"The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" disappoints - Jim Hill

[Marky]

I sorta liked oz, but it was just lacking something...and I dont know what. QUOTE]

I've been thinking about this a bit (yes, I probably should get out more) and I think some of what is missing in this movie is the absolute goofiness that used to be so much a part of the humor of the muppets. Good humor appeals to more than one level, and some of the best laughs the muppets ever got on TMS were actually groans. I think Jim was the one who said, "If a joke is bad enough for us to use once, it's bad enough for us to use several times!" (i.e. Q: Do you like Kipling? A: I don't know, I never kippled!) I've thought of a few things that would have been comfortingly familiar--and groan-inducing--in TMWoO.

1. Running gag number one--various muppets keep showing up to audition for The Wizard of: Fuzz, Ox, Fluff, Ostritches, etc. These would also provide and opportunity for Kermit to erupt into arm-waving hysteria--always a favorite of mine--shouting "Can't you people read? It the wizard of OZ! OZ!" (To which a lisping woman could reply "Yez?)

2. If you insist on making Kermit more "hip," give him a cell phone that rings at inappropriate times.* (Isn't that what all the wannabe hip people sport nowadays?) "No, Miss Piggy--you can't have a second trailor just because....," "No, I'm not interested in the market price of alfalfa today? What? Oh, no. I'm not interested in the price of pork either--that's way out of my league. Trust me." "No, I do not want to subscribe...," "Piggy, I'm sortof in the middle of--what? Oh, well, maybe but--what? Really? Well that sounds interesting but--" (suddenly realizing everyone is listening to his half of the conversation.) "Piggy! I'm trying to work!"
*This could have worked equally well with Gonzo, who actually HAD a cell phone that wasn't utilized for comic effect.

3. If Piggy's going to play more than one part, have her gripe continuous about the costume changes. She could even show up in her Glenda the Good Witch costume with the wrong tights and shoes, deny she did it, pretend she meant to do it and then finally give in when Kermit has a conniption. (No, I don't know how to spell that--it's unaccountable not in the dictionary.)

4. How about a group of Muffins arriving to audition for the show. "Sorry guys, it's Munchkins." Looks at the flyer in his hands. "We got to get a better proofreader."

Okay, okay--so these are sort of lame, but aren't they all just a little bit familiar? Why? Because we've seen them do this sort of thing over and over again--and over and over after that.

Anybody got any others?

Well, hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it? It's quite easy to suggest changes after-the-fact.

 

[Ruahnna]

Well, hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it? It's quite easy to suggest changes after-the-fact.

Unfortunately, hindsight often isn't--otherwise, people would learn from it. In my neck of the woods, we used to say that hindsight was the ability to look back and realized you've been, well, a horse's hind end. Too often, however, we can't look back and see that we've make a mistake, but keep making the same one over and over.

In entertainment, this is especially problematic because of two opposing forces: the longing for familiarity and the longing for novelty.

The longing for familiarity:
History is rife with authors who created a much-beloved character only to
have that one character totally define who they were as an author. (We want another one--just like the other one! Rah! Rah! Rah!) Conan Doyle, for example, wanted to be know as a serious writing of history, but the popularity of Sherlock Holmes pigeon-holed him quite effectively, to his total annoyance. Actors who have become known for one famous role often get stuck playing variations of that role over and over, to their chagrin.

The longing for novelty:
I'm probably dating myself terribly here, but I really enjoyed Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. When I went to see "Back to the Future" and "Doc Hollywood," part of the enjoyment of seeing those movies was seeing an actor who had always played uptight, AR, suit-wearing Alex P. Keaton play sortof scruffy characters. It's also why actresses who are primarily known for their "babe" status want to do something different--from Farrah Fawcett doing "The Burning Bed" to Gwyneth Paltrow doing "Emma" by Jane Austen. It's also the reason that so many of us like to see Kermit get his chain yanked by Miss Piggy when he's jealous. We're use to him denying and protesting--when he finally succumbs we stand with our hands over our mouths and say, "Oh--he did NOT just do that, did he?" (Or as Johnny Fiama said, "Oh yeah, he's drunk.")

Anyway--I enjoy your posts, Marky, but you're kindof acerbic.

 

[Marky]

Unfortunately, hindsight often isn't--otherwise, people would learn from it. In my neck of the woods, we used to say that hindsight was the ability to look back and realized you've been, well, a horse's hind end. Too often, however, we can't look back and see that we've make a mistake, but keep making the same one over and over.

