How To Create a New Muppet Fan?!!!

[Scooters Jacket]

Nowadays over here in the UK kids sort of know who the main few characters are, but that's about it as the show isn't on over here. My nephews could probably name Cookie Monster, Elmo and Big Bird, but I doubt they'd know the names of Bert & Ernie, Grover etc.

Sesame Street is more a merchandise line than a TV show.

Sad really.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Sesame Street is more a merchandise line than a TV show.

Sad really.

That has always been one of the dangers of trying to educate through Television. You're always going to be subject to making a profit.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Okay I'm gonna give my two sense here. Let me just say and I mean no disrespect so please don't be offended. But I don't think we should assume what kids will and will not like, or even what they will and will not understand. You would be surprised at how much kids actually do get no matter their age.

I say there's no limitations when it comes to deciding what Muppet movie or even TV specials you want him to watch. And here's why because this is to me what's so great about The Muppets. They aren't for kids they aren't for adults. Their for BOTH. And really when your watching say "The Muppets (2011)" your really watching two different movies. For you, you might be watching it for the adult jokes and the storyline. For him he's just watching a talking frog. And IMO he doesn't have to fully understand a Muppet movie to get that. As he gets older he will start to understand the storylines and humor more.

So to me if all he sees is Kermit singing and dancing or Animal banging on the drums what more do you need? I mean because let's face it that's really why he's watching it. He's not watching it for the storyline or to get the jokes. His interest is on the puppets. (Sorry had to say the "P" word there Lol) I mean that speaks volumes to me if he can see something and know who The Muppets are. Cause let me tell you when I was in Target a while back looking through the 1.00 bins for Muppet merchandise I saw a child with his mom and I literally heard him say "Look mommy it's Kermit!" and I swear the biggest smile that lit up on that child's face from just seeing Kermit on a notebook. It really just made my heart melt. To me that right there says the movie did it's job.

 

[Scooters Jacket]

I agree one hundred per cent HOWEVER I do think that certain Muppet productions play better to today's kids.

I grew up with GMC as probably my favourite movie. Period. But I do think that for today's kids there are parts of the film that drag - particularly during the second act. I'm not saying it's right that kids might find it tough to watch GMC in one go, but the reality is that some kids will wander off during Peter Falke's cameo. It's very wordy and flies over the head of the average 5 year old.

As I posted, I love TMM and did as a kid, but for my nephew he got bored and wandered off and didn't come back. I'm trying to nurture his Muppet love, not put him off so I wasn't going to make him watch something.

However, he loved the old Ed Sullivan sketches. They were fun, bright, easy to understand (often with no words at all) and as they were short held his attention.

TM11, totally did its job. We wouldn't be discussing this without it!!!

 

[CensoredAlso]

As I posted, I love TMM and did as a kid, but for my nephew he got bored and wandered off and didn't come back.

I would say that's more a matter of personal taste than "kids today don't get it." After all you're only going by one kid, not conducting a nation wide study, hehe. You can't make those kinds of judgments just based on that.

It's very wordy and flies over the head of the average 5 year old.

Some of my favorite movies when I was a kid were grown films that were very wordy. I didn't know what was going on necessarily but at my level they were funny or interesting. Kids don't need to be kept hidden from these things.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

That's why I always say don't assume what kids will like. Let them find out on their own what they do and don't like. But the fact he just likes to watch Kermit would be enough to make me happy.

 

[minor muppetz]

I'm not saying it's right that kids might find it tough to watch GMC in one go, but the reality is that some kids will wander off during Peter Falke's cameo. It's very wordy and flies over the head of the average 5 year old.

I liked that scene a lot better as a kid than I do as an adult. But as an adult I enjoy "The First Time It Happens" and the water ballet a lot more than I did as a kid.

 

[Scooters Jacket]

I would say that's more a matter of personal taste than "kids today don't get it." After all you're only going by one kid, not conducting a nation wide study, hehe. You can't make those kinds of judgments just based on that.



Some of my favorite movies when I was a kid were grown films that were very wordy. I didn't know what was going on necessarily but at my level they were funny or interesting. Kids don't need to be kept hidden from these things.

I would agree to a certain extent, but look at the movies that are popular with kids now compared to when TMM came out. They are much more frenetic and physical. That's not to say that kids can't enjoy something gentler, but they aren't as used to it as we were then.

I base my feelings on GMC on my own experiences. As a kid I watched it on VHS constantly and could speak along with parts of it, but it was only when I re-watched it as a grown up that I realised how funny/clever a lot of it really is.

 

[Scooters Jacket]

I liked that scene a lot better as a kid than I do as an adult. But as an adult I enjoy "The First Time It Happens" and the water ballet a lot more than I did as a kid.

I have to admit (to my eternal shame) that even as an adult I find The First Time It Happens a bit over long. It's a nice way to set up the love triangle, but I think the dance sequence is overdone.

If you suspend disbelief enough to be a Muppets fan then the joke of this happening to a pig (which is one of the things the sequence has going for it) is a bit thin.

All IMHO of course!!!

 

[Pinkflower7783]

I would agree to a certain extent, but look at the movies that are popular with kids now compared to when TMM came out. They are much more frenetic and physical. That's not to say that kids can't enjoy something gentler, but they aren't as used to it as we were then.

I base my feelings on GMC on my own experiences. As a kid I watched it on VHS constantly and could speak along with parts of it, but it was only when I re-watched it as a grown up that I realised how funny/clever a lot of it really is.

No offense and I mean no disrespect but I personally think your looking too much into this myself.