Jim Henson’s Strange and Awesome Commercials

The Silent Movie Theater ran a fantastic showcase of Jim Henson rarities on Tuesday night. Before “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street,” Henson spent two decades working in commercials, introducing Muppet characters that would become household names later on. Henson’s commercials are full of an irreverent humor that feels far ahead of its time, routinely mocking the medium’s peculiar conventions and getting away with murder behind the guise of his universally lovable puppets.

It’s that same subtle subversiveness that made “Sesame Street” so great– Henson’s characters were sarcastic and flawed and street-smart at the same time as they were adorable and hilarious. “Sesame Street” gave children a brand of three-dimensional entertainment that has rarely been seen before or since Jim Henson’s heyday. Spend some time browsing YouTube for vintage Henson goodness, and you’ll see what I mean.

Comments 4 Comments
Author Graham Kolbeins
Date March 20, 2008
Categories Art, Video

4 Responses to “Jim Henson’s Strange and Awesome Commercials”

Patrick March 20, 2008 at 10:53 am #

thanks graham:)

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Huckleberry Hart March 20, 2008 at 6:07 pm #

Soo good…

Reply
june March 24, 2008 at 4:59 pm #

hey, some of those wilkins coffee ads weren’t in the movie.

Reply

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