What I'm Thankful For

What I’m Thankful For

Every Thanksgiving my family sits around the massive dining room table and stuffs ourselves full of turkey, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and my famous homemade mashed potatoes (only famous around said dining room table). After the meal, when we’re all almost too full to speak, we go around the table and discuss what we’re each thankful for. Every year I say the same thing, “Family, friends, and laughter.”

Every year I always want to say something a little bit different: “Family, friends, laughter, The Muppets, and Sesame Street.” I don’t say this to avoid strange looks from my grandmother who doesn’t know the difference between Gonzo and Grover and to avoid pestering from my cousins after the feast.

This year I’m also thankful for The Muppet Mindset. Now I can say that I’m thankful for these things without the awkward glances. Well… without most of the awkward glances.

I’m thankful for The Muppets…
I’m thankful for The Muppets’ new Bohemian Rhapsody video on YouTube (over 3,000,000 views—and rising!) has truly given me and all Muppet fans something to be thankful for. We can be thankful that we all witnessed what I believe will be the first real sign of the Muppets’ return to popularity. The video has already become a viral sensation and appeals to people of all walks. If this video is any sign of what the Muppets will be doing from now on… we’re in for a revolution.

I’m thankful for Kermit the Real. Earlier this year, Kermit the Frog was being performed by someone other than Steve Whitmire and the performance and the character really suffered. (Dating Lady Gaga? My goodness, how the frog had fallen!) Thankfully, Steve and Kermit both returned at the end of September and have stuck around ever since. Don’t leave us again, okay Steve?

I’m thankful for Disney Park’s “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” promotion for 2010. The Muppets have headlined all of the promotions from commercials to talk-show appearances to websites to magazine ads—and I couldn’t be happier. I feel that this really shows that Disney has welcomed The Muppets into the family and sees them vitally important characters. If they can entrust them with all of the promotional material for their Parks (their biggest money maker), methinks they can entrust them with anything.

I’m thankful for Sesame Street…
I’m thankful for 40 Years of making the world sunnier. Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary festivities have been some of the greatest moments of 2009 for me, and they continue to delight. From the “40 Years of Sunny Days” DVD to the “Sesame Street: A Celebration – 40 Years of Life on the Street” book, Sesame Street puts a smile on my face daily as of late. I couldn’t be more thankful.

I’m thankful for SesameStreet.org. It has provided us laughter, songs, and sketches for free online for all to access. Hours and hours of content (most never before released on video or DVD) is available to everyone. Also, they’ve given fans the opportunity to vote for The Greatest Sesame Street Clip of All-Time (which ended up being “I Love Trash”). What more could you need to be thankful for?

I’m thankful for my good friend Louis Henry Mitchell. Louis has been an amazing friend to me since our first interview and continues to be a great person who has done so much for me already. I’m thankful to have a friend in Louis and I’m also thankful that he loves Sesame Street so much and knows it so well. He is responsible for the amazing Google logos, the stunning 40th Anniversary cast photo, the cover of the November 9-15 issue of TV Guide, and so much more. Thank you, Louis!

I’m thankful for Muppet fans…
Without all of you, I wouldn’t be writing this right now. Without all of you I would have no reason for The Muppet Mindset. If it weren’t for my desire to bring a daily dose of Muppets to the Muppet fans of the world, there would be no Muppet Mindset. This blog has opened up so many opportunities for me—things I never thought would happen to me. I’ve interviewed and communicated frequently with Muppet writer Jim Lewis (whom I’m also extremely thankful for), interviewed Muppet comic book writers and artists, communicated with Muppeteers and Muppet higher-ups… it’s a dream come true and I can only think to thank all of you for it. So I’m thankful for you, Muppet fans, for helping my dream become a reality.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And, if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, happy first-annual International Day of Muppet Things I’m Thankful For. Watch “Bohemian Rhapsody” in celebration!

P.S. I'm thankful for friends and family too...












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier.