So, You Think The Muppets Are Above Fart Jokes?

So, You Think the Muppets Are Above Fart Jokes?

Justin H. Piatt - There has been a lot of buzz around the internet about the newest Muppet movie, The Muppets. A lot of positive, wonderful buzz, but it hasn't gone without its negative press either. While I would love to sit here and refute all of the negative comments that have been going around about the upcoming movie, I realize that I can't. I don't know that these people are wrong, just like they don't know that they're right. There is, however, one issue that can easily be proven false, and it is that topic which will be discussed in the following.

You may have heard several people complaining about Fozzie's "fart shoes" gag, as seen in the trailers for the new movie. Those people claim that the Muppets are above fart jokes or toilet humor. It is to this statement that I say... Really?

Join me, won't you, as we examine...

GREAT MOMENTS IN MUPPET FARTSTORY

or...

MUPPETS: THE STRAIGHT POOP

or...

FARTING IN THE TIME OF HENSON

...I came up with a lot of titles.

I'll preface this article by saying that no examples will be submitted from the last twenty years of Muppet productions. That would be too easy with obvious examples such as Miss Piggy's "I've gotta pee" line in Muppets From Space. Or half the lines in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. No, the fart jokes contained in the following article will have come from BEFORE 1990!

*GASP*

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "MY GOD! Jim Henson would NEVER talk about potties!" or "The Muppets never did that!" or maybe even "Jim Henson farted?" Well, guess what. He did. ...Maybe.

The Great Muppet Caper
The first feature film directed by Jim Henson is a classic, a gem, and perhaps my favorite movie of all time. It's funny, it's sweet, and... there's a scene that takes place in a bathroom. Not only does the scene take place in the bathroom, but the Muppets are actually waiting (impatiently) to use said bathroom. And apparently they really, really, really have to go. They even break the door down!

Now, this scene is clever. It's funny. And it's about... bodily functions? Weird. But, there you have it. The Muppets are not above toilet humor. Do you really need more proof? Yes, you do.

The Muppets Take Manhattan
Ah, the Frank Oz directed film so dear to every Muppet fan's heart. Can you believe it? Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are finally getting married. Not only that, but they're getting married on Broadway! It's like a dream come true! This is the Muppets. It's sweet, it's funny, and there's a real, live priest in it! There's a fart joke!

That’s right. There's a fart joke in it. Oh, well. Movie's ruined forever, right? Thanks for destroying the Muppets, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, and company! But, seriously, the moment when all the Muppets turn to see if Rowlf has let one rip is actually really, really funny, isn't it? You didn't mind it at all, did you? Nope, not until I pointed it out to you.

Dog City
Everyone loved Dog City. The Jim Henson Hour may have failed, but Dog City remains one of the best pieces from Jim's later career. It also has a lot of innuendo in it, and at least two toilet jokes. Who can forget the following exchanges?

Colleen: "Quick! Where's the nearest hydrant?"
Ace Yu: "No time for that now. Can't you see we've got a fire to fight?"

Or how about when Ace and Colleen nearly drove into the river?
Colleen: "Oh, my. We almost got wet!"
Ace Yu: "What do you mean, 'almost'?"

There. See? More of this filth!

Labyrinth
Okay. This isn't a Muppet movie. But isn't it a beloved favorite of the 1980s? The Jim Henson directed film from a Jim Henson story is fondly remembered by many. But, oh, yeah, there are no less than 70 fart jokes in this movie. That's right... 70. Jim Henson made a movie with more than 70 fart jokes in it. (Or, more accurately, a movie with one joke of 70 farts.) Crazy, right? But I bet you still love the movie.

See? The Muppets are not above fart jokes, and there are numerous other examples that we could cite (A Muppet Family Christmas, anyone?). Thing is, when the Muppets do do them (tee hee), they're usually fairly clever. Based on the context of the "fart shoes" gag, I'm fairly certain this is still the case. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with fart jokes or toilet humor if they're done well (most are not--see Shrek). And, seriously, ONE joke in this movie is going to turn you off to the whole thing?

The Muppets have always been about low brow humor mixed with high brow humor mixed with a lot of heart. That's what I expect from the Muppets, and that's what I expect from The Muppets, and that's why the Muppets are not above fart jokes.

To conclude this article, I will borrow a word from Jason Segel : Lawyered.

 






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

Dog City: The Movie DVD Review

Jim Henson's Dog City: The Movie

DVD Review

Ryan Dosier - Dog City. The Jim Henson classic film-noir special produced for The Jim Henson Hour is one that yours truly had never seen until a few days ago. This was mostly because it had never been commercially released within my lifetime until last Tuesday, when Lionsgate, the company who has brought us The Song of the Cloud Forest, a stand-alone set of Fraggle Rock season 4, and will bring us Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting and Henson's Place later, released the classic special on DVD.

Dog City stars doggy detective Ace Yu (that's a pun, folks) as he attempts to change "The Dog House," a bar he inherited from his uncle Harry in Dog City, into a quarter-way house for orphans (that's another joke). The only problem is merciless doggy gangster Bugsy Them (you see when this starts to get hilarious?) isn't about to let that happen since he wants all the money the bar brings in. After Ace refuses and insults Bugsy, he vows to get back at Ace. The rest of the special follows Ace and Colleen Barker, a female dog scraping the bottom of the barrel, as they outwit and out-pun Bugsy and his gang.

