Most "adult" episode of The Muppet Show.

[peyjenk]

So many people think that the Muppets are only for kids. If you only had thirty minutes to convince someone otherwise, which episode of The Muppet Show would you use?

The Alice Cooper episode is what pops first to my mind, for obvious reasons, but I think I would have to go with the Liza Minelli episode. I watched it last night, and was surprised all over again at how "mature" a lot of the jokes were. All the murders and jokes about them... characters like Lew Zealand and Scooter and the Swedish Chef just falling over dead and then Gonzo jumping in with a happy song each time. And it is all done with a class and a mature sense of humor that I think that your average "man on the street" does not associate with the Muppets.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I hadn't thought of it before, but yeah the Liza episode is a good example of a slightly more "adult" Muppets.

I'd have to think about some others, I haven't seen a lot of the episodes for a long time. They're all pretty adult in the sense that there's so many jokes kids wouldn't understand (of course that doesn't mean they don't watch it.)

Yeah, the "average man on the street" is often misinformed about the Muppets, isn't he? Lol

 

[minor muppetz]

I think that I would pick the Raquel Welch epsiode. A close second would be the Rudolph Nureyev episode. That episode is a bit too mature for me. Maybe also the Harry Belafonte episode.

 

[CensoredAlso]

That's true, I did put Raquel Welch in the "most sensual Muppet moment" thread. That entire scene with Fozzie...steamy!

 

[minor muppetz]

What if we could compile a 30 minute mixed tape to prove that The Muppet Show was not just for kids? It could include:
*Welcome to my Nightmare
*Someone Just Like You
*Baby, It's Cold Outside
*Nice Girl Like Me
*You're Always Welcome at Our House
*Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
*School's Out for Summer
*Turn the World Around (a bit more mature and serious for The Muppet Show)
*Love Hangover
*Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road (also a bit more seriosu)
*Bein' Green (ditto)
*Somewhere Over the Rainbow
*Last Dance

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

So many people think that the Muppets are only for kids. If you only had thirty minutes to convince someone otherwise, which episode of The Muppet Show would you use?

The Alice Cooper episode is what pops first to my mind, for obvious reasons, but I think I would have to go with the Liza Minelli episode. I watched it last night, and was surprised all over again at how "mature" a lot of the jokes were. All the murders and jokes about them... characters like Lew Zealand and Scooter and the Swedish Chef just falling over dead and then Gonzo jumping in with a happy song each time. And it is all done with a class and a mature sense of humor that I think that your average "man on the street" does not associate with the Muppets.

Gosh. There are probably a lot of them if you think about it. One example is in the Mac Davis episode with the "Hard to be Humble" song, since the 'h' word is in that song. There was also talk about Racquel Welsh being a sex symbol. I'll try to think of more examples.

 

[peyjenk]

Gosh. There are probably a lot of them if you think about it. One example is in the Mac Davis episode with the "Hard to be Humble" song, since the 'h' word is in that song. There was also talk about Racquel Welsh being a sex symbol. I'll try to think of more examples.

Oh, yeah, Racquel Welch as a sex symbol reminds me of another "mature" joke from Liza Minelli: "Zoot, do you mean I'm your sax symbol?"

 

[Gorgon Heap]

*Somewhere Over the Rainbow

That qualifies as not for kids? It's from a classic family film.

Some jokes in some early episodes of "At the Dance" teeter on the brink:
"My aunt has a chest that goes back to 1700." "Oh, must make it tough on your uncle."

"You know, they say the children of today are the parents of tomorrow." "Mm, I always thought it took longer than that."

Both of those are from the Lena Horne episode. There are more, I'm sure. I think there's one like that in the Peter Ustinov episode, haven't watched it in a while. Also there are some jokes that would go right over young heads (certainly went over mine). Mostly they're in "At the Dance", with some in early VH episodes. Kermit has a sophisticated line in the pilot version of the Juliet Prowse episode where he's flirting with a chorus girl (something about terpischorean artistry), have to look it up but it also is meant for adults.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[minor muppetz]

That qualifies as not for kids? It's from a classic family film.

Oh, yeah, and I haven't even seen that clip. I just listed it because it seemed like a more serious moment, and very different from the rest of the Alice Cooper episode (though it's just a compilation idea I pitched this for).

Then again, when I was a kid this was among my least favorite songs from The Wizard of Oz. I don't know if other kids didn't care for it or not.

 

[peyjenk]

Then again, when I was a kid this was among my least favorite songs from The Wizard of Oz. I don't know if other kids didn't care for it or not.

Well, as a kid, I found this scene very boring (in TMS, not The Wizard of Oz). While it isn't "adult" in the usual sense of word, it is certainly more appealing to adults. I think it is a good choice to include in a compilation of the more mature bits of the show.