Sleep Sweet, Sweetums
February 15, 2014 6:57 PM   Subscribe

John Paul Henson, who has been playing beloved Muppet Sweetums since 1991, has died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 48.
posted by MissySedai (65 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by leslies at 6:59 PM on February 15, 2014


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As that is my current span, allow me to observe: too soon.
posted by mwhybark at 7:00 PM on February 15, 2014


?!

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posted by Melismata at 7:01 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by 1367 at 7:02 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Mister Moofoo at 7:03 PM on February 15, 2014


Way too sad. One family should not have to bear all this tragedy.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:04 PM on February 15, 2014 [4 favorites]


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It's also crazy to remember that Jim Henson was only 53 when he died.
posted by mykescipark at 7:04 PM on February 15, 2014 [7 favorites]


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posted by quazichimp at 7:04 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2014


Oh. Oh no.

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posted by figurant at 7:07 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by HuronBob at 7:11 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Mizu at 7:14 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Going To Maine at 7:16 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Stoatfarm at 7:19 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 7:26 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by bashos_frog at 7:29 PM on February 15, 2014


Terrible news. On a related note, where do these fatal heart attacks in early mid-life come from?
posted by LooseFilter at 7:30 PM on February 15, 2014


Oh NO! :( :( :( No no no!
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 7:33 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Stynxno at 7:39 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Queen of Robots at 7:40 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by jadepearl at 7:49 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by arrjay at 7:49 PM on February 15, 2014


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Too soon by far.
posted by arcticseal at 7:56 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Mezentian at 7:58 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by divabat at 7:58 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by teleri025 at 8:00 PM on February 15, 2014


Too damn soon.

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posted by MrBadExample at 8:00 PM on February 15, 2014


From all of us at The Media Show,
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posted by gusandrews at 8:07 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


(Can we find a better article? The linked one is pretty horrendously written.)
posted by gusandrews at 8:09 PM on February 15, 2014 [4 favorites]


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posted by tonycpsu at 8:11 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Renoroc at 8:15 PM on February 15, 2014


. :(

is it just me or is that article is really weirdly written?
posted by littlesq at 8:17 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Godspeed, John.

Say hi to your mom and your dad and Jerry and the rest of them for us.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:32 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Also,

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posted by GrammarMoses at 8:35 PM on February 15, 2014


Indeed, godspeed.

You followed in the footsteps of your father and made alot of kids, and more than a few of us grown up kids, happy along the way.

While you were here, you did good.

Thanks.

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posted by RolandOfEld at 8:40 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


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posted by MelanieL at 8:49 PM on February 15, 2014


Fuck. I outlived Jim Henson AND John Lennon? I didn't need to know that.

On a more appropriate note, that's terrible for his family. I'm very sorry.
posted by Curious Artificer at 8:52 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


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Sad sad news.
posted by blurker at 8:56 PM on February 15, 2014


(Can we find a better article? The linked one is pretty horrendously written.)


Check out other "writing" at the site. Looks like a high school project. Shameful. An article about James Gandolfini references his show "The Soprano's" [sic] and that's in the first sentence.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 8:57 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 9:02 PM on February 15, 2014


my favorite family member died of a heart attack at 54 a little over a year ago. too damn soon.

also, it's grover appreciation day.
posted by nadawi at 9:04 PM on February 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


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posted by mamabear at 9:31 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by aryma at 9:49 PM on February 15, 2014


Better links?
Muppet Wikia
LA Times Obit.
Henson Company Facebook page (with official announcement).

The Daily Mail has ... some good photographs.

I couldn't find much coverage of substance, sadly. The SEO-optimised link in the FPP is as good as any.
posted by Mezentian at 9:50 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by Joey Michaels at 9:57 PM on February 15, 2014


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posted by kinnakeet at 12:10 AM on February 16, 2014


Aww, way too young. So sad.

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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:15 AM on February 16, 2014


No more froggy hash for Sweetums.

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posted by Splunge at 1:24 AM on February 16, 2014


The Henson family has some completely undeserved rotten luck.

I was lucky enough to interview Jim and Kermit for my school middle school newspaper when I was 12. He died two years later.

This is bringing me back to how much it hurt to hear the news in 1990. These men were both such gifts to all of us and this feels just wretchedly unfair.
posted by MeanwhileBackAtTheRanch at 2:26 AM on February 16, 2014 [9 favorites]


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posted by mikelieman at 2:35 AM on February 16, 2014


ʘ

I felt for John so much when reading the Jim Henson biography. Much too young.
posted by DigDoug at 5:44 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by jquinby at 5:46 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by Faint of Butt at 6:26 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by seyirci at 6:32 AM on February 16, 2014


With Jim dying at the age of 53, I wonder if John and Brian looked at that age as a milestone. My Dad died at 46 of a massive heart attack, and that's the age I'll be this year. My older brother mentioned relief when he made it to 47.

Such a tragedy for the Henson family, to have two members die so young. And such a loss for the folks who John Henson touched with his work, continuing his family's legacy.
posted by xingcat at 7:38 AM on February 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


Oh, hell, according to Gothamist "He was apparently playing in the snow, building an igloo with his daughter." That poor kid.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:58 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by Gronk at 9:57 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by korej at 10:33 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by luckynerd at 11:19 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by allthinky at 11:28 AM on February 16, 2014


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posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:18 PM on February 16, 2014


I wanna go to heaven... it'll be full of Muppets...


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posted by Quasimike at 4:38 PM on February 16, 2014


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posted by wiskunde at 4:45 PM on February 16, 2014


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posted by neushoorn at 4:26 AM on February 17, 2014


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posted by radwolf76 at 7:26 AM on February 17, 2014


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