Following last week's underage sex scandal, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash has decided to step down from his 28-year position at Sesame Street. A statement was released by Sesame Workshop on Clash's behalf:
"...Kevin Clash has helped us achieve [our] mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street. This is a sad day for Sesame Street."
A sad day indeed. Clash was recently the subject of allegations of an underage sexual relationships with two men. One of them, who claimed he'd been 16 at the time, later recanted and settled, saying he was 18, but regretted taking the claim back. TMZ is also saying that a second man claims a phone relationship began when he was 15 and Clash was 32. Bummer. (via The Wrap)
Jill Buzby contributed the photo below to the Million Puppet March Facebook page. "My middle child holding my childhood Grover and Kermit dolls," she explains. "They're nearly 40 years old!"
[Video Link] Chris Hardwick's NERDIST YouTube channel is full of awesome, but few things as awesome as this.
The Official Music Video for "Do It Anyway," the first track from Ben Folds Five's much anticipated album THE SOUND OF THE LIFE OF THE MIND...featuring the Fraggles from Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock"! Also starring Rob Corddry, Anna Kendrick & Chris Hardwick.
There's something inevitable about Tautr's "Occupy Sesame Street" set, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. After all, most of us learned how to think about concepts like "fairness" from these characters.
This YouTube mashup of Tom Waits's creepy polka "God's Away on Business" with Cookie Monster clips is just great -- Cookie Monster dances exactly the same way I do when Tom Waits is playing. Plus they have the same voice!