Crushing Hard #2: Puppets
Why to watch Eric & Jim Henson Idea Man
I’m not a furry… but I have had a lifelong crush on Kermit. He is encouraging, witty and the voice of reason. He is the Muppet I’d most like to share a meal with. Kermit recycles. Kermit pays his taxes. Kermit is cautiously optimistic. Kermit is sane.
Name a more versatile frog, or man for that matter. I’ll wait.
I have accepted that I will never be able to fully explain why I’m attracted to certain people, or Muppets, and not others. Willem Dafoe is sexy. I don’t get the Hemsworth brothers. I am a mystery to even myself.
Here are two excellent puppet related things to watch:
Eric (netflix show)
I am currently in my Benedict Cumberbatch era. I am late to the party, but I’m here now, and that’s all that matters! Before 2024, I had only seen him in Sherlock, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But then I watched Patrick Melrose and became obsessed with how amazing of an actor he is.
He plays a lead character, along with a giant monster puppet and a detective played by the very talented McKinley Belcher III, in this drama series. Instead of vaguely describing it as gritty, I will simply say the plot involves violence and murder.
Despite, or maybe because of, the disturbing subject matter of missing children, at its core Eric is about love. The love between happy couples and not-so-happy couples. The love between friends. The complicated love between a parent and a child.
Adults can sometimes forget kids are people. They are tiny people who absorb everything. If a parent treats their partner or other people like shit, their child will notice. And that child will most likely hold onto the feelings they experience observing that kind of behavior for years to come.
There is how a parent believes they are perceived by their child, and how their child actually perceives them. I assume this is a root cause for at least 50% of people who are in therapy, including myself. Eric is one of the few shows I’ve seen that accurately portrays this discrepancy.
Even though this mini series is heavy, there are moments of levity, and ultimately catharsis.
Now for a palate cleanser…
Jim Henson: Idea Man (disney+ documentary)
There are two kinds of people: those who cry when they hear “Rainbow Connection” and those that don't (have a heart.)
This documentary, directed by Ron Howard, is perfectly paced. You get behind-the-scenes access to Jim’s greatest accomplishments and disappointments. You hear from his adult children and former colleagues, along with video and audio clips from throughout his life. Jim’s longtime puppeteer partner, Frank Oz, speaks of him with the kind of nostalgia and reverence only a best friend could. 🥹
What I admire about creative types is they have just the right amount of vision and delusion to make their wildest dreams come true. Jim and everyone he worked with to bring the Muppets alive are exactly that. Doing what they found funny and/or important in hopes it would connect with an audience of kindred spirits. The mad scientists who created them, and voiced them continue to have an impact on so many of us. How lovely.
“Finally, there’s one other thing that I think every person or frog needs to be creative: friends. For me, the best part of creativity is collaborating with friends and colleagues. Mine happen to be bears, pigs, rats and penguins, but you go with what works for you.”
A friend of mine once told me that her first childhood crush was Big Bird. When asked what she liked about him, she said “he’s sensitive!” And I just think that’s nice.
I'm a big Bert fan. I don't know why. His favorite color is gray, he really likes pigeons and paper clips and when things are orderly. He's kind of uptight and he loves Ernie, who's a hot mess. I'm not really like Bert––I'm more like Ernie––and there you have it. Queer love.