My Favorite Muppets, Part 4: Jerry Nelson

Now let's take a look at Hunt's standard puppeteering partner, Jerry Nelson.  I wrote a tribute to him back in 2012 after he passed, where I noted that despite his lack of "huge" Muppet characters, he had more than his share of signature roles that showed his heart and humor.  Read that article if you haven't, as I don't want to repeat myself too much.

Nelson was great at the "sweet" character.  The little guy who only wanted to succeed in life, yet was crushed at every turn (physically or metaphorically).  Although he's not on this list, some honorable mentions would go to Emmett Otter, who was the star of his own tragic Christmas special and Mr. Johnson, the put-upon everyman who was constantly abused by Grover's incompetence.

But Nelson was never one to complain.  He remained loyal and supportive as long as his energy would allow him.  His last major performance was in The Muppets where he reprised the role of the Announcer.  He clearly still loved his work, even if it was hard sometimes.

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10) Herry Monster - Sesame Street

Herry was definitely more prominent in the '70s and '80s than he was in the '90s when I was introduced to Sesame Street, so I feel like he was often overlooked when it came to the core characters.  But he proved that even though a monster may look big and scary, they can be really sweet when you get to know them.  Sometimes he made mistakes and messes, but he always apologized and try to fix his errors.  And he sleeps with a dolly.  How can you not love Herry?

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9) Female Koozebanian Creature - The Muppet Show

Of the core five puppeteers, Nelson had the best "female" voice.  It came in a few varieties and it was mostly used for elderly women, like Fozzie's mother, or chickens, like Camilla.  But I chose the Female Koozebanian Creature because her giddy laugh is so infectious and it makes the sketch that results in her mating ritual sacrifice all the funnier.

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8) Count von Count - Sesame Street

Before the Count, children would count to 20 without Transylvnian accents and maniacal laughter.

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7) Floyd Pepper - The Muppet Show

Floyd was Nelson's choice as the character he identified most with, allowing his philosophies and interest to shine through in the character's dialogue.  I personally like the groovy strutting that Floyd did whenever he walked from place to place.

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6) Dr. Julius Strangepork - The Muppet Show

Man, I wish they had used Dr. Strangepork a lot more than they did.  An elderly German scientist is already great to have in your team of loonies, and the pig element only adds to the visual humor.  In fact, call me crazy, but I think I would have preferred it had Dr. Strangepork replaced Dr. Bunsen in the "Muppet Labs" segments.  Not only would it have paired Nelson with Hunt again, but it would have allowed for more zaniness.  Strangepork usually played the straightman in the "Pigs in Space" segments, and he was sometimes given the opportunity to play a Dr. Frankenstein like mad-scientist, but he always struck me as more endearing than Bunsen.  He's a pig I wouldn't have minded accidentally watching torture poor Beaker.  Bunsen just comes off as a creepy, heartless jerk.

But mostly, I just want more people to know who I'm talking about when I mention Dr. Strangepork.

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5) Gobo Fraggle - Fraggle Rock

With The Frog Prince and Emmett Otter, Nelson proved he could play the lead character without issue.  Fraggle Rock was very much a belated gift to the man who deserved star treatment.  Gobo isn't just a generic "leader."  Like many adventurers and heroes before him, Gobo is the small man who comes into greatness.  He is the Frodo of Fraggle Rock.  He's a positive force to all those around him, but he also makes mistakes and gets in over his head.  But he yearns to experience more, even when he fails.  He is one of my few puppet role models.

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4) Scred - The Land of Gorch (Saturday Night Live)

I've already discussed the rise and fall of the first attempt to bring the Muppets to an adult audience with the SNL misstep, "The Land of Gorch."  But leave it to Nelson to create the breakaway character from the sketches.  The sly and sarcastic Scred probably dealt with more shady dealings than all other Muppets combined, be he was just so lovable as a character.  Apparently, Scred was the inspiration for the Skek-Sis villains of The Dark Crystal (and Nelson even played the eldest Skek-Sis emperor who dies at the beginning, which leads me to believe that he is just and older version of Scred).

