Whether it’s Kermit and the Muppets, the Skeksis and their Dark Crystal, or Elmo and the rest of the residents of Sesame Street, you’ve probably experienced the wonderful world of Jim Henson in some form or another.

One of my favorite University of Maryland (UMD) alumni, Jim Henson, has made countless contributions to the realm of film and education through his zany characters. Attending UMD in 1954, Henson majored in Studio Art and created his first Muppet, the green star himself, Kermit The Frog, in 1955. Following this, Jim Henson went on to help create Sesame Street and the Muppet Show in 1969 and 1976, introducing many of the Muppets we all know and love.

Growing up in rural Maryland and having a deep love for learning, turning on PBS to watch Sesame Street in the morning or watching one of our VHS tapes of the Muppets always brought me great joy. As I became older, like Walter and Gary in The Muppets, I often turned to Henson’s magical creations to cheer myself up when I was feeling down.

With all of the contributions he made to improve my life and the world, it deeply saddened me that he was so cruel when I met him outside the Stamp Student Union. 

Henson is so absorbed with his own accomplishments that despite repeatedly saying hi to him and asking if I “could ask you a few questions about what inspired you?” he never acknowledged me or even looked away from Kermit for a second. I know people say celebrities aren’t human, but he takes this to the extreme. While he was so obsessively staring at Kermit, he didn’t move, blink, or breathe EVEN ONCE. Like, what the hell?! For such a renowned filmmaker and comedian, you’d think he’d have social skills. You know, I’ve never seen Jim Henson move without Kermit attached in some way, so maybe the man is the puppet and the Muppet the puppet master, just like how President Pines is the puppet and the Mole is the master (I know what you are). 

Image Credits: Owen Mank