The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 - ROUND 3

 ROUND 3

March 24 - March 26

VOTE EVERY SIX HOURS
at MuppetFans.com

Ryan Dosier - This year's Muppet Madness Tournament, hosted by we at The Muppet Mindset, ToughPigs, and The MuppetCast, has really been moving super fast. Why, it seems like only yesterday Uncle Deadly, Fozzie, Gary, and many of our other favorites were still in the game... Wait. They were. Because Round 2 ended yesterday, leading the way for Round 3 to begin today. And so it has! The rules have changed slightly for Round 3, allowing you to vote every six hours for your favorite characters instead of the usual every 24 hours. So now instead of hating us for making you choose between Kermit and Gonzo and Rowlf and Scooter, you can love us for letting you vote more! Right? Anyway... here are my predictions for Round 3...

NEW CHARACTERS

WALTER vs. 80s ROBOT - The final two characters in the New Characters quadrant aren't much of a huge surprise to me. Walter was the obvious winner of his last two matchups, and 80s Robot has proven himself quite capable of taking down two major actors and rolling his way to victory. However, 80s Robot's winning streak will most certainly come to an end after this round, as the unstoppable Walter quickly makes the little robot retro. 

CELEBRITIES

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS vs. JIM PARSONS - This is probably going to be the most heated matchup in Round 3--and it's between two humans! Two very Muppety humans, however. Neil Patrick Harris, the huge Muppet fan with little screentime in The Muppets, and Jim Parsons, who played Human Walter, and received one of the biggest laughs of the picture. If I was placing bets on this one (and who says I'm not?), I'd put my money on Neil Patrick Harris sneaking ahead of Jim Parsons for the win. But if Parsons does win... we'll have Muppet Walter vs. Human Walter, which would be awesome.

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. GONZO THE GREAT - This is seriously like choosing between two heroes for me. Gonzo is my all-time favorite Muppet, but Kermit is Kermit. I would love to see Gonzo win... but I honestly don't know if he can do it. I think Kermit will advance on to the Final Four... but I hope Gonzo's fans can rally around him and at least help him put up a good fight.

OLD FAVORITES

ROWLF THE DOG vs. SCOOTER - Another incredibly hard matchup for Muppet fans. How do you choose between the two characters who made the most prominent returns in The Muppets after years of obscurity and hiding in the background. I don't know... which is while I'll be alternating my votes between the two of them. I'm expecting Rowlf to topple Scooter here, if only because he's had such a steady number of dedicated voters the past two rounds... but anything can happen here. 

Well there you have it. Four extremely tough matchups in Round 3. Virtually any of these eight contestants could move on to Round 4... so only time and your votes will tell. Remember to go to http://muppetfans.com to vote every six hours for your favorites! Voting for Round 3 ends on Monday... so you'd better vote fast!






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

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 - ROUND 2

Round 2 of The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012 began yesterday as winners from Round 1 advanced to take on new competition. Go vote for your favorites now! Having trouble deciding between heated matchups like 80s Robot vs. Gary and Kermit vs. Fozzie? Well, maybe our predictions below will help you out!

NEW CHARACTERS

WALTER vs. MARY - There's really no contest here, is there? People may love Amy Adams, but this being the Muppet Madness Tournament, mostly Muppet fans will be voting... and I can't name a single Muppet fan who doesn't love Walter. I don't think we'll possibly see Mary upset Walter this round. The Muppet fan's Muppet fan has got this one wrapped up.

80s ROBOT vs. GARY - I really don't know what to expect from this one. If you had asked me before voting began, I would've said Gary had this one locked, but after a day of voting, 80s Robot has a fairly sound lead over him. Can Gary come back at the end? I don't know. My prediction is that 80s Robot will pull through and continue to be gnarly to the max, dude.

CELEBRITIES

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS vs. EMILY BLUNT - This is another easy round to predict, as Neil Patrick Harris is a major Muppet fan, a major star, and a major talent--not that Emily Blunt isn't any of those things either, but she's just not as beloved by Muppet fans as good ol' NPH. He's got this one in the bag!

JIM PARSONS vs. MICKEY ROONEY - Yes, Mickey Rooney is awesome and beloved... but no, he will not take down Jim Parsons in this round. Jim Parsons as Human Walter was one of the funniest moments in the whole movie, and a favorite cameo for almost everyone. It's all Jim Parsons this round.

