---
title: Puppet wranglers want a fair deal
description: Puppet wranglers say they’re unfairly treated compared to puppeteers, despite being the true puppet experts.
---

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# [Puppet wranglers want a fair deal](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/03222022-puppet-wranglers)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Mar 22, 2022 8:24:19 AM

Puppetry seems like a jovial profession, but per [*The Hollywood Reporter*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-jim-henson-company-craftspeople-unsafe-work-conditions-1235111978/), it’s anything but for some employees.

The Jim Henson Company is the biggest name in puppetry — there’d be no Muppets without it. But its puppet wranglers say they’ve been unfairly treated for years and are pushing to unionize.

#### **What exactly is a puppet wrangler?**

They not only build puppets, but [act](http://puppetgarage.com/puppet-services.html) as their hair, makeup, costume, and props department. A 2018 Market Watch [video](https://www.marketwatch.com/video/this-is-what-it-like-to-be-a-sesame-street-puppet-wrangler/6AC6CAE5-CF7D-4F91-9A50-007AE104B423.html) shows a busy “Sesame Street” wrangler repairing and touching up puppets on set.

The job is so specified that there are ~25 full-time wranglers worldwide, yet they’ve never had a union.

Wranglers told *THR* that they’re often seen as “lesser than” puppeteers, who are members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s union for performers.

#### **But that’s not their only complaint:**

- Many wranglers are considered freelance and receive no benefits (they would receive guild benefits if they unionized)
- They work with potentially hazardous materials — a SAG-AFTRA safety consultant told *THR* that The Henson Company doesn’t hold proper safety seminars
- Builds are often understaffed, underfunded, and disorganized

The Henson Company — now headed by founder Jim Henson’s children, Brian and Lisa Henson — has denied these accusations via its attorneys.

#### **While a union could solve some of the alleged issues…**

… it’s not clear which one the wranglers would join.

SAG would put them with puppeteers. But others feel like they should go into a craft union with costumers, while still others think a props union would be best.

There are pros and cons to each, but given [recent concerns](https://thehustle.co/09232021-hollywood-unions-streaming/) around Hollywood’s working conditions, insiders say it’s the perfect time to finally negotiate.

**BTW: **A puppet wrangler [explains](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvWD5A02yA) how the puppets in Broadway’s “Avenue Q” work.

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/03222022-puppet-wranglers)

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