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3) Thog - The Great Santa Claus Switch, The Muppet Show

While many of the giant Muppet monsters tend to blend together, the warm-hearted Thog is worthy of iconic status.  He was the only surviving character of the lackluster early Muppet Christmas Special The Great Santa Claus Switch, despite being part of a duo.  His main shtick then involved dancing to romantic ballads with female guest stars because he was basically a big blue teddy bear.  For anyone who has trouble believing that Nelson was just a big softy, look no further than Thog.

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2) Robin the Frog - The Frog Prince, The Muppet Show

I've already said so many wonderful things about Robin, but what I like the most is that he is inspired by Kermit.  Like Nelson to Henson, Robin observed the trials that Kermit underwent to become the star that he became today.  He was the first frog to leave the swamp and make a name for himself.  Robin wants to similarly be like Kermit.  But he isn't a copycat, nor is he overbearing.  He is timid, but self-aware.  He knows that he is smaller and less noticeable than the rest and is therefore unlikely to stand out, so he uses that to his advantage, singing songs that show the power one small individual can have.

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1) Uncle Deadly - The Muppet Show

And while Robin is a perfect choice for the best Nelson character, my own personal favorite would have to be Uncle Deadly.  As I said with Link Hogthrob and Sam the Eagle, part of it had to do with the fact that I was more familar with The Muppet Movie than The Muppet Show and these awesome looking creatures with hidden backstories would stare at me from my Muppet memorabilia.  When I learned Uncle Deadly's story, I thought he was just the coolest.

The closest thing that the Muppets could have to a villain (besides general critics/man-eating monsters/squares) was this former star, feeling that that Muppets were disgracing his stage with foolish antics.  He was a thespian of old and he commanded dignity.  But unlike Sam the Eagle, who just complained a lot, Deadly's dignity was well-earned.  He carried himself with grace and his beautiful voice was haunting in all senses of the word.

I wish he had become more of a hit amongst the fans, because I'd like to have seen what else he could have gotten up to.  I'm glad he resurfaced in The Muppets, fulfilling the role he was meant to play, but by then, Nelson was no longer at the helm.

Like Deadly, Nelson was a talented man.  He was strongly devoted to his craft and he held out for a long time, even while others moved on.  He lived to perform and he will forever be remembered for it.  And it goes to show that even though giant talents can make one a monster, one can use those talents to showcase a more sensitive side.

Muppet Classic Theater, Part 3: Silly Stories

5) The Emperor's New Clothes

The Original Story:

An arrogant emperor hires some tailors who are actually swindlers.  They take advantage of the emperor's pride and convince him that they have crafted clothes out of a fabric that is invisible to those who are too unworthy, elegant, and intelligent.  The emperor naturally cannot see the clothes, but he doesn't want to appear unfit for the crown so he pretends that he can see the clothes.  His royal staff also claim to see the clothes, so that they appear worthy of their regal positions.  When he goes through town to show off his fine new clothes, a little boy states the obvious that the emperor is naked and the emperor carries on, although deep inside, he realizes that he's been hoodwinked.

The Muppet Twist:

The story plays the same note for note, with Fozzie as the emperor and Rizzo as the swindler, although there is an added message of not following along with everyone else in an attempt to appear "cool."

Also, the emperor is clearly wearing underwear.

But there is a subtle difference that once again ignores the original message, probably to make room for the new one.  It has to do with Robin playing the little boy.

How Does the Twist Affect the Original?

Well, we all know that Robin is very mature for his age.  As such, his character is celebrated as being one of the most intelligent children in the land.  Which is fine and all except in the original, the boy wasn't supposed to be wise.  He was just supposed to be normal.  It was his innocence that made him speak the truth.

Robin's too smart to play this role.  Bring back Andy and Randy Pig.

