Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Junior Gorg

JUNIOR GORG
 
Performed by...
Richard Hunt (voice and face)
Rob Mills (body)

First appearance...
Fraggle Rock Season 1, Episode 101: "Beginnings" (1983)

Most recent appearance...
Fraggle Rock Season 4, Episode 513: "Change of Address" (1987)

Best known role...
Son of the King and Queen of the Universe; Fraggle hunter; bumbling, fumbling dumb of a son of a gun

Famous quote...
"Look Ma! I caught a Fwaggle!"

WHO IS JUNIOR GORG?
Junior Gorg is the son of Pa and Ma Gorg. His parents declared themselves the King and Queen of the Universe, making Junior a sort of Prince of the Universe. He loves to hunt Fraggles (which he pronounces "Fwaggles" due to his defining speech impediment) but doesn't normally know what to do with one once he catches it. He has often been seen tending to his family's radish garden and trying not to mess up his father's plans.

Perhaps Junior's best known role on Fraggle Rock was as a barrier for the Fraggles when they attempted to cross the Gorg's Garden in order to get radishes for their meals or to meet with the all-knowing Trash Heap. Junior went to great lengths to intercept trespassers on his land and was a constant force of annoyance for any Fraggle who tried to enter his kingdom.

A relatively innocent soul, Junior's main desire is always to please and help his parents whenever they ask him to do something. Sometimes he accidentally does majorly detrimental things on these occasions such as selling the royal land for a magic plant, inadvertently faking his death due to a "genie" in a radish basket, nearly falling for a fake Sir Hubris, "helps" Pa fix the leaky roof, eating too much garlic popcorn while Pa and Ma are away, and many more goof-ups.

Junior developed a few friendships with individual Fraggles throughout the course of Fraggle Rock. According to Episode 318: "Bored Stiff," when Junior became friends with Gobo Fraggle, the Gorg's only other friend up to that point was a gigantic radish named Geraldine. In Episode 119: "The Great Radish Famine," Junior forms a semi-bond with Mokey Fraggle as she attempts to reason with him about the disappearing radishes. Cantus the Minstrel made sure that Junior was worthy of the crown in Episode 405: "Junior Faces the Music." Finally, in Episode 511: "The Gorg Who Would Be King," Junior was shrunken down to Fraggle size by the Nirvana Tree and went on an adventure through Fraggle Rock with Wembley Fraggle.

His adventure in Episode 511 culminated in Junior learning a major lesson about life and symbiosis between creatures, learning about not only the Fraggles but the Doozers and the Trash Heap as well. When Pa Gorg was passing on the crown to Junior, Junior thrust the crown away and refused the title of King, proving that he had grown from a goofy child whose only goal was to capture Fraggles to a true thinker with a perspective on the Universe at large.

Junior has not been seen since the finale of Fraggle Rock in 1987, but one can only assume that he is still living blissfully alongside Ma and Pa and with his new friends the Fraggles.

JUNIOR GORG EPISODES
Junior appeared in many episodes of Fraggle Rock, but it wasn't nearly as often that the story focused around him. Below is a list of episodes throughout the run of the show where Junior is featured prominently...

• Episode 120: "The Garden Plot"
• Episode 122: "Mokey's Funeral"
• Episode 209: "Sir Hubris and the Gorgs"
• Episode 216: "Junior Sells the Farm"
• Episode 314: "The Great Radish Caper"
• Episode 316: "The Battle of Leaking Roof"
• Episode 318: "Bored Stiff"
• Episode 321: "A Dark and Stormy Night"
• Episode 403: "Sidebottom Blues"
• Episode 405: "Junior Faces the Music"
• Episode 509: "Ring Around the Rock"
• Episode 511: "The Gorg Who Would Be King"

WHY DOES FRAGGLE ROCK NEED JUNIOR GORG?
When Fraggle Rock first began, it would have been extremely difficult to come up with a good reason for why Junior Gorg was a necessary element for the Fraggles. In purposes of the show specifically, Junior made a wonderful nemesis being both innocent and menacing without being evil or hateful. However, Junior added nothing to the Fraggles, other than tending to the radishes they ate. However, Junior Gorg would become the most developed character by the end of the show's run.

