What Do the Muppets Mean to Mitchell Stein?

Mitchell Stein - Where do I even begin? The Muppets have been a major part in my life for as long as I can remember. I believe I really became a Muppet fan during one of my several early visits to Walt Disney World and seeing the truly brilliant Muppet-Vision 3D. I enjoyed the attraction so much that as soon as I arrived back home I was sure to rent The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan, and I really loved both of them. From there I discovered more about the Muppets, including The Muppet Show and other films such as The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol.

From those days and onward, the Muppets have continued to mean so much to me as they constantly left me entertained every time. For reasons such as this one, the Muppets mean everything to me. The Muppets allow me to escape from the problems of every day life, and entertain me on so many levels. Most of the humor that the Muppets pull off (especially in its second-fourth season run of The Muppet Show) is so brilliant and still holds up so many years later. The Muppets are witty, wacky and zany and all around hilarious. There are also some really emotional moments throughout the films that get me almost every time.

Many people who worked with Jim Henson have said that Jim’s main reason for creating Fraggle Rock was to create world peace. With the three different types of groups, Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs and showing off their different lifestyles and how at the end of the day, they can live together in harmony. How can a show with such a strong positive motive not mean something? This is just one of those other things from the Muppets that are just beyond entertainment, but even inspirational sometimes.

I also really appreciate all the hard work put in from all the performers over the years. I don’t think there’s enough time in the world to thank every person who’s helped the Muppets become the brilliant, beloved characters they are today.

When Disney re-introduced the Muppets to the world in 2011 with The Muppets, I was beyond thrilled. The Muppets were finally resurrected and brought back to the spotlight with new stories in a modern-film type setting, but at the same time retaining the magic that built them up to the massive franchise that they are. My favorite franchise finally returned to its former glory, and followed by another great sequel. I’m so happy that there’s still new Muppet stuff coming out and they continue to become a part of my daily life.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon this great Muppet fan community which we call... well, Muppet fans (seriously, someone think of a cool fan name that we can call ourselves). From Muppet fan outlets like The Muppet Mindset I’ve reached out to some really fantastic people, and it led to some minor, but awesome opportunities.

In the end, the Muppets mean everything to me and pretty much always have. They have become a part of my daily life, and they continue to move me and sometimes inspire me. The Muppets have not only entertained me, but they’ve led me to so many different great things in life and taught me it’s sort of fun to do the impossible.

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