News Update: July 25, 2014

JULY 25, 2014

The Muppets, specifically Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Statler, Waldorf, Rizzo, and Sweetums, will be attending the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball game at MCU Park in Coney Island on Monday, August 4th. These will be the actual, real Muppets in attendance, so it's sure to be really exciting. If you're in the New York City area, be sure to attend and see Muppets live and in person! Visit PurchaseTickets.com to order tickets and get more info.

This week, Crave Online posted a preview of an upcoming bonus feature on the Muppets Most Wanted Blu-ray release featuring Rizzo the Rat. The feature, dubbed on the Blu-ray as "Rizzo's Biggest Fan," features Rizzo writing a strongly worded letter to the makers of The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted regarding the lack of... Rizzo. Check out the preview video below! Remember, the Muppets Most Wanted Blu-ray is out August 12th!



Lipton Tea has released another new TV spot starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, and Animal having a picnic at Miss Piggy's house. They sing a really catchy song and drink a lot of tea. This spot was directed by our friend Bill Barretta! Check it out below...



Parade Magazine has a preview of yet another Muppets Most Wanted Blu-ray bonus feature: The Longer, Longest Blooper Reel in Muppet History. In the preview of the bloopers, we see Ricky Gervais laughing hysterically over and over again. It's delightful.



The delightful YouTube series Saturday Morning Slow Jams, which sings R&B slow-jam covers of popular cartoon theme songs, has covered the Muppet Babies theme song in their latest video. It's just as awesome as you might think, so watch and listen in the video below!









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

Confusing Things About Muppet Babies

Michael Wermuth - Muppet Babies was a great show. It was animated, had great music, we got to see many of the main characters as babies, and the imagination sequences were amazing. But there is something I'm confused about. No, I'm not talking about the fact that they were friends as babies even though they "met" when they grew up. No, what I'm wondering is, WHEN does the show take place?

The show began in 1984, and most of the characters had been adults for at least a decade, though Kermit had been an adult since 1955 and Rowlf had been an adult since 1962. I think it might be wise to overlook that and say that they were all babies in the 1950s, or maybe 1940s. And who's to say that each Muppet ages as fast as its actual species, even though the Muppets tend to stay the same age forever?

For the most part, the show did a good job of staying timeless. Though there were many parodies of things that started in the 1970s or 1980s, and clips were used. But since they were the imagination of the babies, we could just say that they were way ahead of their time, or since the Muppets grew up to be in show business, maybe they were secretly behind many movies and TV shows. But at times they tend to acknowledge stuff from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. In "I Want My Muppet TV" they know who Johnny Carson is, I think they know who many 1980s celebrities are in "This Little Piggy Went to Hollywood," and in one episode they know who Dick Clark is. And in "Muppet Babies: The Next Generation," Gonzo mentions Star Wars, which wouldn't have existed when they were babies.

What about modern technology? Baby Scooter has his own computer. Most homes didn't have computers until the 1970s or 1980s. It's especially interesting how someone as young as Scooter would have his own computer, but today when kids are getting their own cell phones and other forms of technology at younger ages perhaps the show was ahead of its time (though I haven't heard of any babies or toddlers having their own computers). I know there's one episode where they watch a video on a VCR, which wouldn't have been around when they were babies. Whenever they watch TV, the programs are usually in color. Color TV wasn't invented until the late 1950s, and wasn't more mainstream until the 1960s. And in "It's Only Pretendo," the Muppet Babies are playing video games, which didn't become mainstream until the 1970s.

Then again, considering the Muppets always stay the same age, if we want to ignore the majority of productions the Muppets have done over the years I think they could have realistically been babies in 1984 and grew to their current ages by now. Or I could be thinking too much about something that was originally just a fantasy sequence in a movie... Yeah, it could be that.

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

Ten Favorite Muppet Babies Episodes

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - The Muppet Mindset doesn't really have many Muppet Babies articles, does it? Well, here's a list of my top ten favorite episodes of Muppet Babies!

10. Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Dark
This was the first Muppet Babies episode to feature Bunsen and Beaker, and to my knowledge the only one where either is the main character. In this episode, after watching a scary movie, Beaker is afraid of the dark, and the others have to help Beaker overcome his fear, including singing the great song "Good Things Happen in the Dark" and a trick-or-treating sequence.

9. The Daily Muppet
After Nanny's newspaper gets ruined before she can read it, the Muppet Babies decide to start their own newspaper. Gonzo imagines going to space to find alien life, which he finds but the others don't believe him. One of the best sequences include Fozzie and Animal making a comic strip (where Fozzie gets attacked by word and thought balloons). One of the best lines: After Kermit sees that Rowlf, who writes the music review, has turned in sheet music, Rowlf says "I couldn't write words, so I wrote it in music."

8. My Muppet Valentine
Nanny makes Valentines cookies for the babies, but Rowlf doesn't get a cookie. The others decide to make it up to Rowlf by making him a great surprise, but end up thinking they've made him sadder by leaving him out of what they were doing (to avoid spoiling the surprise), but it turns out Rowlf has a surprise for them: A great song called "You're Special to Me." And that song sure is a special song. It's a good one to watch around Valentines Day.

7. Comic Capers 
In this episode, the Muppet Babies make their own comics, while Gonzo has to clean up a mess he made in the hallway. The highlights include a Muppet version of Peanuts (including clips from the actual specials) and a Spider-Man sequence (with a live-action cameo by Stan Lee). Spider-Man returns after the credits, revealed to actually be "Spider-Animal." What's not to love about this episode?

6. Snow White and the Seven Muppets
After seeing a play, the Muppet Babies decide they want to become actors (as we know, all of them except for Skeeter grew up to accomplish this goal) and decide to put on a play, "Snow White" (which the babies had just saw before the start of this episode). Skeeter plays Snow White and Piggy ends up as the evil queen, which she is not happy with. There's a lot of silliness here, various characters play multiple roles (including Fozzie as the magic mirror as well as a dwarf), and after being out of apples, the queen scares Snow White to sleep. One of this episodes funniest lines, when Fozzie asks a mirror who the funniest one of all is: "Fozzie Bear, I cannot lie, when you tell jokes, I want to cry."

5. He's a Wonderful Frog
In this episode, Kermit is visiting Robin for the weekend, and Nanny had told the others to be okay with Kermit being gone, but their extra-encouragement makes them think he'll never want to come back, so they put on a "This is Your Life"-style show for Kermit, as Kermit keeps trying to tell them that he's not leaving for good. This episode includes a clip of the Macy's Kermit float (the first time I saw that float). One of this episode's best sequences is an old-style sitcom parody.

4. Good Clean Fun
After the Muppet Babies accidentally break Nanny's favorite lamp, they try to make it up to her by making lunch, only to make a big mess in the kitchen. Nanny then puts them in charge of giving Animal a bath (is it really a wise idea to let a bunch of babies give a younger baby a bath?), only for Animal to go down the drain. This episode's big highlight is a Ghostbusters parody. One of this episodes funniest lines: After Animal says "Go bye-bye" (before the credits), Piggy remarks, "This isn't 'go bye-bye' time." Interesting fact: This isn't the first episode I saw (I can't remember which episode that would be), but it is the first episode I saw on Nickelodeon.

3. I Want My Muppet TV!
After the TV breaks, the Muppet Babies turn a cardboard box into a TV set and make their own shows (a plot later ripped off--err, I mean borrowed by Rugrats and Baby Looney Tunes). Gonzo does a Star Trek parody, Bunsen and Beaker do a commercial, Animal does a commercial selling mud, and Rowlf has the babies do a music video, but the highlight is when Piggy appears on "The Johnny Carson Show," and Fozzie even gets a laugh from Mr. Carson with one of this episodes funniest lines, "I'm going to tell a joke, if you promise not to throw tomatoes at me."

2. It's Only Pretendo
In this episode, the babies play various video games, with Gonzo and Piggy heavily competing in a Legends of Zelda-type game. Among the game parodies includes a Frogger parody with Kermit, Scooter and Skeeter using a power pad-like system, and both Gonzo and Piggy participate in a Donkey Kong parody. This is probably the one episode that risked becoming dated, as video games had just been popular for a few years (after the video game crash of 1983). Who knew back then that video games would continue to be as big today?

