The Muppets
October 13, 2011 9:59 PM Subscribe
I dug The Muppet Show back in the day, but they just seem way past their prime now.
posted by fairmettle at 10:04 PM on October 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 10:04 PM on October 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'll take wrong sounding Muppets over terrible cut-away gags any day of the week.
posted by ReeMonster at 10:19 PM on October 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ReeMonster at 10:19 PM on October 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
I dug The Muppet Show back in the day, and have watched the quality of their output go up and down, but their recent web videos have been hitting almost all the right notes, and the 'back to the old show' premise of the movie is very promising. There's a very good chance this may be the first movie revival in a LONG time that doesn't "rape my childhood". I'll give it a chance. Acid test: if they can go the entire movie without Jason Segel making even the most subtle inside-joke reference to his nude scene in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", it'll be OK.
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:24 PM on October 13, 2011
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:24 PM on October 13, 2011
Tough Crowd. I loved all those terrible cut-away gags.
posted by ericost at 10:27 PM on October 13, 2011
posted by ericost at 10:27 PM on October 13, 2011
The joke isn't about the cut-away gags, but how Kermit now longer sounds the same.
posted by GavinR at 10:32 PM on October 13, 2011
posted by GavinR at 10:32 PM on October 13, 2011
I can't wait for this movie, and the fact that somehow a Muppet movie managed to incorporate a song called "Fuck You" made innocuous by singing chickens seems exactly in keeping with the tone I grew up with from them.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:58 PM on October 13, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 10:58 PM on October 13, 2011 [5 favorites]
They released that awful Muppet cover album and reduced my interest in this movie by half.
posted by CarlRossi at 11:14 PM on October 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by CarlRossi at 11:14 PM on October 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ah, a bear in his natural habitat. A Studebaker.
posted by incessant at 11:17 PM on October 13, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by incessant at 11:17 PM on October 13, 2011 [8 favorites]
I feel like that trailer was just the synopsis of the entire movie
posted by fruit sandwich at 11:35 PM on October 13, 2011
posted by fruit sandwich at 11:35 PM on October 13, 2011
Yiiiip yip yip yip yip.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 12:05 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by XhaustedProphet at 12:05 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
The voices were bound to change. Miss Piggy may not age but Frank Oz is like 108. I'm generally sold, but WTF human romantic leads? It reminds me of all those half-awful Laurel and Hardy movies where they are the funny bit tacked on to a dull story about some dull attractive young couple.
posted by Montgomery Roebuck at 12:09 AM on October 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Montgomery Roebuck at 12:09 AM on October 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Fozzie: Let's travel by map....from the first link made me laugh.
posted by therubettes at 12:18 AM on October 14, 2011
posted by therubettes at 12:18 AM on October 14, 2011
Anything that shows Kermit waving his arms frantically gets an approving nod from me.
posted by angrycat at 1:38 AM on October 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by angrycat at 1:38 AM on October 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
The voices sound great.
Also, listen Season 1 of The Simpsons, South Park, or Beavis and Butthead. Compare to the most recent seasons. Voices evolve anyways, even if its the same voice actor portraying the character.
posted by BurnChao at 2:09 AM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
Also, listen Season 1 of The Simpsons, South Park, or Beavis and Butthead. Compare to the most recent seasons. Voices evolve anyways, even if its the same voice actor portraying the character.
posted by BurnChao at 2:09 AM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
I took my five-year old son to see the Smurfs film last week. He'd seen the trailer and was absolutely insistent that we had to see it. He's a bit young to be swayed by a Rotten Tomatoes score, so my arguments against going fell on deaf ears.
We went to see it and were both really, really bored (Hank Azaria notwithstanding). The problem was that what little fun and mayhem there actually was had all pretty much been in the trailer, and was anyway mostly used up in the first quarter of the film; the rest was a sort of gloopy filler about the relationships between various forgettable human characters and the saccharine lessons about 'following your heart' and other bullshit.
My fear is that this film, whether it's better overall or not, will follow that trend. I'd be interested to know why filmmakers think there's an actual demand from audiences to have a sappy, over-explained moral lesson played out in every single 'family' film. Which isn't to say that the Muppets film will have one of those, but the very presence of a couple of adult human actors in the film is a big red flag for me.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:24 AM on October 14, 2011
We went to see it and were both really, really bored (Hank Azaria notwithstanding). The problem was that what little fun and mayhem there actually was had all pretty much been in the trailer, and was anyway mostly used up in the first quarter of the film; the rest was a sort of gloopy filler about the relationships between various forgettable human characters and the saccharine lessons about 'following your heart' and other bullshit.
