Somebody's Getting Married?

[The Count]

Hortense? As in Piggy's Mom?
Oh, I smells me a reference to Gorgon Heap's Johnny Rivers outline.

 

[green stuff]

Piggy's parents??? OOOOOh, that ought to be VERY interesting! I can't wait to read that!

MORE PLEASE!!

 

[Java]

I'm really enjoying this so far. I look forward to more.

 

[The Flying Sheep]

But didn't Piggy's Father die in a horrible Cabbige cart Accident when she was 10, according to Frank?

 

[Ruahnna]

Piggy's dad and a pschological bio

WARNING: I'm going deep here--faint of heart or not-really-interested folk are free to skip over this post. In fact, I'd recommend it.

But didn't Piggy's Father die in a horrible Cabbige cart Accident when she was 10, according to Frank?

*Sigh* Might as well address this now as later. I know the interview with Frank that you refer to, and I can't find it to refer to it better. (Anybody who has a copy can email it to me and I'll be very grateful for the addition to my Piggy library.) Therefore, I'm having to base some of my comments here on my impression of what he said, instead of what he may actually have said. At any rate, for the purposes of this story, it is my contention that Piggy, um, embellished her unhappy childhood somewhat. I don't doubt for a moment that it was unhappy--her neediness is eloquent testimony to the fact that she didn't get everything she needed from her well-meaning but limited parents--but I have attributed her unhappiness to other reasons than, say, Frank. For the purposes of this story, in my opinion (okay everybody? Have I given enough disclaimers already? I'm going to quit being paranoid and just write, 'kay?) Piggy's father did not actually die when she was young, but the closeness that they had shared when she was a baby and a toddler diminished as she grew up. Her father, always a bit of a workaholic, and perhaps to spend less time at home (with Hortense), began to be an absentee father who basically came home at night, provided an income, but was not a source of emotional support. In other words, Piggy may have hoped he loved her, or intuited that he was proud of her, but those words weren't ever spoken. A gruff man who valued hard work, he was not supportive of her acting/modeling career, considering it frivolous. Stuck between a mother who she couldn't please, and a father she couldn't impress, it's no wonder that Piggy ran away at the age of 17 to try to pursue stardom. That decision led to some other bad ones, and Piggy has done some advertising work that she is not proud of--selling pork products, for example. I think she was lucky to achieve a measure of success without descending into smuttiness, but her past bad decision only reiterated to her that the world is a harsh place that will misuse and denigrate the powerless. (Gee--knew that second major in psychology would come in handy!)

I believe that some of the reasons that Piggy is drawn to Kermit are that he is a natural leader, that he is a supportive leader, and--althought somewhat shy romantically--an emotionally accessible leader. Not to get all Freudian on you (and I'm not a big fan of Freud), but Piggy is partly looking for a father figure--someone who will love her and take care of her. When she begins to be really recognized for her star power (only under Kermit's leadership, I might add), then the outpouring of "fake" celebrity love (We love you, MIss Piggy! You're wonderful!) acts like an emotional band-aid. As much as she wants guidance, almost everyone she had depended upon has let her down or used her to further their own ends. Even Kermit sometimes wants and needs her to be in the movies with him and pretend to be all lovey dovey because it's good for business, often without calculating the emotional toll on Piggy. Because she feels so alone and vulnerable and rudderless, she finds it hard not to try to control everything around her, including and especially her stardom. PIggy doesn't just need to perform--she needs to be a star! And being a star requires a little more stage time than other people sometimes want to give her. Mae West was the absolute last word on her movies, her scripts, her leading men, her clothes, her image. Most truly famous divas (fill in your favorite diva here) were/are the same.

