The British Correspondent Defends Lady Gaga

Mupporandum: 25.10.13.

Hello. It is I, the British Correspondent.

I am writing from underneath a table at a rehearsal for the YouTube music awards. I have set up camp under here with a week’s rations and a camouflage suit (which looks like the black and white tiled flooring) just in case I get spotted. I am here, for once, not following a Muppeteer or stalking a Muppet, but rather preparing to observe another of my favourite creations (no, not kneecaps).

GAGA. The GAGA. Or Lady Gaga. (aka. Mother Monster--So named because of Big Mamma, perhaps?)

Whilst here, I felt like I should make the most of my time and pop together a quick list of reasons why it will be a good thing for the Muppets to be appearing this Thanksgiving in Lady Gaga’s Christmas slot (so to speak).

1. The Muppets are ARTPOP. What is ARTPOP? One widely accepted view of ARTPOP (or so I gather from GagaStigmata is that it is an engagement with the audience that transforms ‘just pop’ into ‘art’ through the audience reaction. i.e. The Muppets are ‘just’ foam and fur, ‘just’ for kids, ‘just’ nostalgic, ‘just’ characters, ‘just’ comic, only ‘just’ still alive and ‘just’ pop. BUT NO!!! The Muppets are living, breathing, interacting and integral parts of modern pop culture. Why? Because the audience engages with them and raises them from ‘pop’ to ‘art’ (life!). The Muppets are ARTPOP.

2. The Muppets live for Applause. What gets them onto the stage every night no matter how badly it may go wrong the night before? Why does Gonzo try a new ‘artpop’ stunt each night? (The applause) Why does Fozzie rework his material? (The applause-plause) Why does Camilla play that piano with her chicken friends? (A.P.P.L.A.U.S.E.) Gaga LIVES for the way that you cheer her on. Much like Tinkerbell, without someone clapping for her Lady Gaga would not exist (she would return to Stefani Germanotta) and neither would the Muppets (they would return to foam).

3. Gaga is inspired by The Muppets. She used precious word space in her first letter to the V Collective in V Magazine to state that Kermit is her whimsy (in the same way that Madonna is her inspiration, and Cindy Crawford, her sexuality).

4. Gaga comes from a family of chefs and has Italian roots. She cooked Turkey and Waffles last year in her Thanksgiving special. There is certain to be a cooking segment in this years’ episode and I know just the person to accompany her (Angelo). Shared food is an expression of family, an expression of connection, no WONDER the Muppets keep that Swedish guy around despite his lack of English qualifications. (And yes, ToughPigs got to that Angelo joke before I did, but it bears repeating.)

5. Gaga got early admission into TISCH at NYU where she studied art and performance. Similarly, The Muppets took the time to prepare at a performing arts school before taking Manhattan.

6. Miss Germanotta (as opposed to Gaga herself) has an encyclopedic knowledge of musical history, pop history and fashion history. And where better do these three things collide than Elton John wearing feathers and playing piano while crocodiles sing around his feet? She can reference a dozen artists in each frame of her music videos... she will have certainly done her research before inviting The Muppets on board for her latest artistic adventure.

7. The Muppets face their critics and harness their energy. (That was terrible!) Lady Gaga, too, is constantly criticized by the press. (That was AWFUL!) She’s too famous, she’s too fat, she’s too thin, she’s too much like Madonna, she’s not selling enough records, she’s over. (Well, it wasn’t bad.) She transforms this critical energy and turns it back into art time and time again (That was great!) she writes songs like Papa-paparazzi and Do What U Want With My Body based on this critical energy! (I loved it! Whooo! WHOOO!)

8. Her fans are known as Little (Muppet) Monsters. (And now I can’t get that theme tune out of my head...)

9. Much like Captain Smollet of Muppet Treasure Island, Lady Gaga embraces all creatures of different nationalities and cultures (although she rarely encounters Pig Tribes or ends up tied to a stake).

10. One of her new songs is called S.W.I.N.E.

11. Lady Gaga does bright and explosive, but she also does toned down and peaceful. From throwing an oversized cream pie at a speeding vehicle to singing poignantly in the dessert, I can imagine that Gaga’s latest show will replicate The Muppets own ability to switch gears from fun, fast and fabulous to heart-warming and classic.