My fear is that this film, whether it's better overall or not, will follow that trend. I'd be interested to know why filmmakers think there's an actual demand from audiences to have a sappy, over-explained moral lesson played out in every single 'family' film. Which isn't to say that the Muppets film will have one of those, but the very presence of a couple of adult human actors in the film is a big red flag for me.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:24 AM on October 14, 2011
You've never actually watched a Muppet movie, have you?
I've watched most of them, and they've suffered to some degree or other from the problems I described. But I'm quite capable of filtering out the boring bits; I don't think my son has developed that skill yet. I don't want him to feel let down by yet another film promising entertainment and failing to deliver.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:48 AM on October 14, 2011
I've watched most of them, and they've suffered to some degree or other from the problems I described. But I'm quite capable of filtering out the boring bits; I don't think my son has developed that skill yet. I don't want him to feel let down by yet another film promising entertainment and failing to deliver.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:48 AM on October 14, 2011
I just hope there will be cheeses for us meeses.
posted by Jofus at 4:21 AM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Jofus at 4:21 AM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
And now I'm going for a good cry at what I consider to be Michael Caine's career best performance - and he sings!
posted by Jofus at 4:35 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Jofus at 4:35 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
"Fart shoes"? Are you fucking kidding me?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:23 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:23 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
That loud sound overhead is the fart shoes punchline breaking the sound barrier.
posted by dr_dank at 6:27 AM on October 14, 2011
posted by dr_dank at 6:27 AM on October 14, 2011
Based on the "previous trailer" I think the fart shoes are a send-up of stupid comedy tropes.
posted by kmz at 6:38 AM on October 14, 2011
posted by kmz at 6:38 AM on October 14, 2011
I've never understood why people thought of Muppets From Space as a part of a decline, as I quite enjoyed it, not least because it's so easily read as a film about coming out that I tend to accept it as an apology for the years of official denials about the nature of the relationship between Ernie and Bert.
I think this looks fun. Is it cutting edge? Probably not, but everything funny doesn't have to be working in new territory. If you want the anarchic delight of early Muppets, try Boosh, and lots of other brilliant, amazing things out there. If this movie just manages to be earnest and joyous instead of sarcastic and cynical, they'll have captured a lot of what made the Muppets wonderful.
posted by sonascope at 7:00 AM on October 14, 2011
I think this looks fun. Is it cutting edge? Probably not, but everything funny doesn't have to be working in new territory. If you want the anarchic delight of early Muppets, try Boosh, and lots of other brilliant, amazing things out there. If this movie just manages to be earnest and joyous instead of sarcastic and cynical, they'll have captured a lot of what made the Muppets wonderful.
posted by sonascope at 7:00 AM on October 14, 2011
Miss Piggy may not age but Frank Oz is like 108.
Only if being 67 is your idea if being like 108.
posted by orange swan at 7:08 AM on October 14, 2011
Only if being 67 is your idea if being like 108.
posted by orange swan at 7:08 AM on October 14, 2011
I want every single outfit I've seen Amy Adams wear in these trailers. Such cute vintage-inspired stuff!
posted by nonasuch at 8:15 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by nonasuch at 8:15 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
... the years of official denials about the nature of the relationship between Ernie and Bert.
*sigh*
Once again, they're Muppets. They're not real beings. They don't have a capacity for sex. Bert and Ernie don't even kiss, much less have sex with each other using genitals they don't have.
They're just two Muppets, boys (we assume) who live with each other, and do lots of things in common with each other. That's it. That's the extent of their relationship. They're a comedy duo aimed at kids, one the funny man, and one the straight man (no pun intended). It has nothing to do with being pro-gay or anti-gay, because there's no sexual relationship in the first place.
I will never understand this need to define Bert and Ernie in sexual terms. We don't need that to understand them or love them.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:27 AM on October 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
*sigh*
Once again, they're Muppets. They're not real beings. They don't have a capacity for sex. Bert and Ernie don't even kiss, much less have sex with each other using genitals they don't have.
They're just two Muppets, boys (we assume) who live with each other, and do lots of things in common with each other. That's it. That's the extent of their relationship. They're a comedy duo aimed at kids, one the funny man, and one the straight man (no pun intended). It has nothing to do with being pro-gay or anti-gay, because there's no sexual relationship in the first place.
I will never understand this need to define Bert and Ernie in sexual terms. We don't need that to understand them or love them.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:27 AM on October 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
Two thoughts on the new trailer (first link for those of you who haven't been following along):
Glad to see the Swedish Chef battling a turkey again, although it doesn't look like the same one from Muppets Family Christmas.
