Frith's final Muppet calendar took the concept of posing puppets in familiar cultural references and made it art. Classic paintings were re-imagined with the Muppet gang and collected in a treasury known as The Kermitage Collection. The attention to detail is quite grand, and each piece proves that a lot of effort went into what ultimately was going to be a brief joke.
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Moi
Piggy as Mona Lisa? Fozzie as Henry VIII? Gonzo as Whistler's Mother? Sure, why not? This is all just for fun anyway.
James Whistler's Arrangement in Gray and Black with Creep (Whistler's Weirdo)
But this collection highlights the bizarre relationship that artists have with the world. When studying art history, scholars tend to look at how art influences and is influenced by the art of its time. As the timeline grows larger, trends develop and evolve, with new styles emerging as outdated techniques become artifacts of their era.
Pablo Picasso's Pig Before a Mirror
So what happens when time continues to march on? Us humans continue to add to our library of creation. Art branches off from other art, resulting in a gigantic pool of variety. Just look at the number of television channels we have and the number of shows each of those channels has produced. We can be watching Downton Abbey one moment and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo a second later. We've become desensitized to the various cultures we are bombarded with every day and that means we have to end up choosing our battles. Are we going to be a Trekkie? A Twi-hard? A Brony?
Rodin's The Smooch
Yet even, through all of these decisions, some art becomes unavoidable. Few may encounter the readings of Christopher Marlowe, but most have experienced Shakespeare in one form or another. The canon that makes up our most "pop" of pop culture is an eclectic mix and it is difficult to determine what will stand the test of time.
Grant Wood's American Gothique
So when Sandro Botticelli sat down to paint The Birth of Venus in the late 15th century, how could he have possibly foreseen the lasting effect of his image? Or that one day, a plush pig would take the spot of the goddess and be flanked by a frog and two heckling old men?
Botticelli's The Birth of You-Know-Who
When an artist creates something, he should not just assume that it will be compared to his contemporaries. The published art is released into the world, and the world has EVERYTHING in it! Yes, it's best to look at the context for the intended interpretations, but sometimes, art just becomes a part of the world, open for mockery and ridicule as well as thoughtful contemplation.
Rembrandt's Arisfroggle Contemplating the Bust of a Twerp
The original works of art were necessary to humanity's cultural growth. The Muppets were as well, albeit, quite differently. Are these parodies any better than the originals? Any worse? Or are they just as essential to the world? Only time will tell.
In 1979, Muppet designer Michael K. Frith had an idea that helped establish the Muppets as a world-wide sensation. Playing into the notion that Miss Piggy was destined for stardom, Frith and Oz decided to produce a series of calendars that highlighted the fashionable pig. Personality calendars were not yet an established trend (supermodels and athletes wouldn't become the calendar fodder norm until the '90s), so the Miss Piggy Calendars were a special treat. From 1980-1984, Frith commissioned five stellar photo shoots for the Muppet star.
Let us relieve Miss Piggy History, starting with 1980:
Ooh la la!
The first established the tone of Miss Piggy being an object of desire, placing her in iconic roles of beautiful women from history, film and art.
Piggy as Cleopatra
The only consistent theme was "beauty," which was new for the time. Of course, talking about Miss Piggy as this pristine being is commonplace now, the joke having been hammered into our minds for decades. But even so, the great photography by Nancy Moran and Donal Holway manages to capture Miss Piggy's softer essence, making these truly beautiful compositions.
I can't tell if this is seductive, or if Miss Piggy just fell down.
Next came "The Miss Piggy Cover Girl Fantasy Calendar" in 1981, featuring Piggy on a variety of magazine covers, emphasizing how her fame has grown. Here, her relationship with Kermit comes more into play, with nearly every cover alluding to her love. Some are obvious, like Modern Bride, while others are ridiculous, like Popular Mechanics.
How to Build a Frog That Won't Leave You
But the best are just the remakes of some classic images. Sometimes, simple is better.
Well, as simple as gathering many frog puppets in one spot can be.
By paying homage to other artists, the calendar maintains a certain elegance and honor to the homages.
