Muppets Acting Out of Character

[CensoredAlso]

That's one side of the argument, and that's fine. Another side is that characters, even deep characters, are not like real people. Sometimes the more they "grow" and change, the more they lose what made them work in the first place. Especially in comedy. Say a comedian gets a good reaction every night from the way he tells a joke. Then one night he decides to change it slightly because he's positive it will be better. But it often happens that the audience doesn't agree and doesn't laugh.

John Cleese once described this time when they were doing a live Monty Python show and the audience just didn't laugh. He decided, "that they were right and that it wasn't funny. And I'm being perfectly serious, if people aren't laughing it isn't funny...Comedy is extremely brittle."

Of course, there will always be some people who laugh, but will that be enough for the comedian to be able to continue? The band KISS has always had the attitude that if their fans don't enjoy an album, it's because it wasn't good enough. Of course, you can't always go by the fans. But on the other hand, they made you what you are today.

Obviously a lot of great TV shows have eventually be cancelled over the years. Not because the format became flawed. It's because they simply ran out of new ideas, and as a result the ideas got worse. That's why Jim Henson was right to cancel The Muppet Show when he did. We remember it as a great show and didn't have to watch it decline (as will almost always happen.)

Though, another point. In MFS Gonzo was put in the lead man role for the first time, instead of the comedy role. It makes sense for the comic relief to enjoy pain, heh. It doesn't make as much sense for the lead.

 

[Beauregard]

Oooh, those are excellent points, Herelde. Well thought out! Thanks for shareing!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Aw thanks, Beau!

 

[BeakerSqueedom]

:O Heralde, that was very informative. It has truth!

 

[Beauregard]

Ironic, in a way, that the main premise of Fozzie's routines is that people laugh at people not laughing at jokes that are not funny. Ooh, and I think I just twisted my brain into roughly the shape of an 8.

 

[CensoredAlso]

:O Heralde, that was very informative. It has truth!

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Ironic, in a way, that the main premise of Fozzie's routines is that people laugh at people not laughing at jokes that are not funny. Ooh, and I think I just twisted my brain into roughly the shape of an 8.

Wow, yeah I hadn't really thought of it like that before, lol. Basically, the idea is that we enjoy Fozzie's pain, lol. I have to admit sometimes it's great when Fozzie just doesn't get it, lol. Though I start feeling bad for him the more I watch.

 

[tutter_fan]

I think the Original Pilot of the muppet show was HILARIOUS!

 

[ZootyCutie]

I was watching the Steve Martin episode, and finding it a little bit strange that Floyd actually wanted to see him do balloon animals. Think about it...

 

[Drtooth]

On 'Kermit Unpigged", Floyd sorta sounded out of character with the 'num nums and a nap" thing on 'Wild Thing'.

I never really considered that out of character, as I always felt Floyd was the caretaker of Animal. As Animal is too.... well... primative to live on his own, Floyd has to act as his father or owner (of a pet).

Sam the Eagle was very out of character in VMX.... not so much the rave scene with the glow sticks. but all he really did was get up and say random things in a funny pompous voice. You can tell that a Simpsons writer did it, since, well, it seemed exactly like something Sideshow Mel would do.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Sam the Eagle was very out of character in VMX.... not so much the rave scene with the glow sticks. but all he really did was get up and say random things in a funny pompous voice. You can tell that a Simpsons writer did it, since, well, it seemed exactly like something Sideshow Mel would do.

Ohh, interesting, that does make sense!