12. Also, Lady Gaga once wore a dress made of Kermit’s which (I believe) at least helped in the ushering in of the newest age of Muppets being cool again, she also appeared with him at an event and she had the Jim Henson Company design a giant, tentacled monster which she battled in her original World Wide Tour.

Basically, what I am saying is, Lady Gaga and The Muppets a Thanskgiving Extravaganza will be a real meeting of the minds and I am incredibly excited to see what POPART/ARTPOP moments will be created. It is sure to be huge (with some toned down bits) and I will be sure to over analyse every moment to add to my own Muppart article series (which reminds me... I’m pretty sure I have added nothing to that series since The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo... I have GOT to stop stalking people and start writing things down...)

Ohhp! Got to go. Mark Zuckerberg just showed up!

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

The Muppets... Again Casting and Location Details

Shockingly, our "good" "friend" The British Correspondent has returned to us with some exclusive details on some casting news for The Muppets... Again and the extras that will appear in the movie. Take a look below! But be warned, MINOR SPOILERS LIE AHEAD.

A message from the British Correspondent:

I am very aware that I have spent much of the last year in silence, but this was mainly because I have been working a deep undercover operation at Elstree Studios preparing for the filming of The Muppets... Again. You can imagine my dissapointment when I discovered only last Wednesday that they are currently mid-film at Pinewood Studios. Anyway, having relocated myself to behind the bins out back at the wood of pines, I found some scraps from an open casting call for extras of which I imagine you may all find some interesting details.

According to my sources (sauces?), a scene will take place in a Mediterranean restaurant, a wedding will take place at which many international humans will attend including Japanese, Indian and African guests in traditional costumes and dresses, a number of Irish gentlemen are needed to play photographers, a choir is required (pardon the pun) and a blonde German man will be upset after a robbery.

That is the scoop. Until next time. I will go back to hiding inside this bin with two cats and a dead pigeon.

- The British C.

Additionally, our friend Wayne Howes, who is also a British correspondent but not nearly as secretive or creepy about it, provided us with some details on where The Muppets... Again has been shooting. Wayne is a photographer and you should check out his website for some photos he took while the movie was filming at the Chatham Dockyard in Kent. Unfortunately you can't see any Muppets, but it might provide some hints. Wayne also provided us with the following list of locations where the movie has been shooting:

• Clerkenwell Prison
• Pinewood Studios
• Chatham Dockyard in Kent 

So I guess we still don't know too much more info about the movie... but I guess it's more than we knew before! Any speculation on what this could mean, Muppet fans? Sound off in the comments below!





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

The British Correspondent Dishes on Art

The British Correspondent - Welcome world, to my mind, the mind of me, the British Correspondent. It is here that I spend far too much time debating and discussing the inner art of the Muppets and not enough time choosing what to have for lunch (which is why I am typing this whilst hungry, since apparently the shops closed while I was inner monologuing about the deeper meaning of Miss Piggy's varying hair lengths and colours in the new Muppets movie The Muppets).

But enough about me, I am of course here to discuss a few preliminary thoughts relating to the continuing presentation of the Muppets as art (Mupart) on the canvas of their every production, appearance, word and deed (of course, I do not count any productions, words or deeds that I have not seen myself... but you may feel free to create your own Muppet canvas and I hope to see it up for purchase on Red Bubble soon!)

I was lucky enough to make it to the press screening of The Muppets in London last weekend... well, lucky and in possession of wax-lips, a plastic-moustache, and incriminating photos of the lovely lady on the door who was more than happy to let me through (note: None of the above paragraph is true except the press screening part) and so I will be presenting one or two thoughts having only seen the production once and they will almost certainly be filled in (and coloured by numbers) through future viewings.

The Muppets: Here we are NOW (where were we THEN?)

Fox News was quick to lampoon the new Muppet movie as portraying messages which are anti-corporate, brainwashing, and potentially Marxist in their apparent views on big-business and the oil industry as demonstrated through the portrayal of Tex Richman and the Muppets reaction to his property development plans. Although the debate continues as to whether this viewpoint holds up against further examination, there was one truth which their discussion did bring to light. This (and all) movie(s) contain(s) a number of messages (whether intentional or unintentional, subtle or noticeable, picked up by the conscious or the subconscious) and those messages can be interpreted as bold statements, especially when framed by imagery that is more often seen as childish (colourful foam) and silly (talking frogs, pigs in wigs). Exploring the messages enacted within scenes, musical-numbers, motivational speeches and character development is at the very heart of the Mupart project, and for now there is one such message within the movie which intrigues and excites me.