Junior grew from an Elmer Fudd-like character--a bumbling idiot with nothing driving him but his desire to catch a "Fwaggle"--to a character who understood why all life was important and why hierarchies and rulers aren't necessary for a society or an ecosystem to function. By thrusting away the crown in "The Gorg Who Would Be King," Junior symbolized his own growth as complete and showed more growth or development than almost any other character on the show. It's a beautiful thing to realize that Junior had to become small to grow so much.

Fraggle Rock needs Junior Gorg because he proves to the world watching that anyone can change. At one time the Fraggles' greatest enemy, Junior grew into their biggest ally, protecting them from even his own mother and father. Junior Gorg may look and sound like a dumb lummox, but he is truly one of the only characters on the show who comes to understand how everything is connected and why everyone is important.

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

Muppetology 101: Recasting of Sesame Street Characters, Pt. 1

Ryan Dosier - Another week, another class lecture about the wonder of the Muppets! Today we're starting our first gear shift from the world of The Muppet Show and into the sunniest place on earth: Sesame Street. We're back again looking at the wonderful characters performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. All but two of the characters on this list are performed by Eric Jacobson, the others are performed by Steve Whitmire and David Rudman. Let's take a look at them, shall we?

• ERNIE
• Originally performed by JIM HENSON (1969-1990)
• Currently performed by STEVE WHITMIRE (1993-present)
• Ernie was Jim Henson's main Muppet character on Sesame Street. In fact, Ernie was one of only two popular recurring characters that Jim Henson performed exclusively for the show. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Ernie remained silent, almost as an homage to his creator. However, starting in 1993, Steve Whitmire, who had previously taken over the similar-sounding Kermit the Frog, was cast permanently as Ernie. For years, Steve worked with Frank Oz as Bert, just as Jim Henson had, but currently he works with Eric Jacobson as Bert, and the duo's chemistry is still great.
• Jim Henson first performed Ernie in the pilot for Sesame Street in 1969. Ernie, along with his best pal Bert, were the first ever Muppets to appear on Sesame Street, even before Big Bird. Jim Henson's final performance as Ernie was in the Sesame Street song "Don't Throw That Trash on the Ground" which debuted on the show in 1990.
• Steve Whitmire first performed Ernie in 1993 in a Sesame Street sketch called "Ernie Catches All the Fish," which is fairly self explanatory. Steve Whitmire continues to perform Ernie on Sesame Street, providing Ernie's voice for "Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures" and appearances of the character as a puppet throughout the show in Season 42 in 2011/2012.

• BERT
• Originally performed by FRANK OZ (1969-present)
• Currently performed by ERIC JACOBSON (1997-present)
• Frank Oz's first character on Sesame Street was Bert, Ernie's best friend and roommate. The chemistry between Frank Oz as Bert and Jim Henson as Ernie have been ranked among some of the best comedy duos of all time. Since Frank's retirement from Muppet performing around 1997, Eric Jacobson slowly transitioned into the role of Bert. It was around 2002 with the premiere of Play With Me Sesame on Noggin that Eric Jacobson became the permanent performer of Bert. Eric continues to perform Bert in nearly every appearance, and Frank Oz has not returned to perform the character in a few years.
• Frank Oz first performed Bert in the Sesame Street pilot in 1969 alongside Jim Henson's Ernie. Starting around 1997, Frank Oz stopped performing Bert as often. On rare occasions, Frank Oz will return to perform Bert on the show.
• Eric Jacobson first started performing Bert in 1997. The first moment he performed Bert is not certain or documented. Eric Jacobson continues to perform Bert regularly in almost every appearance on Sesame Street.

