Yeah, you're right. We talked about this before on the thread. But for those of you who don't feel like trying to find it ::raises hand::, the MC Muppet Show guides discuss how Janice was a hand-me-down puppet for Richard in the 2nd season. He was the only main Muppet performer who wasn't a member of the Electric Mayhem. Looks like it took a few episodes for him to find the character's "motivation."
I always find it interesting that with Janice, they didn't go all the way with the Valley Girl image. You know, being vain and materialistic. But then again, they already had that with Piggy. And they couldn't have both female characters being that way! So Janice is kind of half Valley Girl, half Flower child/hippie. Though maybe that's how the hippies girls were in California at the time, the whole Haight-Asbury enviornment.