Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

Today's article was written by Michael Baldasare with edits and additions by Ryan Dosier. Although we have featured Dr. Bunsen Honeydew on Weekly Muppet Wednesdays before, that article was more of a joke, so Michael has rewritten the article to take a serious look at Bunsen.

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

Performed by...
Dave Goelz

First appearance...
The Muppet Show Episode 108: Paul Williams (1976)

Most recent appearance...
Just for Laughs (2012)
Will appear in Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Best known role...
Scientist, inventor, founder of Muppet Labs, punisher of Beaker

Best friend and assistant...
Beaker

WHO IS DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW?
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is The Muppet Show's resident scientist and the host, founder, and lead scientist of Muppet Labs--where the future is being made today. In season one of The Muppet Show, Bunsen worked alone. But it was in season two when the sketches really took off as Beaker was added to the show as Bunsen's hapless assistant. Bunsen is usually giddy with excitement when showing off his latest scientific discovery or invention, but his excitement about progress usually blinds him to the fact that his invention either doesn't work or is insanely dangerous.

Dr. Honeydew has come up with a score of outrageous inventions in over 30 episodes of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, and episodes of Muppets Tonight. Dr. Honeydew's many, many ridiculous inventions have included a robotic replica of Abraham Lincoln, a gorilla detector, his own element "Bunsonium," a teleportation device, fireproof paper, a germ enlarger, an electric nose warmer, exploding clothes, edible paper clips, a banana sharpener, hair-growing tonic, and a machine that can turn gold into cottage cheese.

Bunsen has had a large role in nearly every Muppet movie. In The Muppet Movie, Kermit met Bunsen and Beaker in an old ghost town, where they showed off their latest invention, "Insta-Grow Pills," which made things bigger--however the effect was sadly temporary. In The Great Muppet Caper, Dr. Honeydew assisted in the break-in at the Mallory Gallery and volunteered Beaker to crack the high voltage security installation. In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Bunsen joins in on the "Manhattan Melodies" finale.

In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Bunsen and Bekaer play well-meaning charity workers who try to get Ebenezer Scrooge to donate to help the homeless. Originally they had a song, "Room in Your Heart," but it was cut from the film. In Muppet Treasure Island, Bunsen played Dr. Livesey while Beaker played himself. In Muppets from Space, Bunsen invented invisible spray (inside a rubber duckie), mind mist, and Door In a Jar, to help rescue Gonzo and Rizzo from C.O.V.N.E.T. Unfortunately, he and Beaker got left at a gas station with Cheese Twiddles before they could see the inventions used.

In It's a Very, Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Bunsen and Beaker invent a device for the Muppets to earn money for the "Moulin Scrooge" Christmas show. We get a look of what Bunsen might have been in the world in which Kermit was never born--Dr. Bunsen Honeydew would be a hip, aggressive doorman at Club Dot. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Bunsen and Beaker had crucial roles as the technicians of Emerald City, setting up Dorothy and her Muppet cohorts with their emerald-tinted glasses. In A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Dr. Honeydew created the Wish Granter 3000, which Beaker demonstrated by wishing for a "meeping" gorgeous woman and wishing himself away from Bunsen.

In his most recent big screen role in The Muppets, Bunsen, along with Beaker, reunited with the Muppets after working at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. In an unfortunately deleted scene, Bunsen was revealed as an accomplice to Gonzo's bowling ball throwing stunt. The bowling ball, built by Bunsen, was a highly advanced, hyper-intelligent remote control contraption. While demonstrating the device, the bowling ball developed a mind of its own and terrorized Beaker around the theater.

Dr. Honeydew also had a crucial role in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland attraction Muppet*Vision 3-D. Bunsen and Beaker were the inventors of the Muppet*Vision 3-D technology and hosted a live demonstration of the power of 3-D. Dr. Honeydew developed a machine that created a living spirit of 3-D, Waldo C. Graphic. Waldo ended up getting Muppet Labs sucked up by Bunsen's Vacu-Muppet, and Bunsen and Beaker disappeared from the show after that.

Pre-doctorate Bunsen Honeydew appeared as a toddler in animated form in Muppet Babies. Young Bunsen still displayed a talent for scientific work and was already quite brilliant--and already quite good at injuring baby Beaker. Dr. Honeydew was a significant part of Muppets Tonight as well, developing a number of inventions and most notably going through a midlife crisis which involved crashing a speedboat and dating Andie MacDowell.