1. Muppet Babies: The Next Generation
This episode combines elements of Star Trek, Star Wars, and The Jetsons very well, with Rowlf trying to avoid a bath but not being understood by the others (he's supposed to be Astro from The Jetsons). Skeeter gets mad at Scooter and let's Bean Bunny be her sidekick in various duos (including Judy and Elroy Jetson and C-3PO and R2-D2). This episode has many highlights and running gags, including a variation of "The Jetsons" theme annoying Kermit, the environmental song "The Future is Counting on You," all the parodies getting out-of-control (including appearances by four Kermits in different roles), and Bean deciding to be the princess. Two great lines from this episode: 1. When Piggy gets saved by Kermit as "Indiana Frog," she says "I don't know who's writing this, but give them a bonus." 2. At the end when Nanny's about to give Rowlf his bath, "But I'm not Rowlf. I'm his grandson from the future. We don't even have dirt in the future, Nanny, honest!"

 Well, that's the list. I hope some of your favorites were included. And as Baby Animal would say, "Goooooooo bye-bye!"

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

The Great Muppet Survey - BJ Wanlund

Answers from BJ Wanlund

1.  Who are your three favorite characters from The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight, The Jim Henson Hour, the Muppet movies, etc. and why?

That's like asking me to choose a favorite child! I love them all, but my three very favorites are Gonzo (which will figure into another answer later on), Beaker (mainly because he's one of the funniest Muppet of the entire crew) and (in a bizarre twist) Uncle Deadly (mainly because when he was on he was absolutely hysterical).

2.  Who are your three favorite characters from Sesame Street and why?

This one is WAY easier.  Grover, Ernie, and Bert. Grover is what I feel is what Elmo SHOULD have been: A monster that was overly cute, but not overtly so. Ernie and Bert, along with Grover, have been my favorites since I was a child, and since I have Asperger syndrome, a higher-functioning form of autism, it actually makes sense that these three have been my favorites for the longest time. So yeah, when Grover took over the @sesamestreet Twitter for "The Monster At The End of This Twitter Conversation," I was absolutely in Grover fan heaven along with the rest of the Internet.

3.  Who are your three favorite characters from Fraggle Rock and why?

Gobo, Wembley, and Red. And I'm NOT just saying this to please a certain Chris Hardwick and his friend Karen Prell (I'm jealous the two of you are friends, BTW), but I think Gobo was the most sane one of the Fab Five, Wembley was the excitable one, and Red was the tomboyish one. But the interactions these three had along with the other members of the Fab Five were priceless and made the show that much more memorable.

4.  What is your favorite television program starring any of Jim Henson's creations (e.g. The Muppet Show,Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, etc.) and why?

Jim Henson's Muppet Babies. I watched this show when I was very, very small, and I remember my father taping episodes of this off of CBS for me (and I would love nothing more than those old commercials to be restored along with the rest of the show onto Blu-Ray or digital download as a result). This show was, and still is, the most imaginative, creatively made show on television. Absolutely NO show, before or since, has even come close to matching this show's creativity, imagination, and inspiration. Plus, this is why I love Gonzo. Baby Gonzo, voiced by Russi Taylor, was, and is, the very best thing about that show. From the various situations poor Baby Gonzo put himself into to the great parody elements that brought on, this show has truly withstood the test of time like no other cartoon from those days. Of course, I'd love it if Disney finally put this amazing show onto DVD, Blu-Ray, and/or digital download, but I am very biased towards this show, and it has a special place like no others in my Muppet fan heart.

5.  What is your favorite Muppet movie and why?

Too easy: The Muppet Christmas Carol. Paul Williams's effortless songwriting, the heart shown by all the characters, including Beaker and Kermit, and the best part of all: Michael Caine's definition to my mind of how the role of Ebenezer Scrooge is SUPPOSED to be played. Michael Caine played this role like I believe everyone should play this role: With a ton of heart, but with a twinge of evil until the very end. Not even the movie that came after (Muppet Treasure Island) came even remotely close to this one in terms of heart, humor, etc.

6.  What is your favorite Muppet/Sesame/Fraggle song and why?

As far as the Muppet song specifically, I'm going to give you one of my personal favorites of just Muppets performing, and that is "Rainbow Connection." I have a very special emotional connection with that song in that the version performed at the end of The Muppet Movie was quoted in my high school yearbook from senior year in the section that was dedicated to "senior ads." I still get teary-eyed thinking about how sweet my mom was to do that for me.

