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I am pleased to have a sweet guest post for today’s “Life & Times of Gen X” from Lee Skallerup Bessette, PhD. Lee keeps it going over at her site College Ready Writing, a blog about all things higher ed. She’s also active on Twitter.
During her downtime from preparing students as writers and users of the English language, Lee cheers for the Montreal Canadians. That’s hockey folks, and that’s an eduClaytion win. Of course, if her beloved Habs come back in round 1 they may end up against my Penguins. Yes, I remember that her team knocked my team out of the playoffs last year. No, I don’t want to talk about that.
But maybe the best thing I can say about Lee is that she loves her some Muppets. So do I. So should any true Gen X’er.
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I love the Muppets. Scratch that. I love Jim Henson.
As a Gen X’er, I was raised not only by Sesame Street but also The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, and (shudder) Muppet Babies. You can read about my love for Jim Henson and all things Muppet here, a post I wrote after visiting the travelling Henson exhibit in Chicago.
Muppet movies are awesome because the songs were great, the jokes were neither too smart nor too dumb, and the cameos were well-placed and hysterical without overwhelming the movie (I’m looking at you Muppets From Space!).
I fear that [writer & actor] Jason Segel will be fighting an uphill battle to meet the high standard Jim Henson created since meta (work of fiction in which characters know they’re in a work of fiction), irony, and celebrity mugging have become so commonplace in kids “entertainment.”
In honor of the upcoming Muppet Movie, let me run down my four favorite Muppet films. I know the new one’s already been written and shot, but I can only hope Segel took notes.
My all-time favorite is The Muppet Movie. I still pull it out when I am feeling down or depressed. The time-honored message of following your dreams, surrounding yourself with people who love and support you (no matter how weird they may be), and realizing that hard work and determination pay off just resonates with me when it comes from Kermit and Fozzy.
The movie is smart without being condescending. It’s totally meta, before I even knew or understood what meta meant (thanks Literature PhD!). Fozzy handing Dr. Teeth a copy of the script to get him caught up? Gold. Characters watching a movie about how they all met? The end of the movie is them making the movie that they’re watching! Seriously? Greater minds have devoted dissertations to novels this complex. But kids and adults loved it.
Close second is The Great Muppet Caper. When I first saw it, I didn’t really understand what was going on, and this spot was to be taken by The Muppets Take Manhattan. But Caper re-aired recently (thanks HUB!), and I was startled at how it has held up.
It could be viewed as camp with a British heist, girls who all look like they belong in either a Bond movie or Charlie’s Angels (not to mention a kick-a** Miss Piggy riding in on a motorcycle to save the day), and the 60’s throwback Happiness Hotel (in contrast to the excess of the late 1970s-early 1980s).
Kermit and Fozzy are news reporters who are sent to cover a major diamond heist. But the opening sequence is telling. They are singing about making a movie, starring everybody (and me!). They become the news, both in featuring themselves on the front page initially (fame!), then inserting themselves into the story by trying to solve and stop the next robbery (heroes!). If that isn’t a revelatory commentary of the current state of journalism, I don’t know what is.
Muppet Christmas Carol is the first movie produced after the death of Jim Henson. The shift in tone and style is marked. Gone is the winking, the meta quality, the subtle social commentary, and the celebrity cameos. In fact, the Muppets don’t even really star in the movie. Michael Cane as Scrooge is clearly the central character. One could argue that this movie is more tied to the Muppet tradition of adaptations, most disastrously seen in Hey, Cinderella! But A Muppet Christmas Carol isn’t trying to be a clever adaptation of an old classic; it is simply a straightforward one that happens to feature Muppets in some of the parts. One could imagine that it would be difficult to cast Kermit in a more prominent role seeing as how it clearly is no longer Jim Henson doing the voice (excuse me, I’m getting choked up).