“Our little group has always been, and always will until the end.” – Nirvana

Much focus within the art world and lyrical canvas of recent artists has been upon the idea that we are able to create within ourselves the person (or truth/present /reality) that we decide to be (believe in/live in/exist in). Certainly this is something which can be identified as a theme within the focus on the meta-existence of the Muppets in promotional material for The Muppets ("OK Go and The Muppets: The Muppet Show Theme Song"/"The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo"), but it could be further argued that certain elements of the movie itself represent an existence that moves not only forward through current decisions, but backward through the influences that led to the created present.

The illustration of this point was not so much seen as felt, and not so much felt in what was noticed as that which went unnoticed. (And the author is aware that these sensations are subjective, rather than objective, but hopes the feelings are parallel to those felt by the readers also upon the first or second viewing of The Muppets.) Within the movie, four classic Muppets unite to sing a barbershop quartet version of the famous Nirvana song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and somehow, by the time we reach this point in the movie the Muppets have managed to rewrite their current position as a troupe so effectively that it seems incredibly normal to see Muppets such as Link Hogthrob and Rowlf center stage. It was, in fact, so natural at the time that it was not until after I had finished watching the movie that I realized how mind-blowingly incredible it was to have seen them there on that day.

The Muppets have been around for a long time (acknowledged within the movie as their whole history is paraded before us through the viewings of newcomer Walter) and throughout that time many changes have occurred, not least being cast and crew adjustments that left certain characters sidelined while new one moved in to take their place. Thus far, their approach to continual renewal of self has reflected current opinion that people can (should?) make choices and take steps to recreate themselves as something that meets their current needs (parts of yourself packed away in boxes, while new outfits or aspects of your life take the forefront within your new job role, house or romance) but as with almost anything they approach (genres, interviews, stereotypes) the Muppets manage to turn this opinion upside down.

Far from rewriting or denying their past (except for setting it in the 80s, not so much the 70s) the Muppets instead embrace their past with open hands, mouths, and minds. Scenes of The Muppet Show, music from their old movies, imagery from famous episodes and reproduced songs are woven tightly into the fabric of the movie, so much so that when characters from the past and brought forward to the now (Link, Rowlf, Scooter) it is justified rather than jarring to a point where it would have seemed more unnatural to not seen them than to see them.

The way in which they managed to bring the audience back to the past while staying in the present was so powerfully understated that when I noticed it after the fact, it became a focal point for my reference to the movie, especially because it appeared to counteract everything that I had written (and read) about the recreation of self up to this point. Much talk has been made of leaving the past in the past and rewriting yourself with no faults from THIS point forward, while The Muppets takes an alternate approach by demonstrating that you can embrace your past (failures and successes) and mix it with your current (oh look, Pepe!) to create a present that is stronger than ever and natural as can be.

That is what I took from this movie; what did you take from it?

Mupart to be continued with no denial of its past.

- TBC

 






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

The Muppets Take Mairfair

Spotted: Kermit on a whistlestop tour of London. He hopped into taxi cabs, and tweeted from his lillyiPad. He made grown-ups green with envy by displaying his new Blue Peter badge and made children smile by stopping by Great Ormond Street. He edited The Sun and met Bob Geldof's daughter. All the while, taking the time to answer Qs with As over at DisneyMoviesUK's twitter feed. Stick with us as we retrace his steps (flipperprints?) and give you the lowdown on his visit to the United Kingdom's capital city.

First of all, Kermit announced that he would be taking over the twitter-feed at DisneyMoviesUK and what a great job of it he did! Although they have taken back the reigns (and keyboard, and fancy broadcasting kit) today, you can still see his tweeted answers to fans from yesterday (alternatively do a search for #AskKermit). I noticed a few great ones:

Joey Essex asked: Hey Kermit coming to see you later at the premiere, what are you going to be wearing so we don't clash? Stay REEM #AskKermit (No, we do not know what REEM means ourselves...)

To which Kermit responded: I usually go naked, but I’m going to premiere in a tux, so ok if U come 2 premiere naked #AskKermit (No comment)

Stephen Fry asked: Kermit, how often a day do you gargle to keep your tenor tones so supple?

