MuppetFest: Discuss Original and Your Dreams

[CensoredAlso]

The thing is, I don't remember people complaining about Kermit's pig comments in the old days. People laughed because it was genuinely funny. And you knew he didn't really mean it. Some people are complaining now, because it's not the same as it used to be. It borders on rude. I'm sure they don't intend that, but that's how it sometimes comes across.

 

[Beauregard]

In a way, Kermit and Piggy's relationship should have been solidified a while ago now...leaving it hanging for this long, it will become a joke in the same way that Tom Cruise has become a joke. At first, his outlandishness was funny, then it bordered on abnormal, and now it's just a joke.

 

[Ruahnna]

A lot depends on what you mean by "canon." Do television appearances count? If so, Kermit's been pretty mean about Piggy lately. But he was pretty ushy-gushy last year at the TV Land awards.

What about books? Do they count? If so--once again--Kermit was pretty awful about Piggy, but then he turned around and said some incredibly sweet things.

What about billboards? THere was that billboard that said, "Eats flies. Dates a pig." Was that true? Or does the word "dating" mean something totally different when you put it on a billboard?

Which movies count as canon? If we can accept all "back-stage activity" as canon, then was Kermit really snarky with Piggy over complimenting her first number and avoiding her kiss? If so, we have to accept that his later very enthusiastic kiss was true too.

In short (well, in conclusion), there's just a lot of conflicting information out there--all coming from the same sources! Are they on again? Off again? Both? And that was a lot of what we saw in TMS--on again, off again, fighting again, lovey-dovey again. I could live with that, if it doesn't get so darn mean I can't watch.

We loved 'em when they fought, and we loved 'em when they made up. In short, we'd like to see more of them doing both.

 

[Ruahnna]

OH--about the convention thing. I've actually helped organize fan conventions before, so I wasn't kidding. If you need fan help, send a shout out.

 

[unclematt]

Guys come on. He has always ribbed her. Get it ribbed. That is Kermit. I dont think it has been meen hearted at all.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Then again, there's nothing funny about love; it's the unrequieted love that is funny.

 

[Ruahnna]

Then again, there's nothing funny about love; it's the unrequieted love that is funny.

Funny to whom?

If you watch the original shows and movies--TMS, any season, or TMM or TGMC or TMTM--it is perfectly obvious on stage and off that there is more going on here than just Piggy hankering after Kermit. His jealous fits, his admiring looks at her, the way they banter back and forth about when and where they are going out--not whether--are all part of what made it funny for Kermit to deny their relationship, or at least the seriousness of it.

If it was just Piggy pining over Kermit, with him not encouraging it at all, then it would soom cease to be funny. Then it would just be sad. (Much like Fozzie Bear's initial character, who was just supposed to be a bad comedian. It wasn't funny until they gave him vulnerability and made us WANT to like his routine, even though it wasn't very good.) It's funny because we can see both of them trying to get the upper, um, flipper in the relationship. The relationship that they actually have, not a relationship that Piggy made up. Kermit wants Piggy--he's just uncertain about the degree of commitment that he's comfortable with. Piggy want ALL of Kermit, but has to settle for less. So they dance around the question and each other while we all sigh and say, "Ah, l'amour." and shake our heads.

 

[Beauregard]

Then again, there's nothing funny about love; it's the unrequieted love that is funny.

Actually...I believe that is simply the first level of humor in this relationship. When I first saw the Muppets, I was just a kid, and it was hilarious that Miss Piggy would first kiss-up to her Froggie then promptly send him flying ala left hook. I think the appeal of the Muppets, though, is that kids can enjoy that first level, while grown-ups realize that it ISN'T unrequited, it's just unproportionate.

 

[unclematt]

Also remember we dont see how he treats her whaen there is no camera watching

 

[CensoredAlso]

Again, I just don't think people would be complaining if nothing had changed. They had no problem with it before.