In entertainment, this is especially problematic because of two opposing forces: the longing for familiarity and the longing for novelty.

The longing for familiarity:
History is rife with authors who created a much-beloved character only to
have that one character totally define who they were as an author. (We want another one--just like the other one! Rah! Rah! Rah!) Conan Doyle, for example, wanted to be know as a serious writing of history, but the popularity of Sherlock Holmes pigeon-holed him quite effectively, to his total annoyance. Actors who have become known for one famous role often get stuck playing variations of that role over and over, to their chagrin.

The longing for novelty:
I'm probably dating myself terribly here, but I really enjoyed Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. When I went to see "Back to the Future" and "Doc Hollywood," part of the enjoyment of seeing those movies was seeing an actor who had always played uptight, AR, suit-wearing Alex P. Keaton play sortof scruffy characters. It's also why actresses who are primarily known for their "babe" status want to do something different--from Farrah Fawcett doing "The Burning Bed" to Gwyneth Paltrow doing "Emma" by Jane Austen. It's also the reason that so many of us like to see Kermit get his chain yanked by Miss Piggy when he's jealous. We're use to him denying and protesting--when he finally succumbs we stand with our hands over our mouths and say, "Oh--he did NOT just do that, did he?" (Or as Johnny Fiama said, "Oh yeah, he's drunk.")

Anyway--I enjoy your posts, Marky, but you're kindof acerbic.

Acerbic, nah. Dry? mmm... yup. Please don't get me wrong (as oftern people do - the bane of typed words vs. verbal expression).I don't mean to be slammish to your ideas. They are good and would make improvements. It's just when people criticize art in any form - what 'they would have done differently to make it better', etc. etc, whether I agree with it or not (and in your case I do), it kind of makes me want to say "Oh, go on you saucy baguette".

I hope I didn't rub you the wrong way. Your avatar is lovely. I need more coffee.

 

[Ruahnna]

Wow--it's been while since anyone called me a "saucy baguette." LOL! (Would my kids be mortified!) No--you didn't offend, and I didn't mean to sound like and armchair quarterback. I just, yuh know, care about these guys. I want them to do well--the muppets and the people who bring them to life. I want the companies which hope and plan to make a profit from giving us chances to see our fave felt friends to make a profit without skinning it off the back of our guys, or tampering too much with what has made the muppets so wildly successful. Plus--I really like seeing Kermit wave his arms around in the air. Call me a sucker for uptight men....

Ooh--and my avatar comes from a nifty little "Home Family Bundle" CD that has a calendar program. It has TONS of both pictures of the muppets and cartoons of the muppets. (And I'm embarrassingly proud of being able to actually make my own avatar and upload it because I still don't know exactly what an MP3 file is, or how to use one, or how to do anything at all with sound on my computer. Wah....)

 

[Marky]

Call me a sucker for uptight men....

You'd love Quebec.

 

[Voiceroy]

I realize this article has been up a long while, but this really bothers me.

Could a moderator please edit "MuppetNewsHound's" original post so it doesn't violate Jim Hill's copyright? You can't just copy/paste an entire article verbatim from anywhere on the web. It's more than just illegal -- it's really unprofessional too.

This is Jim Hill's original article:
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=1465

 

[maniacal muppet]

I think KSY is a seprate film. MWoO is on the guide lines of the Muppet film trilogy. I liked the film very much. Eric Jacobson does a much closer Sam than Kevin (Clash) did. Personally, I liked IAVMMCM much better.

What the heck is KSY ?

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I've been thinking about this a bit (yes, I probably should get out more) and I think some of what is missing in this movie is the absolute goofiness that used to be so much a part of the humor of the muppets. Good humor appeals to more than one level, and some of the best laughs the muppets ever got on TMS were actually groans. I think Jim was the one who said, "If a joke is bad enough for us to use once, it's bad enough for us to use several times!" (i.e. Q: Do you like Kipling? A: I don't know, I never kippled!) I've thought of a few things that would have been comfortingly familiar--and groan-inducing--in TMWoO.

Yeah. thats probably it. There wasnt much "muppet humor". Another thing I was anoyed at was all the EM members went suddenly mute exept dr teeth, who had 2 lines in a song
(If I am rembering correctly. Sad really, I'm too young to be losing my memory )

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

What the heck is KSY ?

abbreviations are annoying aren't KSY means Kermits Swamp Years

 

[maniacal muppet]

abbreviations are annoying aren't KSY means Kermits Swamp Years

Thank you SO much!!!