• GROVER
• Originally performed by FRANK OZ (1970-present)
• Currently performed by ERIC JACOBSON (1998-present)
• Grover, one of the most popular characters on Sesame Street, has been perhaps the most successful recast of any Muppet character. Grover is also one of the few characters that Frank Oz continually returns to perform. On Play With Me Sesame, Eric Jacobson permanently took on Grover with almost perfect voice and mannerisms. However, on a few occasions in recent years, Frank Oz has returned to perform Grover in sketches such as "Outrageous Makeover: Home Addition" and, most recently, "Spider-Monster: The Musical" in Season 42 in 2011. Eric Jacobson's Grover is spot-on wonderful and he can be credited for saving the character from fading into obscurity.
• Frank Oz first performed Grover in Sesame Street Season 2 in 1970 when the puppet was initially named Grover and turned blue. Frank Oz continues to come to Sesame Street periodically to perform Grover, most recently in the "Spider-Monster: The Musical" sketch in Sesame Street Season 42 in 2011.
• Eric Jacobson first began performing Grover around 1998. He became an official recast of the character starting in Play with Me Sesame on Noggin in 2002. Eric Jacobson continues to perform Grover in nearly ever appearance of the character both on and off Sesame Street.

• COOKIE MONSTER
• Originally performed by FRANK OZ (1969-present)
• Currently performed by DAVID RUDMAN (2001-present)
• Cookie Monster is another wonderful recast in the Sesame Street world. Cookie Monster was continually performed by Frank Oz even in the late 1990s when he had mostly retired from other characters. It wasn't until 2001 that the talented David Rudman began performing Cookie Monster permanently in nearly every appearance on and off the show. Frank Oz's performances of Cookie Monster have been less and less in recent years, and David Rudman's performance is continually magnificent and tends to simultaneously breathe new life and keep around old life in the incredibly popular monster.
• Frank Oz first performed Cookie Monster in Sesame Street Season 1 in 1969. Frank Oz continues to return to perform Cookie Monster on rare occasions--occasions which have gotten fewer and more far between in recent years. Cookie Monster appears to be the character that Frank Oz returns to perform the least nowadays.
• David Rudman first performed Cookie Monster starting in 2001. He has continued to preform Cookie Monster in almost every appearance of the character for the past decade, including Cookie Monster's appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2010 and the character's numerous appearances on Sesame Street in Season 42.

• GUY SMILEY
• Originally performed by JIM HENSON (1969-1990)
• Currently performed by ERIC JACOBSON (2005-present)
• Guy Smiley, the over-excited game show host on Sesame Street, was the only other prominent character performed by Jim Henson on the show. After Jim Henson's death, Guy Smiley mostly disappeared, only to reemerge nearly 15 years later performed by Eric Jacobson in a commercial for PBS's "Ready to Learn" initiative. Guy Smiley has not returned completely and is still seldom seen, however a 2008 episode of Sesame Street featured Guy Smiley fairly prominently in a street story on the show, still performed by Eric Jacobson.
• Jim Henson first performed Guy Smiley in Sesame Street Season 1 in 1969. Jim Henson's final performance as Guy Smiley was in Sesame Street Season 21 in 1990, perhaps in the song "Air."
• Eric Jacobson first performed Guy Smiley in 2005 in the touring exhibit "Sesame Street Presents: The Body." His first on-camera appearance as Guy Smiley was in 2006 for a PBS commercial for "Ready to Learn." Eric continues to perform Guy Smiley whenever he appears, including his most recent on-screen appearance in Season 39 in 2008.

Well, there it is... Jim Henson and Frank Oz's characters on Sesame Street and their wonderful recasts. Class will be back again next week with even more Sesame recasts! Also... could someone bring me an apple? Then I'll feel like a real teacher.

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

"Man or Muppet" WINS The Muppets Their First Oscar

Since their very first foray into feature films in 1979, the Muppets have been nominated for a total of five Academy Awards, but they've lost every single year they've been nominated--even "Rainbow Connection" failed to bring home the little golden boy. Well, that all changed last night when "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets won the Academy Award for Best Original Song! For the first time ever, the Muppets are OSCAR WINNERS! Watch below for most of songwriter Bret McKenzie's magnificent acceptance speech...

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who shouted and jumped for joy when that envelope's contents were read aloud. I was and am still absolutely thrilled for every single person involved with The Muppets for their Oscar win. This is a beautiful tribute to the legacy of Jim Henson, whose characters have finally won their first extremely well-deserved Academy Award.

Earlier on in the show Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy were on tap to introduce the Cirque du Soleil performance with great ease and hilarity. Miss Piggy's desire to get her hands on Oscar drove her to maddening heights over on Twitter as well, but for all of her wonderful moments on the show, watch the clip below!