Kermit answered: I gargle w/ fresh swamp water 3 X a day & 2 X a day Piggy grabs me by neck & shakes--keeping me supple & rattled

A girl called Laura H asked: will you be sampling the British cuisine while you're in London today?

And Kermit let her know: I luv British food! The damp weather brings out the very tastiest mosquitoes. Bzzz…Yum!

Similar questions and answers kept popping up all day on the twitter feed, providing endless hours of entertainment (in just 140 characters!)
 
But that wasn't all. Kermit also let us know through Twitter that he was popping into the esteemed establishment Great Ormond Street Hospital. Although we have not heard a report of what he got up to there, it must have been a real treat for the kids to see him.
 
Later on, Kermit and Miss Piggy showed up for the red carpet premiere at Mayfair!
 
Now, as it happens...my name had been left with the lady at the gate.

So she quickly called security and led me off the premises. (I joke.) (Or do I?) But luckily there were plenty of photographers and reporters who DID get in, and they have released some classic pictures and videos and details of the premiere which are included below.
 

This, from LoveFilm, has some fun comments from Pig and Frog and Bob(in).

 

As you can see, Miss Piggy is there in a customer Giles Deacon. He told GraziaDaily (who?) "She was the biggest diva we've ever worked with," he revealed. "All the staff had to face the wall when she walked in."

The Telegraph also had some coverage of the Muppets premiere which they uploaded here. (And a GREAT Miss Piggy interview from a few weeks ago here.)

Some amazing stars came out to see The Muppets... and also some semi-famous people who we have photos of...

Georgia Salpa went straight in for the kiss (and was later spotted on a potential date with Joey Essex...unless that is just who Kermit turned into after a kiss from a princess? Perish the thought...)

Megafan Olly Murs was also there (and rumoured to have exclusive Muppet footage on his tour later this year...)

Stephen Fry was also on hand (researching a QI episode on amphibian and porcine cross species dating?)

On close inspection of this image from the night, you can clearly see that Kermit is sporting a Blue Peter badge on his laple. Could he have popped onto the kids show (ship?) while he was over here in the UK?

This morning, Kermit and Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy popped in to chat to Chris Moyles on (go figure) The Chris Moyles Show. They were all on form, with Fozzie cracking great jokes, Piggy cracking great insults and Kermit cracking up. The whole thing can be listened to here, but you might wanna skip to about 2 hours in (ish) when the Muppets arrive.

Finally (phew!) do not forget to watch The Jonathon Ross show tomorrow night in ITV! We heard from an insider that they are just great on the (custom built!) sofa with talk show host Jonathon Ross.

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

Tribute to the Tributes

Muppet Covers (not those new Snuggies you can get)



Spotted: Jason Segel and Chelsea Gill (future Chel Segel?) meeting at the Ritz Carlton for cheese crackers (Ritz, naturally) and tea before heading out to the Chicago Film Critics awards where, we understand, awards are given to some of Chicago’s finest critics (Statler and Waldorf sadly missed out on an award this year, having no traceable linage to the windy city and because of Waldorf pulling a Kanye last year at the Oscars and interrupting James Franco to insist that, “I’mma let you finish, but the Muppets had one of the best videos of all times. I loved it, well, it wasn’t bad, well, there were parts of it that I didn’t like, it was terrible, it was awful, boo boo!!!”).

Our sources indicate that Jason Segal saw the gal (get it? See Gal?) when she posted a tribute to him upon the internet with lyrical wonders such as his being ‘the ring to her Smeagal’ (whatever one of those is) and suggested he was ‘super busy’ with ‘Miss Piggy’ (she’s a poet, did she realise that she had this ability?) Rumours abound that Jason’s agent (or his manager, or his mum?) arranged for the two of them to meet, have a drink and watch some awards being awarded to awesome Chicago films.

Anyway, this got me, The British Correspondent, to thinking, what if The Muppets were to take out some of the creators of great tributes to the Muppets posted, similarly, on the internet. So...I set out to find some and to post witty commentary (he says wistfully).

First up, ever thought that you want to make a Muppet tribute using almost every Muppet production ever but that you ‘can’t, can’t, can’t?’. Turns out, you can can can.

King Goshposh was reportedly delighted to have been featured so heavily in a tribute to the Muppets and promptly invited “Enshandur” out for a polite evening of Texas-wings and cha-cha-cha-ing.