Because everyone recognizes Robin's smarts, the emperor's shame is quickly covered up and a big deal is made out of the situation (with Rizzo and his partners ending up in prison).  The original at least sticks to the whole pride angle, where the emperor's ego can't suffer any embarrassment, so he keeps his reaction bottled up and continues his parade through the town, grimacing all the while.  But by casting Fozzie (who wears his emotions on his sleeve), the emperor must be frightfully silly and imbecile.  It's not that he is arrogant, he just is surrounded by too many yes-men.

And he has too many beauty marks.

Rating:  Once again, the message is changed and once again, it's a step in the wrong direction (and it makes an already ludicrous story even crazier).  2/5

(A final thought on this story: Emperor Fozzie tries to make "Pop-pop-pop" a catchphrase.  He was years ahead of his time.)

6) The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Original Story:

A poor but kindly shoemaker is struggling to make ends meet.  Although his business is suffering due to lack of materials, he still shares his meager food and earnings with those less fortunate than him.  One night, when he has only one scrap of leather left, a group of elves secretly come in and make the most amazing pair of shoes.  It sells for a lot of money the next day and the shoemaker, after buying more materials, gives the rest to the poor.  The elves return and make more shoes as a reward.  With the shoemaker's business now booming, he works late into the night to meet demand.  There, he encounters the elves, returning for work.  To thank them, he makes them special outfits and they leave, never to be seen again.

Just like in Harry Potter!

The Muppet Twist:

Instead of elves, they are Elvises.

Thank you very much.

How Does the Twist Affect the Story?

This is what I've been waiting for.  This is what the Muppets are best at.  They take two familiar premises and mash them together and present the results.  Nearly every song/sketch on The Muppet Show had to do with the incongruity of two elements, often inspired by a pun.  They took pigs and made them vikings singing "In the Navy" by the Village People.  They took pigs and made them eskimos singing "Lullaby of Broadway."  They took pigs and made them the stars of a Star Trek-esque series.  They did a lot with pigs.

But nevertheless, "The Elvises and the Shoemaker" seems just like one of the old bits.  And the pairing works, because, of course, the Elvises get to work making blue suede shoes.

What else would they be doing?

And at the end, the outfits that the shoemaker presents to the Elvises are their rhinestone jumpsuits.

It all makes perfect sense.

I'm willing to forgive this story for dropping the charitable aspect of the shoemaker's character because we need to spend as much time as possible with these Elvises.  These bizarre creatures that don't seem entirely aware of the world around them and only act like Elvis out of a sense of duty (much like the original shoemaking elves, who are obligated to make shoes for some unknown reason).

Rating:  Easily the best of the bunch.  It's a hunka burnin' love.  5/5

So, Muppet Classic Theater.  It's certainly a joyful, non-threatening little treat.  And it played a large role in keeping the Muppets on people's minds during the hiatus between feature films.  If you grew up with it, I'm sure you have a favorite story and fond memories of this little endeavor.

For me, the stories from best to worst are:

1) The Elves and the Shoemaker

2) Rumpelstiltskin

3) King Midas

4) The Three Little Pigs

5) The Emperor's New Clothes

6) The Boy Who Cried Wolf

But really, my only qualms are where the stories deviate from the original.  Those that do it with a clever purpose fare better than those that just shoehorn in new morals for today's kids.

It's worth checking it out if you need a quick Muppet fix (and if you're a fan of Gonzo and Rizzo's relationship).  Otherwise, just stick with some old episodes of The Muppet Show because it has a lot more pigs in it.

The Essential Jerry Nelson

Every Muppeteer has their signature Muppet.  Jim has Kermit, Frank has Miss Piggy, Richard has Scooter, and Dave has Gonzo.  But who does Jerry have?

Jerry Nelson had one of the longest careers of any Muppet performer, so he's amassed quite a few characters over the years.  With over 250 characters on his resume, it's going to be difficult choosing one Muppet that represented the man.

Intentional Muppet caricatures don't count.

The character that most people are going to recognize is Count von Count.  Sesame Street deals primarily with letters and numbers and, for over half of the current American population, this kindly lavender vampire is the person who taught us how to count.

At a young age, we are taught that math is scary.