Of course, I have to do at least one Muppet Babies song. Obviously. My very favorite song from Muppet Babies is "The Future Is Counting On You" from Muppet Babies: The Next Generation.  Second favorite is "Guiding Star" from Where No Muppet Has Gone Before.

7.  If you could have dinner with any living Muppet performer who would you choose and why?

I think I'd like to have dinner with Dave Goelz, just because he's awesome.

8.  If you could tell Jim Henson one thing, what would it be?

Thank you. Thank you for giving me and so many others the kind of pure joy that would have been impossible to experience otherwise.

9.  If the President called you and asked to discuss Muppet projects, what would you tell him was the "Greatest Muppet Moment of All Time"?

Yikes, that's tough.  I think I'll go with when Kermit is sitting on the log in The Muppet Movie, just Kermit and his banjo, and singing about rainbows, what's on the other side, and all of that.

10.  What's the name of that song?

"La-dee-dah-dee-dum…" (because why not?)

11.  If a judge ruled that Grover had to be your personal assistant for a month, what jobs would you have him do?

Just being Grover. And being a motivator. That'd be the only things I'd make him do.

12.  In your opinion, what is the worst Muppet production ever made?

Easy: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. Not only did this total misfire of a production have the unfortunate distinction of being the first Muppets project under the Disney umbrella, this was just the WORST thing ever. And it wasn't just Ashanti that made this movie totally awful, either. The part of the Scarecrow was woefully miscast as Kermit, the Cowardly Lion sounded way too much like Bert to be even remotely believable as Fozzie, and the songs were worse than Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

13.  Who is one celebrity you would love to see cameo in the next Muppet movie?

I am going to cheat here and have two, but it'll make sense: Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence. Carol because she needs to redeem just how bad her Muppet Show episode was (sorry Carol, that didn't showcase your many talents at all) and Vicki so that they can bring the "Hannah Montana" crowd in to see the movie. Because I felt that there were too many bad cameos in the last Muppets movie.

14.  If you could take a picture with any Muppet, who would you choose and how would you pose?

Gonzo, and I'd pose with just plain old jazz hands, because why not.

15.  What is your favorite piece of Muppet merchandise that you own? (Feel free to include a picture!)

I do not have a picture handy at the moment, but I am proud to own no less than 3 Muppet Babies McDonalds VHS tapes (Daily Muppet, Snow White and the Seven Muppets, and The Great Muppet Cartoon Show), along with every single Muppet Babies VHS tape Disney released under the Jim Henson Video line, including Time to Play (with the episodes Muppet Babies: The Next Generation and Beauty and the Schnoz), Explore With Us (with the episodes The New Adventures of Kermo Polo and Transcontinental Whoo-Whoo), Let's Build (with the episodes Six to Eight Weeks and Eight Flags Over The Nursery), and Be My Valentine (with the episode My Muppet Valentine, my favorite MB episode ever).

BJ Wanlund has been a Muppets fan all his life, and is eagerly awaiting the glorious day when Disney stops being jerks about Jim Henson's Muppet Babies on current home video formats.

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

120 Awesome Muppet Songs, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - For a long while now I've wanted to write up an article celebrating Muppet music but I've always been held back by the enormous scope of the Muppets repertoire. From Sam and Friends to the present, the Muppets have performed countless songs. It's truly dumbfounding to think about how many musical performances have occurred on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the many Muppet movies and specials in almost 60 years. How do you narrow it down? Where do you start? Can you even fathom ranking them? The answers I came up with: Slowly, the beginning of the alphabet, and no.

So I went through my iTunes library (which, admittedly, doesn't have everything the Muppets have ever sang) and picked out 120 of my personal favorite songs performed by the Muppets. I put them all into a playlist and shuffled it, to organize them completely randomly. And now I present, with my own added commentary, 120 Awesome Muppet Songs, presented in eight separate articles highlighting 15 songs at a time--in no specific and entirely random order.