I'm still riding high from the amazing appearance of the Frog and the Pig, the wonderful speech by Bret McKenzie, and the most well deserved win of the Oscars this year for "Man or Muppet." We here at The Muppet Mindset, especially me, Ryan Dosier, want to extend all of our congratulations to Bret McKenzie, Jason Segel, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta, James Bobin, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Jim Parsons and every single Muppet performer and everyone else involved with the Muppets, The Muppets, Disney, and more for their major win. This is a huge milestone for the Muppets, and we really could not be happier for each and every person involved.

Thanks to ToughPigs.com for finding the Bret McKenzie video and thanks to StitchKingdom.com for the wonderful pictures of Kermit and Piggy.





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

What to Watch to See Muppets at the Oscars

Today's the big day! It's officially Oscar Sunday and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are officially scheduled to appear on and around the Academy Awards telecast tonight which starts at 8:30pm/7:30pm central on ABC. Still no word yet on what they're presenting, but with Kermit and Piggy it's sure to be fantastic. You can actually see Kermit and Piggy talking with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president, Tom Sherak, in an exclusive clip from Entertainment Weekly. Piggy grabs her Oscar... but she doesn't get to keep it.

Tonight is also a huge night for The Muppets (the movie) because, as you obviously know, "Man or Muppet" is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It only has one song ("Real in Rio" from Rio) as its competition, so confidence in the Muppets winning their first ever Oscar is running high. Song writer Bret McKenzie will be present at the ceremony, but there's no word on whether or not Jason Segel will be there as well. There are various rumors of a few "Muppet surprises" at the ceremony... but nothing specific has been mentioned. Either way, I'm sending all my support to Bret McKenzie and whoever else is there representing The Muppets as "Man or Muppet" goes up for its award!

But the Awards telecast isn't the only place you can see Muppets. Yesterday it was confirmed that Glee's talented singer Darren Criss would be performing "Rainbow Connection" with Kermit the Frog on E!'s Red Carpet coverage today as well. No word on when exactly Kermit and Darren are performing, however, because "E! Live from the Red Carpet," when they're performing, starts at 5:30pm/4:30pm central time and ends at 8:30pm/7:30pm central time. I've recorded the whole thing on my TiVo... so somehow I'll be seeing Kermit and Darren Criss perform! Criss actually has a fantastic voice, so this should be a great performance. You can see a live streaming of E!'s actual Red Carpet coverage on E! Online.

It has been confirmed (by a picture tweeted by Kelly Osbourne of all people) that Kermit and Miss Piggy are walking the Red Carpet tonight as well!! They'll probably appear on both ABC and E!'s coverage of the Red Carpet. ABC's Red Carpet coverage starts at 7:00pm/6:00pm central time. However, nothing is confirmed, so if you can only watch one, E! is probably the way to go.

So... in conclusion: Kermit and Piggy are presenting, "Man or Muppet" doesn't have much competition, and Kermit and Darren Criss are singing "Rainbow Connection" and it'll probably all be awesome.

Image of Kermit and Miss Piggy practicing their Red Carpet walk tweeted by Kelly Osbourne

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

(Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes Spotlight: Sweetums

Casey Daron - Hi everyone! Unfortunately, my expedition to find Super Penguin was taken to a halt after I developed a rare case of Anarctican Cluckitis. On top of that, an abominable snow monster kicked me all the way back to the U.S. Man, I still have bruises! Anyways, that abominable snow monster reminded me of everyone's favorite monster pal, Sweetums. Although he had some rough times with Robin, (*cough* The Frog Prince *cough*) they eventually became best friends. So enjoy these quotes! Now I'm off to find the ancient Monster Chicken!