Now, knowing Lionsgate's previous track record with DVD releases, I knew I could expect two specific things: an awesome Jim Henson classic and very few, if any, true bonus features. And that's exactly what I got with Dog City: The Movie. But was it worth the $10 I paid for it? Absolutely.

The first thing that obsessed Muppet fans will notice from the DVD packaging is Rowlf the Dog prominently featured on the cover, implying that his scenes are completely intact in the special. They are, in fact, and he's awesome throughout. Having Rowlf there is just one of the extremely awesome parts of this special. It also means that Disney's Muppets Studio was able to play nice with The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate to allow Rowlf to remain in the special. That's a very good sign for future Muppet releases.

Dog City itself is a hilarious, fast-paced, puppet masterpiece. The characters are all gorgeously designed and perfectly performed. Ace is Kevin Clash in a fantastic turn while Bugsy is Jim Henson in a voice that he had never used before.The greatest part about the special, however, is the brilliant dialogue. There are more puns about dogs or dog behavior in this special than I've seen in all of the bad CGI talking-dog movies of the past ten years combined. Just the "Yu" and "Them" exchange is enough to have you howling with laughter. (See what I did there?)

All in all, this DVD is highly recommended for anyone with a funny bone (that you haven't already buried in the yard). The only bonus features on here are some concept art for the special, but it doesn't really matter because the fantastic special seems to outweigh the need for more.

So do yourself a favor and take that ten dollars you've got lying around and spend it on a classic, hilarious, and wonderful Jim Henson production!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Dog City: The Movie DVD Official Press Release

Today and tomorrow on The Muppet Mindset, we're bringing you the official press releases of two very exciting DVD releases from The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate Entertainment. First up, Jim Henson's Dog City: The Movie. Special thanks to The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate for providing me with these press releases!

LIONSGATE

JIM HENSON'S

DOG CITY: THE MOVIE

First-Ever DVD Release of the Henson Comedy Classic Film Will Have Viewers “Howling” With Laughter!

Street Date: 6/8/10
DVD SRP: $14.98

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Get ready for tail-wagging, tongue-flapping fun this summer as Lionsgate Home Entertainment releases Jim Henson’s Dog City: The Movie, available for the first time ever on DVD and as a digital download!  As the winner of the Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program in 1989, this hilarious Henson comedy classic arrives in stores with a devoted fan base. Adults who were fans of The Jim Henson Company’s productions in their youth can share Jim Henson’s Dog City: The Movie with their children, as the movie features both edgy humor and puppet fun brought to life as only The Jim Henson Company can.  The film was so successful that it inspired a “Dog City” animated series that aired on FOX in the early 1990s. Containing special features that include original movie concept art and a behind-the-scenes image gallery, Jim Henson’s Dog City: The Movie will be available on June 8, 2010 for the suggested retail price of $14.98.

SYNOPSIS
Dog City: The Movie is an Emmy® award-winning Jim Henson Comedy Classic. Directed by Jim Henson, this parody of film noir gangster films takes us through the busy but dangerous town of Dog City, teeming with colorful dog puppet characters.  Our hero, Ace, enters the world of bulldog gangsters and terrier molls when he inherits a saloon, “The Doghouse,” from his late Uncle Harry. Unwilling to pay protection money, Ace finds himself the target of Bugsy, a bulldog bully who owns most of Dog City, and also happens to be one of the foremost proponents of senseless violence. Ace also comes nose to nose with a beautiful runaway collie named Colleen. Colleen and Ace team up to take on Bugsy and his thugs in the tumultuous, dog-eat-dog world of Dog City.

*DVD SPECIAL FEATURES 

• Original movie concept art
• Behind-the-scenes image gallery

*Special features subject to change

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: Television airing in 1989 as part of The Jim Henson Hour.
Title Copyright: TM & © 1989, 2010 The Jim Henson Company. JIM HENSON’S mark & logo, DOG CITY mark & logo, certain characters and elements are trademarks of The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Home Entertainment Premiere
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Family, children, television
Closed Captioned: English
Subtitles: N/A
Format: Full Screen
Feature Run Time: 40 minutes
DVD Audio Status: 2.0 Dolby Digital
Website: www.henson.com

Check back tomorrow for another press release for another exciting new release from The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate!












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: March 19, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: March 19, 2010

Big news this week from our good friends at TVShowsOnDVD.com who announced this week that the Jim Henson classic comedy special, Dog City will be released on DVD on June 8, 2010. An early look at the DVD cover art (pictured at right) shows that Rowlf, a prominent player in the spcecial, will be in the special. This is a great sign for Disney/Henson relations for future releases. I'll keep you posted on any future updates about the DVD and its release.
 
Remember when the Muppets appeared on Christmas at Rockefeller Center on NBC this past December? As you'll recall, most of the country only got to see Kermit and the gang singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and missed out on seeing The Electric Mayhem's first television performance in years. Well, some kind soul has uploaded the video of Dr. Teeth and the band performing "Run, Run Rudolph." Be sure to check it out. It's fantastic to see the triumphant return of everyone's favorite band!

In other news, "Muppet King Arthur" #3 and "The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road" #3 have been released these past two weeks and are showing very positive reviews. Be sure to check your local comic book store for these great continuations of these Muppet stories.

Various Hollywood insiders are reporting that Jason Segel will officially play the human lead in the new Muppet movie. Which... is something that most Muppet fans have assumed since the script was announced (probably because Segel said he was going to play the human lead). Still no word on the official plot or title of the film (they're still fighting with marquee companies on how to fit "The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time" or "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" onto their signs.












The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier