The movie could have been even better (article)

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But the fact is that in the Muppets world they aren't puppets, they're Muppets. They're seen as weird people, not puppets.

This is the only time someone in an official Muppet production actively referred to them as puppets.

Well wait have you seen the episode of The Jim Henson Hour, The Secrets of the Muppets?

 

[goldenstate5]

Narrative production.

 

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Narrative production.

Lol, fair enough. The only narrative times I can think of are more ironic like, "We on The Muppet Show are very interested in puppets, for some strange reason."

Or this:

Waldorf: Fantastic, incredible, they remind me a lot of puppets.

Statler: Ugh. Puppets, I always hated puppets

Waldorf: You're a traitor to your class.

Statler: What class, I never even graduated!

 

[Oscarfan]

For now, I'm only relying on my vague, discarded memories. Piggy is a biker chick, Gonzo has a nipple ring and of course Ashanti ends up showing even more skin so she can be famous!

Gonzo had no nipple ring; there was a gag involving his nipples though.

 

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Gonzo had no nipple ring; there was a gag involving his nipples though.

Not that far off. The movie really was pretty disappointing, heh.

 

[Puckrox]

Gonzo had no nipple ring; there was a gag involving his nipples though.

This is true, but still, that part made my jaw drop open. I never want to hear the Muppets say the word "nipples".

 

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This is true, but still, that part made my jaw drop open. I never want to hear the Muppets say the word "nipples".

That movie was probably the best (or the worst, heh) example of the Muppets trying too hard to be modern.

 

[Drtooth]

I tried watching Oz the other night since the first time I saw it six years ago (which I mostly blocked out of my memory) and I couldn't get through the first fifteen minutes. It was awful, pure trash. The "gritty" music video, blatant sexploitation of Ashanti, and David Allan Grier mentioning that the Muppets are, "The most powerful puppets in the country!" Then finally the Muppets show up and the writing impossibly nosedives even further south.

For now, I'm only relying on my vague, discarded memories. Piggy is a biker chick, Gonzo has a nipple ring and of course Ashanti ends up showing even more skin so she can be famous!

Point is that I'm glad the Muppets are getting the better treatment that they deserve, but after Oz... can you really blame some people for being ambivalent?

MupOz was basically the worst stuff about modern Muppet Movies done in the worst possible way... A Classic retelling that tried too hard to be hip like VMX, had stunt casting, and over all just was an ugly very made for TV looking film. Ashanti couldn't act her way through a paper back (a tissue paper bag, yet... and she was a terrible actor on her pointless cameo in an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch), and had horrible chemistry with the Muppets (and Melissa Joan Hart for that matter). Everything else was stolen from the other versions of WOz... the biker gang from The Wiz among other things... the songs, while it was refreshing to even have a series of original songs in a Muppet movie since we haven't had that since MTI, were terrible and poorly performed (except for The Witch is in the House)... all over it tried too hard to be tweeny bopper AND adult... the Family Guy cutaway style jokes were obnoxious, and no where near as fresh or fun as they were in VMX (by which, I mean when they weren't dated when you watched them the first time). VMX was very lightning in a bottle. They didn't capture that at all.

As for the puppet reference, it was pathetic. If it was a joke, it was poorly executed.

Herald's example was one of the brilliant veiled references to being puppets... cleverly written, with a wink and a nod. That was a cheap joke, many that fell.

 

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Herald's example was one of the brilliant veiled references to being puppets... cleverly written, with a wink and a nod. That was a cheap joke, many that fell.

Yup, that pretty much outlines the difference.

 

[beaker]

But the fact is that in the Muppets world they aren't puppets, they're Muppets. They're seen as weird people, not puppets.

This is the only time someone in an official Muppet production actively referred to them as puppets.

I love how every single interview, mention of them, etc by tv talk and entertainment shows treats them as real actors. I never once see a disrespectful interview...even Chelsea Lately, who is ultra disrespectful, still treated Piggy like she was a person.

Im surprised JHC never did a special to explain the origins of the Muppet race and how they came to be on planet Earth