1.   "Somebody Come and Play" from Sesame Street
It's hard to argue with a song as fun and happy as "Somebody Come and Play" being the first one on the list. A wonderful tune by Joe Raposo, this song as been performed multiple times in Sesame Street's 43 years. Some favorite versions of the song include Ernie (see link above), Elmo and Whoopi Goldberg, Bob from the album Bob's Favorite Street Songs, and, of course, Joe Raposo himself. If I had to pick a favorite, though, it would be Ernie's version. He sings with such longing for someone to play with but remains his perfectly goofy self. Who among us hasn't been there, just wanting someone to play with? Favorite lyrics: "Somebody come with me and see the pleasure in the wind/Somebody come before it gets too late to begin."
2.   "Can You Picture That?" from The Muppet Movie
Rock on, man! In my book, you absolutely, unequivocally cannot beat this Electric Mayhem staple. There will probably never be a song that rocks harder or better suits Dr. Teeth and the rest of the band. Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher outdid themselves with this number. Every line is perfectly suited to each member of the Electric Mayhem that sings it. And Animal's shouts and Zoot's silence fits them perfectly as well. They may not look like Presbyterians, but the Electric Mayhem proved that they sure can rock a church. Favorite lyrics: "I lost my heart in Texas, Northern Lights effect us/I keep it underneath my hat/Aurora Borealis shinin' down on Dallas/Can you picture that?"
3.   "Bein' Green" from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show
Is there any need for explanation on this one? "Bein' Green" is everything the Muppets represent: loving yourself and being yourself no matter what. How appropriate that Kermit, who also represents everything the Muppets are, sings this beautiful Joe Raposo tune. Of course, Kermit isn't the only one to tackle the song. Ray Charles' version (as seen in Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting) is exceptionally beautiful as well and Big Bird's version (from Jim Henson's memorial service) is unbelievably sad and perfect. But, c'mon, no one does it better than Kermit... and Jim Henson, of course. Jim sang the song like no one ever will. It is straight from the soul. There was no distinction between Jim and Kermit when "Bein' Green" was performed. It was just naturally beautiful perfection. Favorite lyrics: "I'm green, and it'll do fine/It's beautiful and I think it's what I wanna be."
4.   "Mahna Mahna" from The Muppet Show
Doo do doo do doo! Sorry... force of habit. Really, though, anytime someone says the words "Mahna Mahna" and I hear it, I have to respond in the only logical way. First performed by the Muppets on The Ed Sullivan Show and later on Sesame Street, the greatest version by far (in my opinion at least) was performed on the first episode of The Muppet Show. It is an enduring and undying classic performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. What Jim did with this odd little song is unbelievable and shows, once again, how he could take something weird and make it perfect. The character of Mahna Mahna also speaks to Jim's personality. The character's sense of pure joy when scatting is a thing of true beauty. Favorite lyrics: "Mahna Mahna!!"
5.   "I'm Gonna Always Love You" from The Muppets Take Manhattan
Ah, the first appearance of the Muppet Babies. This appearance alone would spawn the Muppet Babies TV series, tons of merchandise, and loads of casual-fan confusion about the characters. But that's okay, because it's a fantastic song. Jeff Moss (known mostly for his Sesame Street songs) scribed this fun little ditty. You've gotta love the baby voices Jim, Frank, Richard, and Dave created for the Muppets. It's really, really hard not to love this song. It's also really, really hard (maybe impossible) not to find it cute when a little boy sings it while playing ukulele at a school talent show. Favorite lyrics: "Gonna be a movie star, and I'm gonna learn to drive a car/Gonna be a veterinarian too, and I'm gonna always love you!"
6.   "Keep Christmas With You (All Through the Year)" from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
The first of two Christmas Eve on Sesame Street songs in this week's list (blame iTunes), and my favorite Christmas song of all time. I can't get enough of this gorgeous song written by Sam Pottle and David Axlerod for the special. Olivia and Bob hit all the right notes but everyone sings gorgeously--which isn't a surprise at all. It's a crying shame that this isn't a perennial classic for the rest of the (non-Muppet obsessed) world at Christmas time, because it absolutely should be. My favorite version of the song comes from the album Merry Christmas from Sesame Street!, which features the entire cast, including Muppets. It's gorgeous and if you don't already have a downloaded version... find one and thank me later. Favorite lyrics: "Christmas means the season of giving/Peace and joy to you/The goodness of loving, the gladness of living/These are Christmas, too."