Having just said that Piggy wants a father figure, she also wants an equal. Whenever Kermit (or anyone else) tries to control her or condescend to her about her talent, she bristleds immediately. All Kermit has to do to really hurt her is imply that she is not professional, or not very skilled at her craft. Her own securities surge to the surface when this happens and cause her enormous emotional pain. On the other hand, there are plenty of men who would fall all over themselves to be Piggy's lover, would do anything she said, get anything she wanted. These men hold very little interest for Piggy, who needs someone both physically and emotionally strong. She needs someone who will act as a counterweight (no jokes, please) to her strong-willed nature. When she gets out of hand and goes over the top, Kermit can stop her. When she isn't living up to her potential, he will prod her, often with spectacular results. No denying they know how to push each other's buttons. Also, Piggy is no dummy about her profession. Kermit is maybe more savvy, but also more naive. They are well-matched to succeed together. One of the things I just love, love, LOVE about The Muppet Movie is the restaurant scene where they are both trying to appear to be more sophisticated than they are. When the waiter asks if they would like to taste the wine, Piggy looks at Kermit, all wide-eyed, and says "I think he's supposed to." Okay, it's a given that I can go deep without warning, but that comment says a whole universe about their relationship. After doing her best to make a sophisticated impression, she is willing to admit to him that she is uncertain what is appropriate, willing to show her lack of knowledge. With the muppets, body language is often everything, and I like the way she scoots over beside him, helping him present a united front against a sometimes scary and complicated world. When she does, Kermit swells with pride and addresses the waiter with a greater sense of confidence. (Fighting urge to go back in time and give great big smooches to Jim and Frank for magic moments like this.)

Lastly, (if any of you are still reading), Piggy wants someone that she can give her all to. Her whole life, all of her offering--of loves, of talent, or affection--were either dismissed or denigrated by the people she tried to offer them to. I don't mean to imply that her parents were monsters (apologies to all monsters), but they were stern, critical and had very little understanding of the type of environment that would nurture Piggy best. Behind that growly voice and those karate chops, Piggy is just full of love and gentleness. We don't see it very often, I know, but it is there. A good place to see it is during the back-stage scene in TGMC, when Piggy is running around in a cute but completely unglamorous smock, helping all the other girls get beautiful for the fashion show. Watch for her sensitive side when she introduces Kermit as "my special someone." (And, boy, could I just smack the frog for not saying, "Yeah, buster--stay away from my gal.")

Anyway--wake up now--I'm done! Sorry to insert this here but this seems as good a place as anywhere to put it. So--feel free to disagreee strongly with anything I write in terms of a story, but rest assured that I did put some thought into it. And yes, I'm planning on getting a life any day now.

Affectionately, Ru

 

[TogetherAgain]

<Stares>

...WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!

...WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!

Ru, that's incredible! I LOVE deep stuff like that!!!! (Probably comes from years of paying too much attention in English class. "What is the significance of the trunk?") Honestly, though, it's SO awesome to see such an in-depth and detailed examination of a character like that!! I mean, personally, I'll probably stick with the Piggy's-dad-was-killed-by-a-tractor story (I'd also be interested in that interview...) but I certainly have NO objection to your version. I'm eager to see what's next!

MORE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...By the way, what kind of life are you planning on getting- the cereal or the board game?

 

[Ruahnna]

The board game--I hear the cereal is bad for your health. (just joking--I love that stuff)

 

[The Count]

Hey Cath? We monsters thank you for the apology.
Sorry, thought I'd try to insert some humor here.

Good psycho-stuff... Should know, took a course in my Senior HS year.
Not sure what interview you guys are talking about... Any DVD in particular it can be found? Or do we have to call in favors from KermiClown or Fish'N'Wulf?

Anyway, like Lisa said... More please!

 

[Ruahnna]

This is not more story

I promise this is the last "fake posting post" I will make in my own thread. And I promise, even if it means no sleep, that I will post more of this story tonight, er, before I go to sleep.

No, Countie dear, I don't hve a copy of that interview, but I've read it or seen it or have a copy here somewhere in my sty of an office (no comments, please). It might be in "Of Muppets and Men," or one of the other Jim Henson/Muppet books that I've read but don't have a copy of. I can't find any reference of any sort that indicates that Piggy ever said/admitted any of this about her past, so I'm pretty sure that this was gleaned from an interview with Frank, maybe even the same interview in which he said that it would never work for a woman to do the voice of Miss Piggy, that it just wouldn't be funny. So--yes, I do know it's out there--can anyone help us here?

 

[The Count]

Hmmm... Of Muppets And Men, have that one in my VCD library. Will give it a watch when I get the chance. At the risk of dragging him in here, you might want to contact Gonzo, aka Quinn Rollins from SLC. He's basically your male counterpart Ru, we tease him constantly about his love over on the CMX forum. And if you got to see all his vonderful custom figures, especially his flock of Piggys...
Well, not sure if he'd be able to help, but at least it's a suggestion.