Also, the chicken version of that CeeLo song better be referred to as "Cluck You." Although I doubt Disney would go for that in a PG movie.
posted by yellowbinder at 9:53 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Glad to see the Swedish Chef battling a turkey again, although it doesn't look like the same one from Muppets Family Christmas.
Also, the chicken version of that CeeLo song better be referred to as "Cluck You." Although I doubt Disney would go for that in a PG movie.
posted by yellowbinder at 9:53 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Funny, to me it looked enough like the turkey from Muppet Family Christmas that I immediately assumed they were pulling that out for us old-ie fans.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:42 AM on October 14, 2011
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:42 AM on October 14, 2011
Count me in the "can't wait" camp. The Muppets speak to the 8-year old boy in me who idolized John Denver and The Muppets, and it's a nice place to revisit.
posted by tr33hggr at 11:42 AM on October 14, 2011
posted by tr33hggr at 11:42 AM on October 14, 2011
Capt. Renault - If Muppets are not real beings, why is it that other Muppets are portrayed as having relationships? How does Grover have a mommy and a daddy who are in a relationship if it's all just a bunch of felt telling jokes? Mr. Snuffleupagus has a married mommy and daddy, and even the Twiddlebugs are a married couple with children. A pig and a frog can even have a tumultuous on-again-off-again relationship, too, but nah, they're not real beings with genitals.
WTF?
Apparently, it's okay to portray those sorts of relationships, missing genitals be damned, because even unreal beings get to have heterosexual relationships. If they love each other in any other way, well—they're just not real.
I find it tiresome when people huff and puff about the notion that Ernie & Bert might be interpreted as modeling a gay relationship, because the only relationships people do huff and puff about are the ones that endanger funding or scare idiots. You know what? I've heard the official propaganda lines about Ernie & Bert and I can still see the dynamics of a happy committed couple. I've been in relationships that resembled theirs as an adult, and as a kid, I found their intimacy comforting and compelling before I had a word for why that was.
Even better, I'm happy that, despite the eye-rolling, a kid who knows he's different, or who knows she feels something that her friends don't, can look there and see two beings being happy with each other and not be solely brainwashed by media that are only too careful to erase all references to our existence when it comes to younger viewers. God forbid a child get the idea that they, too, might have a place in the world.
Sheesh, these fussy complainers with their insistence that puppets represent real things...how dumb is that, amirite?
Honestly, the suggestion that being gay is just about sex is just so absurd I should let it go, but I'm not going to. What a pathetic rejoinder.
posted by sonascope at 12:05 PM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
WTF?
Apparently, it's okay to portray those sorts of relationships, missing genitals be damned, because even unreal beings get to have heterosexual relationships. If they love each other in any other way, well—they're just not real.
I find it tiresome when people huff and puff about the notion that Ernie & Bert might be interpreted as modeling a gay relationship, because the only relationships people do huff and puff about are the ones that endanger funding or scare idiots. You know what? I've heard the official propaganda lines about Ernie & Bert and I can still see the dynamics of a happy committed couple. I've been in relationships that resembled theirs as an adult, and as a kid, I found their intimacy comforting and compelling before I had a word for why that was.
Even better, I'm happy that, despite the eye-rolling, a kid who knows he's different, or who knows she feels something that her friends don't, can look there and see two beings being happy with each other and not be solely brainwashed by media that are only too careful to erase all references to our existence when it comes to younger viewers. God forbid a child get the idea that they, too, might have a place in the world.
Sheesh, these fussy complainers with their insistence that puppets represent real things...how dumb is that, amirite?
Honestly, the suggestion that being gay is just about sex is just so absurd I should let it go, but I'm not going to. What a pathetic rejoinder.
posted by sonascope at 12:05 PM on October 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
I will never understand this need to define Bert and Ernie in sexual terms.
the muppets constantly show non-sexual heterosexual relationships. being gay isn't about sex any more than being straight is.
posted by nadawi at 12:07 PM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
the muppets constantly show non-sexual heterosexual relationships. being gay isn't about sex any more than being straight is.
posted by nadawi at 12:07 PM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
You know what? I've heard the official propaganda lines about Ernie & Bert and I can still see the dynamics of a happy committed couple. I've been in relationships that resembled theirs as an adult, and as a kid, I found their intimacy comforting and compelling before I had a word for why that was.
Hey -- if that's what you see in them, that's great. Seriously.
But this talk about "official denials" or "official propaganda"? Why this need for an official line on anything? They are what they are. Who cares how you define it?
Kids just enjoy them as they are, and I don't think we need to define everything in sexual terms, especially where kids are concerned. To add to my "pathetic rejoinder".
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:50 PM on October 14, 2011
Hey -- if that's what you see in them, that's great. Seriously.
