Craig Svonkin (PAMLA and MSU Denver)
dire@****.com (Log-in to reveal)
Jim Henson once said, "When I hear the art of puppetry discussed, I often feel frustrated in that it's one of those pure things that somehow becomes much less interesting when it is overdiscussed or analyzed." But heck, even Jim Henson was wrong sometimes. Ray B. Browne argued that popular culture was worth studying and analyzing because "It is our heroes, icons, rituals, everyday actions, psychology, and religion — our total life picture."
In this session, which welcomes approaches from media history, performance studies, childhood studies, and material culture, we will discuss and analyze works of puppetry across theater, film, television, and digital media. Papers exploring the cultural phenomenon of the Muppets or any other cultural production by Jim Henson—from Sam and Friends (1955) to Muppet*Vision 3-D—are particularly welcome. We also strongly encourage proposals focusing on the global traditions of puppetry that influenced Henson, post-Henson company productions, or contemporary works influenced by his legacy. Papers may utilize any useful theoretical approach.
Jim Henson once said, "When I hear the art of puppetry discussed, I often feel frustrated in that it's one of those pure things that somehow becomes much less interesting when it is overdiscussed or analyzed." But heck, even Jim Henson was wrong sometimes. Ray B. Browne argued that popular culture was worth studying and analyzing because "It is our heroes, icons, rituals, everyday actions, psychology, and religion — our total life picture."
In this session, which welcomes approaches from media history, performance studies, childhood studies, and material culture, we will discuss and analyze works of puppetry across theater, film, television, and digital media. Papers exploring the cultural phenomenon of the Muppets or any other cultural production by Jim Henson—from Sam and Friends (1955) to Muppet*Vision 3-D—are particularly welcome. We also strongly encourage proposals focusing on the global traditions of puppetry that influenced Henson, post-Henson company productions, or contemporary works influenced by his legacy. Papers may utilize any useful theoretical approach.
A variety of topics are welcome, including but not limited to:
· Queer, feminist, or postcolonial readings of Muppet characters and narratives
· The boundary between human actor and puppet in television, film, and theme parks
· Global traditions of puppetry (such as Bunraku or European marionettes) and their modern media adaptation
· Puppetry, embodiment, and the senses
· The evolution of children's educational television and media literacy (Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Bear in the Big Blue House)