They could not have picked a better actor than Michael Caine to carry the movie. Caine is Scrooge, and it doesn’t matter if he’s acting with Kermit, rats, or anything else. That’s why this is one of my favorite Muppet Movies; it doesn’t make a big deal about there being Muppets. (Reading the reviews from the early 1990s posted on the Muppet Wiki shows I am in the minority here.)
Finally, I submit to you Muppet Treasure Island. Perhaps not a traditional choice, but you begin to get a little bit of the clever winking and meta back from the old movies, while producing a loving adaptation of an old classic. Tim Curry in a dress, wearing fruit on his head, and singing “Cabin Fever”? Gateway drug to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, thank you very much!
Curry’s performance as Long John Silver, in opposition to Caine’s Scrooge, is completely over-the-top. And, it works. Everyone is freer to play in this movie than A Muppet Christmas Carol as Jim Henson’s death is no longer as fresh or raw. Everyone is having a great time. Perhaps because of that, the fourth wall comes down yet again, with characters commenting on the fact that, yes, indeed, this is a movie filled with talking puppets. Get on the ship and have a good time.
So, dear readers, if you wonder why I ended up throwing my life and career away by getting a PhD in literature, look no further than Jim Henson and his movies. He not only made me believe that dreams could come true, he also showed me that there was something valuable in the “old stories.” Not to mention that I knew that being meta was cool long before anyone else did. Is it any surprise I ended up in grad school?
What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever seen a Muppet do?
The Life & Times of Gen X is a weekly feature about life and pop culture during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. If you’d like to share your memories in this spot please reach me through the Contact page.
I always felt it was ridiculous for Miami having a hockey team(the Panthers). It’s like having orange groves in Wisconsin. I think dominoes have more fans than hockey here.
I love all things Muppet but the Fraggles were the best. I bought the DVD box set for my children (actually it was for me but they don’t need to know). The kids watched them (handled them, scratched them, bit them, stomped on them, etc) until they would no longer play.
I won’t let me kids do that to ours. Thankfully, HUB has Fraggle Rock on during the day. I stick’em on the DVR. But, yeah, they love them some Fraggles. And The Muppet Show. My daughter used to ask for the show by walking around waving her arms like they do at the beginning, singing, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.
I always wanted to try some of those Doozer constructions. The way the Fraggles chomped down on them, they must have been delicious.
The Fraggle Rock song is forever in my brain too
As a Gen-Xer, I think the Muppets died when Jim Henson died and Frank Oz left to become a director, but my kids don’t know the first thing about the Muppets. I can’t get them to watch Fraggle Rock, and they gave up on The Muppet Movie after about 10 minutes. So, if kids think the Jason Siegel reboot is funny, then the movie will be a hit, and the Muppets will be back in business. It won’t matter what we adults think about it.
I love the Muppets, shows and movies. They’ve been away for a while and the upcoming movie is the big attempt to revive the franchise. I’ll be interested to see what happens.
I love Muppets! My all time favorite Muppet movie has always been Muppets Take Manhattan. I felt sorry for them when they disbanded in the beginning and elated for them when they all get back together.
Hi Melissa and thanks for the comment. I think that’s my fave Muppet movie too. Rizzo is hilarious in that one. I watched it a few times one year when I was a kid.
I cry every time they sing saying goodbye. And laugh my butt off every time Piggy and Joan Rivers give each other make-overs.
We always watched The Muppet Show when I was a kid. It was on during prime-time, but both kids and adults loved it. There aren’t many shows on now that can walk that line.
I agree. I never watched the original broadcasts but saw most of them in syndication at some point. Loved the opening song every time!
I was a big fan of The Muppet Show, but for some reason I couldn’t get into the movies as much. Also was a Muppet Babies fan (because they did the same kind of weird stuff I did in my own private fantasy sequences.) For the record, I also think Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is one of the best band EVER.
I remember Muppet Babies. I watched a lot at some point. Must’ve been a Saturday morning thing. I can’t remember too many specifics. Always loved Beaker though.