"SWEETUMS EAT FROGGY NOW!"
~ Sweetums, The Frog Prince

"Jack not name! Jack job!"
~ Sweetums, The Muppet Movie

"Hey! Hey, where’re you going? Hey! Wait for me! I wanna go to Hollywood! Wait, please! I wanna go to Hollywood!!"
~ Sweetums, The Muppet Movie

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be fighting against us?"
"Are you kidding?! I LOVE you guys!"
~ Captain Abraham Smollett (Kermit) and Sweetums, Muppet Treasure Island

"Ya wanna give us money?!"
~ Sweetums, The Muppets

"Excuse me Mr. Price, can I give you a hand? (takes off hand)"
~ Sweetums, The Muppet Show: Episode 119

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

Interview with Muppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Pt. 3

Ryan Dosier - Today we are pleased and proud to present the final installment of our three-part interview with the lovely, talented, and hilarious Leslie Carrara-Rudolph. You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of our interview before listening to Part 3, but it's not absolutely necessary... anything Leslie says is a delight to hear and can stand on its own. Enjoy and thanks for listening!



All my thanks and joy go out to Leslie Carrara-Rudolph for being so sweet and generous to me throughout this whole process. She truly is a gem who deserves the adoration she receives. Thank you for everything, Leslie!

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

Amazon Previews THE MUPPETS on Blu-ray

We in the United States are less than one month away from the release of The Muppets on Disney Blu-ray and DVD! On March 20th we will be able to bring home the Muppets like never before: on Disney Blu-ray. Say what you will about Disney itself or the Blu-ray idea as a whole, but Disney sure as shoot knows how to produce a quality product when they put their films on this format. A while back we previewed the bonus features of the upcoming release, and now, thanks to Amazon.com (and our friend and frequent contributor Justin Piatt who alerted us), we can now see some exclusive content from the forthcoming release!

On the Amazon.com product page for The Muppets "Wocka Wocka Value Pack," which contains the Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy, and Soundtrack, there are three exclusive videos of a deleted scene, bloopers, and another bonus feature from the Blu-ray!

The deleted scene features Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker as they present their newest invention--one that Gonzo is quite embarrassed about and Gary is quite relieved about. This scene was seen in pieces throughout the trailers for the movie... and it doesn't actually look like the complete seen here, but what is here is fantastic! Also note that it looks like the part where the bowling ball is chasing Beaker was retooled in the final film as a vacuum cleaner chasing Beaker. So intriguing to see that an entire subplot like this got cut. You can see the Deleted Scene right here!

Less than a minute's worth of bloopers are available for watching right now (and considering this Blu-ray will contain the longest Muppet blooper reel ever, we can assume it's only a small portion) on the same page. Here we get to see Kermit and Piggy, Fozzie and Kermit, Gary and Mary, and more as they flub up their takes. I seriously can NOT wait to see more of these!

The final video seems to be pulled from the 15 minute making-of feature on the Blu-ray called "Scratching The Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of The Muppets." I think this is my favorite video on here... Floyd is there and awesome, so how could it not be? These bonus features are already so tantalizing and awesome that it makes March 20th feel like an eternity away...

So there you have it! Just a small taste of what we'll be seeing come March 20th when The Muppets hits Blu-ray and DVD!

Here are coupons that will probably save you some money on this great product!




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

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: The Swedish Chef

Written by Ryan Dosier.

THE SWEDISH CHEF

Performed by...
Jim Henson (1975-1990)
Bill Barretta (1996-present)

First appearance...
The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)

Most recent appearance...
Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Best known role...
Incomprehensible, inedible Swede cook

Famous quote...
"Børk! Børk! Børk!"

WHO IS THE SWEDISH CHEF?
The Swedish Chef is one of the most popular Muppet characters, well known for his indecipherable language, referred to as "Mock Swedish," and for cooking up dishes that were made from false ingredients or live animals (see: Chocolate Moose, Chick-ee in the Bask-ee, etc.). On The Muppet Show, The Swedish Chef hosted his own series of sketches in which he cooked and was usually foiled by his own methods or his own ingredients.

In his first appearance in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence pilot, The Swedish Chef's schtick was pretty much solidified. He appeared in a three-part sketch in the pilot where he prepared a sandwich with fixings including a rubber chicken. Eventually the sandwich flies away, but the Chef shoots it down with a gun. The main difference in this first sketch that changed when The Muppet Show came along was some odd Chinese subtitles that accompanied the Chef's dialogue. This joke apparently only proved funny once, so it was dropped after the pilot.

