Muppet obsession a bad thing?

[beakerfan76]

My brother says that a Muppet obsession is unhealthy, and he wanted to start a heated disagreement on the matter. Though I see it as a frivolous topic for debate, I want to know from my fellow Muppet fans if an obsession is a bad thing or a good one.

I won't get into any details about the disagreement, but he came off as bigoted to me and began to judge . I tried telling him the good things the Muppets and Jim Henson have done or continue to do, yet he wants to compare my fan-ship to a cultist.

Any and all advice and opinions are welcome.

 

[Lil0Vampy]

Pff. Muppet obsessions are good! There are much worse things to be addicted to than this! << Dunno what he's talking about... Muppet obbesions are awesome!

 

[Gelfling Girl]

Pff. Muppet obsessions are good! There are much worse things to be addicted to than this! << Dunno what he's talking about... Muppet obbesions are awesome!

Got that right! More easygoing and comical, you get greater education in music and pop culture history particularly if you're a younger fan (like the above poster, myself, and several others on the site), and so many other great advantages in life. Besides, like part of the quoted post says, there are many things much worse you could be addicted to rather than Muppets, Disney movies, certain singers, etc.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Oy... It's rough when the family doesn't get it, especially if they're not willing to listen to why you love the Muppets so much. My whole family used to just roll their eyes at me, and my big sisters sometimes still will, but overall they've come to accept and even encourage my fandom. It takes time. A lot of people think Muppets are just for kids, and that being obsessed with them is "childish" and we should "grow up," so I'm guessing that's the part your brother considers unhealthy.

The thing is, the Muppets are a good influence. They teach acceptance and the importance of dreaming and chasing those dreams and the beauty of making other people happy, making the world a better place... Even if your family isn't ready to hear all of that yet, it's good to remind yourself of it. Like we've said, there are WAY worse things to be addicted to.

 

[theprawncracker]

As I'm sure you already know... you're brother is WAY wrong. This goes for anything you like, not just Muppets: Don't let people take who you are away from you. You like what you like and there's probably a d a m n good reason for that. People will be people and haters will be haters, but trust me when I tell you not to let them change who you are by telling you what you like is childish, stupid, or unpopular. Who cares? The people who tell you that are the ones who are childish, stupid, and (will probably someday be) unpopular.

Look at the Muppets... they have Statler and Waldorf hanging over their heads every night they try to go out and do a show. Do they let that stop them? Heck no! They persevere every night because they're doing what they love and what makes them happy. Like what you like, buddy. Don't let judgmental people change who you are--just turn around and show them why you love what you do and soon enough they'll hush up. (Unless of course said judgmental people actually are Statler and Waldorf, in which case they will not ever hush up.)

 

[beakerfan76]

Thanks for the reassurance, guys. The thing is my friends in real life love the fact I have a Muppet obsession, to the point where they like my impressions (They say my Animal voice is spot on), it's just my brother who says I have a problem.

I'm not a guy who likes to step on people's toes, and I try not to start conflicts with him (He is one of the most argumentative people I've ever known and will NOT let go for nothing). Strange thing is my parents like my intrest in anything Henson, since my dad used to watch Fraggle Rock with me as a child (And watches the DVDs with me sometimes) and my mom gave me an old Kermit doll she found at a garage sale (The doll's from 1981), so it isn't like my parents made my bro like this.

 

[King Rupert]

Obsessing about anything isn't really a good thing.

However anyone trashing something that makes your life better/happier etc... just isn't cool.

When ever any gives me crap about anything Muppet related I just tell to get back to me when they find their imagination. End of Story.

 

[beakerfan76]

Well, it's not much of an obsession as it is a huge interest. However, my brother used to be a casual fan, but he says I ruined the whole thing for him by talking to him about it all the time, annoying him unintentionally.

I feel a bit guilty about this and my words at the beginning of this thread were a bit on the immature side for obvious reasons (name calling, for one). I feel as if I killed a bond between us.

Case and point, I just wanted to know what some other fans thought on the matter, and now I know what a small fraction of this giant community thinks. Yes, I'm still a huge fan (Nowhere near the point of obsessee, but still a big fan) and I won't let this hinder my fanhood. However, he said that there is a small possibility he may come back to being a fan if I tone down the discussion a bit.

 

[King Rupert]

And I think you might want to consider that. It's not like the Muppets are a local sports team which is usually a common topic for all. It is a unique interest and lets face it not everybody is going to get it.

Tone it down a notch and save your Muppet trivia for movies, music and cameo's etc... I find that most non-fans find those facts more interesting, than Oscar used to be orange.

Good Luck and try to preserve that Muppet bond with your Bro... after all you're going to need to go see the new Muppet movie with someone, right?

 

[beakerfan76]

Funny thing is, I hate sports. It just never appealed to me. All the energy I'd put toward sports (If I liked it) I put toward other things, Muppets included.

I'll tone it down a notch, seeing as I might have been a bit overbearing.