Puppets...and Stuff...

Before I begin, yes, this is the five hundred word start to my paper. And yes, it’s also my updated proposal. I don’t know if they’re supposed to be one in the same, but I can already see the change in direction with my writing. That’s the point, right? But, I digress. I’m not sure exactly where this idea is going or what the finished product is going to even remotely resemble, but I’d like to make a puppet and write about it…and stuff.

Puppets? Yes.

Let me explain. I just had my prescription for Percocet filled because of a slight re-fracturing of my knuckles, settled down on the couch and browsed through the Netflix movie selections while waiting for the painkiller induced euphoria to kick in. A furry little red creature with wide, excited eyes, a bulbous orange nose, and an endless grin plastered on his face caught my eye, directing me to the title above him. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey was splayed in thin, white and orange lettering across the top of the page, and I looked to the description…

“Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary follows the career of puppeteer Kevin Clash, the soft-spoken man behind the furry red monster, Elmo.”

I’m sold. I clicked play faster than you can say, “TICKLE ME ELMO!” and spent the next hour and sixteen minutes glued to my computer screen. When I finished, I lay back in bed and thought how interesting it would be to make a muppet. That’s when it hit me.

I’m going to make a muppet, and I’m going to document it. The final piece will be, tentatively, divided into a few sections:

·         The introduction, I guess. I’m not even sure what that means anymore. I suppose I could talk about the history of muppets and Jim Henson and whatnot.

·         The building process. I’ll delve into mechanics, as well as the emotional and creative aspects of the process, using interviews hopefully.

·         The identity of the puppet. This will focus on the puppet itself, who the puppet and what part of me and my personal life and personality the puppet embodies. Interviews will hopefully be used for this as well.

·         Puppet in action! Hopefully, I’ll find some form of audience, hopefully a group of children, and try and brighten their day with ray of happiness in the form of a talking piece of foam and fleece.

·         Conclusion…kinda…sorta… Explicate the experience as my own puppeteer journey, of sorts.

This is clearly nowhere near even being a complete idea, but I think I’m really onto

something. I will use puppet builders, puppeteers, and children for interviews. Secondary sources are also endless. There’s an endless supply of muppet movies, muppet books, muppet documentaries, muppet-building guides, you name it, and it’s there. I know this is going to change, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Time to start building…