The Need for Female Roles (Why We Want Skeeter)

[beaker]

It has been something I've always wondered.

There's a reason why Baby Janice only appeared once (a shame) and Skeeter was created. Janice wouldn't have fit into the standard 1980's trope of the athletic one in a gang of kids. Same reason why they turned Scooter into a computer nerd. You know what I mean... Get Along Gang, Pink Panther and Sons...etc. Only, you know... GOOD. In fact it never really even struck me as a 1980's gang of kids show until just recently (they hid it too well... the characters had more than flat personalities and actually had character to them).

There was a baby Janice? I just recall Janice the teenaged babysitter. (yet another reason why MB is far from canon)

I know Muppet fans have this big aversion to introducing new characters, citing Muppets Tonight as an example...or how in the 1989 show Muppet Television(JHH) the classic characters got pushed to the background to make way for the Creature Shop looking hybrid characters.

I just think there's room to introduce strong new characters, perhaps to fill the role of Scooter and Rowlf since who knows if there's plans to really bring those two back. (I wish they'd bring em' back!)

Janice has always just played the hippy girlfriend of Pepper and cartoonish California girl with not much to say. Not exactly a strong female character in Muppet canon, as much as I love er'.
Annie Sue was very much a product of 70's Muppetdom, much like "Spamela Hamderson" was of mid 90's Muppetdom.

Also, it occurs to me how much The Electric Mayhem desperately needs a new wardrobe. I know, heresy...but if Janice can upgrade to the early 80's look, they all can look a little more modern

 

[Drtooth]

There was a baby Janice? I just recall Janice the teenaged babysitter. (yet another reason why MB is far from canon)

In the ONE episode she was in, I don't even think I'd call her "Baby" maybe 4 year old Janice... she was basically just a little older than the rest of the Babies and Bean brought her over to meet the guys while telling a story... which of course she only pretends to read (it was on Bueotuy - think anagram- for a while, might still be there). Basically, I'd say she's roughly Angelica to the Rugrats as far as age goes.

 

[beaker]

In the ONE episode she was in, I don't even think I'd call her "Baby" maybe 4 year old Janice... she was basically just a little older than the rest of the Babies and Bean brought her over to meet the guys while telling a story... which of course she only pretends to read (it was on Bueotuy - think anagram- for a while, might still be there). Basically, I'd say she's roughly Angelica to the Rugrats as far as age goes.

I just downloaded all 7 seven seasons, I'll have to check it out(oh thank you wiki muppet guide!)

Maybe Im conflating MB Janice with "late 80's/early 90's teenage Muppets" books. Remember those? There was even going to be a "Muppet High" cartoon.

 

[Drtooth]

It's "Whos tale is it anyway" if you're wondering.

 

[muppetmonster]

We definitely need Skeeter, that is for sure. It will give more gender equality, and more female roles (why should they most often than not always go to Janice and Miss Piggy?). Plus, one thing that irritates me is that Skeeter is in the muppet comics, but she does not appear in any non-animated muppet movies, and I have no idea why. It would do the studio a lot of good, it really would.

- Muppetmonster

 

[minor muppetz]

I have been thinking about this recently, before this thread was started. I wonder if they would have created an adult Skeeter if there was a regular live action Muppet series at the time of Muppet Babies. We didn't get a new full-length movie until after Muppet Babies ended (and after Richard Hunt died and Scooter was retired). There were only four live action specials at that time, and the first one after MB premiered was the 30th anniversary special; might have seemed a bit awkward to introduce an adult Skeeter puppet in that kind of special (then again, maybe they could have introduced an adult Skeeter when it was time to introduce clips from Muppet Babies... But Muppet Babies was pretty much lumped with Little Muppet Monsters and Fraggle Rock in a quick section on Muppet shows for kids). It might have been hard to include her in guest spots. Maybe she could have been in the Play-Along Videos, if Scooter was included (though Scooter had been on his own for years, so it might not have seemed that odd).

They could have put her on The Jim Henson Hour, but Richard Hunt only performed in three episodes (one being the "Miss Piggy's Hollywood" special) and Scooter didn't appear on the series at all. Like I said, it would have seemed strange to show adult Skeeter without her playing off Scooter.

 

[bazooka_beak]

As I love Muppet Babies and thus adore Skeeter, I would love to see her in "real life" in the Muppetverse. It sure would be interesting to see Miss Piggy and Skeeter bicker, have Scooter and Skeeter sing to each other Muppet Show style, and so on. It's not impossible, and kids don't have to know exactly where she came from in order to like her.

 

[beakerboy12]

I defenitely want Skeeter in the gang! Her being in the comic book really gave the Muppet Studio an idea and something to think about if they wanna put Skeeter in the gang. But everybody's right, before we get Skeeter, we need to get Scooter back to main character. But I do want Skeeter, I could see her being Piggy's foil. She, I think, is probably the only muppet tough enough to go against Piggy.

 

[beaker]

As I love Muppet Babies and thus adore Skeeter, I would love to see her in "real life" in the Muppetverse. It sure would be interesting to see Miss Piggy and Skeeter bicker, have Scooter and Skeeter sing to each other Muppet Show style, and so on. It's not impossible, and kids don't have to know exactly where she came from in order to like her.

Plus she could be portrayed as perhaps, in the 18-22 college aged range. While the Muppet gang seems much older(Gonzo often literally refers to stuff he did in the 1970's in recent interviews; and Kermit talks of his time in mid 50's tv land) it'd be interesting to see Skeeter portrayed pretty close to the comic.

Given at least HALF of all Disney focus and revenue comes from the female tween/teen crowd; I personally think it'd be unwise not to introduce a strong new female Muppet.

 

[mbmfrog]

I would love for Skeeter to appear as an adult Muppet as she brings in a sport style to the Muppets. She could be a trainer or a player for various outrageous sports that the Muppets usually do.

I mean where Piggy's vanity, Janice is mellow, Skeeter could be their sporty.

I got to say after all this time it would be great to see the Muppets introduce Skeeter to the new generation.