Forum:Left-handed puppeteers

Forums: Index > Article Content > Left-handed puppeteers

Participation in the Muppet Wiki Forums requires a full understanding of the Rules and Etiquette.

Is there any value in sandboxing a list of puppeteers who perform left-handed? Here's what we've got:

Louise Gold
Jennifer Barnhart
Megan Piphus
honorary mention: Matt Vogel is left-handed, but puppeteers with his right hand

It's a very short list right now, but kind of interesting. —Scott (talk) 11:50, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

There's also:

Terry Angus [1] [2] [3]
Mike Quinn [4] [5]
Don Austen
Martin P. Robinson (ambidextrous) -- seen writing with left hand in A&E Bio
Jerry Nelson (for Two-Headed Monster and several season 18 episodes) - Episode 2291, Episode 2341

They're a rarity, but I think it's worth pointing out. Jen Barnhart also talked about left-handed performers in the Facebook puppeteer video a couple of years ago, I believe. -- Tony (talk) 12:49, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

The performers I linked all have pictures or citations to back up the left-handed claim. I don't see anything for those in your list, Tony. —Scott

(talk) 12:54, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

I'll include links and citations above wherever I can find them. As for Don Austen, the only stuff I could find is performances online with John Eccleston. Will this do? -- Tony (talk) 13:25, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

Cool, thanks! How do we know Jerry Nelson performed left-handed? —Scott

(talk) 13:38, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

There's video for the Two-Headed Monster (Street Gang doc), but for the two cited episodes the only thing to back it up is from the episodes themselves. Both cited above are on YouTube, but I don't know if it'll be enough. -- Tony (talk) 13:42, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

Might also be worth adding a bit to the page about how the abundance of right-handed puppeteers results in a lot of left-handed characters. It's a common "trivia" thing that you see pop-up places (i.e. "did you know most Muppets are left-handed?"); the Muppets even tweeted about it on left-handers day. -- BradFraggle (talk) 14:11, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

Another honorary mention: Caroll Spinney, for the first two weeks of Sesame Street (before the set change). -- Tony (talk) 22:05, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

I thought I heard (and it might be in one of the linked sources) that Terry Angus is right handed but performs with his left hand. --Minor muppetz (talk) 01:08, 19 September 2021 (UTC)

I think anybody who performs the right half of the Two-Headed Monster would be performing that half with their left hand. --Minor muppetz (talk) 01:10, 19 September 2021 (UTC)

Not always; "Two-Headed Monster Feelings Song", for example. -- Tony (talk) 02:07, 19 September 2021 (UTC)