The Swedish Chef sketches were quite formulaic, yet each one was extremely different. In one sketch, The Swedish Chef could be making pressed duck with a real duck, and in the next he could be shot up and intimidated by lobster banditos. On a few occasions, The Muppet Show's guest stars participated in the Chef's sketches, including Cleo Laine who sang "You're Just in Love" while the Chef made salad and Danny Kaye who played The Swedish Chef's uncle. More often than not the Chef is unsuccessful with his cooking, but every once in awhile he completes his dish and survives the sketch.

Throughout the run of The Muppet Show, The Swedish Chef appeared dozens of times preparing various meals. He also appeared multiple times backstage, onstage, and in other areas outside of his own sketch. The Chef notably dished on rumors to Fleet Scribbler, admitted that he speaks "Mock Japanese" to Jean Stapleton, and, most notably of all, sang "Danny Boy" as part of The Leprechaun Brothers trio consisting of Animal, Beaker, and the Chef himself.

The Swedish Chef has also appeared in almost every major Muppet project since The Muppet Show, including every feature film. In The Muppet Movie, The Swedish Chef ran the movie projector for the Muppets' private screening. He made steering wheel souffle from Beauregard's taxi cab in The Great Muppet Caper. During the "Manhattan Melodies" finale of The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Swedish Chef sang a line in the song "Somebody's Getting Married" and prepared the wedding cake for Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. He appeared briefly in both The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, both times with talking vegetables. In Muppets From Space, the Chef tries to make raspberry flapovers, but fails after his oven explodes. In The Muppets, the Chef appears mostly in the background, but can be seen hugging a group of chickens after Tex Richman wins the Muppet Theater.

Other notable appearances by The Swedish Chef outside The Muppet Show include trying to cook Big Bird in A Muppet Family Christmas, preparing tofu turkey in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Muppet viral videos such as "Stars and Stripes FOREVER!," "Habanera," "Cårven Der Pümpkîn," "Carol of the Bells," and his starring role in "Pöpcørn."

The Swedish Chef has also appeared in numerous books, video games, and on countless pieces of merchandise. In fact, in 1988, The Swedish Chef received his own brand of cereal called Cröonchy Stars. Since then, the Chef has appeared on t-shirts, in doll, toy, and action figure form. A full-size playset of The Swedish Kitchen was released around Series 2 of Palisades Toys Muppet action figure line. Oddly enough, no Swedish Chef kitchen utensils or dishware has ever been released commercially. Perhaps no one wants to cook like The Swedish Chef.

With his hilarious way of speaking, his deliciously awful cooking skills, and his wonderful mannerisms, The Swedish Chef remains one of the most popular Muppets after a career spanning over 35 years.

SWEDISH CHEF DISHES
Over the years, The Swedish Chef has prepared many a meal (and many more things that can hardly be called "meals"). Below are some favorite preparations by The Swedish Chef.

• Meatballs in The Muppet Show Episode 102: Connie Stevens
• Japanese Cake in The Muppet Show Episode 120: Valerie Harper
• Lobsters in The Muppet Show Episode 209: Madeline Kahn
• Frog Legs in The Muppet Show Episode 215: Lou Rawls 
• Chicken in the Basket in The Muppet Show Episode 311: Raquel Welch
• Turtle Soup in The Muppet Show Episode 405: Victor Borge
• Souffle in The Muppet Show Episode 522: Buddy Rich
• Svenskas Tacos in The Muppets at Walt Disney World
• Daisy Dukes in "From the Balcony" Episode 4
• Pumpkin Pie in "Cårven Der Pümpkîn"

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED THE SWEDISH CHEF?
The Swedish Chef has become a crucial part of the Muppet cast and it seems impossible to imagine the Muppets without him. But why do they need him? Great question. He can't cook. By all accounts none of the others can understand him. Yet still, he belongs. Perhaps it is because he persists that he belongs. Like any Muppet, The Swedish Chef does not give up, no matter how many times he may fail. He has never prepared a dish completely successfully, yet he still keeps cooking.

But also like any Muppet, The Swedish Chef's most important quality is his humor. The Chef can entertain an audience like almost no other, and the audience consistently appreciates it. The Muppets need The Swedish Chef because he represents their never say die attitude and their make 'em laugh approach to entertainment. Because, really, that's the Chef's primary goal: make 'em laugh (and cook 'em if they don't).

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