Farewell My Muppets Show

Today the MY MUPPETS SHOW game/app is no longer available for downloading or play. I really enjoyed this game, but they stopped any updates with it about 8 months ago, so it really shouldn't be surprising. It was a fun game, though. Below are some screen shots I took of my game. I had gotten pretty high up and there wasn't much left for me to do, but I was trying to round all my diamond, cash, and food up to a nice even number.

Muppets Toyota Super Bowl Commerical

This Toyota Super Bowl commercial makes me want to buy a Toyota. A car commercial has never done that to me before.

Rocky Horror Muppet Show

 
"Bizarro" Sunday, April 14, 2013

House of Swine and Frog*

This comic illustrates much of what I feel about THE MUPPETS.

*--HijiNKS ENSUE   Nov. 29, 2011

A Word About THE MUPPETS Movie

I believe I've mentioned this before and I'm sure I'll mention it again at some point, but I was partially "raised" by The Muppets. What I mean by that is that I watched a lot of Muppets growing up: SESAME STREET (it used to actually be good tv), THE MUPPET SHOW, FRAGGLE ROCK, and THE STORYTELLER. All those shows had Muppets (and in most cases Jim Henson had a hand in designing them in some way). I think THE MUPPET SHOW was my favorite. It was this sweet show with a huge heart that never spoke down to kids. The humor of THE MUPPET SHOW was classic humor: it's the type of stuff they used to do on vaudeville, radio, and in the golden age of television. Sometimes the humor was subtle, sometimes it was corny, but it was humor that people from every age and walk of life could enjoy. You don't see that very much anymore. Jokes are beaten to the point they are dead and the humor isn't even humor anymore. In short, THE MUPPET SHOW was full of wit and in our current cultural landscape, wit has been forgotten.

THE MUPPETS is a movie all about bringing back wit in this forgotten age. It's about friends, family, and finding your place in the world. It's a movie that dares to threaten the void that is our cultural landscape and shout, "Hey, you think you're funny? You're not funny. This is funny!" At the same time, there is a thread of irony that runs through the film. All through the movie Kermit and the gang question themselves that, perhaps, they really aren't relevant anymore. As the villain of the film proudly boasts, the world has moved on since the Muppets last were popular (the last Muppet movie was MUPPETS IN SPACE released in the summer of 1999-I can tell you where I was when I saw it and even give you the location of the theatre). The world's a much more dark, sinister, and dangerous place. No planes had flown into skyscrapers when a Muppet movie last played in movie theatres. In 1999, unemployment in the U.S. hovered around 4%, the lowest it had been in 30 years and the longest war in U.S. history was still that conflict in Vietnam (Afghanistan, where's that?).

Yet, though this is a darker and more dangerous world, there still is goodness. The Muppets are good, they are joyful, and they are hopeful. We can all do with a lot more of that in our lives.

Muppet T-Shirt I Designed

This summer I came across a link that was having a Muppet T-shirt design contest. The winner would receive not only some free T-shirts with his or her design on it, but a Muppet prize pack that included some cds and free passes to THE MUPPETS (which opens next week). Here's a look at process I went about creating the design for my shirt.

 

I began by free sketching this from some pictures of Fozzy, Kermit, and Gonzo that I found on the Internet.

 It took awhile, but using the scanner on my inexpensive printer and Paint, this was the design I came up with. It's very simple, cartoony, and childlike and that's the vibe I was wanting. The Muppets have never been about class and looking good.

The t-shirt people wanted a second background for each shirt, so this was the background color I chose for that option.

 The final product would have looked something like this.


Unfortunately, my T-shirt didn't even get the opportunity to be voted on. There was a deadline for the contest and I did get my entry in about three days before that deadline. However, a day after submitting my entry, I received an email informing me that my design wasn't even going to be put up for a vote because it didn't look "professional" enough and was too amateur.

I didn't have the tools, time, or capability of submitting something that was more professional and refined, so I didn't get to submit an entry.

Happy Halloween from The Muppets!

Less than a month before THE MUPPETS is in theatres! It's the movie I've been looking forward to seeing the most all year.

Final THE MUPPETS trailer

Here's the final THE MUPPETS trailer. This is a movie I've been waiting over a decade to see. Anyone want to see it with me on my birthday?

New THE MUPPETS Trailer

This is going to be such a good movie.

Being Green Muppets Trailer

I'm really excited about this movie. Only five more months!

The Muppets Lord of the Flies

"Pop Culture Shock Therapy" June 13, 2011

The Return of the Muppets!

I am so excited to see this movie!

Kermit the Frog Under the Pressure

It's amazing what you'll come across on the Internet. I came across this video yesterday because I'm a sucker for the Muppets, particularly Kermit the Frog. The video appears to be a homeless man performing to earn a little money.

In actuality, the "homeless man" is an actor and puppeteer who filmed the video with a filmmaker friend to raise awareness and money for homeless people. You can find an interview with the two men on the CNN website that gives the inside scoop. It's a great little video and it's easy to see why it's gone viral.

The SESAME STREET Controversy or How Elmo Destroyed SESAME STREET

Sesame Street is in the midst of a controversy right now. Some footage of singer Katy Perry singing a cleaned-up version of her song "Hot N Cold" with Elmo was released before the episode aired. A lot of parents saw the footage and complained, basically, that there was too much of Perry's cleavage showing. Sesame Street has now decided to pull the segment altogether. This has raised some controversy because in recent years the show has parodied such adult cable shows as True Blood and Mad Men and people didn't really complain about that. I don't think there were as many complaints about those shows for two reasons.

The first is that many parents of younger children don't really know what True Blood or Mad Men are. Those shows are cable shows and a lot of people with children don't have much time to devote to tv, especially shows that appear on premium cable networks (you have to pay more money each month to get AMC and even more for HBO). I know that those shows are available on DVD and members of those shows have graced numerous magazine covers, appeared on countless talk shows, and have multitudes of websites devoted to their characters. Still, unless you're an entertainment junkie or work in the industry, if you're a parent you really don't have much time for such drivel. You're too busy going to work, raising your kids, and taking care of your home. The shows you watch are probably mostly animated cartoons and educational shows. The magazines you read, if any, are more likely to be Good Parenting instead of Entertainment Weekly. The websites you visit are probably have lots of info about child-rearing and basic medical advice, not fan websites. You just don't have time so when you see a segment on Sesame Street called "True Mud" that's about a grouch who wants mud for a mud bath, you probably think, "That's kind of lame. I don't remember Oscar ever taking a mud bath. That wasn't a very good segment." You then never think anything of it. Now, if you happened to be an entertainment junkie or worked in the business, then when you see such a segment you would probably think it was clever, but risque for Sesame Street. Except, if you're a woman who watches one of those shows.

Which brings me to point two. The audiences of shows like True Blood and Mad Men are mostly women (around 70%). People get very attached to their tv shows. I can remember as a kid my Mom was addicted for awhile to Days of Our Lives. Heck, even my grandma had a soap opera she used to watch all of the time until she forced herself to break that addiction. I've never missed an episode of Survivor. I get it. When you become attached to a particular show, you become protective of it. The majority of the people who watch True Blood are women so if you happen to have a child and are watching Sesame Street when a segment called "True Mud" airs, you're probably going to think, "Oh, how cute. They're parodying True Blood. How clever of Sesame Street." Since you're a fan of the True Blood, you know it's not a show that kids have any business watching and that even a parody of it shouldn't be airing on Sesame Street, but since you're a fan of the show you call it cute and clever.

Katy Perry is a pop singer who appears all over the place. She's doesn't appear for just a few weeks on a premium cable show. She's all on the talk shows, both morning and late night, of all the major networks. Her videos are some of the few that still play on MTV. She's seen on VH-1 and sang a song at the Kid's Choice Awards on Nickleodeon. Her face has been on all kinds of magazines. But, Katy Perry is female and for whatever reason, a lot of females seem threatened by her. So when Katy Perry appears on Sesame Street wearing a dress that female ice-skaters wear, people complain.

Personally, I think it's all a crock. Sesame Street shouldn't be doing parodies of "True Blood" or "Mad Men" and even if she is a pop-singer sensation, Katy Perry shouldn't ever appear on the show. I grew up with the Muppets. Some of my favorite shows of all time were The Muppet Show, Jim Henson's The Storyteller, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street. The stuff that appears on Sesame Street now would never have even aired on a children's show. It might have gotten some play on The Muppet Show, but definitely not Sesame Street. Sesame Street was a safe place. Guest stars were actually rare on the show. The cast of characters was relatively small, just a few humans and a handful or two regular Muppets. Oh, and Cookie Monster ate cookies, not fruits and vegetables.

I think that changed whenever Elmo came on the scene. He's extremely annoying and somewhat obnoxious. He's the Barney Fife of the Sesame Street universe. Elmo didn't exist when I watched Sesame Street and I'm convinced the nature of the show changed when he came onto the scene. Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, and the Count all had to step into the background and let Elmo take the spotlight. And take it he did, Elmo is all over Sesame Street now. Quite frankly, I think Elmo is representative of a great deal that's wrong with education and child-rearing in America. Elmo is allowed to run rampant all over the place. Sure, he's good-natured, polite, and tries to do the right thing, but he keeps popping up in places he shouldn't be. Elmo shouldn't be the center of attention. He shouldn't have his own segment and appear in the majority of the regular Sesame Street segments. He should be contained, disciplined so to speak. Instead, he's pretty much been given free reign, just like a lot of the kids in America today.

Anyway, last year while watching the three-year old son of a good friend of mine, I watched the first episode of Sesame Street that I had seen in over a decade. I was flabbergasted. The show had several regular features, including "Elmo's World", that were basically like mini- episodes. There was very little original animation and there were way too many guest stars (not including the "Elmo's World" actors there were 3 guest stars on the show that day). The quaint, simplistic, educational show of my childhood was gone. It remained in name only. The soul had been sucked away, replaced by a vapid void of hyperactivity and listlessness. And that is why Sesame Street now parodies a show like True Blood.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence, America! To help celebrate here's a couple of good videos. The first is a sequence from ABC News about Frank Buckles, the last living American WWI veteran. The video is from a year ago when Frank was 108. He is now 109.

