It's All Gaelic to Me

In over 50 years of Muppet history, there has only been one major St. Patrick's Day tribute.  In the 5th season of The Muppet Show, the Leprechaun Brothers took the stage for the first time to sing that classic tune, "Danny Boy."

Yes, it took five seasons for the Muppet crew to realize the comic potential that could arise by combining the talents of three of the most popular characters together.  There's something to be said for the fact that Animal, Beaker, and Chef responded to such a large audience.  Although each had distinct personalities, they connected over their shared (lack of) language.  Through various forms of gibberish, the three communicated and it was only fitting to have them try and sing one of history's most beautifully tragic songs.

Together for the first time!

We rarely see these three at once, but it provides much comedic potential.  But strangely, it would take a long time for the trio to reunite.  After the deaths of Henson and Hunt, it was no surprise that there would be a disappearance of these popular characters for a while, but the idea once again resurfaced in a 1996 computer game.

Sans Beaker, but still singing public domain ditties.

In recent years, the "Danny Boy" clip became popular enough to bring the group out of retirement.  Dropping the "Leprechaun Brothers" name and opting for "the ABCs," the gang was back to create/mutilate great music.

This is a fake album, so don't try looking for it.

Two viral music videos were made.  A seasonal "Carol of the Bells" cover and an always timely cover of "Habanera" from Carmen.

The gang also made other appearances together, showing their daily interactions via the "Secret Elevator Tapes" series, which hinted at the chemistry they share as actual characters.  It's...odd, to say the least.

They also filled in for the judges on America's Got Talent for an episode, where, out of the three of them, the Chef made the most sense.

The hit comedy trio of the 2000s.

Sadly, the luck of the Irish was not on the Leprechaun Brothers' side and they never legitimately spun-off into their own comedy series.  Perhaps the creators didn't know what else to do with three characters that struggle to communicate.  But, like all spinoff musical groups, the trio became a footnote in Muppet history.  Beaker returned to repeated lab injuries, the Chef returned to slaying killer food, and Animal returned to blending into the background with the rest of the Electric Mayhem.  Sometimes these side projects don't take off the way you had dreamed.  But at least they'll always have "Danny Boy."

The Non-Denver Christmas Album

The first original Muppet album to be released after the Disney acquisition didn't appear until 2006, over a decade since the last one.  A Muppet album was a thing of the past, but combining Disney, the Muppets and Christmas was sure to be a hit!  And although the Muppets collaborated with John Denver on a Christmas album before, this would be the first one that they had all to themselves.  So let's take a listen to A Green and Red Christmas.

So far, it's meeting all my expectations.

The lead song of the album, "'Zat You, Santa Claus?" doesn't make the best first impression.  This is one of three songs covered by the Electric Mayhem and right away, we understand why there hadn't been a Muppets album in such a long time.  We can only hear the Muppets, and despite everyone's best efforts, the Muppets just don't sound the same anymore (especially since only Dave Golez remains from the original five).  This has been a critique for many fans, and it never really bothered me.  I understood that it was necessary and it allowed others to play their favorite characters.  And for the most part, having new voices is fine.

But if any characters should have been retired, it's the Electric Mayhem.  Apart from Animal, the band only exists to cover songs nowadays.  But with all the voice changes, we lose that genuine aspect that the original Electric Mayhem had.  These are no longer five guys getting together and having fun with their fake band, these are a cheap imitation.  The other two songs on the album, "The Man With the Bag," and "Run, Run Rudolph," don't fare any better.  The band has lost their mojo.  Judge for yourself in their 2009 live appearance at Rockefeller Center.

The second song on the album is also the first original number, "A Red and Green Christmas."  Despite the fact that the title contradicts the title of the album, this is actually a pretty good song.  Kermit and Miss Piggy argue over which color is the definitive Christmas hue, with each one listing holiday elements associated with their choice.  Of course, by the end, they decide that both are acceptable.  It's sweet and inspired.  It's what the Muppets should be.