Next, we shall be saying hello to this amazing tribute to "Saying Goodbye"...

Just days after this video was released on YouTube, Scooter got in contact with Pupepepets asking where he could get that exact jacket for himself as used in the video (unfortunately for him, I had contacted Pupepepets just before and acquired the jacket for myself...so snazzy and fashionable!)

But, moving right along...

Fozzie was quick to notice this fun ukulele tutorial as he too is a fan of the jingly small guitar (or...um...whatever a ukulele is...I mostly just use the word to win scrabble). Hopefully JDEggo and Fozzie will get to jam together soon enough!

It is hard to tell if this is a man tribute or a Muppet tribute, guess we should ask the question...

The very manly Jason Segal Muppet was quick to note this tribute to himself, and if he can ever get out of the mirror-world in which he and apparently The Big Bang Theory exists then he’ll be sure to contact Thefumusic for a lunch!

I think there is time for one more cover in this article before I have to get off YouTube and return to real life (but don’t worry, I’m going to go back there someday!)

I was unable to contact Gonzo to make a comment on this video because he was on a date with the cello.

Well, folks, that is all from me for today. I am not going to have a good browse through YouTube in search of any tributes that may have been made to a certain British Correspondent that we all know and love (Yes, me.)

Until next time, I just want to add that I love the creativity and awesomeness that is shown in these creations from Muppet fans and I hope it continues into 2012!

-The British C

Thanks to: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-segel-youtube-chelsea-gill-279836 for inspiration.






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

Happy New Year (Not Quite Yet)

Hello.

I do not know when I will get a chance like this again, so I am going to post quickly while it is still 2011 and hope that its the thought that counts (and not the days that are counted). Your regular host, Ryan, has fallen asleep on his keyboard after what appears to be much Christmas partying (recognisable by the paper hat on his head, the faint odour of Turkey, and the fact he is wearing an utterly ridiculous Christmas jumper...goodness...who knew there was knitwear so ugly...Hmm...perhaps someone gifted it to him...)

ANYWAY! As he has fallen asleep, I have snuck through the skylight on a rope made out of the lime green stockings that I had to wear as an undercover Elf and safety executive at the North Pole where I was checking in on the production of Muppet Bobble Heads for next year's Christmas stockings (which I realize is a very elaborate explanation for the reason that I was wearing lime green stockings in the first place, but probably still not believable...so...let's just go with it).

ANYWAY, as previously established, I have dropped into Ryan's room and nudged him aside so that I can quickly write all you marvelous Muppet fans a quick New Year's message from the United Kingdom (and suburbs of the same).

The Muppets themselves will be one thing connecting 2011 and 2012 in a unique way this year as the release of their movie on this side of the pond (UK direction) will not be until after the ball drops on your side of the pond (USA direction). For that reason alone, I already know that 2012 is going to be a great year for me (maybe my best yet!) and I hope that it will be a simply fantastic year for everyone else as well (Note: I realize also that this post seems far too cheerful for something to have been posted by TBC, but what can I say? This has been one of my favourite Christmases ever, what with receiving Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas on DVD, seeing John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together online and receiving more Animal Muppet mugs than I will ever need to drink out of from people who felt the Miss Piggy mugs were too pink for me).

ANYWAY, the end of 2011 brought us so much in the way of TV appearances, internet releases, and special merchandising throughout America, and I am sure this will continue well into 2012, so we will all have plenty of goodies to look forward to in the upcoming year!

On the downside, one of my new year's resolutions is to give up chocolate. So, yeah. That's it for cheerful TBC. Coming January the 1st, the grumpy, site-stealing, Moopet loving, villian reviewing, never-contraction-using, Big Mean Carl analysing, stiff-upper-lipped British Correspondent will be back...

Until then, I hope your Christmas was Merry and Happy, etc, and that you will have a SUPPER DOOPER AWESOME FANTASTIC FABULOUS New Year!!!

- TBC

(P.S. These fireworks remind me of Kermit crossed with Mickey Mouse...)

The British C’s Alternative The Muppets Spoilers 2011 Edition

The British are coming! The British are coming!