7.   "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear" from The Muppet Show
Originally seeming like the punchline to a bad joke on the first episode of The Muppet Show, this song by Randy Newman (of all people) has fantastic lasting appeal. Richard Hunt's dynamic vocals as Scooter are perfect in this snappy, funny song. Fozzie's interjections throughout the song (and hysterical interpretation of what a dancing bear does) make it a true Muppet classic, however. Without Frank Oz's knack for hilarious line-delivery, this song would not be nearly as great. I also adore the version that Frank and Richard performed at Jim Henson's memorial service. It showcases the love and friendship between them that we rarely get to see. Favorite lyrics: "I may go out tomorrow if I can borrow a coat to wear/Oh, I'd step out in style with my sincere smile and my dancing bear!"
8.   "The Magic Store" from The Muppet Movie
Another obvious inclusion in the list. The finale from The Muppet Movie features some of the most quotable lyrics about entertainment and working your way to the top. The film could have easily ended with Orson Welles signing Kermit the Frog and Company to the standard rich and famous contract, but the inclusion of this song makes the movie perfect. Everyone comes together to make a movie about the movie we just saw... and sing this great song My favorite lyrics are probably everyone's favorite lyrics... "Life's like a movie, write your own ending/Keep believing, keep pretending."
9.   "The Rhyming Song" from The Muppet Show
Oh my gosh I love this song. Performed by Fozzie, Scooter, Link Hogthrob, and Annie Sue, this complete nonsense song is hilarious and perfectly weird. Did you know that it was written by Frank Oz? Because it was! What a perfect selection of characters to sing this as well. Scooter is usually so organized but now he can't even keep the rhyming lyrics together. Fozzie gets frustrated with everyone. Link whines and moans. Annie Sue tries to keeep things positive. It's wonderful. Favorite lyrics: "The stars are twinkling in the sky/The rhyming song, the rhyming song/There's no hot water in my hotel/The rhyming song."
10. "True Blue Miracle" from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
The second Christmas Eve on Sesame Street song on today's list is this truly marvelous piece written by Carol hall. The song speaks of the wonder of the Christmas season and how everything and everyone seems to come together in beauty and joy. The song represents Sesame Street Christmases perfectly. And if that isn't a true blue miracle, I don't know what one is. Favorite lyrics: "But the greatest wonder of them all is not what's happening around you, it's the way you start to lead/Yes, the greatest wonder of them all is how your heart is filled with love, you start to light up like a Christmas tree."

11. "Never Before, Never Again" from The Muppet Movie
Miss Piggy's greatest number is written by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher. It not only speaks true to her unbridled passion for Kermit, but it is also just a fantastic love song. The subsequent fantasy sequence starring Kermit and Piggy features some of the greatest puppetry and funniest visuals that the couple has ever experienced. But the reason these things work is because of the fantastic lyrics and music placed on top of them. Miss Piggy deserves another song this great soon... and not another "Me Party." Favorite lyrics: "And where to find the words to sing its worth?/This love was bound for heaven, not for earth/This love was meant to light the stars/But when we touched, we made it ours."
12. "It Feels Good When You Sing a Song" from Sesame Street
This may not be Sesame Street's most well known song (or even in the top 20), but it is one of my personal favorites, again by Sam Pottle. Originally performed by Olivia and David back in the early days of the show, my favorite version of the song is the one linked to above featuring Hoots the Owl and John Legend from Season 37. They jazz it up and make the song even more exciting and fun. Favorite lyrics: "It can't be bad, even if it's sad/Sing it loud, sing it strong/It feels good when you sing a song."
13. "Wonderful Me" from Sesame Street
Written by Sam Pottle and Tony Geiss, "Wonderful Me" is a fantastic anthem sung by Big Bird explaining how much he loves being himself. He sings about all the wonderful things about him--his feathers, his ability to read, etc. It's a great declaration of happiness for kids (and kids at heart) everywhere. Oddly enough, there's also an Oscar the Grouch song called "Wonderful Me"... but it isn't as well written as this one. Favorite lyrics: "Who is at home when I sit in my nest? Me!/Who wears no clothes but is beautifully dressed? Me!" (Forgive the weird video above. Just listen to the song.)
14. "Perfect Harmony" from Fraggle Rock
One of Marjory the Trash Heap's best numbers (And our only Fraggle Rock song in today's list? Dumb iTunes.), "Perfect Harmony" is a wonderful blend of Jerry Nelson's amazing vocals and music and lyrics by Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee. Marjory sings of her dream of a world where Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs can get along in perfect harmony. The song is from the episode "The Great Radish Famine" and also features a few lyrics by Mokey Fraggle, Junior Gorg, and Flange Doozer. Favorite lyrics: "I can almost see a world of harmony/Music in the air, friendship everywhere/Ties of love uniting you and me." (Again, excuse the weird video.)
15. "Share it Maybe" from YouTube
Cookie Monster's summer 2012 classic parodying the ear-candy tune "Call Me Maybe" quickly became one of my favorite Cookie Monster songs. David Rudman's vocals are fantastic here, making me think that he really needs more opportunity to sing as Cookie. I adore the goofy lyric parodies (written by Joey Mazzarino) that Cookie sings, referencing snickerdoodles, Girl Scouts, and Betty Crocker. The video is awesome, the song is great, and the parody aspect is perfection. Favorite lyrics: "You took you time with the bite/Me trying to stay polite/Me start to really freak out/Please someone call the Girl Scout/Me no grumble or grouse/This take its toll on me house/Me going off me rocker/Please feed me Betty Crocker!"