The other original songs on the album are hit or miss.  Rowlf's "The Christmas Party Sing-Along" does not warrant Rowlf's resurrection and Fozzie's "North Pole Comedy Club" is unbearable.  Good comedy albums get stale after repeated listenings, so who in their right mind would want to listen to bad comedy more than once?  More successful are Piggy's "The Christmas Queen," where Piggy must deal with her insulting back-up singers (and probably would have been really funny with an official music video rather than just a well-intentioned fan-video).  And "Christmas Smorgasbord" is a nice parlay into the world of the Swedish Chef, even if the song is musically bland.

Things are more consistent with the rest of the covers.  Miss Piggy sings "Santa Baby," as she should.  Kermit's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," while not as memorable as Rowlf's version (or the Muppet Family Christmas version) is still endearing, and Gonzo and Rizzo have a fun rendition of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," as seen in the Rockefeller Center clip.

Although the other Muppets aren't featured on the album version, it still does the trick.

As it stands, the album isn't essential, but it has enough going for it that it's worth adding a couple of tracks to your holiday playlist.  But if you were to purchase it, make sure you get the 2011 re-release that was made to promote The Muppets.

Even if you have to settle for the less charming cover artwork.

There are two additional songs on this version, each rmade after 2006.  First up is Gonzo and Fozzie's "I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus" from the 2008 special Letters to Santa (which I be discussing later this month).  The money-maker, however is the Muppets and Andrea Bocelli's "Jingle Bells."  This song was also featured on Bocelli's 2009 album My Christmas and, as seen in the promotional television special, it is a charming, clever, and funny affair.

This one song is the reason we need a Muppet Christmas album.  It brings our favorite characters together in a way that retains their personalities without giving up musical quality and integrity.  Bocelli adds a legitimacy to the album that is lacking from a majority of the previous songs.  Although celebrity cameos can be hokey, when they work, they work.  So, once you're sick of hearing all the other holiday songs this season, give this album a listen.

Or give Andrea Bocelli's album a listen.

A Puppet Puppet Show

The Muppets have been with us for so long that, at times, we forget that we are watching solely puppets.  The puppetry may be simple or complicated but in the world of the Muppets, anything is possible.  We stop thinking about how they made Kermit ride a bike and we sink into the story in front of us, as if it were all animated.  Those who work in computer animation spend a lot of time making insignificant background details look realistic just so people ignore it.  If it looks incorrect, people will be more likely to notice.  The same is true of The Muppet Show.  Moments that draw attention to the production are what pull us out and remind us that we aren't watching actual characters.

Henson was obviously a fan of puppetry and he spent time studying and inventing several techniques to achieve the effects he wanted.  Through this research, he began to admire other acts that involved puppetry in some way.  Early in the series' run, there were two episodes featuring puppeteers as the main guest stars. The experimental Swiss theater group Mummenschanz showcased their incredible and unique talents during the first season.  And a second season episode featured Henson's idol, ventriloquist Edgar Bergen.  Occasionally, Henson would recruit independent puppeteers to perform single segments on episodes where they were not the guest star, allowing different styles of puppetry to be shown.  In each of these cases, the inclusion of these fellow puppeteers was to show appreciation to their craft.

But one episode took it all a step further and expanded the theme of puppetry throughout the entire episode.  This was "Episode 508: Señor Wences."

The Inception of Muppet Show episodes. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

At the start of the show, Kermit tells us that this week, the Muppets will perform a puppet show "for the first time."  Many self-referential jokes occur, including Gonzo finding the concept of "wiggling dolls around" to be crazy, but this theme goes much deeper than self-parody.

The first act includes Pinocchio singing a rendition of "Puppetman" by Tom Jones, which takes the metaphorical "romantic" lyrics and sings them literally to Geppetto, who is played by Pops, another puppet.  If your head isn't swimming yet, wait until you see what comes next.

How could they tell if this Pinocchio became a "real" boy?

Señor Wences begins performing some of his well-known routines.  At the time this episode was filmed, Wences was 84, making him the oldest guest star to ever appear on the show.  For those unfamiliar with him, he was a Spanish ventriloquist who became very popular during the 1930s and he shot to stardom thanks to The Ed Sullivan Show in the '50s.

Young Wences and Johnny.

His usual characters involved Johnny, a little boy played by his hand with eyes and lipstick painted on attached to a doll's body (as seen in the picture above).  He also featured a dummy's head in a box named Pedro, whose gruff "S'alright?" "S'alright." catchphrase has been emulated by many.  The marvel of Wences performance is that his ventriloquism is flawless.  He can do the smoking/drinking while the puppet talks trick, he can simulate changes in acoustics, he can have phone conversations with himself, and he can have five characters carry on a fast-paced conversation at once without slipping up!  Throughout the show, he performs each of these stunts and each are hilarious and mesmerizing.

Inspired by Wences, the other Muppets start getting the puppeteering itch and start their own acts.  The Swedish Chef performs "These Boots Were Made for Walking" by assembling a puppet made out of bread dough and his fingers.

The only time something went right in his kitchen.

Beauregard practices his own routine involving "Punch and Judy"-like puppets, much to Kermit's amusement.  Although he has trouble understanding the mechanics of a puppet show (namely, not getting involved in the story), he eventually puts on a classic violent spectacle.  This is then mirrored by Miss Piggy taking out her aggression on Kermit for canceling her performance in the usual Piggy fashion.

Who puppets the puppetmen?

And, in a creepy twist, Fozzie tries his hand at puppeteering a marionette clown, who doesn't like to have his strings pulled by a foolish bear.  So he turns the tables on his captor.

Sweet dreams!

Finally, in addition to all of the meta-puppetry that is occurring in this episode, another guest Bruce Schwarz is on hand to perform a Japaense ghost story in the traditional bunraku style (where the puppeteer is masked by shadows).

This is a breathtaking episode that really pays homage to the many roots and styles of puppetry.  One of the goals of The Muppet Show was to introduce the audience to new art, and this episode is quite successful.  By taking the concept of controlling puppets to the next level, the show respects the past while making innovations for the future.

A puppet doesn't gain a soul until a puppeteer awakens it.  And, as seen tonight, an awakened puppet can breathe new life into another puppet.  There is no limit to the imagination.  Such is the power of the puppetmaster.

If Music Be the Love of Food, Play On

In the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, we are treated to a world where the world of cartoons and reality are intertwined.  The laws of physics do not apply in Toontown and the impossible becomes possible.  While the Disney theme parks try their best to recreate the world of cartoons, they will always be limited by the rules of logic.  The Muppets, however, are able to exist peacefully in that in-between state between fiction and non-fiction.  When we encounter them, we treat them as living creatures, willingly suspending all rationale.  But, like cartoons, they can endure great physical stresses that no human could survive.  Objects that were once inanimate can start talking.  And, yes, the food can sing.

And you thought being a vegan was tough before...

The Singing Food is another one of those omnipresent aspects that let you know you have entered Muppet territory.  Unlike other Muppet species, the food comes in dozens of varieties and voices, yet they seem rather simple minded.  Perhaps because they are lower on the food chain (literally), they haven't quite developed as much as their puppet brethren.  While they lack intelligence, they can be trained to perform complex musical numbers, such as "Yes, We Have No Bananas."

And it is not only the abusive Muppet-tamer Marvin Suggs who is able to get these fruits and vegetables to sing.  Even the Swedish Chef could train them to sing their signature hit in his native tongue, Fake Swedish.  Considering the battles the Chef often has with his meals, this is quite the accomplishment!

What causes these plants to mimic the behavior of other sentient beings?  They all seem to exhibit the exact same personality.  But even though they are simple minded, does that make it right to eat them?  I mean, Muppet Monsters eat living creatures whole every day.  Sure, these Muppets are enslaved to perform show tunes before becoming someone's dinner, but this is a cartoonish world!  We don't have to worry about the food, right?!  It's just harmless fun!

Did I mention that the Singing Food have offspring that hatch from eggs?

That's right.  That is a picture of newborn baby asparagus.  How adorably tragic.

But don't worry.  The Singing Food is rarely seen on somebody's plate.  Perhaps their abilities have allowed them to escape a grim demise.  They always seem to pop up in large chorus numbers, without anyone threatening their lives.

Vegetables are more likely to survive in groups.

The Singing Food have been spared from the fates of their non-verbal siblings.  At least, that was the case until the most recent film The Muppets in which !!!SPOILERS!!! their abandoned refrigerator is discovered and all the Food is revealed to have gone rotten.  So they are disposed of in a manner befitting to a Muppet, a fiery explosion. !!!END OF SPOILERS!!!

So, while a cartoon world may seem like a fun place to visit, be glad you live in a world where food cannot talk or sing or exhibit any signs of life once in your kitchen.  And should you happen to discover a musical fruit, please, let him toot his melody and continue on his merry way.

And be thankful we have bananas today.

Ge Ett Handtag

Muppets generally come in three varieties:

- The Hand-Rod Puppet, in which the puppeteer's dominant arm would be the main body and mouth and their other arm controlled the character's limbs with rods,

- The Full-Body Puppet, in which the puppeteer donned a suit and could control the face and arms from within the puppet,

- And the Live-Hand Puppet, in which one arm would control the head and two arms would control the character's hands like gloves.

Obviously, the average person does not possess three arms, so a second puppeteer is necessary to achieve the full effect of the Live-Hand Puppet.  Since the puppeteers usually voiced the puppets they were manipulating, the main puppeteer would control the head and one of the arms.  New puppeteers in the Henson company often start out as "right-hands" because it teaches them about difficult control and cooperation.  The right-hand must completely support the main puppeteer and not ruin the character that has been created by accidentally moving inappropriately.

Characters like this have been with Henson from early on, with Rowlf the Dog, Cookie Monster, and Fozzie Bear all being examples.  However, Jim decided to create a character that would change the game a little bit.  Jim Henson's main partner throughout Muppet performances would be Frank Oz.  The two of them would often pair their characters together, making for memorable comedy duos.  Kermit and Miss Piggy and Bert and Ernie got to be as popular as they are thanks to the natural chemistry between the two performers.  So for The Muppet Show, Henson designed a character that the two could perform together.  For a while, he had the idea of a funny foreign chef to go with a mock-Swedish voice that he had been working on.

Børk, børk, børk!

In order to pull off a character like this correctly, he needed an added level of strangeness.  The Muppet cast was already full of gibberish speaking monsters and animals.  Here was a clearly human puppet who talked funny, but due to the nature of his cooking show, he was going to have to perform mostly physical comedy with his ingredients.  Unlike the Live-Hand Puppets that came before him, the Swedish Chef would require both arms to be performed by the same person to make the food "correctly."  The positioning of the two puppeteers would be more difficult to handle than usual.  Normally, the puppeteers will be watching live-feeds of their performances on screens in front of them, but now Jim would have to be obstructed by whomever controlled the arms, leaving him entirely within their control. Frank Oz was the puppeteer Jim trusted the most, and thus we received the first Muppet persona truly created by two people working in tandem.

As you watch the Chef prepare his meals, you'll notice that his hands are very active (and real! There is no fabric disguising Frank's hands.).  The head has no idea what the hands are doing (besides what was rehearsed) and tries to follow along as the hands grab and play with random props.

Reportedly, Frank enjoyed improvising during rehearsals, making Jim have to react to whatever crazy items he started playing with (much like the Helping Hands game from Whose Line is it Anyway).  Apples, knives, and chickens would constantly be tossed haphazardly whenever the Chef prepared his kitchen.

The scenes that made it to the air, however, still retained that playful spirit and made the Swedish Chef the world's most-beloved, completely-inaccurate, cultural stereotype.  And while his voice and garbled language are instantly recognizable, it is his fluid-yet-disjointed movements that make the Chef stand out in the culinary puppet world.