One may well cry such an alert in Ryan’s general direction as I, the British Correspondent, have a little something to say about (topically) spoilers. So incensed am I with those who have flooded the internet with these unexpected segues from a review into a spoiler without warning that I have tricked Ryan into checking out an omelette station (note The Muppet reference) while I break through the security links of his blog and post my revenge, Miss Poogy style...minus the bad wig, obviously, my hair is perfect.

Anyway, having found myself once again rampantly let loose upon the site, I have decided that rather than continue the circle of mild-irritation (or RAGE!) cause by accidently spoiler-sharers, I will help the situation by leaking a number of al alternative spoilers that may or may not be true in order to keep you guessing right up until the time you get through the theatre door (or in my case, the cinema door).

The British C’s Alternative The Muppets Spoilers 2011 Edition

• Bruce Willis is the ghost
• Fozzie uses sight gags for the sake of comedy, which may or may not include a pair of fart shoes
• Life is a happy song
• Amy Adams has alliteration in her name (which makes her sounds= a little like a character from Sesame Street)
• It is not that easy being green
• Soylent green is people (Kermit Green is a fantastic, warm colour to paint your child’s nursery)

• Gonzo and Camilla are an item (an item of what exactly remains to be seen...)
• The Muppets contains the Muppets
• Something happens at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of this movie
• Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water (the movie Jack and Jill went only downhill)
• You are reading this list (Spoiler alert!!!)
• Waldorf’s wife is called Astoria (this is a pun, therefore, it is funny)
• The butler did it (usually)
• The 80’s Robot is not from the 70’s or the 90’s
• Someday they will find it, the lovers, the dreamers and you (yes, you)
• Rowlf is a dog who plays the piano
• Emily Blunt is hot (usually)
• The Glee Club does not win at nationals (but they go home with a moral victory, or something like that)
• You can’t read my, can’t read my, you cannot read my poker face
• The Village is really set now (as is Smalltown, just not beset with monsters)
• Jason Segel is not a seagull (he also does not appear naked in this movie)
• I am your father (yes, you)
• Various characters return and can be seen in the background of many scenes (including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great and Fozzie Bear)
• Whoopi Goldberg is not a Muppet (we think)
• I had a blueberry Muffin for breakfast (it was delicious)

• Kermit and Miss Piggy to not share a sibling (Dan and Serena off of Gossip Girl do)
• That picture is not from Gossip Girl --->>>
• Smalltown, USE is not the birthplace of Superman (That is Smallville...and technically Krypton)
• There are no Fraggles in this movie
• James Bond survives (even when shot at by hundreds of random evil guards)
• The bellhops look like rats (and you should see the chambermaids!)
• Scooter works somewhere for someone doing something before he is brought back together with the gang
• Miss Piggy is NOT Miss Poogy (however, they are both pigs and attractive)
• Pepe also belived in Santa Clause despite appearing cynical to his existence
• Ryan’s cat once had a perm (and I have photographic evidence of this event which I use to blackmail him on dark days)

• Miss Piggy did NOT steal Lady Holiday’s necklace (it was all a clever ruse!) (Wow, two reference in one fake spoiler)
• These spoilers stopped being very funny about three spoilers ago but I still have space to fill and after taking over the blog I can hardly leave it half heartedly filled with mildly interesting semi-spoilers or I shall look quite the idiot so...hmmm....here's one final one:
• The word “Phenomena” is traditionally followed by the saying “Doo doo, do, doo doo” (Scientifically speaking)

Your regularly schedualed Weekly Muppet Wednesday programming will resume (one assumes) whenever Ryan can reclaim the blog from my evil tyranical British clutches.

Love as ever!

-The British C

Standing Strong Against Spoilers (British Style)

Opener: Doctor Doctor, I feel like Dr Bob off of Veterinarian’s Hospital.


Response: Lie on the side of the bed and you'll soon drop off...oh wait, that's another joke. Why do you feel like Dr Bob off of Veterinarian’s Hospital?
Answer: Because I need all the patients I can get. *rimshot*

Get it?

Patients?

Patience?

Oh never mind...

Greetings to all (excluding Americans), it is I, the British Correspondent, with some words of wisdom and comfort during this trying time of need. I, like you, have been denied the pleasure of having The Muppets movie released in my esteemed country at this hour and, like yourselves, I will require all the will power available in the world to resist reading every review, snooping at every spoiler and viewing every video-spot until the celluloid reels (or whatever they use these days) are packed up and shipped out to all areas of Earth (and possible Koozebane).

