The RHLC!

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Oh, I probably wouldn't call Scooter a brat...sure, he did get on Kermit's case every now and then, but then, who didn't? I saw him more as the kid who wanted to be in on the action but didn't really know how yet...and he grew up, on camera, into the gofer we know and love.

Either way, Scooter would have fit in well down at Fraggle Rock. I once was toying with a bit in one of my TMS outlines where he and Gobo would sing "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" as an opening number, wearing identical outfits and playing guitars. (Which means Gobo would have to be fitted for glasses...)

Ah, the Proclaimers. That would have made for a fun TMS skit, and come to think of it, I dreamed that the Muppet Show cast did that song for a mountain-climbing skit.

It'd be fun to have Scooter and Gobo team up for a fan-fic. They both seem to be the idealistic, teenage leader-in-training type. Plus, they're both good singers and all-right guitar players, so it'd be nice to have them do a duet or something. And besides, Scooter and Gobo were played by Richard and Jerry, who were good friends off camera, so it'd be rather appropriate.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hmm, yeah that could work. I think Scooter would enjoy hanging out with Gobo more than say Bean Bunny (he clearly didn't enjoy bunny-sitting at Disney World!). They are closer to the same age. I can see them exchanging notes on their respective mentors (Traveling Matt and Kermit).

Although, leader types (or leaders in training in this case) don't always get along with each other, it's a pretty competitive field! Plus I think the Fraggles would perplex Scooter more than anything else, since he's so often trying to bring order to chaos! I think the difference is that we see Gobo both at work and at play. We rarely ever see Scooter dropping the gopher act. Whatever he's doing, he's always very earnest and determined. He's always at work when we see him, so to speak.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

That's true, but Gobo's also very earnest and determined in whatever he does, be it work or play. And the Fraggles are always trying to bring order to their own chaos, so they'd see eye to eye with Scooter on that. And you notice that Gobo often seems a little bemused at some of Red and Wembley's antics.

Besides, I don't think Scooter's the sort of Muppet who's always about work - that's Sam's job. It seems to me that Scooter manages to combine his job with having fun, as did Richard.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Oh yes, I do think they're alike in a lot of ways. They're both trying to prove how grown-up they can be. I imagine they would be able to offer each other moral support in these areas. And I hadn't noticed before that they both play guitar!

I'm trying to think of why Scooter just appears a bit more serious. I guess it's the difference between an "adult" Muppet show, and a "kids" one. Scooter's constantly around older people, so he's always trying to appear to them like a mature grown up. Even when he makes jokes he's trying to prove he's "one of the guys." Whereas Gobo's almost always around people his own age. He's already the leader of his group, so he's a bit more at ease (of course there are exceptions). Basically, Scooter's in a much bigger swimming pool, heh, and thus facing tougher waves.

On the subject of guitar playing: Scooter "can't play very well" yet, but Gobo picks up his instrument without a thought. But after all, Scooter's having to perform in front of a huge audience of strangers with all the adult Muppets backstage ready to point out his mistakes. Even if he does his very best, there's no guarantee anyone's going to care. Gobo's just playing around his friends, most of whom know he's amazing compared to them in such skills.

I imagine if we had more opportunity to see Gobo interact with older people who could really challenge him such as Matt and Doc (well maybe more Doc than Matt!), Gobo would seem more like Scooter. And who knows what Scooter's like in his off hours? (Whatever it is, it is definitely not cage-dancing, alternate universe or not! Hehe)

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

That's right; Gobo's already well-established in his own little group of Fraggles, but he occasionally lets his ego get ahead of him, which results in a creature or calamity being loosed on the Rock, or him getting caught by the Gorgs. But at the end, he's the stronger for having gone through that.

Scooter, on the other hand, is trying to get a toehold in the manic world of the Muppet Theater. But it seems that by the end of season one, or midway through season two, he's certainly carved out a place for himself...and indeed, in TMM, you notice he's sitting right next to Kermit and Robin in the screening room.

So what does our beloved gofer like to do in his off hours? Let's see...probably ride his bike or skateboard, play guitar, tell jokes, goof off with friends...that sort of thing, I guess.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I think we basically agree. The two of them would have a lot to talk about! And at least Gobo wouldn't try to make Scooter ride the Teacups at Disney World! It's nice to have debates though, it keeps the brain busy!

I was just wondering the other day, in the Muppets Take Manhattan plotline, they're all supposed to be in college at the beginning of the movie, right? I would assume they were boarding there (unless they managed to get off-campus housing or something, which sometimes happens, but only if you're lucky. And as they made quite clear, they didn't have much money!) If that's the case, how would they have delt with the roommate situation?

It's nitpicky I know, like I said, it just occured to me, lol. Maybe this was partially answered at that Muppet College Dorms thread at some point.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Depends on the dorm size, I suppose. Sometimes you can choose your roommates, but for the most part the school tends to choose them for you.

I know, these debates are quite fun, and they keep the thread near the top of the page.

I played one of Richard's speeches last night for Mom. She loved it, thought he was a really good, heartfelt speaker.

 

[The Count]

Scooter wanders in... Hey guys, not sure if you know this, but it's the last day of the Muppet elections. Bunsen's racking up the votes with his corny version of Vet's Hospital set in Pigs In Space. Guess Fozzie's been booking his sketches at the same time again.
Anyway, if you want to vote, that's fine. Just vote for the person you think deserves the right to become 2007 Muppet President.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Oh I was wondering why Bunsen was suddenly so far ahead! Are we right in assuming you're supporting the other guy?

 

[The Count]

Well... To address your queries heralde...
1 You have to remember that all what happened in the movies is more or less an amalgamation of the Muppets' lives' back stories and the fictional scripts they agreed to portray in movie form.
2 It's possible the Muppets could've been staying at a dorm when attending college in TMTM, but if the fact they attended college there was real, the opening segment of Manhattan Melodies' opening number is the project the cast put on as part of their graduation program.
So whatever lodgings they had was after they left college after the start of the movie.
3 Manhattan Melodies became a big Broadway or off-Broadway hit, at least when you consider it was backed by the Crawford family. And if we're still operating in the fictional world of the movies, there's no reason to think Manhattan Melodies wasn't a success, as it probably garnered the troop some money to then payoff J.P. Grosse's lean on the theater and/or buy or at least rent the boarding house we saw later in MFS.

Of course, this is a topic that lends itself to more debate and speculation. So go ahead and post your thoughts on the subject. And have a good day guys.