Muppets budget problem?

[Princeton]

I hope this doesn't come across as a stupid question, but in some TMS eps (Pearl Bailey, Marty Feldman, etc) Kermit mentions that their budget doesn't allow them to do certain things. I was just wondering as to why that is.

 

[theprawncracker]

I'm not sure. But they seem to have the same problem in VMC. They don't have enough cash it seems... which doesn't really surprise me, seeing that they have to pay for that big boarding house, the theater, AND food for Animal.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Well, what Kermit and his friend do is more based on a dream then it is money, or fame. They are intertainres at heart who do this for the love, to entertain, to inspire, to make people laugh, to bring joy into the world. So they are just happy to do what they love best and are happy to be able to do it weather that have a lot of money and resources or not. That's what I think.

I mean it's great if they do but that's not there reasons for doing it.

 

[Ruahnna]

Well, money solves a lot of problems, doesn't it? And if the muppets are flush with cash all the time, then some of the problems they encounter could be easily solved, ruining the story. In TMM, they could easily have just chartered a bus or a plane or whatever to take them where they needed to be, and avoided all the cross-country mayhem which makes up the bulk of the story. In TGMC, the fact that they are jobless and penniless makes it essential for them to locate and inhabit the Happiness Hotel, which causes them to rendevous with all the other characters, and also creates humorous alarm in Kermit when he sees the prices of the food at the supper club. In TMTM, their lack of money and food causes them to disperse and seek out other jobs elsewhere. It also causes Kermit to take a job, where he meets Jennie and their story goes on from there.
In later movies and shows, poverty of one sort or another is one of the driving forces of the various stories. If Jim Hawkins had money of his own, he wouldn't have to seek for buried treasure! If Bob Cratchit had money of his own, he wouldn't have to worry about Tiny Tim not getting the medical help he needs, or worry about missing a day's work--and pay. In IAVMMC, money would solve the entire problem, wouldn't it? (I always imagined that Piggy could have simply cashed in one of her investment bonds and bailed them out--she had SOOO many endorsement and products in the 80s...) So the lack of money and the problems that lack creates adds dramatic tension to the story.
Anyway, probably a far more complicated answer than you were interested in! Auntie Ru tends to babble a bit.

 

[Vic Romano]

I always assumed that they were true performers and were more about accomodating the audience then making any serious scratch. I'd imagine (and I think I remember reading) that theater tickets were intentionally very cheap.

 

[Winslow Leach]

I think I remember an episode of TMS where Kermit keeps the pay in a cigar box or something. When he opens it to pay the performers, moths fly out.

But isn't the Muppet Theatre supposed to be a run-down old building that has seen better days? And wasn't Kermit always under the thumb of J.P. Grosse, who always threatened to evict them if the pay wasn't due on time? So maybe the Muppets, after paying off Grosse, were just barely keeping their heads above water, and made do with what they had...perhaps some of the costumes/props were leftovers from more prosperous times, before the Muppets took over the theatre.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

But their happy, and they have each other, and that is what's importent.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well, money solves a lot of problems, doesn't it? And if the muppets are flush with cash all the time, then some of the problems they encounter could be easily solved, ruining the story. In TMM, they could easily have just chartered a bus or a plane or whatever to take them where they needed to be, and avoided all the cross-country mayhem which makes up the bulk of the story.

I don't think so. The Muppet Movie took place before they went to Hollywood and became famous. I don't think they would have had enough money (though an early draft of the script had Kermit mention that he was only going to ride his bicycle to the bus stop and go by bus).

 

[Princeton]

Two points:

1) I agree with what William said about friendship being the most important thing, which I'm not debating. All I'm saying is that as a Muppet lover, I root for them to get whatever they need. And realistically, Kermit never has enough money to get what he needs (props, etc). Which brings me to Point #2:
2) I know that a lot of people on this forum accentuate the existence of the boarding house (mostly in fanfics), which is fine. But I am not one of those people. The boarding house was only featured in one movie (MFS), and even within the context of that movie, it's not a central part of the story. The movie is clearly about Gonzo, so I highly doubt (sorry, Prawnie!) that Kermit needs to count the boarding house as a top priority.

 

[theprawncracker]

Heh, don't worry about it Princeton. I respect your opinion. And I agree that the Boarding House HAS only appeared in one movie, but I think it should appear in more. It was one of my favorite parts of MFS.