick, Harry the Hipster, Professor Madcliff, Mushmellon and Chicken Liver.
The Muppets on "Sam and Friends" mostly lip-synched to popular songs and comedy routines and parodied other TV shows. It ran for six years on a localWashington, D.C., station, and its popularity got Henson invited to perform on shows like "The Tonight Show."
During its run, Muppets began to appear in commercials for everything from coffee to dog food. Rowlf the Dog was created specifically for Purina Dog Chow commercials and was a regular character on "The Jimmy Dean Show" from 1963 to 1966. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Henson shot several pilots and TV specials featuring the Muppets, but had not yet gotten a series.
In 1968, Joan Cooney established the Children's Television Workshop and was strongly encouraged to bring on the Muppets for "Sesame Street," the new children's education show she was developing. Henson didn't immediately accept, but according to Jane Henson, he agreed in part "because he had begun to realize that children could be a very sophisticated audience" [source: The Works]. The Muppets that Henson and his team created continue to appear on "Sesame Street" and in numerous TV specials.
Henson shot "The Muppet Show" pilot, "Sex and Violence," in 1975. In the same year, a new NBC show called "Saturday Night Live" began airing sketches from the "Land of Gorch," featuring new Muppet characters. "Saturday Night Live" writers didn't like writing for the Muppets, however, and the Muppets were "fired" halfway through the first season.
ABC passed on the "Muppet Show" pilot, but Henson struck a deal with ITC, a division of the Associated Communications Company. The show was shot in London and syndicated to CBS stations across the United States. Initially, producers had difficulty finding actors and musicians to be "special guest stars," but by the fifth season, they had to pick through a huge list of talent. "The Muppet Show" was unlike anything that had been on TV before -- a variety show with skits, a storyline and musical numbers, mostly acted out by puppets. By the end of its run, people all over the world had seen it.
Due to its wild popularity, "The Muppet Show" spawned three movies while Henson was alive: "The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper" and "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and six direct-to-video and made-for-TV movies. In 1977, Henson created a TV special for HBO, "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas," based on a children's book. Its realistic characters were both traditional hand Muppets and marionettes, and much of the technology created for "Emmet Otter" was built upon in the other Muppet movies.
Henson's next children's TV series, "Fraggle Rock," aired from 1983 to 1986 on HBO. Very different from "Sesame Street," "Fraggle Rock" depicted the interactions between three "races" of Muppets: Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs. The shows also contained segments with Doc and his dog Sprocket, inhabitants of Outer Space (the human world). "Fraggle Rock" was also a huge success and appeared in a dozen countries and languages
Next, we'll look at Muppet productions from the 1990s to the present.
The Man himself
Jim Henson and Kermit
Bernard Gotfryd/Getty Images
Jim Henson and Frank Oz
Because the Muppets have been around for more than 50 years, many people have "Muppeteer" on their resumes -- more than 100 of them, in fact. Jim Henson was their leader, but Frank Oz, his right-hand man, is also an integral part of Muppet history.
Jim Henson
Simply put, without Jim Henson, the Muppets wouldn't exist. Henson began experimenting with puppetry as a high school student. Until his death in 1990, he performed and voiced numerous Muppets, including Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, Link Hogthrob and Ernie. Henson oversaw and took part in the creation of everything Muppet-related, including performing, writing, designing, building, directing and producing. After his death, longtime Muppeteer Steve Whitmire took over the performance of many of Henson's Muppets, including Kermit (contrary to popular assumption, Henson's son Brian never voiced Kermit). His children run the Jim Henson Company today.
Henson had no illusions about puppets -- according to Frank Oz, they were a "means to an end." "When Jim took Kermit off his arm, he had no difficulty leaving him behind and going somewhere else" [source:Finch].
Frank OzOz began working with Jim Henson when he was 19 years old -- he was hired initially to replace Henson's wife, Jane, when the Hensons started a family. His first job was right-handing Rowlf the Dog. Oz originally performed and voiced several Muppets, including Bert, Grover, Cookie Monster, Animal, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear. Eventually, Oz branched into writing and directing various Henson productions. He will always be identified as the puppeteer and voice of Yoda in the "Star Wars" series. After 30 years, Oz began to focus more on his non-Henson directing work. He still occasionally performs and voices major Muppet characters.
Oz and Henson had a unique performing relationship because their major characters usually interacted. "Watching Jim's Ernie teasing Frank Oz's Bert and driving him to distraction was to witness unadulterated glee," said Caroly Wilcox, a longtime Muppeteer, designer and builder [source: Finch]. Henson said that Oz was "probably the person most responsible for the Muppets being funny" [source: Finch].
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