Bunsen has appeared many times with the Muppets outside of their own shows, specials, or movies. Dr. Honeydew appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, America's Funniest Home Videos, WWE Raw, Dancing with the Stars, and other exploits. Bunsen was also the star of two Muppet viral videos: "Ghost Hunt" and "Carve-O-Matic." He also appeared in "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Muppet Show Theme" music videos. Bunsen also appeared at the 2009 appearance at D23 Expo, Jim Henson's Musical World, and the Muppets Comedy Gala at Just For Laughs 2012.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are two of the most popular Muppet characters. These are just some of Bunsen's many, many onscreen, in-print, and online appearances. Dr. Honeydew has appeared in comic books, phone applications, interactive cruise ship games, awards shows, music videos, live theme park experiences, and commercials during his long career--and he doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon! Bunsen and Beaker will appear in Muppets Most Wanted next year as well.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW?
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is another example of the great Muppet character trope of thinking you're a genius but really just being bad at what you do--and even destructive. Even though Bunsen's inventions are harmful and fail more often than not, Dr. Honeydew never gives up on his dream of being a great scientist. The Muppets need Bunsen because he continues the Muppet dream of perseverance no matter the cost (although Beaker pays most of the cost). Besides all that, Dr. Honeydew is simply hysterical. The Muppet Labs sketches were some of the most popular on The Muppet Show for good reason.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

More Official Character Descriptions from "The Muppets"

The fine folks at Disney Publicity and Marketing have provided us with even more official character descriptions from The Muppets! You'll remember that way back in September we spotlighted character descriptions of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Walter, Gary, Mary, Tex Richman, and Veronica. Well, these extra descriptions give insight into some of the other Muppet players. Check them out below and thanks again to Disney for the information!

STATLER & WALDORF (Statler & Waldorf) return to the balcony in Disney's "The Muppets" as feisty and curmudgeonly as ever. These two old hecklers let the insults fly—as well as serving an important public service. "We didn't want to be in the movie," explains Statler, "but we felt it was our duty." Adds Waldorf, "Yeah, somebody's got to warn the rest of the audience what they're in for."

This time, the duo takes center stage, sharing the fine print of the Muppet contract with villain Tex Richman. Of course, Statler and Waldorf ("The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper," TV's "The Muppet Show") don't realize that Tex plans to raze Muppet Studios and drill for oil, which would mean the end of their balcony—and their heckling.

One thing is certain. Statler and Waldorf think everyone should see this movie. "We had to sit through it," says Statler. "The least folks could do is share our pain."

THE SWEDISH CHEF (The Swedish Chef) is behind some rather combustible culinary creations in Disney's "The Muppets," especially after he discovers a long forgotten refrigerator in the rundown Muppet Studios.

The Swedish Chef ("The Muppet Show") is equally at home in the kitchen and on set. Wherever he goes, he's fighting a never-ending battle against food and ingredients; a battle he rarely, if ever, wins. It didn't take much convincing to get him to return to Muppet Studios when production kicked off.

'Zikkledeffer gøøbee der smidleflingen," says the Chef. "Vooshkee høøksker mit gingen agloofe majuskee! Børk! Børk! Børk!" (Roughly translated: "It's not everyday you get offered to play the role of Chef from Sweden. Besides, I had a soufflé in the oven and an afternoon free, so why not!? Børk! Børk! Børk!")

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW & BEAKER (Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker) are still hard at work in Muppet Labs—where their latest invention shrinks poor Beaker ("The Muppet Show") to pocket size. Undeterred by this diminutive debacle, Beaker fortunately returns to normal size to complete his latest big-screen appearance, all with the help of his mentor and boss, the legendary Dr. Bunsen Honeydew ("The Muppet Show").

"We are scientific consultants on the movie as well as scientific consultants in the movie," says Honeydew. "Very meta, don't you agree?"

"Meep meep meep," adds Beaker, who—in addition to his scientific contributions—was also tapped for an all-Muppet barbershop quartet rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

SAM THE EAGLE (Sam the Eagle) lends his patriotic disdain to Disney's "The Muppets" in a heroic effort to add dignity to the telethon's opening musical number and spirit to the barbershop quartet.