Norman Rockwell and the Muppets: A Winning Combination
1982 put the pig-frog relationship front and center with "Great Lovers of the Silver Screen." Taking classic, modern, and obscure films and giving them a Muppet twist is exactly what we've come to expect from the group. Some movie pairings are obvious (Tarzan and Jane, Rick and Ilsa from Casablance, Superman and Lois Lane) but the greatest images are the ones you wouldn't expect.
Images like Flash Gordon,...
With a giant Rizzo!
...Annie Hall,...
La-di-moi!
...and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Kermit as Bottom! This is my favorite.
Things took a turn for the meta in 1984, with "Miss Piggy's Calendar of Calendars." By this time, the Piggy calendar fad was well-established, as were several other calendar trends from other companies. So, it was time to spoof the other calendars. Esquire pin-ups, the Wilderness Society, and Gnomes calendars were each reproduced with Piggy. One would have to be a real calendar connoisseur to understand all of the references, but there are still some enjoyable images, regardless of the allusions.
Miss Piggy as a Coca-Cola pin-up girl harkens back to some of the earliest fad calendars of the early 20th century.
Note how "Coca-Cola" is cleverly disguised to avoid legality issues.
A spoof of Audubon's bird photography makes for an interesting composition.
With Kermit the Actual Frog!
And Miss Piggy as "Cochon" the Barbarian recreates the epic quality of fantasy art, for all you nerds.
It doesn't get anymore awesome than this.
1984 saw Frith's last calendar, but, we shall save that for tomorrow as it involves much more than Miss Piggy and is quite rich in it's design. So here is what effectively ended Miss Piggy's career as a calendar girl. Miss Piggy's faux-celebrity may have gotten out of hand at times. But it produced some quality art. Even if it wasn't wholly original.
Music is essential to our culture. The original stories, passed down through oral traditions, were often told in song and poetry. The rhymes, rhythm, meter, and other poetic tropes helped make longer stories easier to memorize. By setting the stories to music, history would be forever linked with song.
The Fraggle culture is even more dependent on music that we are. They sing every single day. Like our primitive societies, this was one of the only ways to stay entertained, sane, and alive. Think that may seem a bit over-dramatic? Well, consider "The Day the Music Died."
Once every generational cycle, a Fraggle is chosen to write and compose "The Glory Song." This would be the defining song for the whole generation, preserving that group's history. As the current cycle is coming to a close, Gobo is selected to write the Glory Song for the next cycle. Gobo, considering himself to be more of an explorer, and less of the creative type, has trouble concentrating on writing this very important piece. So as to not distract him, all of the other Fraggles refrain from singing until he is ready. And that's when things get dark.
Literally.
All of the light starts to vanish from the cave. The last few remaining specks cry out to the Fraggles for help. These creatures are known as the Ditzies (similar to fireflies) and they are as confused as the Fraggles. All they know is that they are dying rapidly, plunging the Rock into darkness. Without any source of light, the Fraggles start to enter into a permanent sleep stasis.
Gobo and Wembley manage to make their way to the Trash Heap in the well-lit garden to ask for advice. Being as cryptic as usual, she instructs them to "do what they always do."
But that's what got us in this mess in the first place.
Unsure of what to do, Gobo and Wembley head back to the cave to pull the Fraggles out into the light. Unfortunately, Wembley falls fast asleep, and Gobo only has enough strength to lift his guitar. In a vain attempt to keep himself awake, Gobo begins to improvise a song. He calls it "Shine On Me" and with each strum of the strings, a Ditzie flies out of the guitar.
The song restores everyone back to life, with a whole new set of Ditzies lighting the caves. The Fraggles hail this as Gobo's Glory Song and they celebrate to ring in the new cycle.
"Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind...!"
The Fraggles learned that sometimes a simple, well-intentioned change could destroy years of support and structure within a society. By removing music from the equation, the Fraggles ceased to be. What is the point of having Fraggle Rock without any music in it? The universe has a way of course correcting to ensure that giant populations can get through difficult situations. That's because everything eventually tries to find a balance, a stasis.
For people, we refer to this as our "comfort zone," with a negative connotation. As we ring in the new year, millions of people are making resolutions to change who they are, only to find that in a couple of weeks, they'll still be the same person they always were. This isn't bad. This isn't good. It's just the way life is. Making significant changes can be hard. And there is always a difficult period to get through. And sometimes we find it is beneficial to return to the comfort zone. It's up to you.
Have a wonderful New Year! May you never lose the music, or the light, in your life!
"...should old acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne!"
The Taoist concept of "Yin and Yang" refers to the interconnectedness of lightness and darkness. One cannot exist without the other. While this concept had been expanded by other cultures to involve similar dichotomies (good/evil, positive/negative), the core idea that both qualities must exist is essential.
Big Bird could not exist without Oscar the Grouch. Oscar could not exist without Bird. And neither could exist without Caroll Spinney.
Light, dark, and the bond that holds them together.
Born on December 26, 1933 (Happy 79th Birthday!), Caroll was so named because it was so close to Christmas. Like a traditional song, Caroll grew up to be one of the most reliable and trustworthy people to ever go into entertainment. Caroll's interest in puppetry led him to perform on Bozo's Big Top where he showcased his original puppets, Picklepuss and Pop.
The revamped, Muppetized-versions of Picklepuss and Pop that Spinney later revisited.
Henson admired his work, and asked him for the role on the upcoming Sesame Street. Spinney wasn't sure what he was getting into, but one does not say no to Jim Henson without a lifetime of regret. Spinney ended up portraying two characters that would immortalize him forever. Unlike other Muppet performers, who had a handful of signature characters (and played dozens more), these two were all Spinney needed, and it could have worked out more perfectly.
One was a dim-witted giant, small-headed, yellow bird who would play the fool to the humans on the street (both children and adults alike). The other was an orange, trash-can dwelling monster who would antagonize the neighbors. Both characters rapidly evolved into the Big Bird and Oscar we know today, but there was more than just a change in the puppets' appearances.
Eventually, it was decided that having the puppeteer visible was just to unsettling.
Oscar, as we know, was based on a child's tendency to be moody, self-centered, and complaining. Armed with the voice of an unfriendly cab-driver that Spinney witnessed on the way to the studio, Oscar represented all that was wrong with life. His pessimistic attitude rained on every pleasant occasion, and only the unwanted and disgusting elements of life gave him pleasure. This may sound unbearable, but frankly, having someone playing devil's advocate to the bright, sunny world of Sesame Street allowed for intelligent conversations and observations.
We love you, you grubby, filthy, ill-tempered beast!
Big Bird, meanwhile, became less of an imbecile and more of a child. He lacked knowledge, but he was curious and encouraged other children to persevere. He became the face of optimism, always ready to sing and be merry. As a result, troubling instances, such as death, unexpected changes and destruction, would hit even harder for the bird, showing that producers were aware of how to approach sensitive topics.
Big Bird ponders his own existence.
The fact that both of these characters are such permanent fixtures to the show is no mystery. At times in our lives, everyone can identify with Oscar and everyone can identify with Big Bird. Both even have their own fan clubs (the Grouchketeers and Birdketeers respectively), implying that neither character is inherently "better" than the other. If the world were black and white, Big Bird would be the hero, Oscar the villain, and that would be final. But both need to remain on Sesame Street to give the show its necessary depth.
In 2003, Spinney wrote an autobiography explaining what he has learned about life through the viewpoints of these two characters. It's called The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch) and is well worth your time.
Although we rarely see the man behind these characters, it is clear that he is a wonderful human being. He has landed one of the best jobs in the world and, at 79, he still feels like a kid every day. In 2013 a documentary titled I Am Big Bird shall premiere, and judging by the trailer, life behind the scenes is just as magical as life in front of the camera.
At a time when all other original puppeteers are retiring, he is remaining strong, vowing to continue playing these characters "as long as [he] can keep [his] hand in the air." Happy Birthday to this wonderful legend, who reminds us to embrace our inner grouch and our inner child.
On Christmas Day, 1985, Sesame Street got a little stranger.
In 1974, Roscoe Orman, who played Gordon, had originally pitched the idea that Susan and Gordon Robinson should have a child, but the idea was shelved since taking care of an infant on a TV show would be a huge responsibility (especially, when Gordon and Susan have all of those puppets to take care of). 10 years later, Orman had a son named Miles and Caroll Spinney (or his wife) suggested that the baby should play Gordon's son. This was prior to the relationship of Luis and Maria, and while birth had been dealt with previously on the show, it was never the child of a permanent cast member. Besides, Miles was already 11 months old. It would seem kind of hokey to pretend that Susan got pregnant and had a full-grown infant all of a sudden.
So, the Robinsons chose to adopt.
The happy family
The producers decided to introduce Baby Miles to the neighborhood over the Christmas holiday since families would be able to watch with their children and share in the experience. On Christmas Eve, Gordon and Susan prepared for the big day.
How to Put Together a Crib: Step 1: Make sure you have a giant bird present at all times.
Gordon and Susan are filled with excitement as they struggle to prepare the apartment for Miles. They are almost radiating with glee, so, although they must remain the rational adults in this situation, they can't help but give in to their joy. At night, Gordon lets out a "Whoopee!" at the prospect that he is about to be a father, proving that Miles is ready to enter a completely loving environment.
The whole situation is seen through the eyes of Big Bird, who has practically been adopted by Gordon and Susan himself. The origin of Miles is barely discussed, with the only explanation being that "some children need people to take care of them." This was done to alleviate fears from the viewing audience, and Big Bird accepts this without question. However, since Miles is treated like a baby brother, there are still some anxieties from Big Bird.
First, he doesn't understand that, as a baby, Miles won't be able to play with him right away, even if he is no longer a newborn. He prepares a surprise party filled with games and toys, but Gordon and Susan don't have time to stick around. As they leave to pick up Miles, Big Bird begins to worry that they'll run out of love when the baby is around, as per suggested by Telly.
This is why you should never listen to Telly when you are having an existential crisis.
As soon as the new parents return home, they have to quickly rush inside to take care of Miles, leaving no time for Big Bird's party. Big Bird gets swept up in the ruckus and tries to remain relevant as Gordon and Susan change their first diaper.
Hopefully, baby Miles will not be traumatized by any of this.
But all of Big Bird's fears come to fruition as it becomes evident that Miles demands more attention than he does now.
All Big Bird is good for now is holding baby powder.
When Miles finally falls asleep, Big Bird jumps at his chance, but is once again shut down and told to be quiet. At the end of his rope, Big Bird becomes a basket case, and Gordon has to pull him aside and reassure him that it's impossible to "run out of love." A baby is a large responsibility and now he will have less time to play with Big Bird, but that doesn't mean his love will decrease. Big Bird learns that it is important for the baby to receive more attention, and him less. Each of them are at different stages of their lives.
Big Bird happens to suffer from arrested development, so his concerns are justified.
Big Bird accepts his new situation and, finally, everyone can meet Miles proper at Big Bird's party. The next few episodes continued the introduction of the baby, as Big Bird and others learn more about what being a parent/older sibling entails. It means a lot of sacrifice, but loving parents wouldn't trade it for the world. Everyone can enjoy the gift of a new life.
Even Oscar loves the fact that the baby keeps everyone up all night long.
That Christmas, everyone on the street received the greatest gift imaginable. Yes, the gift comes with great responsibility and a relinquishing of old standards and comfort. But it was a change that all needed to experience. Gordon, Susan, Big Bird, the children at home, and especially, Miles. Miles found a new home, probably the most loving home any baby could possibly find themselves in. Many children grew up on Sesame Street, but Miles was the first to have the chance to grow up on Sesame Street.
Unfortunately, he never developed a healthy fear of vampires, as a result.
To all of you, a Merry Christmas! May you receive what you desire, what you need and what you deserve, and may the love in your life never diminish.
Last year, I noted that the Fraggles' winter solstice holiday, the Festival of the Bells, can trace its roots to the traditions of pagan cultures and the origins of our holiday customs that have long been forgotten. But an earlier "Christmas episode" of Fraggle Rock showcases the origin of organized religion itself.
In "Manny's Land of Carpets," Uncle Traveling Matt's latest postcard prepares the Fraggles for an unexpected gift from above. Having noticed the humans' Christmas routine of sitting on a strange, white-beared man's lap to ask for gifts, Uncle Matt gives it a go. He asks the red-suited stranger to bring his family and friends up to the surface to reunite with him. The mall Santa, confused by the request, promises him that he'll make sure his family gets the presents they need.
Coincidentally, Doc receives a brand new radio. Finding the noise unbearable, Sprocket sticks it in the Fraggle hole where it is discovered by Gobo who shows it to the rest. They surmise that this is the gift from the "magical wish-granting creature from Outer Space" that Matt told them about. The fact that such a creature exists is already mesmerizing to the simple-minded Fraggles, so when the magic box starts talking, they are transfixed.
All hail the magic box!
Gobo is the first to hear the radio speak. It "instructs" him to go to Manny's Land of Carpets, where "happiness is guaranteed." Gobo acts as a prophet and begins spreading the word to the other Fraggles about the wonderful world of Manny's, where all your dreams can come true. A mass exodus from Fraggle Rock is in order, but the plans change when some of the other Fraggles hear the wish-granting creature instruct them to go to Bubba's Burger Barn, where they can have "all they can eat!"
A schism develops among the clan, each claiming that the location they heard is the one true path for the group. Boober, rightfully, sees this box as causing nothing but strife, but even he too is swayed by the box's promise of a place where his laundry whites will look their whitest (Sally's Spotless Cleaners). Gobo assures people that Manny's is the voice they should follow, because it will have everything they need, including food and laundry. But still, tension erupts.
Gobo takes some time away from the box to clear his head, and realizes that the Rock is the best place for the Fraggles, because they can't even be sure if those other locations really exist. He tries to convince everyone to make the most of where they live and not worry about these lofty promises, but the Fraggles still need their gratification. Giving up, Gobo tells them to just go their separate ways then.
As Fraggle Rock begins to empty out, Gobo sings "Goodbye, Goodbye" to his home. The words touch the Fraggles so deeply that they decide to get rid of the box, for it is better to be unsure about their future than to throw away the lives they have now worrying about it.
Leave it to Gobo to show us the way.
Before we go too much further, the two songs in this episode are amazing, some of the best I've ever seen in the show. Gobo's "Follow the Road," which gets everyone excited about the paradise of Manny's is really uplifting and fun while his "Goodbye, Goodbye" just hits you right there. I couldn't find it on Youtube, but there is a wonderful fan cover that is worth a listen.
Although the Christmas influence is very light in this episode, this is worthy of inclusion in your Christmas library. There is a lot of controversy and ire over the secularization of Christmas, with some choosing to ignore the religious overtones and others choosing to embrace it. But the ultimate aim of the holiday (assuming we're optimistic) is to celebrate life and togetherness, no matter what your background. Gobo learns that worrying about the afterlife too much can lead us to miss out on the beauty of what we have in this one.
Take a moment this holiday season to just appreciate the magic in your life.
There are only so many Christmas-related stories, out there. After tackling classics such as A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life, the Muppets decided to scale things back for their next Christmas outing A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, with their version of "Character X Tries to Visit Santa at the North Pole." Okay, so that isn't exactly a specific Christmas tale, but this scenario has been played out in countless television shows and movies. But the Muppets haven't done it yet!
This is our year!
After a mishap at the post office, Gonzo realizes that he has ended up with three letters to Santa Claus that need to be delivered. On of them belongs to Claire, the young girl who lives in the same New York apartment building as the Muppets. Um, since when do the Muppets live in New York? Is this just where they spend their winters, to get away from that freezing LA weather? Is this special confusing the Muppets with Sesame Street? Is this taking place in the alternate timeline created by The Muppets Take Manhattan? Whatever the case, we just have to accept that this is where the Muppets live and they are best friends with this girl we've never met before.
Once all of their options run out, Gonzo, Kermit, and Fozzie decide to travel to the North Pole themselves and hand deliver the letters. Rizzo and Pepe tag along to be snarky and watch them fail because they don't believe in Santa Claus.
Nevertheless, there is an airline that takes them directly to the North Pole and Santa's workshop. But they have just missed Santa, so Gonzo and Fozzie sing a sad song about how they wish they could be Santa Claus. Santa Claus hears their plea and returns to take them in his sleigh. They open the letters, and learn that Claire's Christmas wish was to just have her friends with her for Christmas. They return and everyone has a nice Christmas celebration.
Another Christmas crisis averted!