And while this is an important service and instantly recognizable character, the Count never developed beyond his main trait.  Nelson was impersonating Bela Lugosi's Dracula, and while he made the character his own, he was not able to bring much depth to the pre-established role.

Besides, the Count wasn't from The Muppet Show.  Nelson's biggest role on that show would have to be Sgt. Floyd Pepper, lead singer and bassist for the Electric Mayhem.  This cool hip cat is exactly the laid-back type of person Nelson could identify with.

They even have the same hat!

And Floyd is a great character.  But signature?  Well, it's hard to imagine Floyd outside the context of the Electric Mayhem.  Frank Oz's Animal was able to break free and become a memorable icon in his own right, but Floyd is forever a musician, and he sticks with the band.  We're going to have to look elsewhere...

How about down in Fraggle Rock?  Here, Jerry Nelson had the lead role with the courageous and adventurous Gobo Fraggle.  This was the character that sought the answers to life's greatest mysteries and grew to be a better person because of them.  Everyone in Fraggle Rock looked up to Gobo as a leader, and it gave Nelson a chance to shine!

The two most pleasant people under the earth.

Although, as great as it was, Fraggle Rock did not have as large an impact on our collective consciousness as the other Muppet productions.  The polite Canadian-accented Gobo Fraggle is a wonderful, well-developed character for a children's show.  If only more people knew that Fraggles existed...

It seems as if Nelson was most skilled at playing the meek and small, since it played to his sense of playfulness when it came to exploring the giant world around him.  And as far as Muppet's go, they don't get any littler than Robin the Frog.  Kermit's nephew may feel limited by his size, but his heart is big enough to make up for his shortcomings.  He can see the beauty in life, no matter what.

Kermit isn't the only frog singing about rainbows.

I'm almost content to settle on Robin as being the best character to represent Jerry Nelson, but then more voices keep popping up.  What about Emmet Otter?  What about Herry Monster?  What about Camilla the Chicken?  What about Frazzle or Sherlock Hemlock or the Amazing Mumford or Biff the construction worker or Grover's perpetual victim Mr. Johnson or the Two-Headed Monster's right head?  What about Pops or Louis Kazagger or Crazy Harry or Dr. Julius Strangepork or Uncle Deadly or Lew Zealand or the indispensable Female Koozebanean Creature?  What about Scred or Majory the Trash Heap or Balthazar the Teddy Bear or the Emperor Skeksis from The Dark Crystal?

AND WHAT ABOUT THOG?!

Don't you forget about me.

This list will go on forever.  There are so many great characters that Nelson has brought to life that it would be wrong to pick just one.  These are all Jerry Nelson.  Each of these characters, whether it be Floyd or Gobo or the Count or Robin, belong with the group they are associated with.  You can't take them on their own because they are essential to the ensemble.

Without Jerry, an entire population of characters would not exist.  Nelson was a vital part of the Muppet group and a crucial part of our lives, whether we realized it or not.  May he rest in peace.

A Different Kind of Prince

Following the success of Hey Cinderella! and the popular new series Sesame Street, Henson returned to the land of fairy tales to present The Frog Prince.

With Kermit!  But not starring Kermit.

Hoping to turn the fairy tales into recurring specials, this was branded as part of the Tales from Muppetland series, which would retroactively include Hey Cinderella! But, unlike the prior special which had to cut a lot of material to condense it to an hour, this special had to add a lot to meet the required length.

The original tale can be easily told in a sentence: a prince who was turned into a frog by a witch can only be changed back by the kiss of a princess.  Well, actually the original original tale involved bashing the frog against a wall to cure him.  Good ol' Brothers Grimm.  But the point is that the story is quite short and needs a lot of padding.

First we meet the frogs of the pond, consisting of Kermit and his pals, each named after one of the Knights of the Round Table.  That would have been an interesting angle to take with the story, having many men turned into frogs.  But no, the names are just a coincidence.

That should be "Gareth," not "Garth."  This isn't Wayne's World.

Little Robin hops up and begins explaining that he is actually Sir Robin the Brave, a prince.  The frogs don't believe him, so he tells the tale of how an evil witch transformed him into a frog for no real reason.  This tale is told in flashback, and we see the human form of Robin, who...is nothing like Robin the Frog.  Frog Robin is just as we picture him, meek, timid, and young.  Human Robin is bold, righteous, and mature.  You'd think they would try to match the personalities a bit.  Or the voices.

Maybe becoming a frog makes you more timid and gives you Jerry Nelson's voice.

The witch is none other than our good friend Taminella Grinderfall, and her puppet has become a lot larger, becoming a not-quite-so-full bodied puppet, similar to King Goshposh.  And speaking of the king, he returns as well, with his servant Featherstone.  However, now he is called King Rupert the Second, possibly so we don't get confused as to why he now has a daughter as opposed to a son like in the last special.

Also, he wears yellow now.

His princess daughter Melora has also been cursed by the witch, causing her to speak improperly by switching the letters at the beginnings of words, making it impossible for her father to understand her.  See, Taminella has convinced the king that she is his long-lost sister and Melora knows she is a fraud.  Robin, however, is able to understand her (because it's not that hard to figure out) and rescues her gold ball when it falls into the frog pond (as in the original story).  Now, here would normally be the part where the situation is explained and the princess kisses the frog and everyone lives happily ever after.

But no, we have 40 minutes left.  So we've got to stall.

Princess Melora brings Robin home and after they schmooze for a while, she prepares to kiss him, but Taminella ruins the mood and prevents the kiss from occurring.  She invites them to dinner where Kermit gets drunk and Kermit gets drunk in a children's show and that's just so weird to think about that I cannot move on from this plot point.

Everyone else stuffs their faces with popovers.

Eventually, Taminella throws Robin in her dungeon to be eaten by her ogre Sweetums.  As we know, Sweetums will later become Robin's best friend, but for now, he is pure antagonist.  Robin lulls him to sleep with a condescending lullaby and an intoxicated Kermit tries to get him to unlock the cage by posing as Taminella.  Unfortunately, Sweetums snaps to and flies into a chaotic rage, destroying the entire set.  It's quite exciting.

Friendship will have to wait.

The frogs escape, summon the other frogs to help them attack the witch, and all right before the witch is about to be crowned queen.  And then finally, after a good half-an-hour, Robin realizes that when Melora said to "bake the hall in the brain's candle," she meant to "break the ball in the cane's handle" to remove the witch's power.  Why she couldn't do this herself, I'll never know.

When Taminella's magic cane breaks, all the spells but one are reversed and she transforms into a bird, flying away from the special, never to be seen again in any Muppet production ever.  I'll miss her.

Finally, the princess kisses Robin and everything turns out hunky dory.  Robin reverts back to his human form, along with his bland personality, which makes me wonder who she really loved...Robin the Frog or Robin the Human?

I would have stuck with the frog.

Apparently Robin made a decent human, though, because nine months later we are treated to the young Prince Kermit, named after a certain frog with a drinking problem.

Yay, a baby!

Compared to the prior special, this one falls a little flat.  The avoidance of resolutions that would make the plot a lot simpler found during the ending of Hey Cinderella runs rampant all throughout this special.  There is no reason everything should take as long as it did and it could have been fixed with some different character interactions.  Involving the original frogs more could have helped, and making Taminella more like her Tinkerdee character would have made things a lot more entertaining.  There, it was funny when she stood in the way of the heroes.  Here, it's just grating.

Still, this was the special that gave us Robin who, in his frog form, is a very compelling character.  The Sweetums dungeon scene is probably the best in the whole episode, and it's clear why the duo remained permanent members of the Muppet cast to this very day.

Henson will have one more shot at combining Muppets with fairy tales, so hopefully things will pick up as we look at the next Tale from Muppetland.

