THE WORD, IS BIG BIRD!

-By: Brittany L. Reid

       
          It looks like the “Bird is the Word” for the 2012-2013 season.  Big Bird, one of Sesame Street’s mascots, recently garnered national attention when Republican Governor Mitt Romney mentioned cutting government funding to PBS as part of his fiscal plan to help manage the debt crisis.  The social media world went insane with YouTube videos, Memes, and even fake Twitter accounts expressing their opinions on Romney’s statement.

            But the six-year-old bird remained as innocent as a child when he responded to the issue on an October 7, 2012 Saturday Night Live skit.  “I feel like I’m famous now,” he said.  “It’s so weird to think that just a few days ago, I could just blend in like every other perfectly normal 8-foot tall talking bird!”  If Big-Bird is feeling the publicity now, he’ll feel even more famous next year.  Or at least…his Muppeteer will.

            The man behind Big Bird, Caroll Spinney, has been providing the voice and motion for the walking puppet since Sesame Street’s debut in 1969, and he’s still going strong.  The 78-year-old Muppeteer will give insight to his life as the lovable, yellow fowl in a documentary set for release some time in 2013.  The film is titled, “I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story,” and is produced by Copper Pot Pictures.  The film comes following the success of the 2011 documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” which chronicled the life of Elmo’s puppeteer Kevin Clash and was Directed & Produced by Constance Marks.

          For more information about Caroll Spinney's upcoming documentary, visit Copper Pot Pictures' website at www.iambigbird.com.