Muppet questions you were afraid to ask...

[BEAR]

I have a question that I always wanted to find out the answer to:

Ernie has a muppet counterpart in "The Muppet Show": Lew Zealand, of whom looks nearly identical to him, talks like him, acts like him, and even shares a similar interest with him, such as playing with and showing off a toy of his own. But, Bert does not have a muppet counterpart in "The Muppet Show"; no muppet who looks nearly identical to him, talks like him, acts like him, or even share any similar interests with him. Why is this? If Ernie has a counterpart, then Bert also needs one.

Where I can sort of see why you think this, Ernie and Lew are not counterparts. I suppose they look a little similar, but I don't hear anything the same about their voices. Maybe we can say they are distant cousins.

 

[minor muppetz]

Lew Zeland was originally made from a whatnot, but after his first appearance, he was rebuilt as a permaneant puppet. The whatnot just happened to be orange and his head shape was similar to ernies head shape.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I've always considered Ernie kind of a nephew of Lew.

 

[muppetmonster]

The connection between Ernie and Lew Zealand may be coincidental, but I think Jim Henson created Lew Zealand on purpose to make a similar muppet to Ernie appear on "The Muppet Show", because Lew Zealand looks nearly identical to him, acts like him, sounds a little similar to him (*I did not say the same*), and like how Ernie has a toy that he likes to play with and show off, his rubber duck, Lew Zealand has a toy of his own, of which he also likes to play with and show off, his boomerang fish. These to me are obvious factors that the two of them are so similar, that it is much more than just a coincidence, of why the two of them are so much alike.

But, here is my actual question. Is there any muppet on "The Muppet Show", at all, who is as similar to Bert, as Lew Zealand is to Ernie? Is there any muppet on "The Muppet Show", who looks like Bert, acts like Bert, talks like Bert, and even shares similar interests with Bert?

I need to know. Thanks.

Muppetmonster

 

[Frogster]

I don't know if this was asked, but why doesn't Beaker talk? He's human and everything, right?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Ever see what he goes through in that lab??! HA HA!!

 

[GonzoLeaper]

In answer to the question about Bert having a counterpart on The Muppet Show, I think it is worth mentioning that both Bert and Ernie have showed up twice on The Muppet Show themselves. I can kind of see the similarities with Ernie and Lew though I'd never really thought much about it before.
However, I think a pretty close counterpart for Bert on The Muppet Show would be Sam the American Eagle. See the similarity?


It's probably not exact, but both Sam and Bert are the more stern (at times) ones who like order and neatness and propriety and get frustrated with the antics of Ernie and Lew or Crazy Harry or Animal, etc. At least that's the closest one I can think of.

As far as Beaker goes, I think "Meep Meep" (like the Road Runner!) IS his language. Apparently, Bunsen is the best at interpreting it, although the others obviously can too. And Beaker has sung "Feelings" before, just as a point of interest, though interpreted into his own language. Beaker has his "meep meep" language just as The Swedish Chef has his "Mock Swedish" language and Animal has his "animal growls interspersed with English words" language. And Zoot has his "half-mumble, occasional intelligent conversation" language.

And the only other frog I know of that sings and dances (besides Kermit, Robin and any of the Frog Chorus, etc.) is Michigan J. Frog (the cartoon frog from Looney Tunes who only sings for certain people!)

Rowlf showed up with Kermit in the pitch for Sesame Street, as well as in the #9 in the "Falling Baker" sketches. So technically, Rowlf was a Sesame Street character along with Kermit before they both became characters on The Muppet Show. Another sort of crossover character from The Muppet Show would be Gladys the Cow. I'm sure some of the penguins and chickens and things that have showed up on Sesame Street are some of the same ones used on The Muppet Show. And don't forget that Beautiful Day Monster showed up in the first season of Sesame Street as well before going on to show up in The Muppet Show.

And on the other end, Sesame Street characters have also shown up on The Muppet Show, the most obvious being Kermit the Frog. In at least three episodes, different Sesame Street characters show up. I know Bert and Ernie are in the 2nd. episode with Connie Stevens. Big Bird shows up in the 3rd. season Leslie Uggams episode and a bunch of characters (including The Count, Cookie Monster, Prairie Dawn, Grover, Bert and Ernie) show up in the 5th. season Marty Feldman episode.


Now I've got one other question. Can anyone tell me on what episode of Muppet Babies that a live action picture of Oscar showed up and if they were any other Sesame Street references (or Fraggle Rock or other Henson production, for that matter)? Also, can anyone tell me if they were any other apperances or mentions or references to any other Muppets on Muppet Babies? I know Kermit, Miss Piggy, Scooter, Skeeter, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal and Rowlf all showed up, as well as Nanny, Robin, Statler, Waldorf and Janice. Can anyone tell me the specific episodes that Janice and Statler and Waldorf showed up? Also, when was a picture of Miss Piggy seen on Sesame Street?

(I know there was a Sesame Street News Flash skit with Kermit reporting about Old MacDonald's farm, which incidentally had the Yip Yip aliens showing up, and Kermit mentions to a pig that she reminds him of someone he knows- a pretty funny reference to Miss Piggy! )

 

[Vic Romano]

Also, when was a picture of Miss Piggy seen on Sesame Street?

Someone else may be able to point you to what episode and season it's from, but here's the picture of .

 

[muppetmonster]

I know that Ernie and Bert both appeared on "The Muppet Show" at least twice. But, ever since I saw Lew Zealand, I have always thought of him as a really similar muppet to Ernie, and then later I have realized not only do the both of them look similar, the both of them also act very similar, and the both of them also have the toys that they show off and play with. Ever since, I have considered Lew Zealand to be a "Muppet Show" counterpart of Ernie, or at least an equivalent, and since then, I have always looked for a counterpart for Bert.

I have most often thought of Sam the Eagle, too, because the both of them are voiced by Frank Oz, the both of them have monobrows, and the both of them have similar personalities. But, I came along two other big possibilites: Fozzie Bear (but not as much as Sam the Eagle, but because he was also voiced by Frank Oz, and his personality is kind of similar to Bert's) and Marvin Suggs.

I do not know Marvin Suggs' character that much, but when I have learned more about him (I still hardly know anything about him), I have thought that he was kind of like Bert, by voice (he was also voiced by Frank Oz) and personality (because the both of them are despotic and pleasure-seeking in themselves). But, as it turns out, I think that Sam the Eagle is much more like Bert than Marvin Suggs and Fozzie Bear are.

I had my doubts of Sam the Eagle being a close counterpart of Bert, though, because Sam is an eagle muppet and Bert is a human muppet. That is why I decided that Marvin Suggs was Bert's counterpart than Sam or Fozzie, because Marvin Suggs is a human muppet, and was in a way connected to Lew Zealand, because in the computer game, "Muppets Inside", Lew and Marvin work together to make you guess what songs they are playing: Lew with his singing fish and Marvin with his muppaphones.

So, I guess all in all, there are two muppets, who could considered to be Bert's counterpart: Sam the Eagle or Marvin Suggs. But, among Sam and Marvin, who do "you" think are much more closer in personality with Bert? Please answer. Thanks.

Muppetmonster

 

[abiraniriba]

I have a question

What exactly does pakalafaka mean?