Rocky Monotonous Holiday

Why do people go camping?  Some do it to be closer connected with nature, far from civilization and pollution.  There is an element of the wilderness being pristine and untouched, waiting to be enjoyed like a hidden treasure.  Others camp to challenge themselves.  Finding new ways to prepare food and shelter, while also trying activities like hiking, rock-climbing, and swimming.  It's that sense of adventure that attracts people from the comfort of their homes.  Still, others enjoy the camaraderie that develops.  You never really know someone until you go camping with them.  And then there are those that enjoy the peace and solitude.

All of these aspects make camping a wonderful choice for a vacation.  John Denver is obsessed with camping and he wanted to produce another special with the Muppets exploring the joys of the Rocky Mountains.  And what's John Denver's favorite thing about camping?

Apparently it's singing a never ending slew of cheesy songs.

Alright, now for my 35th song...

Rocky Mountain Holiday follows a similar format to A Christmas Together in that a loose storyline of Denver hanging out with the Muppets is broken up by traditional and original songs associated with the holiday.  But while a Christmas special can get away with a certain level of corniness, a summer holiday special seems to be forcefully dull.

For one thing, camping songs aren't as prevalent in the modern culture as Christmas songs are.  Because the airwaves get over-saturated with holiday cheer in the winter, we become numb to the actual content of the song and appreciate it when it rolls around.  If you aren't an avid camper, the camping songs aren't as memorable, but just as insipid.

Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don't Care.

John Denver prides himself on wholesome entertainment, but seems to have forgotten that entertainment involves something entertaining by definition.  Denver, once again, seems to live in his own little world, singing songs to himself while the Muppets (being just shells of themselves) egg him on.  Like A Christmas Together, the unity between Denver and the Muppets is lacking, but at least at Christmas, the Muppets were able to do their own thing.  Here, it feels like Denver dragged all the puppets out to be his captive audience.

Give us the keys, Denver!

The Muppets constantly reminisce about past vacations they spent with Denver, but these moments feel hollow.  When they aren't stroking Denver's ego, they are going through run-of-the-mill camping jokes that were clever in the 1950s.  Animal pitches his tent...into a lake!  Rowlf is wondering where he can set up...his television set!  The Muppets aren't behaving like themselves.  They are just joke dispensers.

The gang's all here, but they aren't really "all there."

But the truly aggravating moments are the campfire sing-alongs that take up the second half of the episode.  The Muppets barely talk about anything other than what song is going to be played next.  Oh, there is a "hilarious" ghost story about a Man-Eating Chicken.  But other than that, it's just song after song after song.

Even when the chicken does show up, it can't end the horror.

As I was watching this, I began asking myself, "Is this really it?  Is this what so many people love about camping?  Singing bland songs at each other all night?"  And then I remembered my own camping experiences with friends.  Yes, we sat around a campfire, but we didn't avoid conversation.  We delved into our inner most psyches.  We got to know each other in ways we never had before.  We played games and told jokes and had fun.  This is the camping special I would have wanted to see out of the Muppets.

Imagine Jim and Frank and Dave and Richard and Jerry, alone, as their characters, just improvising conversations about life.  That would have been a captivating special!

This is what the Muppets are capable of.  Let them live!  Don't keep them constrained to silly jokes and songs.  The Muppet moment I kept thinking back to as I watched this special was the camping scene from The Muppet Movie.  There, we have the exact same set up, but, due to the added drama of the movie, there is a somber, yet interesting tone to the scene.  They start singing and it is a genuine moment.  Kermit has a self-reflective monologue.  All because they are out in the middle of nowhere, trapped under the stars.  This is what Muppets are like when they go camping.

Wow, profundity.

Rocky Mountain Holiday does contain some drama in that Robin feels as if he is too small to help out. But Robin is always feeling too small. All Denver does is sing some loosely-related song to him and it cheers him up.

CRISIS AVERTED!!!

I went into this special with high hopes, but this sterile complication of musical numbers left me high and dry. There also exists an album version of this special, like with A Christmas Together, but since the point of camping is the experience of being outdoors in nature, we lose a lot of the beauty in the transfer to audio.

