Our Empowerment

Kevin Clash

Kevin Clash provides the distinctive voice for Elmo, the immensely popular Muppet character introduced on "Sesame Street" in the 1980s. Told to provide a voice for Elmo soon after joining Sesame Street as a puppeteer, Clash came up with Elmo's distinctive voice and laugh, turning the puppet into one of the show's most popular characters. It also netted Clash an Emmy Award.

BORN
September 17, 1960 in Baltimore, Maryland.

CAREER
Clash began making puppets when he was 10, having been a "Sesame Street" fan from early childhood. He began performing with his puppets at age 12 in his neighborhood, later taking his act to Baltimore's Harborplace. Local Baltimore television personality Stu Kerr spotted Clash and hired him for his show, "Caboose." In 1979, he began working for national television shows like "The Great Space Coaster" and "Captain Kangaroo." His work came to the attention of Muppet designer Kermit Love, and he joined the cast of "Sesame Street" full-time in 1985. At that time, the Elmo character existed, but his character did not emerge until Clash was given the task to develop it. Clash gave Elmo a falsetto voice and a sweet, curious outlook on the world, and soon Elmo was one of the most popular characters on "Sesame Street." Clash also contributed his voice to the "Tickle Me Elmo" doll, a marketing sensation during the 1996 Christmas season. The toys disappeared from store shelves as soon as they appeared, and tales of parents going to great lengths to acquire a doll became a footnote to the season. Clash also was executive producer for the film "Elmopalooza," (1998) co-producer for "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" (1999) and co-executive producer for "CinderElmo" (1999) and "Elmo's World." Clash's other Muppet characters include Hoots, Natasha and many others from "Sesame Street," Leon from "The Jim Henson Hour" and Clifford from "The Jim Henson Hour" and "Muppets Tonight." He also works as a talent scout for Jim Henson Productions.

AWARDS
Nominated several times for an Emmy, Clash took home the award in 1990 for outstanding performer in a children's series. He won again in 2001 for his work as co-executive producer of "Sesame Street."

PERSONAL
Clash has a 9-year-old daughter, Shannon Elyse Clash.

Elmo gets more outrageous when you "tickle" him a second time, and the fun really starts with the third "tickle" session Ten years later, T.M.X. Elmo (the X stands for 10) was unveiled to the world on Good Morning America on September 19. The most secretly guarded toy of the pre-holiday season, if not all time, T.M.X. Elmo was shown only to a few toy-industry insiders prior to his release. This secrecy didn't stop thousands of pre-orders from piling up. Though now that all is known, the obvious question is: Does T.M.X. Elmo deserve the hype? When you first take him out of his box, T.M.X. Elmo doesn't seem all that grand. He looks after all, well, like Elmo. Covered in the soft red fur that one would expect from everyone's favorite Sesame Street character, T.M.X. Elmo stands an unimposing 14 inches tall. Even worse, he feels all hard and plasticy under his fur. But this Elmo is not meant for cuddles or hand holding or swaddling. This Elmo is all about tickles. Sit T.M.X. Elmo down and hit one of his three "tickle" spots. There's one under his chin, one on his belly, and one on top of his foot. Yes, this Elmo wiggles just like he did 10 years ago, but that's just the start. Elmo slaps his belly, falls forward with his butt sticking out, stands back up again only to topple backwards, kicks his legs over his belly, and then stands right back up, all while laughing hysterically. "Again! Again!" Elmo gets more outrageous when you "tickle" him a second time, and the fun really starts with the third "tickle" session. Elmo's fancy moves include falling over on his side, shimmying on his back, and what seems to be everyone's favorite: lying flat on his belly slapping the floor next to him as if he can’t stop laughing. This Elmo has a serious case of the giggles. His trademark voice builds into a fit of histrionics, endless snickers that drown out everything but an unintelligible cackle until even Elmo admits he has had too much. T.M.X Elmo requires 6 AA batteries, which are included, although these wore down quickly in our review copy. Elmo also has an on/off switch, so the tickles can be brought to an end when more than just Elmo has had too much. He moves a lot and needs a little open space for the full performance, although he does use his arm to determine his orientation periodically and stand back up if nothing is in the way. He gets a little stuck on uneven surfaces but for the most part performs amazingly well on carpet. On hardwood floors, Elmo works, but he occasionally slams his eyes on the floor in a way that seems it should halt the show. In the end, T.M.X. Elmo is undeniably a trooper. Early reviews show that this turbocharged version of Tickle Me Elmo will follow the stellar path enjoyed by his much simpler predecessor. --David Morel