So far, I have allowed myself to read a few articles, to watch all the amazing trailers and to even peek (through my fingers) at the brilliant clips such as Walter’s Great Idea and The Montage. But that is as far as I can go without risking ruining the movie. Believe me, when I saw “A Totally Spoilery Review of The Muppets” posted at ToughPigs the other day, it took physical restraint to stop myself from clicking it open. And when I saw one of my esteemed Muppet fans (one whose opinion on the Kermiggy relationship I trust more than any) had posted a review at Muppet Central, I had to close the entire web browser not to have a quick...teensy weensy....little read.

So, that said, what can we do instead to channel our Muppet NEED to see, hear and read whatever we can of The Muppets?

Well, we may not have The Muppets (tm) but we DO have The Muppets themselves with us right here, right now on DVD (or VCR, or whatever). Last night I took all my pent up anticipation and Muppenergy and sat down to watch The Muppet Movie.

“KERMIT!” screamed my inner Muppet enthusiast, “There he is! How green and glorious. OH! GONZO! He’s a plumber! That’s funny! Wow, these songs are great. LOOK THERE’S ROWLF! I’ve not seen Rowlf in AGES! Hahaha. The Chef messed up the projection reel – I love how he’s used so much these days. And now there’s the Electric Mayhem come to help them in the desert. Brilliant. Look at Animal playing his drums! I bet Animal will never give up his drums (*cough*) Oh look, a ‘Standard Rich and Famous Contract’ – I am sure I saw that in a trailer recently. Aww...and listen to that simply fantastic original Rainbow Connection Reprise. Life really IS like a movie.”

So you see, that is one excellent way to pour your enthusiasm for The (new) Muppets into seeing The (old?) Muppets with new eyes.

Other suggestions include:

• Grow a moustache (also helpful when needing a disguise for investigating any local Muppet appearances during the promotion in your area)

• Put yourself into a coma for a few months ala Sleeping Beauty (Why is there never a spinning wheel somewhere about when you need one?)

• Time travel (forward, not backward, but then again if you can afford time travel just get a ticket to America for a private screening)

• Watch Muppets From Space once through...by the time you have managed to actually sit through the whole thing without getting bored, switching it off, changing channel or pausing it to GO PEE!, The Muppets will be released in your area

• Rather than reading articles about The Muppets, write articles about your favourite Muppets and submit them to The Muppet Mindset

• Alternatively, browse The Muppet Mindset archives (using the filter: TBC, for only the best)

• Arrange to have Jason Segel’s rubbish delivered to your home and see if you can find a copy of the original script somewhere in there between the orange peel and the egg shells.

• Buy Muppet Merchandise and try and piece together the entire plot from things you read on the packaging

• Make your own stop-motion version of The Muppets using claydough (will your Mupplastic ending be as good as the real one?)

• Visit any locations that they may have been to in the movie (S.O.R.N., for example, or Paris)

• Try to answer the question: “Man or Muppet” without having an existential crisis (A Muplife crisis?)

• Promote the movie in a unique way: dress as a Muppet and hand out flyers in your local supermarket...just a suggestion...I will not pay bail if you get arrested

• But most of all, have a fantastic Christmas and New Year and before you know it...The Muppets will be upon you!

They say the longer you anticipate something the better it will be...

...I say, that is rubbish, we (the 99%) should riot until the 1% hand over The Muppets to us right NOW!!!

-The British Correspondent (See how I went all political there at the end???)

This is a Moopet News Flash

And now it is time for a Moopet News Update with me, The British Corespoondent.

Today it seems as though the whole world has gone Moopet crazy as Disney celebrated some guy called Jim Henson with a touching piece of Moopet Music performed by a less rugged than usual looking Kermoot and an eyebrow-less Roowlf the Doog. Or, at least, I think that is who it is...You can see them in the videoo below. (I am almost certain that I have heard that song before somewhere though...cannot for the life of me figure out where.)

Elsewhere, people have been gooing crazy for the latest and greatest piece of Moopet Merchandise, the Koormit Crown Hat. Seen below being worn by a particularly weird looking Moopet fan from the D23 convention.

In other head-related Moopet Merchandising, do not forget that you can buy your Moopet Spirit Hoooods from here, then you can looook as warm and green as this cute little Moopet Loving Kid!