Ok, way to mention Fraggle Rock-LOVE! I must say that I loved the Muppet Babies as well. I hope that shudder was one of pure bliss at the memory of the awesomeness that was Muppet Babies!
Hey Genesis. Now I know you’re extra cool for being down with the Muppets. You got yourself a new Twitter bud for that one. Also, congrats for getting Freshly Pressed last week or whenever that was! The Toy Story post was good.
I went to the Jim Henson exhibit in DC a year or so ago. It was really neat! You could make your own muppet.
I think I like Dark Crystal the best.
I’m another Muppet Babies fan as well!
Make your own Muppet? That’s cool. I can so picture you there too.
You can do it at FAO Shwartz (speaking of toy stores). But, it’s really expensive. I’m saving up.
The Muppet Movie was the first flick I saw at a drive in. In a big van. And no, not with a guy. My aunt and uncle took me and my cousin. I loved the movie and the experience of having a speaker on the passenger window.
But I loved The Muppet Show even more than the movies. I do a wicked Swedish chef imitation (Well, it lasts only 3 seconds, but still).
I grew up watching the show. And then my college roommate and I ate dinner every night in front of the TV. First, The Muppets. Then Jeopardy.
Now excuse me while I go all Animal.
I’m not surprised that you can do Swedish Chef since you’ve already (allegedly) got a Donald Duck sneeze in your repertoire. Love the show too.
Okay. That DD sneeze is making it on to my next video segment. Any ideas?
I’m working on some ideas. Gotta go DD.
The greatest day ever was buying the first season on DVD, forcing my children to watch it and having my son ask to see it again the next day. It made me so proud. (Sniffle)
You should get a mother of the year award for that alone. Great stuff.
I really didn’t get into the movies either, but I loved The Muppet Show (I was in my mid-teens when it came on). Gonzo and Beaker are my favourites.
Remakes usually suck…I’ll probably wait for the reviews before seeing the new movie…
Wendy
I don’t trust reviews for most films. Loved Beaker myself!
When Miss Piggy chases the purse-snatcher down in the Muppets Take Manhattan–that was pretty awesome.
I knew to never mess with Miss Piggy. Especially since Yoda and her were so close.
I have a bad boy/geek thing when it comes to favorite muppets. Go figure. I adore Animal, the Muppet wild-chid. C’mon. Who doesn’t? You know you are making the voice right now, right?
But I also had a thing for good ole Kermit, a deep thinker: a little quiet, reserved. The kind of Muppet you might want to go and sit next to and chat about meta stuff, like the cosmos.
So – bottom line – I dated a lot of Animals, but I married a Kermit!
Great post!
Brilliant. You’ve just inspired yet another blog post. I will credit you whenever I get around to that one.
It’s kind of like the virgin/whore dichotomy – but for men… and muppets.
The Muppet Family Christmas. It’s a little known tv-special from the 80s that is still available in stores during Christmas time, but in an edited version due to music rights. The orginal (which I taped off of tv when it orginally aired -with some good 80s commercials) is the best. The Muppets head to Fozzie’s mom’s house to surprise her for Christmas. Doc & Sprocket from the Fraggles were going to rent it- and it fills up with muppets! Sesame Street shows up to carol. The Swedish Chef shows up to cook. Robin finds a Fraggle hole and the whole gang is there. Jim Henson even makes a cameo in the end. It’s beyond superior.
I’m so glad you brought up the Muppet Family Christmas. Someday I’ll tell the story of how I found a rare DVD of that special and sold it on eBay for over $200. It’s the only special where all of the Jim Henson universe shows up at the same time. Classic stuff.
I bow forehead to the ground at the food of the creator of those master comedians Miss Piggy, “I believe in always expressing your feelings unless you have something to hide” and her lesser known muppet compadre, famous for understatement, Beaker.
No doubt about it (a sentence which sounds great when I use my Canadian accent), those Muppets are great.