Calling All Writers--Input Wanted

[Ruahnna]

What sort of assumptions do you make when writing Muppet Stories? Here are some things I've been pondering a bit:

Do we believe that The Muppet Show was a theatre production, or was it a television show shot in a theatre? The way we, the viewers--experience it implies that we are seeing both a live theatre production and the backstage stuff. In essense, we get the best of both worlds.

If that's true, what about Muppets Tonight? This seems more like a television show shot on a typical television show soundstage. Yet our experience of it is not the same as any other television show (you can say that again!) We see the show like a regular variety show, and yet we still get to see what's going on backstage. Any other show where you get to see that every week? Not really.

(I know this seems basic so far, but stay with me--I have a point, I promise!)

Okay--what about TMM? Is this "what really happened"? Is this how Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy and the others really met? Or is this a story--with artistic license taken--showing a fictionalized version of the relationships so they (the artists) can let us (the viewers) know them better? Not only that, but once we get to the end of the movie, then we get to watch Kermit and Co. begin to make the movie we've just seen (sort of). In "real time," does The Muppet Show take place before TMS--it would seem so, but maybe, MAYBE, it only chronicles the switch the muppets made from theatre to movie-making, except that they would already know each other, wouldn't they....

What about TMTM? Are the muppets really graduating from college? After years of a successful (though somewhat weird) theatre or television show (see previous paragraph), would they go back to school? And then on to Broadway? Or is this another ficitonalized version of what really might have sortof happened to the muppets on the way to stardom--a prequel, as it were, to their successful theatre or television show. In some ways, this is a retelling of "how the muppets became who they were" as far as becoming famous on Broadway goes, but it does end sortof abruptly if the story is all about their fame--we don't even get to see the audience reaction (at the end) to their big Broadway show. (Like Piggy, once the wedding is over, we're done.)
TMTM holds particular fascination for me, because in this one we see Kermit and Piggy--on "stage"--getting married. We all see Kermit's nervousness because the minister is not being played by Gonzo. The assumption, then, is that this is happening in "real" time on a "real" stage. If TMTM is just a movie being filmed (and movies are generally not filmed chronologically), then Kermit wouldn't have really been on the spot, would he? He could have just yelled "Cut!" (or called for Lew Zealand, like he did the last time Piggy tried something like this). Or he could have said yes, hoping to save the film footage, then stormed off after Piggy to demand a response (of whatever sort you'd like to imagine!!)

Whew! My brain hurts! Complicated, isn't it--and wonderful, the way Jim and the marvelously talented crew he gathered around him made us believe, made us care about the muppets as real folks. Anybody else want to chime in on the other muppet movies? I'll try to come back and tackle this topic again (if you all don't tackle me for bringing it up!)

 

[Beauregard]

Well...mine is long and complicated, but I think they took artistic lisence to make the films, and, basicly, they changed "colledge" to Hollywood, and "The Muppet Show" to Manhaten Melodies. That's the short version.

 

[Ruahnna]

Short and sweet it is!

 

[ReneeLouvier]

Wow...*faints then wakes up*....that's....wow...Um, I agree with Beau there. I think...uh...yeah.

 

[Leyla]

Oh, I spend quite a lot of time thinking about this, so it's nice to know I'm not the only one. I really have no idea about where the Muppet Show or Muppets Tonight stands, but I think I've more of less decided to interpret the movies, including the ones where they play themselves, as fictional or semi-fictional accounts. Sort of like acting in their own "based on a true story" flick.

I love the layers of reality the Muppets have. It's a sort of metaphysical thing that blurs their ...puppetness for lack of a better word. It makes them feel more real, and more complex to me. Muppets talking about Muppet movies from Muppet points of view. My head is spinning and I hope it never stops. Miss Piggy is a world famous puppet of a world class diva who plays a diva or wannabe diva... well, frankly, they just don't do fun things like that in Hollywood anymore.

Why wasn't I born early enough to actually enjoy the muppets when they were everywhere, darn it.

 

[Barry Lee]

Should I maybe make a fanfic about the true story of how TMS happened? (in a fictional way) but anyways good question Ruahnna ( I was afraid I would spell your username wrong but I didn't! Yes! I mean *ahem* yes...)

 

[Ruahnna]

TMS tabloid

Should I maybe make a fanfic about the true story of how TMS happened? (in a fictional way)

Have at it, Barry--always happy to see something from you! We could have our own tabloid! (The real stories behind THE REAL STORIES behind THE REAL STORIES!) Also--thanks for spelling me right!

 

[Smiles]

Wow.

Okay, I try not to think about this, makes my brain hurt too. But the way I see it is you have way more options. Like if you want to write a story that has the muppets meeting with TMM then you can go ahead and do that, or if you want to write withe the meeting as Muppet Babies you can go ahead and do that too.

And my opinion is ever changing on the Kermit/Piggy marriage thing.

Options, perfect for fickle people like myself.

 

[Ruahnna]

Wow. But the way I see it is you have way more options. Like if you want to write a story that has the muppets meeting with TMM then you can go ahead and do that, or if you want to write withe the meeting as Muppet Babies you can go ahead and do that too.
And my opinion is ever changing on the Kermit/Piggy marriage thing.
Options, perfect for fickle people like myself.

And thank goodness for a little variety, huh? Sometimes someone else will bring out an aspect of a character that I hadn't really noticed before. Once I was looking for it, I could see what they saw and go, "Oh, yeah, right."

The other thing I like is not feeling tied into any one particular option, so I can feel free to enjoy everybody's take on the muppets--even if it's different from my own. (Although I have a secret fear that some of the "real" muppet folk--the professional folk--are calling each other on the phone (like they don't have better things to do!) and saying, "Have you seen the boards lately. These fans are whack-jobs with way too much time on their hands." Okay, so maybe I'm just worried that they're saying, "Ruahnna is a whack-job with way too much time on her hands.")

 

[Leyla]

Options are definately a good thing, and I love fanfic just because it does bring out aspects of the characters that I never imagined. It's like finding all these wonderful traits about people you already know. It's especially good for me because I hardly remember the Muppet show, and I've only recently seen many of the movies so I'm about as caught up with the characters as I can be. It's a lot of fun. (And I worry about that exact same thing, Ruahnna. I'm still a little embarrassed about writing and posting stories. (I haven't fessed up to anyone in my real life about Muppet fanfic!)