Classic Muppets filming NBC Christmas special

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I just feel that more people have weight and health concerns these days and feel that entertainment should be more sensitive to that. Maybe that’s true, but I don’t think the Muppets are where to start.
Entertainment personalities should play to the strengths. Muppets should be the same old dysfunctional family they’ve always been. That’s my position.

If they were the same old family I wouldn't mind.

It's true that people are more sensitive now. But there's not a big uproar about showing the old Muppet Show to people. The concern is consistently about the newer projects. I'm not the only one who has complained about the current fat jokes, because they are different.

 

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I'm going to meet halfway here and say thus... I never cared for or against the fat jokes about Piggy. Sometimes they were funny, sometimes they weren't... but I think that herald may be referring to the tired forced "Kermit outwardly doesn't love Piggy, and hides his inner feelings by saying old jokes" conversations every TV appearance of Kermit has had for a while.

I think you're right, even in the 70's, the fat jokes were hit or miss. Plus back then people weren't as aware of things like eating disorders. It's just that the more recent projects have really taken it to a different level that's just cruel and not funny. I don't think they mean to. It's just that Kermit's hesitancy is coming across, but not his hidden feelings.

 

[frogboy4]

Say No to Canned Muppets

It's just such a fine line from these "concerns" to inflicting the PC police on the Muppets. On one hand most fans want the characters to be their same classic selves. On the other they want the humor pasteurized but only in particular ways. To me it's all picking of both the cherry and the nit varieties.

I like the Muppets humor these days from the Dave Goelz improvised Tin-Thing nipple joke to the classic cracks about Piggy's girth. It's all Muppets to me. I feel that many fans tend to over-think it, but that's what forums are for. I like the Muppets to have a little something in it for everybody. I don't favor the censorship or eggshell walking that others seem to be promoting here. In fact, I am very much against that.

I am an avid fan and have yet to see a recent fat joke that “outweighs” any of the classic ones in tone or in substance.

 

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It's just such a fine line from these "concerns" to inflicting the PC police on the Muppets. On one hand most fans want the characters to be their same classic selves. On the other they want the humor pasteurized but only in particular ways. To me it's all picking of both the cherry and the nit varieties.

I don't want to PC them at all. It's that I'm partial to the way things were done in the classic projects. That shouldn't be considered a bad thing.

I feel that many fans tend to over-think it, but that's what forums are for. I like the Muppets to have a little something in it for everybody. I don't favor the censorship or eggshell walking that others seem to be promoting here. In fact, I am very much against that.

You're entitled to your opinion. From my point of view, many fans aren't taking certain things seriously enough. And I'm not a fan of censorship either. But I am a fan of humor that is subtle and clever and adult, not mean spirited, jaded and immature.

 

[frogboy4]

I don't want to PC them at all. It's that I'm partial to the way things were done in the classic projects. That shouldn't be considered a bad thing.

You're entitled to your opinion. From my point of view, many fans aren't taking certain things seriously enough. And I'm not a fan of censorship either. But I am a fan of humor that is subtle and clever and adult, not mean spirited, jaded and immature.

It all seems pretty classic to me these days. I just don't really see it. Inflicting a film like what MFS turned out to be on the public - that is what I consider to be jaded, obvious and immature. There is not Muppet project that offends me more than that particular dumbed-down movie ripe with studio cynicism.

Even so, when I sit down to view any Muppet project, no matter what the context, it is my first inclination to pick out what is right than groan and search for what might be considered wrong. In every project from the classic Muppet Show to Muppets From Space it is my belief that all the performers are concerned with providing the highest quality of work. I take my lead from them.

And even though Frank, Jim, Hunt and Nelson (for the most part) are missing from the Muppet mix, the core performers like Goelz and Whitmire have been there for years so I do see it as the same Muppet family. Newer performers like Barretta and Jacobson have also been around for well over a decade. I think they all know the characters best and as a fan I give them my blessing (as unnecessary as it is) and have confidence in each performers’ discretion when agreeing to perform any material. It is always the studio that I am concerned about whether it happens to be Sony or Disney. That is the only area I have ever seen true damage done to the Muppets. Other than that, I think they're doing just fine...better than fine now that Disney is finally "getting it!"

 

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It all seems pretty classic to me these days. I just don't really see it. Inflicting a film like what MFS turned out to be it what I consider to be jaded, obvious and immature. There is not Muppet project that offends me more than that particular dumbed-down movie ripe with studio cynicism.

That's fine, obviously you know, we won't change each other's minds tonight, hehe. Though I agree about MFS. But I just want to make it clear, I'm not a fan of political correctness (very much the opposite), nor a purist. And the only reason I keep an eye out for troublesome things is because I have been disapointed in the past (as have others). But it's not that I don't appreciate what the current performers do.

But I guess we should let the discussion go back to the Christmas thing. Nice discussing!

 

[frogboy4]

That's fine, obviously you know, we won't change each other's minds tonight, hehe. Though I agree about MFS. But I just want to make it clear, I'm not a fan of political correctness (very much the opposite), nor a purist. And the only reason I keep an eye out for troublesome things is because I have been disapointed in the past (as have others). But it's not that I don't appreciate what the current performers do.

But I guess we should let the discussion go back to the Christmas thing. Nice discussing!

I agree. And just a trip over to Tough Pigs' main page show just how "special" this movie appears to be and how much "heart" it has that was sorely lacking in the last Christmas special.

 

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Crossing my fingers! But no matter what, thankfully there are alternatives.

 

[superboober]

Also an alert: this holiday season NBC will have a countdown special celebrating the greatest holiday specials and movies, so we may want to watch that as well; they haven't stated of yet how many programs will be included in the countdown, but especially if its a reasonably large number, odds are we'll see at least one Muppet special included.

 

[theprawncracker]

Also an alert: this holiday season NBC will have a countdown special celebrating the greatest holiday specials and movies, so we may want to watch that as well; they haven't stated of yet how many programs will be included in the countdown, but especially if its a reasonably large number, odds are we'll see at least one Muppet special included.

Ooh! That's fantastic news! Thanks for sharing! I bet MCC is on that list.