Well, there you have it! Our first 15 of 120 Awesome Muppet Songs! What is your favorite one from this list, Muppet fans? Tune in next week for 15 more songs and get ready to jam!





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

Muppet Fan Art Showcase: Phoenix Alvarado and Rebecca Whitaker

The OTHER Muppet Babies

Phoenix Alvarado - In 1984, the Muppets took Manhattan and during their time there Miss Piggy had a dream where the six main Muppets were shown as babies. These would be known to Muppet fans everywhere as the Muppet Babies. Originally just Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, and Scooter the Muppet Babies when they got their own television show. The cast expansion would include infant versions of Animal, Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Robin (as tadpole of course), Camilla (in the form of Gonzo’s stuffed chicken), and Scooter's twin sister, Skeeter. Through the shows eight year run a couple other babies were added such as Bean Bunny, Janice, and even a baby version of The Muppet Show's backstage theater cat, Gaffer. But what about the other Muppets out there that was never presented on the show? What do they look like? Would a baby version of Dr. Teeth have a any teeth?

Scroll down as I present what I think other Muppet characters would look like in a baby format! Witness what Walter would looked like as a baby! Wonder how Crazy Harry's parents would allow for their child to play with explosives! And be scared for life when you see Baby Sweetums! Be prepared to send in angry emails as we make your favorite Muppets into babies! Enjoy!

 Baby Floyd Pepper

Baby Dr. Teeth. Tooth less as can be without besides his golden tooth!

 Baby Zoot trying to hold up that saxophone!

 Baby Lew Zealand helping out the infant version of the Swedish Chef

Baby Beauregard with the baby version of Rizzo

Baby Pepe the King Prawn,OKAY?

Infant versions of Uncle Deadly, Sam the Eagle, and Crazy Harry

 Baby Walter probably enjoyed Sesame Street before he discovered The Muppet Show

And for the grand finale, Baby Sweetums

I hoped you all enjoyed! For more cartoon fun visit my YouTube channel, LaffoStudios! Thanks for reading and looking!

12 Muppeteers

Rebecca Whitaker - Everyone creates art based on the Muppets but I had never seen anything with the Muppeteers so I decided to create some myself!

It's 12 Muppeteers with a Muppet they are well known for performing. Starting on the left Karen Prell with Red Fraggle, Kermit with Jim, Telly with Martin Robinson, Jerry Nelson with Floyd Pepper, Steve Whitmire with Rizzo the Rat, Richard Hunt and Jim Henson with Ernie, Frank Oz with Bert, Bill Barretta with Mahna Mahna, Dave Goelz with Gonzo, Carol Spinney with Big Bird legs and Oscar the Grouch, and Kevin Clash with Elmo.

Click to enlarge

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