Sam Eagle ("The Muppet Show"), who has always looked askance at the Muppets' supposedly entertaining efforts, explains his reason for being part of Disney's "The Muppets." "I play an American Eagle who stands for all that is good and decent in the world, thus standing in sharp contrast to the rest of the weirdoes in this movie."

ROWLF THE DOG (Rowlf) isn't exactly tough to track down in Disney's "The Muppets." Kermit and the gang fetch the piano-playing dog from a cozy hammock and convince him to return to the stage. And, it turns out, Rowlf's ("The Muppet Movie," TV's "The Muppet Show') unique canine musical sensibilities prove perfect for the all-Muppet barbershop quartet.

"You could say that this is Rowlf unleashed," says Rowlf, who has been with the Muppets since the early days. "In this movie, I really get to do what I like best—play piano, sing, tell jokes and take myself for long walks around the neighborhood."

SCOOTER (Scooter) takes the threat to Muppet Studios in Disney'’s "The Muppets" to heart. "I'm stage manager of the Muppet Theater," explains Scooter. "I try to help Kermit save the studio, 'cause without a theater and stage, there's really not much for a stage manager to do."

Scooter ("The Muppet Show") gets to play a new role in the movie—as host—when, in a pinch, Kermit calls on Scooter to fill in for him on stage. Unfortunately the classic advice Scooter gets to calm his nerves—pretend that the audience is naked—doesn't necessarily work for him.

DR. TEETH AND THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM BAND (Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot & Animal) rock the house, shake the foundations and do both major and minor structural damage with their funky, heavy rockin' musical sounds. And even though Animal has allegedly sworn off drumming in exchange for a more peaceful existence, Dr. Teeth, Floyd, Janice and Zoot have other ideas in mind for their legendary drummer—all of which lead to a seriously rockin' rendition of "Rainbow Connection."

Dr. Teeth highly recommends Disney's "The Muppets." "If you see only one movie," he says, "this is absotively, possolutely the one to see! And if you see two movies this year, I'd recommend goin' to see this one twice. We need the gig, you dig?"

Janice agrees. "It will, like, help you achieve total inner grooviosity, fer sure." To which saxophonist Zoot adds "Huh?"

Floyd Pepper was chasing Animal and could not be reached for comment.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

(Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes Spotlight: Bunsen and Beaker

Casey Daron - Hello, and welcome once again to (Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes. This week, the quotes will be spotlighting Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his somewhat trusty assistant, Beaker. Beaker is an instant fan-favorite, mainly because he gets tortured, shrunk, catches on fire, and, well, you get the idea. I am thrilled to see what Dr. Honeydew and Beaker make in the new movie. Now, go on, and enjoy this week's quotes!

"Mee mee moo meep meep mind."
"Yes, I think you have a beautiful mind, too."
~ Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

"Oh, I'm so nervous. If I'm not funny, I won't be able to live with myself."
"Well, then you'll have to get another apartment, won't you?"
~ Fozzie Bear and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, The Muppet Movie

"Here is my assistant Beaker, here with a lighted blowtorch. He is going to show you how impossible it really is to burn fireproof paper."
~ Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, The Muppet Show (Episode 318)

"I'm Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, this is Muppet Labs, and I am tickled pink to announce the solution to banana problems."
~ Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, The Muppet Show (Episode 402)

"Now comes the Honeydew Shrinking pill. Take one, Beaker."
"Meep?"
"NOT THE WHOLE BOTTLE!"
"MEEEEEEEEP!"
"Oh, dear. Well, I guess that's all for today on Muppet Labs."
~ Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, The Muppet Show (Episode 306)

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

News Update: October 21, 2011

NEWS UPDATE: October 21, 2011

Since Disney and the Muppets Studio started "The Muppets Fan-A-Thon" awhile back, we've been treated to three brand new videos featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie Bear as they shill on the open web for a bazillion "likes" on Facebook. Well, chalk up two more Fan-A-Thon videos for the Muppets as Gonzo (with Pepe) and Animal debuted their videos over the past two weeks. Check them both out below! And, really, won't you "like" them already? Gonzo's going to suffocate and goodness knows Animal doesn't need any more head injuries.




