I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

[HardyGirl]

Has anyone seen this? It was released last year and is now on DVD. I watched it last night, and it was very touching. I was sorry I didn't have a box of Kleenex near me, b/c I cried through probably half of it. Now in his 80s, Caroll is the only original puppeteer left from the original 1969 cast of Sesame Street. Since I was 3 years old (just turned 3 since this show came out in August of '69), I was among the target demographic for this ground breaking show, and it saddens me that one day, in the not so distant future, Caroll will be gone. I have many fond memories of Sesame Street, and I owe a lot of what I do as a teacher to this program. If you haven't seen this documentary, rent it, buy it, download it or stream it. Trust me when I say, you won't regret it.

[rche]

I haven't seen that dvd, but I have read The Wisdom of Big Bird and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch.... which is awesome.
I don't think that SS can be as ground breaking as it was in the 70s. I can't really see a Stevie Wonder musical segment, or a Jesse Jackson 'I Am Somebody' on the show in its current incarnation, but I am certainly thankful that Henson and company brought this imagination land full of words and numbers to me. I am grateful that there are teachers, performers, puppeteers, scientists, and all sorts of story tellers who were as enamored with the land of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch as I was and continue to add wonder and excitement to our world. I am searching now for a stream to put this in my Friday night family movie night que.

[HardyGirl]

I'm gonna have to read those. Were they written by Spinney?

[rche]

One book. Yes - written by Caroll Spinney.

[rche]

another cool SS history book is called "Street Gang" by Michael Davis

[johnnystorm]

Sharry, I read Carrol's biography a couple years ago, and sent him a copy that he was kind enough to sign and he drew this awesome Big Bird sketch inside for me. Actually, he included a personal note and drew BB a couple more times on the note & envelope. A wonderful man.
I'll pm you.

20160815_200925.jpg
20160815_200934.jpg

[fallensaviour]

Funny you bring this up I just watched it on Netflix a couple days ago.
A great film/biography it is on Canadian Netflix right now.
Simply an incredible journey he has had not to mention that amazing near miss in the 80's.

[HardyGirl]

Wow, that is too cool, Stan! he seems like such a sweet man.

Sharry, I read Carrol's biography a couple years ago, and sent him a copy that he was kind enough to sign and he drew this awesome Big Bird sketch inside for me. Actually, he included a personal note and drew BB a couple more times on the note & envelope. A wonderful man.
I'll pm you.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19245[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19246[/ATTACH]

[TomStrong]

I watched that! It was awesome. People like him, Henson, and Fred Rogers make this world a better place.

[Hedji]

Met him at a Convention in June. Just a pleasure to speak with, although his wife does a lot of the talking for him now. It was pretty surreal as I was conversing with him, he was doodling a sketch of Big Bird on a piece of scrap paper on his table. He shared the story of how Big Bird was NASA's first choice to be the first civilian in space aboard the Shuttle Challenger, but because microgravity would spread the feathers of the suit, revealing him inside, they decided to go with a teacher instead.

[Hedji]

I watched that! It was awesome. People like him, Henson, and Fred Rogers make this world a better place.

Fred Rogers is an inspiration to me. That man was the Real Deal.

[HardyGirl]

When I saw that part in the movie, I cried. We almost lost Big Bird and Oscar. *sniff*

He shared the story of how Big Bird was NASA's first choice to be the first civilian in space aboard the Shuttle Challenger, but because microgravity would spread the feathers of the suit, revealing him inside, they decided to go with a teacher instead.

[samurainoir]

this just popped up on Netflix. I'll have to watch it.

[palitoy]

Can't wait to see this.