Talk:Slim Wilson

Without a Mustache

I have noticed a few episodes that feature a character who resembles Slim Wilson, but the character doesn't have a mustache. This character appears as a bar patron in the "Last Dance" number in Episode 315: Lesley Ann Warren, as an austrailian in Episode 317: Spike Milligan, and as a cowboy hired to take care of the garbage in Episode 109: Garbage (and in that scene the character is referred to as Slim). What I'm wondering is, does anybody know if it's the same puppet, just without a mustache? I think that's the only difference, yet I also feel like the face is slightly different, but that could just be me. --Minor muppetz 03:05, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

I don't think this can really be answered without any visuals for comparison. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 22:01, 18 November 2008 (UTC)

Bringing this up again, here are two photos for comparrison.

I don't think these are the same puppet. The one on the left has a sheet foam made head (from a pattern), whereas the one on the right is clearly carved foam, he also has Fleet Scibblers body/arms attached to is body here Warrick 17:30, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Slim Wilson

The character on Jerry Nelson's left hand

Name

I'm not doubting the information, I'm just curious: In what episodes is this character called by name? The only citation is that he's called Slim Wilson in Episode 322: Roy Rogers & Dale Evans. -- Scott Hanson (talk) 14:36, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Also, I could ask the same of Lou. -- Scott Hanson (talk) 22:59, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Aren't they mentioned in the tracklist for the Muppet Show Music Album? -- Jog 23:37, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

I'd believe it if someone said so. That could also just be an affection to the performers. If the characters didn't have names, I could see the album producers, or the sheet music supervisor, or whoever, throwing that in there because that's who was singing it. Are there any on-screen references? -- Scott Hanson (talk) 23:45, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Nope, never mentioned anywhere else. It's just another case like Fred the Dragon and Hippie Grump, or Boppity. Once the names got known around the fanbase, they kinda got stuck. -- Jog 23:53, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Except does Hippie Grump even exist in the fanbase? It seemed like just Tony's nomenclature, whereas Boppity and Fred are at least implied in dialogue. Although it does occur to me that, like Lyle the Dog, Jerry and Lou may well have been official names even if they were never mentioned onscreen. At some point we should probably try to contact a Henson person about it. Andrew Leal (talk) 00:04, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

I've uploaded a video citing his name as Slim Wilson. -- Scott Hanson (talk) 04:09, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

So why don't we call this page Slim Wilson? It's the only actual name we hear. Nelson already has two characters named Jerry and Little Jerry -- I don't see why he needs a third. -- Danny (talk) 04:26, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

That's what I'm thinking. I don't think he was ever called Jerry on-screen, and "Jerry and Lou" on the album are an affection to the performers. Slim Wilson is the only evidence for a name for this character. Unless someone has something else on it. We'll wait a little bit and see, but I'm willing to bet the case for his name is what I think it is. -- Scott Hanson (talk) 13:36, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

If we do change it, then the "Jerry and Lou" credit is worth noting on the page. I didn't realize that was where the names came from; that's cute. By the way, just as another example, "Kevin Clash" is credited on the Splish Splash CD for "Take Care of That Smile". I presume he's not playing a character named Kevin Clash. -- Danny (talk) 14:04, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Oh, ditto for "Jerry Nelson" singing "Frog Struggle Song" on Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown. -- Danny (talk) 14:08, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Excellent point. I've seen that elsewhere as well. But you have, like, sources and stuff. -- Scott Hanson (talk) 14:27, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

In the episode guides at Muppet Central, there are many points where the writer mentions things that happened in the scripts that were changed when the episodes were produced, as well as names that were listed in the scripts but never mentioned on-screen. I don't know if the writer for the guide had copies of the scripts or if they knew these things some other way, but in the Muppet Central episode page for Episode 217, it was said that Jerry was called "Jed" in the script (not clear on if he was called that in all scripts where his name needed to be mentioned or if it was just for that episode). Maybe this bit of info could be mentioned in this article. --Minor muppetz 21:52, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

If we can find a source for "Jed" in the script, it would be a nice anecdote to add. I'm glad we finally put this character's name to rest with a citation of his on-screen name. -- Scott (talk) 22:00, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

The episode guides were written by D.W. McKim. If he's got original scripts, then I wish he'd come join the wiki! -- Danny (talk) 22:02, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Ditto. Or, you could always buy one off of him on eBay for 300 bucks. -- Scott (talk) 22:20, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I've been meaning to get around to that. On the other hand, maybe not. -- Danny (talk) 22:24, 22 May 2006 (UTC)