Kevin Clash is the puppeteer of Sesame Street's Elmo. He's an African American who spent his childhood in "Chocolate City" Baltimore. He fell in love with puppets and the art of puppeteering. He made his own puppets doing his shows. With the help of his mother, he contacted Jim Henson and found a mentor in legendary puppet maker Kermit Love. He worked on Captain Kangaroo which ended in 1984. He worked for Henson on Labyrinth and Sesame Street. Soon, he began to perform as Elmo.This is an insightful look at the world of puppeteering. It is a world I never really thought about. It's interesting to see the puppets being made. It doesn't dig too deeply into his personal life and I noticed it even before the scandal. While this movie is an insightful in its area, there was a bigger human story that only got a passing mention. There are the race issue and the homosexual issue. The filmmakers simply dropped the ball. Sesame Street is very progressive and I wonder if the filmmakers failed to see the tree for the forest. He's a gay black man who was married but they thought it wouldn't matter on a kids show since it's the progressive Sesame Street. Maybe it's the lawsuits that broke the camel's back but the filmmakers should have realized that there is a story there before that.

"(He's) a six year old's Brad Pitt" proclaims a father of two whose kids get the once in a lifetime chance to meet Elmo, the Sesame Street puppet. You can see the smile on the kids' faces as they are simply entranced with meeting one of the most recognizable characters in Television history, right up there with Homer Simpson and Spongebob Squarepants. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey revolves around Kevin Clash, an optimistic soul who has wanted to be a puppeteer since his youth, and achieved untold greatness along with the everlasting support of his parents and his family.I realize how cliché that sounds, but the documentary shows us how parental encouragement and motivation can push us through rigid and unforgivable instances. Clash's main point of criticism at a young age was he liked to play with dolls and showed little to no interest in sports or athletes. To him, the real heroes were those who communicated with children through puppets. Instead of idolizing Micky Mantle, he idolized Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppet characters.Clash spent hours perfecting his puppets, but was greatly limited in resources. Nowadays, when going to hobby stores and collector outlets, just about anything can be made. All it takes is imagination and persistency. Doll houses, bracelets, and crafts of all shapes and sizes can be made. The possibilities are endless, and thanks to the internet, it can play a huge role in collecting the items needed. But when growing up in humble Baltimore, with very little spending money, things like softer, more versatile fabric and fleece weren't accessible to Clash. He had to make due with the minimal equipment he had. When sifting through old puppets with a friend, he finds one that has the wrong color thread sewn to the mouth.It wasn't long before his puppet shows for the neighbors paid off, when Clash got to meet and work with his idol, Jim Henson, on a number of different shows and skits. Alas, this all lead up to his role of Elmo. Before Clash, Elmo's character was rowdy and ill-behaved. It wasn't until he got a hold of him and made the character bleed with charisma, silliness, and his most pivotal trait, love and happiness, did the true Elmo begin to see the light. Seeing the character as wacky and as silly as ever in the documentary brought a grand amount of emotion to me, especially in the third act. The character doesn't show an ounce of dislike for anybody, and seems to show the more limitless side of Clash himself. One person in the documentary explains that he believes Elmo is how Clash truly wants to act, but doesn't want to endure all the strangeness that will rub off on his coworkers. His solution is to project his feelings onto a puppet that is instantly recognizable and insanely lovable.Whenever I think of Elmo, my mind sails off on a tangent back when I was two years old. Every kid watched Sesame Street. I think that was almost a federal mandate. This was around that time the "Tickle Me Elmo" dolls were becoming increasingly popular, and clerks and customers alike were being trampled because people were scrambling to buy one for their children. My mom even said there were ads in the classified sections selling dolls for upwards of $200. My uncle won an "Elmo" doll in a drawing at K-Mart and was given it in seclusion in a shoebox, so as not to be mugged or conspicuous when walking out the door. I was given it on, what I believe, was my birthday. My mom turned the doll on, and it began shaking and laughing repeatedly. I was shaking and crying repeatedly. I was terrified of the doll, as I hated toys that moved and spoke. I'm sure my uncle was just overjoyed with my reaction.As far as the documentary itself goes, it's a whimsical event, but a short one at that, clocking in at roughly seventy-two minutes minus credits. It feels thin, unfinished, and slightly underdeveloped. We only learn about Clash's journey with Elmo towards the end of the documentary, and the film seems to gloss over specific parts such as Elmo's popularity, his fans of all ages, and just in pop culture in general. One can say this was more about Clash's life, but a small segment on how his popularity has spread like wildfire would've been appreciated. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful documentary, projecting light on a character we all know, and the puppeteer, whose name, at first, doesn't ring any bells.Starring: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rosie O'Donnell. Directed by: Constance Marks.

There are many things in life that happens that we're not aware off. Just like magic; sometimes revealing the trick behind the show takes away some of the amazement we feel. I gotta tell you right now: this is not one of those times.You'll see the common subjects documentaries are made off: the beginnings, the struggle, the breakthrough. But somehow, even if you're aware you're gonna see something special regarding the life of Mr. Clash, it'll take you by surprise. There's this vibe of amazement, seeing the world of the Muppets thru the eyes of Kevin Clash that makes us feel part of it. I have to confess, I'm kind of a cynical man and still found me shedding some tears at certain moments during the movie, not regarding his life, but seeing the kids and watching him being Elmo.Do yourself a favor: watch this movie with your loved ones. I assure you you'll run to your drawers to make a sock puppet.

I knew Kevin in High School (Dundalk Sr High) back in Baltimore County Maryland, although he probably doesn't remember me. We were in music class together and he was I think, 2 years ahead of me. Nobody in our school could say anything negative about Kevin. From day one, he was hard working and driven, but also the sweetest, kindest and funniest boy in class.I remember a school concert once, the chorus was on stage sitting on the risers and Kevin was in front of us; but behind the piano with some of his own puppet creations. Kevin was putting on a short show for the audience when he accidentally hit his head (fairly hard) on the back of the piano. Teenagers, being what they are, started laughing and giggling behind Kevin, but the audience had no idea what had happened. We could tell Kevin was hurting, the gestures his body was making behind that piano emphasized his discomfort in a very comical way. Kevin continued on with his show without missing a beat, a puppet change or a line of dialogue. Even at that age, he was a professional.Kevin played one of the leads in our schools production of "Guys and Dolls", he was Skye Masterson. I think every girl in the High School fell at least a little in love with Kevin during that show. You may know Kevin as the voice of Elmo and other puppet characters, but when he sings, EVERYONE stops to listen! I'm proud to have known Kevin, even if it was just in passing. I enjoy telling people, "I went to High School with Elmo" and watching their reactions as I proudly tell them about Kevin. Kevin Clash's life story is truly an inspiration. Though there might have been a few rough spots here and there, Kevin is proof that anyone, no matter what their circumstances, can make their dreams come true.