When I worked at Mashable, I got to meet Mr. Spinney in 2013. I was direct off a redeye and came straight from JFK to the office so I could meet him (it was a closed set and we were doing a collab with Sesame Street/Oscar the Grouch and Grumpy Cat, I was one of like 4 employees they let observe and I’m forever grateful for that opportunity). I cried like a a baby meeting him and thanking him for all he did for children all over the world.<p>As a kid, Sesame Street was extremely important to me. I loved it as much as I’ve ever loved anything and Big Bird was just so wonderful. The first movie I ever saw in the theater was Follow That Bird in 1985, and even at 2 years old, that experience left an indelible mark that influenced the rest of my life.<p>I think I loved Sesame Street and the muppets so much because it was a TV show and characters that felt like they understood what it was like to be a child. It educated without pandering and it encouraged creativity and learning.<p>Spinney said in interviews that he thought his success with Big Bird was because he never forgot what it was like to be a child. That came through with the work.<p>And Oscar, though not a character I loved as much as Big Bird, was always a favorite. He was mean and he liked nasty things, but he was always kind to children and his pets. It was proof all types of people can exist and be friends, even when they don’t have a lot in common.<p>The Museum of the Moving Image had a Jim Henson exhibit last year that was really fantastic - and seeing all the stuff from Sesame Street and beyond really made me grateful people like Henson and Spinney and Frank Oz and so many others existed.
I grew up in Rural Southeastern Ohio, where PBS was the only thing that came in clearly. I vividly remember watching Sesame Street, in black and white, every day -- along with Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood and Square One -- and that's what started my love of numbers and math.<p>Through PBS, Jim Henson and Fred Rodgers helped shape me to who I am now -- which is why I'm so apprehensive (and honestly, quite upset) when they talk about cutting the funding to PBS.
Oscar and Big Bird are two of the most opposite characters I can imagine. When I was a kid (70's and 80's) I had no idea it was the same person.<p>I heard and old interview where he said he couldn't see out of big bird and had a little tv attached to his chest so he could see out. He could remove feathers too, but the bird didn't look so good. (its in the article too). This is where miniturization would be a huge help...<p>When Mr. Hooper died and they tell a confused Big Bird, he's not coming back is one of the saddest moments in TV.
I was 5 when Mr Hooper died. I can still remember not being able to understand what it meant and Big Bird's irrational response just made me feel upset and confused. I think they knew exactly what they were doing.
FYI, if like me, you didn't know who he was -<p>Caroll Spinney was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author and speaker most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street.
I'm thankful for our increasingly rich culture of making documentaries of living treasures.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Big_Bird:_The_Caroll_Spinney_Story" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Big_Bird:_The_Caroll_Spin...</a>
Also <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/caroll-spinney-big-bird-oscar-grouch-sesame-street-dies-best-performances.html" rel="nofollow">https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/caroll-spinney-big-bird-os...</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50705508" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50705508</a> (via <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21738323" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21738323</a>)<p>A thread from when he retired last year: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18240502" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18240502</a>
Carroll Spinney<p>Rest
In
Peace<p>I grew up watching SS, Mister Roger's and 3-2-1 Contact on analog OTA KQED ch. 9 on my grandparent's HeathKit TV. About 8 yo, I figured out the ultrasonic remote receiver would change channels by rattling house keys on a keychain.<p>PS: I'm curious if the Waze cookie monster voice is actually Mr. Spinney.
Sad. I tried to find classic SS for free a few years ago and came up short. What’s available today at a reasonable price? I don’t understand why pbs is stingy with its shows like frontline on Netflix either.