The domination of the Muppets has obviously begun, and you know what that means... Miss Piggy storming the world with her undying celebrity status. The most recent outlet for this is InStyle magazine who, in their most recent issue (November 2011) have a spectacular four page feature on Miss Piggy complete with brand new, gorgeous pictures of the pig posing in designer clothes from Opening Ceremony, Suno, Brian Atwood, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, and Giles & Brothers. Lucky for male Muppet fans who don't think they could consciously buy InStyle magazine, our friends over at StitchKingdom.com have hi-resolution scans of every page provided to them by Disney. Now go and ogle that pig!

Disney has launched a new website for The Muppets, mostly intended for the UK audience, entitled MeettheMuppets.com. Lucky for everyone else, however, anyone, in the UK or not, can access this new site and get in-depth details, pictures, audio clips, and video of most of the main Muppet characters. This of course includes characters like Kermit and Gonzo (see Gonzo-on-a-stool picture at right), but you can also take a peek at Zoot, Walter, Dr. Teeth, and more! Check it out and time yourself to see how long it takes you to have a new desktop background.

In super exciting news that may or may not be super exciting once it happens, Jason Segel is hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live on November 19th. Although it cannot be officially confirmed by any means, there is a very good chance that we'll be seeing a Muppet or two (or ten) appearing alongside Jason and the rest of the SNL cast on the 19th. Since the appearance occurs only four days before the release of The Muppets, it seems only logical--if not required. With Jason Segel involved it's sure to be a great night of comedy either way... but Muppet involvement would put it completely over the top.

The Muppets are back to their old act of making commercials for people to further their own gains. The victim this time (other than Beaker) is UL Laboratories, who promote fire safety in the home. And what better Muppet to promote safety regulations than Dr. Bunsen Honeydew? In the video below, featuring Kermit, Dr. Honeydew, and Beaker, we see just how flammable Beaker really is.



Last week Yamaha Entertainment Group (which is currently offering the chance to win a trip to The Muppets premiere and a Yamaha piano) posted a link to a new article in Yamaha All Access Magazine: an interview with Rowlf the Dog. The interview, while also being extraordinary for being an interview with Rowlf for the first time in who knows how long, is incredibly funny, heart-warming, and Rowlf-y. It's a howling good time. Don't bother barking at this one, just read it!

According to our pals over at ToughPigs.com, the wildly popular (and wildly bipolar) television show Glee will soon feature a cover of Kermit's ballad "Bein' Green." The song will be performed by new Glee character, Rory, portrayed by co-winner of The Glee Project reality show, Irish-singer Damian McGinty. "Bein' Green" will be featured in the November 1st episode of the show on FOX, which is also McGinty's debut episode on the show. It probably isn't too much of a stretch to guess that "Bein' Green" is McGinty's first song he'll sing... which is pretty cool for Muppet fans.

And now, to close, please enjoy this video from TheMuppets.com which our friends over at Muppet Musings posted to YouTube featuring... Muppets dancing. It'll be the greatest 14 seconds of your day, guaranteed.










The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

Good day, Muppet fans! Today is an extremely exciting day for The Muppet Mindset, as it officially marks our 300th post! This is a monumental day for me, personally, because it's the biggest achievement I've ever reached. (Well... I did collect twelve box-tops once and get a light-up Lion King spoon.) In honor of this milestone, we've contacted a special contributor for this week's Weekly Muppet Wednesday article. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the one, the only, the unintelligible, Beaker!

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

Performed by...
Meee Meep (1976-present)

First appearance...
Mo Meemee Mo (1976)

Most recent appearance...
"Momeemo Meemome" MoMoo Meemeep (2009)

Best friend...
...Me mo mo.

Memorable quote...
"Meemo mo! Mee me Momoo Mee, meep mee me mo mee me mo!"

WHO IS DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW?
Moo mee me? Me mee mo moo meep mee! Mee mo mo, meep meep! Moo mo mo mo!

...Umm, I'm not quite sure what happened, folks, but Beaker just sort of... left? Sheesh. Some 300th post. That's the last time I work with a Muppet. (NOTE: I don't mean that, Muppet people who might be reading [Hey, I can dream too], I will of course work with the Muppets anytime anywhere. Just so we're on the same page here.) Sheesh. Well, I was hoping that would go longer and maybe have some fireworks or something... but that's all I've got. So... here's a funny picture!

See you tomorrow!








The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier