When I started preparing to blog about The Muppets, it was to be a post for last fall. It was early November when I was so moved by this episode about Kermit overcoming anxiety and finding a way to decompress. Throughout the series there were many nods to Jim Henson and the legacy he created, but this one episode seemed to particularly focus on Muppets history. The girl Kermit was seeing gave him some flowers that she pointed out as the state flower where Kermit's from (They were Magnolias. Guess who was from Mississippi.). Kermit consults with Rowlf (another one of Henson's oldest Muppet characters). After learning about finding a way to relax, he rebuilt his Los Angeles backyard into a swamp and played "Rainbow Connection". I wanted to apply my own artistic style to this blog post, and as a starving artist, other matters got in the way.
When the show came back from its winter hiatus, the format seemed a little different. They were trying to win over youth support. I feel that the problem was that my generation (and younger people) were more familiar with Muppets playing other characters, and rarely see them as performers at work. I'd like to think that Aziz Ansari's PR character overstepping his bounds in trying to build ratings was a light hearted joke about the dire situation.
When I was born, Sesame Street had been on the air for fifteen years, and the original Muppet Show (a series about puppets creating a vaudeville style variety show) had already run its course. I was almost one month old when the Muppets Take Manhattan came out (I came upon it through VHS). There were successful Henson shows like Sesame Street, Muppet Babies, and Fraggle Rock that while great products, seemed to reinforce the idea that Muppets only were for children. There are people who still revere the Jim Henson Company's contributions to Star Wars, the Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Dark Crystal, and Never-ending Story, but I feel like it's a select few who can recognize the Grover-ness in Yoda's voice when Frank Oz is at the mic. In the 90's, there some swings, misses, hits, and home runs. Despite the heartbreaking finale of Dinosaurs, the company focused on lightened interpretations of novels and a more all ages version of the Muppet Show which aired on ABC's TGIF. The short-lived Muppets Tonight was entertaining, but it wasn't as strong as its predecessor. There was no Vincent Price or Alice Cooper, no Milton Berle providing lyrics to "the Entertainer", or Mummenschanz. I've heard that the original Muppet Show had reruns on cable (many of us didn't have TNT or Nickelodeon back then). While I loved the Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, these were more like stage productions that we only saw from the seats. With the movies, we were watching the stories depicted by our favorite actors (who in a meta way were played by our true favorite actors). We grew up less able to open our eyes to the possibility that those actors had lives when not playing another character (when Kermit isn't playing Bob Cratchit for example). There was a Muppets from Space and a Muppets take on the Wizard of Oz, but let's not pretend that those movies was on par with Jim's films.
In 2004, Disney acquired the rights to the Muppet characters, and production department called the Muppets Studio was established. There were music videos where the Muppets would cover songs like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". The first three seasons of the original Muppet Show were released on DVD, and I couldn't believe how awesome it was. I was one of those illustration students watching Animal and Rita Moreno play "Fever", I embraced the optical illusion when Muppet ghosts sang the Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You", and I got to watch the special features where Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the crew are meticulously planning out each show. It was a few years later that the Muppets Studio began a big resurgence. In 2008, the Muppets had a wonderful holiday special on ABC (there was a bear joke that I doubt younger viewers would understand). Then, cast members of Sesame Street had appearances on Scrubs after ABC picked up Bill Lawrence's medical sitcom. Then, it was in the Muppets, a movie co-written by and starring Jason Segel where we followed a Muppet who felt (no pun intended) out of place in human society. In 2014, there was the Muppets Most Wanted with Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, and Ricky Gervais. Not only were these productions shaking off the rust and portraying the Muppets as performers in their own right, but people of all ages could relate to the story. By the way, who doesn't love Tina Fey's "the Big House" performance?
But... then... Disney and Bill Prady tried making a workplace comedy about the Muppets. It was like a modern take on the Muppets' old variety show, but following the NBC workplace mockumentaries (the Office, 30 Rock, and Parks & Rec), the Muppets allowed a documentary crew to follow their lives behind the scenes. Fozzy had a girlfriend whose parents didn't approve of their relationship, Gonzo moved in with Rizzo and Pepé after a fight with Carmella the chicken, and scandalously Kermit broke up with Miss Piggy. People are still talking about how shocking the breakup was (as if these two characters were real celebrities). Unbelievably, life was imitating art. People hated that Miss Piggy was portrayed as an insecure diva that the world's favorite frog couldn't always tolerate, BUT THAT"S WHO SHE"S ALWAYS BEEN, dating back to her earliest performances. This mockumentary was pulling back the curtain to display what could be behind the scenes, and people were resenting the show for doing so.
In my eyes, this was a masterful idea. I would nerd out with some friends (one my age, and one's a retired chaplain who loves puppetry) over what's being done with the Muppet Show. And... the "Rainbow Connection" episode moved me to tears.
Last Thursday, the series got cancelled (something even us fans could see coming). I really hope the Muppets dust themselves off and continue with this muppetry Renaissance. "Avenue Q" has shown that adults can embrace sophisticated puppet shows directed towards them. But, the American viewers may not be ready for a modern answer to the Muppets Show. David Grohl jamming with Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem is not enough to keep a show on the air if the prime demographic's refusing to watch. I look forward to another Muppets movie now that I've seen the kind of work that can be created. Maybe, a series can be developed for the European market before reaching the America's (Jim Henson turned to London when the American TV industry was doubtful about Primetime puppet show). I also really enjoyed the Jim Henson Company's reality TV competitions and the Thanksgiving movie that premiered on Lifetime channel last year. Mainstream Henson Company shows still seem primarily directed towards children's programing, but I've been reading about the "Henson Alternative" banner. Though I don't have Fusion Channel anymore, I'm able to watch No, You Shut Up! (like a puppets and humans answer to the Daily Show) and there's a surreal web series called Neil's Puppet Dreams.
So, have fun, and enjoy these puppet shows no matter what your age. Me? I'm going to continue to support both Muppets Studio and the Jim Henson Company in the ways that I can and enjoy what their productions.