But this talk about "official denials" or "official propaganda"? Why this need for an official line on anything? They are what they are. Who cares how you define it?
Kids just enjoy them as they are, and I don't think we need to define everything in sexual terms, especially where kids are concerned. To add to my "pathetic rejoinder".
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:50 PM on October 14, 2011
leaving behind bert and ernie for a minute -
how are heterosexual relationships not "sexual" but gay ones are?
on sesame street luis and maria got married and had a kid - i mean, that's sex right there. yet, their relationship on sesame street isn't "sexual."
what if two new characters were introduced, a happily married gay couple - would that be defining a relationship on sexual terms? or would that be two people who love each other helping to model a different kind of family?
posted by nadawi at 4:01 PM on October 14, 2011
how are heterosexual relationships not "sexual" but gay ones are?
on sesame street luis and maria got married and had a kid - i mean, that's sex right there. yet, their relationship on sesame street isn't "sexual."
what if two new characters were introduced, a happily married gay couple - would that be defining a relationship on sexual terms? or would that be two people who love each other helping to model a different kind of family?
posted by nadawi at 4:01 PM on October 14, 2011
They are Muppets. It's gonna be stupid and fun. I'm gonna see it because I like Muppets. They also seem to be getting their groove back. Which helps (a lot). So maybe it won't be great; it certainly won't be Bad.
posted by djrock3k at 4:13 PM on October 14, 2011
posted by djrock3k at 4:13 PM on October 14, 2011
how are heterosexual relationships not "sexual" but gay ones are?
I never said that. Not at all.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:57 PM on October 14, 2011
I never said that. Not at all.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:57 PM on October 14, 2011
then what are your opinions on the heterosexual pairings in sesame street and the muppets? should we axe them because that's defining things in sexual terms to children or is it ok because it's the status quo?
posted by nadawi at 6:09 PM on October 14, 2011
posted by nadawi at 6:09 PM on October 14, 2011
If the show chooses to have a homosexual family on there, in addition to the heterosexual ones -- great. So much the better. If Bert and Ernie choose to self-identify, fantastic.
But for us to put those labels on them, to define this particular pairing in sexual terms -- I see no need for that. They're fine just as they are, whatever that is, and it's no failing on Bert and Ernie's part or the show's part if they don't confirm anyone's particular projections.
I won't further derail the thread anymore.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
But for us to put those labels on them, to define this particular pairing in sexual terms -- I see no need for that. They're fine just as they are, whatever that is, and it's no failing on Bert and Ernie's part or the show's part if they don't confirm anyone's particular projections.
I won't further derail the thread anymore.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
i don't think it's off topic, especially since once again there's about to be a heterosexual relationship spotlighted in the new movie.
you can disagree and discuss what ever you'd like, but you're not really offering up other topics, just shutting down this one. what would you like to say about the movie?
posted by nadawi at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2011
you can disagree and discuss what ever you'd like, but you're not really offering up other topics, just shutting down this one. what would you like to say about the movie?
posted by nadawi at 6:17 PM on October 14, 2011
i mostly agree wiith you Capt. i just disagree at categorizing it as "sexual terms" because to me, gay relationships are not relationships primarily about sex. it's the going narrative in a lot of places, and it marginalizes homosexuals.
but, we'll agree to disagree about terms, i suppose.
posted by nadawi at 6:20 PM on October 14, 2011
but, we'll agree to disagree about terms, i suppose.
posted by nadawi at 6:20 PM on October 14, 2011
you yourself talked about romantic relationships in muppet movies. i wasn't speaking just about bert and ernie. i'm sorry you're feeling attacked, but it wasn't me who did it and now you're attacking me.
i hadn't noticed the similarities between walter and jason segal and that's interesting to note.
posted by nadawi at 6:29 PM on October 14, 2011
i hadn't noticed the similarities between walter and jason segal and that's interesting to note.
posted by nadawi at 6:29 PM on October 14, 2011
We've watched different movies entirely, then. Because I can't think of a single Muppet film so far which has focussed on "gloopy filler about the relationships between various forgettable human characters".
right there?
funnily, i feel like capt. and i have fleshed out our differences and this silly is it/isn't it a derail derail has gone on longer.
posted by nadawi at 6:35 PM on October 14, 2011
right there?
funnily, i feel like capt. and i have fleshed out our differences and this silly is it/isn't it a derail derail has gone on longer.
posted by nadawi at 6:35 PM on October 14, 2011
Mod note: Flagging or MetaTalk is preferable to in-thread bickering.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 6:54 PM on October 14, 2011
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 6:54 PM on October 14, 2011
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