The second video is of some of the Muppets performing the "Stars and Strips Forever". There's very little more American than Muppets and John Philip Sousa.

The Muppets and "Stand By Me"

"Stand By Me" is my favorite song of all time. I'm also a huge fan of the Muppets. I came across this video today and loved it. It's hilarious. The Muppets are back and it's good to see.

Merry Christmas (With the Muppets)

Last night Jimmy Fallon had the Muppets make a guest appearance on his show where they sang "The 12 Days of Christmas".  What many people may not realize is that this singing sketch is done almost exactly as it was with the Muppets back in a 1979 tv special with John Denver. The only differences being that some of the parts are sung by different Muppets and instead of John Denver, there's Jimmy Fallon. You can see the original sketch on Youtube. The Jimmy Fallon version from last night is below. Enjoy and have a very merry Christmas!

Return of the Muppets

I grew up on the Muppets and Jim Henson is only one of two public figures I have ever mourned for after their death. THE MUPPET SHOW, SESAME STREET, FRAGGLE ROCK, and JIM HENSON'S THE STORYTELLER were all shows I devoured when I watched them. Other than a short show on the Disney Channel, however, the Muppets have basically been nothing more than merchandise pushing machines hocking everything from Pizza Hut pizza to fancy jewelery.  About a week ago, a Muppet version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was posted on YouTube and it went viral almost instantly.  The video is the supposed to be the first of a series featuring the Muppets to be released between now and the end of 2010. A new music album is supposed to be released next year as well as a new Muppet feature length film, THE CHEAPEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE. That makes me happy.

The Show I'm Directing

I'm directing a play this October. The show is 12 ANGRY MEN. A friend of mine sent me the link to the following video. It's a wonderful preview. This video really captures the essence of what the play is about. Maybe it could even change your life.

I Hope That Something Better Comes Along

"I Hope That Something Better Comes Along"
written by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams

(Rowlf & Kermit--both voiced by Jim Henson--sing their laments about women after Miss Piggy just walked out on her date with Kermit)

Rowlf: Evenin' Rowlf. Rowlf the Dog. Sit yourself down.

Kermit: Kermit. Kermit the Frog.

Rowlf: Please to meet ya.(Rowlf plays a rapid musical scale across the piano's keys)

Rowlf: I'm no Heifetz, but I get by.

Kermit: That was...that was very nice.(Rowlf notices Kermit's sad mood)

Rowlf: Whoa, hey, broken heart, right?

Kermit: Does it show?

Rowlf: Listen, when you've been tickling the ivories as long as I have, you've seen a broken heart for every drop of rain, a shattered dream for every fallen star!

Kermit: Exactly. She just walked out on me.

Rowlf: Ah, typical. That's why I live alone.

Kermit: You do, huh?

Rowlf: (starts the song's intro) Yep. I finish work, go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk and go to bed.

Kermit: Nice and simple.

Rowlf: Stay away from women. That's my motto.

Kermit: But I can't.

Rowlf: Neither can I. That's my trouble...

Rowlf:You can't live with 'em, you can't live without 'em.There's somethin' irresistabullish about 'em.We grin and bear it 'cause the nights are long.I hope that somethin' better comes along.
Kermit: (spoken): Yeah, I know what you mean...
Kermit:It's no good complainin' and pointless to holler.
Rowlf:If she's a beauty she'll get under your collar.
Kermit:She made a monkey out of old King Kong,
Both:I hope that somethin' better comes along.
Rowlf:Ah, but what could be better than a saucy Irish setterWhen puppy love comes on strong?Or a collie that's classy, a laddie needs a lassie,A lover and wife gives you a new leash on life.
Kermit: (spoken): Uh, Rowlf, was that a new 'leash' on life?
Rowlf: (spoken): Oh yeah...sorry about that.
Kermit:I don't mean to scare ya, my friend, but I betchaCome "Father's Day", the litter bug's gonna getcha;
Rowlf:The urge is righteous, but the face is wrong.
Both:I hope that somethin' better comes along.
Kermit:Still, it's fun when they're fetching,And agree to see an etchingThat you keep at your lily pad.There is no solution, it's part of evolution,
Rowlf:The pitter-patter of soles,The little feet of tadpoles!
Kermit: (spoken) Ah, Rowlf, tadpoles don't have feet!
Rowlf: (spoken) Oh. Sorry about that.... 2, 3, 4!
Kermit:There's no limitation to mixin' and matchin'
Rowlf:Some get an itchin' for a critter they've been scratchin'.A skunk was badgered the results were strong.
Both:I hope that somethin' better,I hope that somethin' better,I hope that somethin' better comes along!!!
Rowlf: Beep bop bidder da dum dum bum bum bum!
Rowlf: (spoken): It's not often you see a guy that green have the blues that bad!