Eras in Muppet History: Introduction

For my very first blog post, I am going to write about the Muppets. Why, you may ask? For me, Muppets have always been my number one franchise. From a very young age, I would collect the toys, re-watch their movies over and over again, and I never really grew out of it. As I got older, I also started to look into what was happening behind the scenes, and appreciate the art and craftsmanship that went into the Muppets. . One thing that draws me in is that the music is incredibly relatable, I can think of a perfect Muppet song for almost any mood. If I’m happy, I can listen to Kermit’s rendition of “Happy Feet”. If I’m feeling down, I can listen to Big Bird singing “I’m so Blue.” It doesn’t stop there, I could think of songs for road trips, weddings, goodbyes, and even going out on a date. The music can reinforce how I’m feeling, which is why I have a Muppet playlist on my phone. Another aspect for me, is that I can identify with the characters on a personal level, even with the knowledge that they’re puppets. My all-time favorite character is Gonzo. Gonzo is a crazy daredevil who comes up with extravagantly creative stunts. He doesn’t care what other people think, he’s so confident and sure of himself and that comes across. He also has shown his sensitive side and how much he cares for his friends. That right there is admirable. Being confident in who you are and caring for people is a great trait for anyone to have, and the Muppets are able to portray that through a hose-nosed weirdo who loves chickens. I could keep going, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and all the rest have been given such distinct personalities and motivations that you want to root for them. The Muppet performers are so talented and creative in their performances, that I see it as significantly more than just a puppet show.

 

Jim Henson performing Kermit in The Muppet Movie (1979)

As I mentioned, I’ve been fascinated with the Muppets for as long as I can remember, so I’ve seen every Muppet production that I could get my hands on. In seeing all of this, I would identify three main factors that contributed to this success. First off, the state of the art puppetry techniques. Jim Henson was a pioneer of this field. He was always looking to push the envelope with new, ground-breaking techniques. Every form of TV magic has been used, from marionettes and animatronics to green screen effects and computer generation. In The Muppet Movie (1979), Jim Henson blew peoples’ minds by having Kermit riding a bicycle. That kind of ingenuity really makes a big difference.

 

L-R: Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Jim Henson, Frank Oz
and Richard Hunt

The second factor is the amazing performance of the Muppet performers, who are often underappreciated. These performers do an amazing job at bringing these characters to life. Not only in the technical movement of the puppets, but also in their performance. The Muppets are given likes, dislikes, wants, needs, and emotions. Fozzie Bear desperately wanting to succeed at something despite his lack of skill is very relatable. When Kermit tries to keep everything running smoothly when everyone else is acting crazy and chaotic makes us root for him. The characters are just as real as any other characters you’ll see on TV.

The third factor of Muppet success is something that I’ve noticed over the years. It’s the balance of craziness and heartfelt moments. Two very different approaches to entertainment and the Muppets bring their A-Game to both of these. On one hand, making hilarious, crazy humor is the Muppets’ specialty, and that is truly exemplified in some key characters, such as The Swedish Chef as he tries to cook using wacky methods or Beaker, the unwilling victim of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s wacky inventions. The constant mixture of these characters butting heads and trying to work together brings a unique interpersonal dynamic to the Muppets. You could throw any two characters together in a scene and the end result would still be hilarity. On the other hand, the Muppets are also known for creating heartfelt, meaningful moments. These writers and performers are so talented that they can make us feel and care for these characters, even though we know they’re not real. In my mind, no character does this better than Robin the Frog, who seems to show up at most of these moments. Isn’t it interesting that Robin shows up in nearly every Muppet Christmas special? Portrayed brilliantly by the late Jerry Nelson, Robin is a small frog with a big heart. He has the perfect mixture of wise friend and small child that brings

home the emotion.

In order to fully appreciate the Muppets have how far they’ve come, I think it’s important to look back through their history. Doing this, we can discover the path that Jim Henson took with these characters and the big milestones along the way. We can see how these milestones have allowed these characters to progress and lead to the next big break. Although there are no official periods of time within Muppet history, I have identified and labeled what I see as seven distinct eras in Muppet history. In the following chapters, I will be discussing each era and its contributions to the culture of Jim Henson’s Muppets. To start things off, I will share the first chapter right away. I will post the remaining six chapters every morning at 10:00am.


Continue on to the Beginning Era (1955-1969)