The folks at Sesame Street lost a court case yesterday. They were suing Brian Henson, the son of late Muppets creator Jim Henson. Why? Brian, a director, has made a hard R movie with Melissa McCarthy for release this summer. Muppet-like creatures use foul language and have sexual situations. One of them ejaculates.
The tag line for the movie: “No Sesame. All Street.”
So you thought Donald Trump had trashed everything we liked in the world. Now it’s Brian Henson, chairman of the Henson Company, inheritor of his father’s mantle.
Isn’t this swell?
The judge in the case ruled against “Sesame Street.” He said the movie looks like fun.
I do recall being at the Sundance Film Festival years ago when a short film was shown. Bert and Ernie were adults, and gay. They were so despondent about it they killed each other. The film was never shown again. I wrote at the time “the Sesame Street lawyers will be here before noon.”
But we live in a new world. I wonder why Brian Henson hates his father so much. Jim Henson is dead. Anyway, it’s always the next generation that screws up the work of the creators.
“Happytime Murders” is from STX Entertainment, which is certainly carving out a name for itself.
This story was brought to you by the letter F.
PS The actual Muppets were sold to Disney years ago– that’s Big Bird, Elmo, Miss Piggy. The puppets in Brian Henson’s movie just look like their cousins. But the real Muppets– they are safe from this crap.