Back in the pre-Old School DVDs/pre-online video days, I think there were people who thought they'd stopped airing the segments with Bert's nose being removed in the 1990s (Bert's bust is the only one I ever remember seeing as a child), thinking it was due to imitable behavior. And I recall seeing a comment on the forum when a season 33 or so episode aired Things That I Remember, somebody being surprised that they left in the clip from the Bert's bust segment. Good thing Bert's bust and two noses have both been released on DVD.
I had seen that "I Want to Hold Your Ear" was cut from an episode, I thought maybe somebody thought the man was coming on to the woman a little too much. If the dismemberment thing is correct, I wonder if this means not to expect any more releases of segments where the adults put features on Anything Muppets anytime soon (well, most of those wouldn't be a huge loss). Though in most of those, they put features on them but don't take the features off (and the woman in "I Want to Hold Your Ear" has hers put on before they are taken back off).
I wonder if this would affect Kermit News: Rapunzel, which is actually the most-released Sesame Street News segment on home video. Though that one may be different because nobody pulls Rapunzel's hair off (I always thought she voluntarily dropped down her hair... now I'm wondering if it's that or if her hair fell off by accident) and also because losing hair is more normal than losing a nose.
I hope this doesn't affect any of the segments where Grover gives Kermit a body part. Though in those, he only gives Kermit the parts, they are never shown coming off (and in the earmuffs one, we see a strap for the ears, like a pair of earmuffs).
Hmm, could they have talked about this at last years "lost and found" event? I didn't hear much about what info was revealed in the thread (and I know they said not to make too detailed notes), but every once in a while I hear about something that was shown or revealed at the event on Muppet Wiki or a discussion forum or maybe a podcast.