Touching!

There are characters in our lives that are more than characters. They are clearly fictional, but their personalities are so real and existence so ingrained that we simply accept them as real.

At age 23, I can put my finger on a few characters that I implicitly accept as real despite evidence to the contrary: Kermit the Frog, Pooh Bear, and Big Bird. This is about the last of the three.

In 1983, there was a death in the cast of Sesame Street, and they chose to address it on the show. The human characters have to explain to Big Bird why Mr. Hooper won't be around any more. See the video here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaXiWgDU4i0

I had never seen this until today. It's remarkable. I never knew Mr. Hooper on the show (and besides, I watched Mr. Rogers). But I know who Big Bird is, and the relationship is clearly defined within the few minutes we see. And the reaction is understandable, and real. Enjoy.