Land of Gorch hatred

[travellingpat]

Why did Belushi and the other cast members of SNL hate the Muppets so much...i mean they had been on since the first episode and their sketches were only like 5 minutes so they werent taking much time away from them....what gives? I think the sketches are great and i cant understand why they could hate them...

 

[Super Scooter]

Well, there's actually alot of prejudice against puppets amongst "adults". I don't really find it all that surprising, really.

And I think Belushi was really the only one who didn't like the Muppets, other than the fact the writers hated writing for them. If the Muppets had been allowed to write for themselves on the show, I think it would have worked out a lot better for everyone.

 

[travellingpat]

Thanks for clearing that up Scooter!

 

[Vic Romano]

Belushi was outspoken in general, he didn't respect the women performers either (except for Gilda Radner eventually). He was a genius though, but like Super Scooter said, he was really the only one. So many other SNL alumni went on to do tons of stuff with the Muppets.

 

[travellingpat]

Mhmm i knew he was always loud and spoke his mind...read Bernie Brillsteins autobiography for more...its really good

Chevy was in follow that bird...

who else?

 

[CensoredAlso]

Jane Curtain was in a sketch with The Two Headed Monster on Sesame Street. She's great, so funny!

 

[Davina]

and, of course, Gilda hosted an episode of TMS (along with a large singing carrot...)

 

[Super Scooter]

Chevy was in follow that bird...

I remember reading that Chevy also wrote a few of the Gorch sketches, including the one where the Mighty Favog tries to convince him the Muppets are worth keeping on the show (offering the Beatles as gravy).

 

[Tim]

It really all came from the writers. SNL is, was and will always be EXTREMELY competitive to get airtime for your ideas and performance. The writers DISPISED writing for the puppets (they even had a Big Bird doll hanging by a noose in the writer's room) and Gilda was the only one thet would "relate" to them backstage (anyone see the "Gilda Radner" movie?), and while I'm sure some of the other cast members appreciated Jim & Co., the whole thing became a joke and disaster, and Michael O'Donahue in particular thought that that Jim Henson was "insane" fro believing in the characters as characters. He really thought Jim was "disturbed-just like Shari Lewis".

When they went off to England to do TMS someone passed a sketch around of Scred with the words "Where are the mucking Fuppets?" (this was reproduced in an early SNL softcover scrapbook-the only reference to them at all in there.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well, as good as the 1st season of SNL was (the best in my opinion), it's a shame the writers couldn't appreciate what they had.