There is something preventing me from considering this a "Christmas classic," but it has its charms. Compared to It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, there are vast improvements. There aren't many pop culture jokes and references this time, meaning that this special can be enjoyed for many years (as long as the postal service is still around). It is only an hour, so the story moves more swiftly than a movie-length feature. And Paul Williams returns from The Muppet Movie to compose the music!
And play an elf! Oh, Paul Williams!
Sure, the songs aren't quite as memorable as his greater hits (and I really found the finale to be a tonal mess), but the central song "I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus" is worthy of its Emmy nomination. We can always count on Gonzo/Dave Golez to keep the modern Muppets grounded.
And speaking of celebrity cameos, the human characters are subdued and nicely balanced, compared to the last Christmas special. Nathan Lane appears as a security guard named Frank Meany, the closest thing this special has to a villain. But he goes through his whole arc of evil-to-redemption in a single scene, which is pretty funny and doesn't detract from the main plot.
And once again, Bobo is the villain's sidekick. One day, I'll get to you Bobo, don't worry.
Jane Krakowski as Claire's mom is a little bizarre, but she doesn't overplay it like Jenna Maroney would. Whoopi returns as a cab driver, because she just loves working with the Muppets. And even Mayor Bloomberg has a funny cameo, which warrants the whole New York setting.
He has one line and he nails it.
And then there is Richard Griffiths as Santa Claus and Uma Thurman as his assistant Joy. Both are perfect for their parts, exuding Christmas cheer and happiness. Especially Thurman, whom I'm so used to seeing in Tarantino-esque dark roles that I didn't realize how pleasant and fun she could be.
This special needed more Joy.
So, production-wise, this special was wonderful. What hurts it is, unfortunately, the story. Because this is a story that has been told countless times, we needed to see something new. What made it more difficult was the fact that Claire is a completely new character and was given very little personality and history with the Muppets. Oh, she's just a sweet little girl. Great. Why else should we care? Why is Gonzo so gung-ho on this journey? Claire also seems a little too...old to be writing to Santa. She just seems so mature compared to the Muppets, than I don't really by into the importance of this plot.
Had she been this girl from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, then I would understand.
There is one other big issue with the story: the Muppets should NEVER have met Santa Claus.
The Muppet canon is pretty loose. If all Muppet productions exist in the same universe, then I suppose technically Santa would exist because Elmo met him in Elmo Saves Christmas and Sesame Street has crossed over with the Muppets before. BUT Sesame Street has established itself to be a world where child's fantasy is real. Nursery rhyme characters and other fictional figures can visit the street at anytime. So when Kermit the Frog interviews Santa for a news flash segment, no one thinks twice. But even Sesame Street knew that Santa's existence was a touchy subject for kids and adults, as seen in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street where Big Bird waits for him all night at just maybe has a brief encounter.
The Muppets have an even closer tie with our reality. These are characters that suffer from the same problems we do, even if they get to be a little exaggerated. During Henson's day, Muppet Christmas specials focused on the realistic side of the holiday, with family gatherings and pageants and such. Sure, there could be a wink and a nod that suggests the possibility of Santa's existence as many sitcoms and movies like to do. But a full-on sleigh ride with the man?
Even if he is a charming man.
The minute the Muppets landed at the North Pole that was represented by an actual physical North Pole, I stopped caring about them. These were no longer real characters to me. This was a cartoon. At this point, the whole thing writes itself. Of course, Santa will show up and help them. Of course, they'll realize that the most important gift was being together. There was nothing dramatic riding on the story anymore.
This story is very similar to the Christmas special Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, where Pooh also worries about his friend's mail not getting to Santa. But even though he attempts to travel to the North Ploe, he never makes it, and he certainly doesn't meet Santa (even though he is just as fictional). That story, I consider to be a classic because it's relatable and realistic. No magic involved.
Sure, I expect to suspend my disbelief when it comes to Christmas specials. Yes, things have to work out in the end. But I always thought the Muppets were above these kinds of things. Even as I child, I knew there was a difference in the Muppets and the characters on Sesame Street. Sesame Street was for children, the Muppets were for adults. It may seem like I'm bringing out my inner-Scrooge to harp on such a petty point, but there is a reason I always return to A Muppet Family Christmas every year and not Letters to Santa.
It's the moments like these that say "Muppet Christmas" to me.