These pictures look so great.  Maybe if I watched the special on "Mute," I would have enjoyed it.

If you have fond memories of this special, I don't want to take that away from you. The special is quaint. And it's charming. But it lacks any sort of depth.

At least this special makes me want to go camping... far from any television sets.

Be Prepared in Mind, Body, and Webbed-Feet

Boys have Boy Scouts.  Girls have Girl Scouts.  Frogs have Frog Scouts.

Trustworthy, Courteous, Amphibian

Scouting culture originated in Europe, but the American Boy and Girl Scout organizations have become synonymous with "Americana."  Thanks to pop culture and Norman Rockwell, the images of groups of children learning wilderness survival and cooperative skills are filled with nostalgia for a great American childhood.  By studying different techniques to become better citizens, the Scouts represent the best of what America has to offer.  Kermit the Frog's virtues makes him the ideal candidate for a Scout Leader, and, by default, the Frog Scouts were born.

Rule #1: No shoes allowed!

Scout Leader Ms. Appleby and the Okefenokee Pack 12 of the Frog Scouts.

They first appeared as a group in an episode of The Muppet Show in which Robin invites his troop backstage for a chance to meet that week's guest star, Debbie Harry of Blondie.  This storyline would have worked with any guest star, so, due to random chance, we are treated to a group that is obsessed with Debbie Harry and hopes to earn their "punk" merit badges.

Just like when you were a kid!

The episode mostly features the young frogs getting in the way and being starstruck, but they manage to find time to be useful.  They are able to fill in for Gonzo's cancelled act and they even stitch up Link after a particularly brutal "Pigs in Space" sketch.

If you couldn't tell, he had a broken nose.

The jokes never go beyond the surface level of funny merit badges or the troop's overeagerness, but this wouldn't be the last we saw of the Frog Scouts.  They would continue to appear in other publications, continuing their display of silly badges, because that's all there is to say about Scouts, right?  All those crazy badges, you know?!

A young Alfonso Ribeiro (a.k.a. Carlton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) receives the "Boogie Badge."

In picture books, the Frog Scouts would undergo a familiar routine where the adults, in trying to teach them survival skills, always ended up needing to be rescued by the young Scouts.

Even Kermit suffers from this fate.

But the Frog Scouts' greatest moments occurred during Nickelodeon's "Muppet Time" segments that aired during reruns of The Muppet Show.  Here, we got to see the Scouts all on their own, out in the element, using their wits and teamwork to survive tough situations.

Like constant bear attacks.

Except for Robin, we never learned the names of these frogs, but they each had a distinctive personality  from which comedy (and life lessons) could ensue.  For example, never underestimate string.

If you watched that clip, you may have noticed that one of the Frog Scouts is a girl.  It seems that the Frogs Scouts is an equal-opportunity organization, which creates a stark contrast with the Scouting organizations it's based on.  Much controversy has arisen over the Boy and Girl Scouts approach to creating better citizens by explicitly excluding certain individuals from joining.  Apparently, intolerance is a virtue.

But the Frog Scouts are not like that.  Watch the next clip as a new member tries to join their group.

The group initially hesitates for taking in the new member.  It isn't because of her gender or her beliefs. It is because her talent doesn't seem very crucial to wilderness survival.  But, once she shows that she can benefit the group with her talent, they realize they were quick to judge and allow her in.

Going back to the original Frog Scouts episode, we can see that this has always been a part of their practice.  Why, at the end of the episode, they make Debbie Harry an Honorary Frog Scout!  She isn't even of the same species, yet they accept her all the same!  For comparison, Honorary Boy Scouts have all been Christian males, just like regular Boy Scouts.  

Even in this simple episode, the Muppets were being startlingly progressive.

As a safe haven for children to explore the wilderness, learn about life, and form friendships, the Scouts offer great lessons and valuable services.  But, if given the option, I would choose Frog Scouts over any of the other organizations.

Boys have Boy Scouts.  Girls have Girl Scouts.  Anyone and everyone has Frog Scouts.

You are welcome.