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citation
This page cites The Wisdom of Big Bird for the fact that Elmo got his starta s a character named Baby Monster and was performed by Caroll Spinney, but oddly enough, Caroll Spinney didn't mention that he performed Baby Monster in his autobiography. I learned that Spinney performed the original version of the character when reading an article about the Henson Film Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2004. The article was posted at Tough Pigs, though I've only seen a link to that page on the message board and not the website itself. --Minor muppetz 21:07, 26 February 2007 (UTC)
debut
Philip added Jerry Nelson to the casting history section based on his voice work in "We Are All Monsters" for the puppet that would later become Elmo. I reverted it because of the specific wording being used on that song page that it wasn't Elmo by that time. By those terms, should we be including Caroll Spinney on that list Brian Muehl if the puppet wasn't Elmo until Kevin Clash took up the character? — Scott (talk) 03:04, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
- It was Elmo before Clash took over. Interviews and everything with Clash certainly suggest he had a name and some personality when he took over from Muehl and Hunt. So by my reasoning, Clash is the main performer, Muehl and Hunt belong in the history. Nelson doesn't, Spinney doesn't, though a footnote in the text about the "Baby Monster" thing. No performer belongs unless it was provably as Elmo, not just background monster #3. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:12, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
When Kevin Clash Took Over as Elmo
I thought of something that might make a good article. I was wondering what other people think. Anyway, I've seen a few different sources that list different years for when Kevin Clash first performed Elmo.
First of all, it says in Sesame Street Unpaved that Kevin Clash began performing Elmo in 1984. Clash's autobiography, My Life as a Furry Red Monster, mentions the time when Richard Hunt asked Kevin Clash to take over the character, and Clash mentioned that it was in 1983. I don't know how good Clash's memory is, but if I was a puppeteer or voice actor, I would certainly know when I first started playing certain characters.
However, I have read that Brian Muehl stopped performing on Sesame Street in 1984, so Hunt wouldn't have been performing Elmo yet, unless Meuhl also didn't like performing the character and gave him to Hunt. However, both Sesame Street Unpaved and The Wisdom of Big Bird suggest that Meuhl stopped performing Elmo because he left Sesame Street to become a writer (then again, I do know that Meuhl continued to be a puppeteer after that, in major roles such as Mr. Knack on Eureeka's Castle, and in later Henson productions like Dog City). Also, near the end of the 1985 movie Follow That Bird, Elmo can be heard saying "No, no, no, no, no..." when Miss Finch returns to Sesame Street, but other characters are talkign at the same time, making it hard to hear what Elmo sounded like, but it definately wasn't Clash (even though Kevin Clash was a background performer in that movie).
I think that Kevin Clash really started performing Elmo in 1985, even though there are official sources, including one from Clash himself, that state otherwise. Would this make a good article for the Rumors category, or shoudl soemthing like this fit better with the pages on either Elmo or Kevin Clash? --Minor muppetz 20:14, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
- A few things:
- Follow That Bird was a theatrical film, and was likely shot sometime in 1984. Possibly even 1983.
- Muehl may have left in 84, but that doesn't mean it was the last he performed Elmo.
- Hunt probably did ask Clash to start performing Elmo in 1983. That doesn't mean he started performing him that same year, or that the broadcasts of those performances didn't start showing up until later.
- It's all very ambiguous, and the sources are pretty concrete. I don't think that leaves much basis for a rumor article. — Scott (talk) 20:54, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
- I would like to point out that I was just reading more of Kevin Clash's book, and found a later part of the book where he mentioned taking over as Elmo in 1985. I guess the 1983 line from earlier in the book was a typo on Clash's part. --Minor muppetz 21:28, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
- Do you mean the quotes from Kevin Clash's book, one of which mistakenly mentions 1983 as the debut year while later it mentions 1985, or quotes from both Kevin Clash's autobiography and quotes from Sesame Street Unpaved regarding the debut years? --Minor muppetz 14:47, 29 September 2006 (UTC)
Jerry Nelson as Elmo ?
Did he really do Elmo ? I admit it would be instresting if he did, but I still need proof.
While we are dicussing this I need to know: Why doesnt anyone put down the "negative" aspects of Elmo on Muppet wiki ? I dont hate Elmo, but I still need to know. -- User:4.229.57.165 24 August 2006
- Muppet Wiki is a collection of facts. The "negative" aspects are people's opinions. If you can find any facts about those aspects -- or even a reputable quote -- then that would be a great addition to the article. -- Danny (talk) 12:56, 26 August 2006 (UTC)
- I pretty much knew that from the begining. BTW speaking of other people doing Elmo, does anyone know what Richard Hunts Elmo sounded like ?
Full-Bodied Muppet
Wasn't there a Full-Bodied Muppet version of Elmo? A cousin-in-law of mine said she was the original Elmo for a year when he was a full-bodied muppet. If I have that right.--Sojambi Pinola 18:21, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- Yeah, there have been Elmo walk-arounds made for Sesame Street Live and Sesame Place. Where did your cousin work? -- Danny (talk) 19:07, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- Hmm....I thought she was on the actual show but I may be wrong. Her name is Cheryl. --Sojambi Pinola 21:31, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- Dang it ! Why cant they make a remote control Elmo that Kevin can operate himself ? It would also be cool If he could ride Snuffy (if he hasnt done that yet.).
- Oh wait ! Never mind. Elmo has appearenty rode Snuffy before.
Elmo's parents
Why is that a discrepancy? Is there any evidence that says that his parents aren't named George and Gladys? I would think that it being Kevin C's parents makes it a done deal, unless there's a contrary reference. -- Toughpigs 15:16, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)
- Originally the article stated that Elmo's parents are named George and Gladys. If you can find a source that backs that up better than "it took place in the imagination of a goldfish," then I'd say we've got a winner. We'll probably get our answer in February when the Sesame Beginnings DVDs come out. -- Scarecroe 15:55, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)
- Well, Dorothy knows them. She lives in their house. I think they're presumed George & Gladys until proven otherwise. Anybody else have a comment? -- Toughpigs 17:00, 13 Dec 2005 (UTC)
- Everything that happens during that section of each Elmo's World episode, is taking place in Dorothy's imagination (inside Elmo's crayon fabricated world, I might add). When it's an episode about elephants, Dorothy imagines Elmo as an elephant; when it's an episode about wine bottles, Dorothy imagines Elmo as a wine bottle; etc. Dorothy creating Elmo's parent's in the image of Elmo and giving them names doesn't constitute as conclusive evidence to me. Besides, Dorothy may live in Elmo's parent's house, but it's not clear what the brain capacity of this fish is. Only Elmo can understand what she's saying. Like many children, Dorothy may be saying what's really on Elmo's mind. Like when a child listens to a doll and speaks for it about its feelings to others.
- Until proven otherwise, of course. -- Scarecroe 04:27, 16 Dec 2005 (UTC)
- Well, it has been proven that Elmo's father's name is actually Louie. I just saw that Elmo's mom has also been introduced, and his real parents are different from his parents in the fantasy sequences of Elmo's World. --Minor muppetz 03:30, 20 September 2006 (UTC)