Furthermore, the Twittersphere (?) has been gooing goo-goo ga-ga over a new Twitter Feed (Is that similar to Bird Seed?) created by the Toughpoogs gang. This twitter feed (know as @Moopetquotes) contains such pearls of wisdom as:

Which is brilliant! Because everyone remembers the time that Goonzo said, "What's wroong with Bus toorminals" in the Great Moopet Cooper. (You know when you start a Takeover week with a great idea and it just becomes more and more trouble as the week goes on? - TBC)

Stay tuned (tooned?) for more (moore?) Moopet Schnanigens as the week goes on until Ryan gets back. Assuming that being surrounded by live-Moopets and enough Moopet merchandise to sink a small ship will not convert your original blog-host to my new fandoom.

Wait...those articles were all about the Moopets, right? I keep getting them mixed up with something else...

- The British C.

The Many Faces of Non-Muppets

Good Moorning to you my friends and fellow Moopet fans. It is I, the British Corespoondent, once again reporting to you live (mostly) from an undisclosed location that looks a little like the inside of a suitcase tagged and sent on a plane from Reno to the Paris Backlot to catch my new favorite touring tribute band playing live on the next leg of their world tour. If oonly I could figure out what act they are suppoosed to be a tribute to... I noticed that the Janooce one looks a little like a female Mike Jagger, but other than that it is hard to tell who they are supposed to be. I am sure I have seen something similar somewhere in the past...but cannot for the life of me pin it doown.

Speaking of tributes, I see that your regular host, Ryan, is attending a tribute to the great Jim Henson at D23 this weekend at the Disney Legends event. He poosted on twitter that Brian and Lisa Henson are supposed to be appearing, and that everyone is wearing Kermit Crown hats (whatever those may be?). Luckily while he is away updating us via his twitter account (loocated here) I am free to poost whatever I should so fancy on here!

So, I see that soome of you are a little skeptical of my big fandoom leap from Muppets to Moopets (how funny that they have similar names...weird) perhaps because you woonder how I can be a fan of a tribute band when I could have the real thing (if only I could figure oout what the real thing is...), so I wanted to show you that oover the years there have been plenty of amazing (and semi-amazing, and doown-right-terrible) tributes, even to the fuzzy, furry guys that this site was originally created for (The Muppets, I mean, not the fans or Ryan's cat).

One example of a Muppet Tribute is the effortlessly superb rendition of Mahna Mahna by the band known mostly for its baking inspired name. I heard that even Marie Antoinette was something of a fan of this band as she is famously recorded in history as saying, "Let them listen to Cake."

A similarly epic tribute can be attributed to the KC Girls who performed Mahna Mahna for the Youtube Millions to much aplomb. (It can be seen here). I feel they really have it down to a fine art and my favorite thing about this video (if I can pick a favorite!) must be the girl in green waiting throughout the entire skit, just to pick up the phone. We should pay tribute to such a tribute!

Another tribute was performed by Jason Mraz (America's answer to James Blunt) with this sweet meloodious version of the Rainbow Connection. (He also sang it with Paul Williams, which can be seen here.)

This actually awesome indie rock band provide a unique twist to the oopening music of Muppet Treasure Island. I had this as my ring tone at one stage, but once scared a bus load of oold people when it went off whilst I was doing independent research into the DNA left in chewing gum under bus seats.

Of course who can forget when The Commodores released a tribute track to that morning scene in Muppets From Space (some 22 years previous to the moovie's release).

Below is a true tribute from a true Muppet Fan (the kind of fan who not oonly writes fan-fiction in his spare time, he also pleads with Disney, negotiates a contract, persuades his friends to produce and direct, pulls in all his celebrity friends as cameos and then releases a movie on the big screen starring our beloved Muppets! Just 95 days to go for you lucky Americans, while we Internatioonals have to wait for AGES.)

And finally, it brings us to a track off of The Green Album, an album entirely devoted to Tributing the Muppets (and the occasional Otter). Its Andrew Bird with Being Green!

So you see...my leap from Muppets to Moopets is not so drastic as it may seem. After all, it follows a strong tradition of tributes to great musical moments!

If only I could figure out which musical moments the Moopets are actually referencing...

Is the name "Miss Poogy" some kind of hint?

(Images pinched from Moopet Wiki)