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. FOZZIE BEAR - I can't tell you how much I hated typing that. Kermit vs. Fozzie?! That's like Bert vs. Ernie! HOW CAN WE CHOOSE?!?! Well, most people will choose Kermit because, well, he's Kermit. The Frog looks to be hopping away with this one... but maybe Fozzie's legions of fans can rally to bring the bear victory!

GONZO vs. BUNSEN AND BEAKER - I predicted both of these matchups incorrectly in Round 1... so who knows what'll happen here! After upsetting Miss Piggy, I think Gonzo could ride that wave of popularity to the Elite Eight, maybe even the Final Four. But Beaker's popularity could propel the duo to a win. My money's on the weirdo.

OLD FAVORITES

UNCLE DEADLY vs. ROWLF - Argh! Another really tough one that I feel terrible choosing between! Uncle Deadly was SO great in The Muppets... but Rowlf has always been great and has been around a whole lot longer. If I had to guess, I'd say Rowlf will clench this one early on and take it all the way... but I'd really like to see Uncle Deadly win.

SCOOTER vs. JERRY NELSON'S VOICE - Yet another incredibly tough call for me. This is probably the biggest role Scooter has ever had in a Muppet movie... but how unbelievably awesome is it that Jerry Nelson's voice was not only in the movie, but beat out Thog in the last round? I'm pulling for Jerry, but predicting a Scooter win.

Well, there you have it! Round 2 ends this Friday, March 23rd, and Round 3 begins right after that! Keep voting every day to help bring your favorites victory!!







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

The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament

It's March again, and you know what that means for the Muppet fan community--it's time for the annual Muppet Madness Tournament! Yes, once again, yours truly, Ryan Dosier, is thrilled to team up with Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe of ToughPigs.com and Steve Swanson of The MuppetCast to bring you the most exciting tournament that March has ever seen! This year is bound to be an another awesome tournament year. Don't believe me? Well... we're also thrilled to be able to reveal to you the official bracket for The Muppet Madness Tournament this year, alongside ToughPigs! Voting begins tomorrow, March 13th, but you can preview the bracket below (and make sure you click it to make it bigger)!

As you can, for the first time we've chosen a theme for the tournament... a fairly obvious theme, at that: characters from The Muppets, the 2011 film. The bracket is divided into four quadrants, New Characters, Celebrities, Classics, and Old Favorites. Voting for Round 1 lasts from March 13-March 18 (at www.MuppetFans.com/tournament). Last year we analyzed every matchup with our predictions of who would win... and we're excited to continue that this year! Read on!

NEW CHARACTERS 

WALTER vs. HOBO JOE - The very first matchup in the Tournament this year is already a tough decision. Unfortunately for Zach Galifianakis, however, I think it's pretty obvious who's going to come out on top in this round. It's Walter all the way. After making such a huge splash into the Muppet world, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Walter move all the way to the championship round.

MARY vs. MISS POOGY - I'm really not sure what to expect from this matchup. There are players who will vote for Mary simply because they adore Amy Adams (and who can blame them) and there are fans who will vote for Miss Poogy because s/he was hilarious in the movie and came from a great performance by David Rudman. Trivia! This is the first year a David Rudman original character has been included in the Tournament.

TEX RICHMAN vs. 80s ROBOT - I think this matchup will have another obvious winner... 80s Robot has this in the bag. I can't see Tex Richman winning. He was just too down-right mean (and he couldn't really rap). Besides, 80s Robot was very funny ("Gag me with a spoon.") and he's a Matt Vogel original. What more can you ask for! (Besides some TAB or New Coke.)

GARY vs. GARY MUPPET - It's the battle of the Jason Segels! Yes, Jason Segel the human, playing Gary, against Jason Segel the Muppet playing Gary played by Bill Barretta. Confused yet? Grand. I'm almost positive that Gary the Human will conquer this round... but I think it would be hysterical to see Gary the Muppet topple him.

CELEBRITIES

JACK BLACK vs. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS - One has nice teeth, the other has nice suits... one had a major role in The Muppets, the other answered phones but still managed to steal the show. This is probably the most competitive first round matchup. I really have no idea who will prevail here. Whether it's Jack Black for his dynamite performance in The Muppets or whether it's Neil Patrick Harris for his undying passion for the Muppets... it's a toss up! My gut says NPH... but I'm excited to see what happens!

KRISTEN SCHAAL vs. EMILY BLUNT - Animal's anger management counselor against Piggy's secretary! Who will prevail?! My vote goes to Kristen Schaal for being adorable and hysterical--even though Emily Blunt is both of those things as well. I just enjoyed Kristen more in the movie... and I'm slightly biased because I met her in person and she was magnificent. Anyway. Yes. I predict a Kristen Schaal victory.

JIM PARSONS vs. KEN JEONG - aka Human Walter vs. Punch Teacher Guy. I'm in a pickle here because I love both of these actors. Jim Parsons is amazing as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, but Ken Jeong stars on my favorite show Community (which returns this Thursday at 8 on NBC). However, being a rational-thinking person, I can safely declare that Jim Parsons will win this round. His scene in The Muppets is a favorite among just about everyone... and not many people really liked Punch Teacher.

ALAN ARKIN vs. MICKEY ROONEY - The battle of the old guys! Alan Arkin, the one-time guest star on The Muppet Show and current tour guide for The Muppet Studios against Mickey Rooney... who sang a line in "Life's a Happy Song." This is another tough match to call... but I'm going to go with Mickey Rooney for the win. He's just so old and funny and awesome. Who doesn't love him?

CLASSICS

KERMIT THE FROG vs. THE SWEDISH CHEF - Yet another matchup that you'd be foolish not to guess correctly. Kermit will take down the Chef, no question. How can you compete against the Frog this early? Especially when The Muppets was such a great vehicle for Kermit. "Pictures in My Head" should already make Kermit the winner here.

ANIMAL vs. FOZZIE BEAR - This is another very heated matchup--already in Round 1! I'd really like to see Fozzie take this one--because who doesn't love Fozzie? But Animal has such a major fan following among casual and obsessed fans alike. It's really, really tough to call this one. My vote goes to Fozzie pulling out a heart-warming triumph... but Animal could easily take the cake.

GONZO THE GREAT vs. MISS PIGGY - I'm biased here as well... Gonzo is my favorite so I'd really, really like to see him win this. However, no one can argue that his role in The Muppets was one of his better ones. It is incredibly easy to argue that it was one of Piggy's best performances. I could really see this matchup going either way, but my gut says Miss Piggy will conquer.

BUNSEN AND BEAKER vs. STATLER AND WALDORF - The duel of the duos! Also the fight between Steve Whitmire/Dave Goelz duos. This is a very, very tough matchup between four extremely popular characters. My money is on Statler and Waldorf taking the gold, however, due to their amazing ascent in last year's tournament. They made it to the Championship and lost to Super Grover... so their popularity will most likely put them over the top.

OLD FAVORITES

UNCLE DEADLY vs. BOBO THE BEAR - Tex Richman's henchmen have turned on each other (it's an idiom, you idiot) (not really, I just wanted to use that)! I think Uncle Deadly will topple Bobo in this round thanks to his incredible return in The Muppets. After having only a handful of previous appearances, Matt Vogel brought Uncle Deadly back in a major, major way. I think that Deadly's popularity with hardcore and casual fans alike will propel him to victory.

ROWLF THE DOG vs. LINK HOGTHROB - Two of Jim Henson's classic characters battle for dominance! Rowlf returned with a howl in the new movie, having one of the biggest laughs, and Link Hogthrob spoke in a Muppet production that wasn't a video game for the first time since 1990 and had his first speaking role in a Muppet movie ever. But I don't think that will be enough for Link to beat Rowlf. I think the dog's got this one wrapped up in a doggy bag and ready to take home.

SCOOTER vs. WAYNE AND WANDA - There's two Richard Hunt original characters in there somewhere! I think this is another matchup that is incredibly easy to call... Scooter takes it. Wayne and Wanda just don't have the history and amazing resurgence that Scooter has/had. His role in The Muppets was one of his biggest ever. Yes, Wayne and Wanda had a major laugh... but Scooter wins this one.

THOG vs. JERRY NELSON'S VOICE - Yes, you read that right. We managed to sneak in Jerry Nelson's Voice into the Muppet Madness Tournament! We're just awesome like that. If you didn't know, the voice of original Muppet performer Jerry Nelson can be heard in The Muppets as the announcer for The Muppet Telethon. It's magic. I sincerely hope Jerry can win... but I think the big blue giant will stomp all over this one.

Well... there you have it. Every single matchup for Round 1 of The Muppet Madness Tournament 2012! But that's not all! For the first time ever, we're offering you a chance to win big in The Muppet Madness Tournament as well! This year we're having a Muppet Madness Bracket Contest in which you, the players, will be able to fill out your own brackets and submit them to us. You will get points for each correctly guessed matchup and at the end of the tournament the three players with the most points win a fabulous prize!

All of the details for the game as well as the downloadable bracket for you to fill out and email to contact@muppetfans.com can be found on The Muppet Madness Bracket Contest page on ToughPigs.com. You've got from March 13th-March 18th to submit your brackets, so start filling them out!

There it is, friends, The 2012 Muppet Madness Tournament! Voting for Round 1 begins on March 13th and ends on March 18th and you can come back to vote in each matchup once daily! We're so excited about the Tournament this year, and we sincerely hope all of you are too! Have fun everybody!!






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

Saying Goodbye to The MuppetCast

Ryan Dosier - It's always odd when a show comes to an end. After years of entertaining, engrossing, and enlightening you, it feels like saying farewell to a close friend... but a friend who you don't really know, yet at the same time a friend who brightens your world once a week. Today, we bid farewell to The MuppetCast, the weekly Muppet podcast started by my good friend Steve Swanson, which just recently conducted its final show.

For the past four years, The MuppetCast has been an amazing resource for Muppet fans. It brought us Muppet music, Muppet news, and gave Muppet fans one of their first outlets to express themselves and (literally) let their voices be heard. Perhaps The MuppetCast's biggest achievement, however, was Steve's uncanny knack of recruiting countless professionals to come of the show and talk to him about Muppets. The likes of Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, David Rudman, Fran Brill, and even Frank Oz all lent their time to Steve for extremely rare, wonderfully conducted, and beautifully meaningful interviews.

But, to me, The MuppetCast means quite a lot more. The MuppetCast was the first time I realized that I could contribute to the Muppet fan world. In 2007, I won a Muppet impression contest doing my take on Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and Steve was kind enough to let me keep doing the impression to introduce a few more shows. Thanks to Steve's help, I knew that there was more for me to do than just be a Muppet fan... I had something to contribute. This, of course, led to The Muppet Mindset... and I can safely say we probably wouldn't be here had Steve not given me those opportunities, and then showed unparalleled support for me and the site. I can honestly say that every opportunity I had to be a guest on The MuppetCast (all of which can be found here) was a treat and a delight--even when I had to work with that Joe Hennes character.

The true magic of The MuppetCast is Steve Swanson himself. The show is advertised as "Hosted by Steve Swanson," but that's not even the half of it. Steve edits, organizes, writes, plans, interviews, keeps up with emails, keeps up with phone messages, spends money, records, and somehow in there sleeps, has a wife, a social life, and eats. How he managed to do it for the past four years, I will never, ever know, but aren't we all so freaking happy that he did?

I've had the pleasure of a few encounters with Steve in person. Together, we hosted the sparsely attended, but still fun, Muppet Vault in Columbus, Ohio--and Steve not only let me sleep in his house, but he bought me breakfast, picked me up and took me to the airport, took me to his brother's house, and gave me a crap load of Muppet content that I had never seen before. That's just who Steve is... kind, giving, and personal. Not too long after, Steve and I happened to be at Walt Disney World at the same time and we met at Epcot and hung out for a few hours. The only way to do Disney better is to do it with a Muppet fan... especially one who is as big of a Disney fan as I am. Thanks to Steve for all of these moments, and many more, that we enjoyed together. I'm proud to call him my friend.

So it's with a heavy heart, but a confidence that Steve is doing the right thing for himself, that I bid farewell to The MuppetCast. We should all know, however, that we won't be saying goodbye to Steve. He'll still be around. We'll just have to look harder to find him! Now go, take a listen to The MuppetCast's Final Show, and join us as we bid a fond adieu and start the celebration of four years of The MuppetCast.

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

MuppetFans.com Launches a New Era of Muppet Fan Sites

Greetings, Muppet fans! If you follow The Muppet Mindset (www.facebook.com/muppetmindset) or Steve Swanson on Facebook, then you know that we've been hinting at an exciting announcement coming today... well, this is it! Steve Swanson of The MuppetCast, Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe of ToughPigs.com, Dave Hulteen, Jr., and myself, Ryan Dosier, are all beyond thrilled to announce a brand new collaborative website from the minds of the five of us. It is with this that we proudly present...

MuppetFans.com
The Best of the Muppet Online Fan Community

But what exactly IS MuppetFans.com? Good question! Here's the official information on this hugely exciting, brand new website:

MuppetFans.com was created to be THE online destination for Muppet news, information, and entertainment as provided by other Muppet fans. The online Muppet fanspace has grown considerably in recent years, and so with the work of several folks in the community, we hope you find everything on the site useful and fun!

As you can tell, MuppetFans.com was designed as the one and only place you'll need to find the best of the best of the Muppet fan community. MuppetFans.com will be updated daily with new articles from The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs along with a weekly update for the new episode of The MuppetCast. The entire design and virtually all of the art you see on every page of the site was designed by Muppet fan artist extraordinaire and one of our favorite people, Dave Hulteen, Jr.!

Along with the exciting launch of MuppetFans.com, we are also declaring this week, March 6th-March 13th, "Change Your Profile Picture to a Muppet" week on Facebook! So join in the fun and celebrate the launch of MuppetFans.com by changing your own Facebook profile picture to your favorite Muppet character! We want to see Beakers everywhere--a Kermit on every wall, and a Gonzo in every Facebook Chat! Change your picture, tell your friends, and celebrate the launch of MuppetFans.com!

I can't tell you how excited and honored I am to be a part of this website. It means the world that Steve, Joe, Ryan, and Dave let me act as a fifth co-founder of MuppetFans.com, and I hope that together the five of us can continue to bring the Muppet fan world all the best information and fan content out there!







The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

The Muppet Vault Goes Midwest

Greetings Muppet fans! Especially those Muppet fans who live in the Midwestern United States! Why you, you ask? Well, because The MuppetCast and The Muppet Mindset want you to attend the latest installment in The Muppet Vault series, "Christmas Festival," hosted by Steve Swanson of The MuppetCast and Ryan Dosier (that's me!) of The Muppet Mindset.

The fun begins on Sunday, December 12th at 2:00pm at Wild Goose Creative (near the Ohio State University campus) in Columbus, Ohio. We'll have screenings of classic Muppet Christmas material, Muppet trivia games, and lots of great Muppet prizes! Tickets to the event cost only $5 and, as always, fans of all ages are more than welcome! Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your mailman! Here's the official announcement on The MuppetCast... and see below for the official graphic for The Midwest Muppet Vault--be there!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

News Update: November 8, 2010

NEWS UPDATE: November 8, 2010

Ryan Dosier (yours truly) is featured heavily on the latest episode of The MuppetCast, Show #181. The show features Ryan, Joe Hennes, Ryan Roe (of ToughPigs), and Steve Swanson (of The MuppetCast) just having a friendly Muppet fan chat about recent Muppet news. We have a whole lot of fun with it (probably too much fun) and Joe and I's animosity toward each other gets set aside for the good of the Muppet fan community. You're welcome.

Muppet Sherlock Holmes #3 is due out this Wednesday, November 10. Our good friends over at ToughPigs have a 5-page preview (as always... lucky ducks) and it looks... well, it looks just like the previous two issues except this time we've got a role for the one Muppet character Amy Mebberson has trouble drawing--Pepe! But still, it looks good.

Fran Brill and Zoe will be appearing in Chicago, Illinois at the Siskel Film Center this weekend, November 13th and 14th presenting two Sesame Street screenings: Sesame Street at 40: Milestones on the Street and Jim Henson & Friends: Inside the Sesame Street Vault. Fran and Zoe will be hosting the two screenings and presumably signing autographs or taking pictures or something. The two screenings are presented courtesy of The Jim Henson Legacy. Ryan Dosier will be in attendance at both screenings, so if you are in the greater Chicago area, or feel like traveling to see Zoe, let us know or be sure to say hi when you see Ryan! For more information, check out the Siskel Film Center's website.

Since it's been so long since we've had one of these News Updates, The Muppet Mindset hasn't been keeping you up to date on the latest rumors about celebrities appearing in the upcoming Muppet movie. Well... here's a quick list for you to acquaint yourself with:

• Jason Segel - Obviously. He's writing and starring in it, playing Gary, roommate of new Muppet (and representative of every Muppet fan ever), Walter.
• Zach Galifinakis - Star of the 2009 hit comedy The Hangover and the recent 2010 movie Due Date with Robert Downey, Jr. In fact, Robert Downey, Jr. is the one who told E! Online that Galifniakis will be in the movie. How awesome is that?
• Amy Adams - Star of Disney's Enchanted, and said to be playing a love-interest of Segel in the film, Adams has been rumored for quite some time, but was finally confirmed in a brief blurb in the new spread in Entertainment Weekly.
• Chris Cooper - Best known for roles in American Beauty and The Bourne Identity, Cooper was also confirmed by the Entertainment Weekly article and is said to be playing the film's villain. Me likes. A lot.
• Rashida Jones - Well known for her starring role in NBC's Parks and Recreation along with starring with Jason Segel and Paul Rudd in I Love You, Man, Jones has been confirmed by an inside source of mine. Rumor has it that she'll be playing a network executive--and she's awesome and adorable and I approve.
• Michael Cera - Arguably the best-known rumored celeb for the movie, Cera has had many famous roles including performances in Juno, Superbad, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. This info comes from News in Film which links to some site as a source that's really weird... but the article claims that Cera would provide the voice for Walter, the newest Muppet. If this is true, I could definitely see Cera's voice coming out of Walter... I just don't know yet how I feel about a non-Muppeteer doing it.
• Alan Arkin - Probably the second most well-known rumored celeb... Arkin is one of only two of these celebs to have won an Oscar (Chris Cooper being the other). Arkin guest starred on The Muppet Show and starred in Little Miss Sunshine. He's an incredible actor and I severely hope that this casting rumor is true. His rumored role is that of a Muppet Theater tour guide.

Those are all the celebrities officially rumored so far. There are other names that have been dropped (such as George Clooney and Ben Stiller in the casting call for the movie) but those have not been confirmed or solidified whatsoever. I for one remain ridiculously excited for this project and can't wait to see all of the talent that gets attached to this. And my fingers are starting to hurt because they're crossed so hard for Neil Patrick Harris to be in this thing.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

What's Wrong (And Right) With Sesame Street's New Music Videos

Today we have a very exciting article for you, Muppet fans! It was written by the one and only Steve Swanson, host of The MuppetCast and it discusses the good, the bad, and the booby of Sesame Street's new music videos.

NOTE: This article was written before Sesame Street removed Katy Perry's song with Elmo from Season 41--but fret not, it still works just as well.

Remember that Sesame Street's 41st season starts tomorrow, September 27th on PBS! 
 

WHAT'S WRONG (AND RIGHT) WITH SESAME STREET'S NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Steve Swanson - Many of us have probably wound up watching Sesame Street far beyond the years anybody thought we would. If not religiously, we still tune in at least every now and then. And as probably everyone reading this blog knows, Sesame is set to debut their new season tomorrow, Monday, September 27. As has been the case in previous years, the folks at Sesame Workshop just can't contain their excitement about all the new stuff they've created for the show, and they've released some of it to the web for fans to enjoy ahead of time. That's one of the reasons I like those folks; they all seem to be endlessly creative and passionate about the content they create that, for over forty years, has been educating and entertaining like nobody else.

Along with the Muppets themselves, I've been a longtime fan of Sesame Street music. There's something there, some magic ingredient, that sets it apart from almost all other children's music. Why has "I Love Trash" and "C is for Cookie" stuck with us for decades, when songs from other children's shows--such as 321 Contact or even The Electric Company--simply haven't? There is an inherent specialness that's hard to duplicate. Even when mainstream musicians make appearances on the show, their work takes on a new quality and in some cases lives on well into future popularity (case in point: R.E.M. with "Furry Happy Monsters").

But for a great number of fans, Sesame's musical hayday lies in its past. Recent years brought the inevitable shift from using real human musicians to largely synthetic music, and changing the overall style to more hip-hop and imitating other modern genres. And while some were very vocal in stating that something uniquely "Sesame" is now gone from the show's soundtrack, famous singers and musicians of all types still flock to the Street to lend their superb talents. Just two such individuals in the new Season 41 include singer Katy Perry and rapper Will.i.am.

I have little problem telling you I'm one of those folks who appreciate "classic" Sesame Street material over the new stuff. In fact, it kind of helps my story here. There are people who enjoy the newer Sesame Street music far more than I do. There are exceptions--I loved Feist's re-working of "1,2,3,4"-- but they are few. So when I saw The Muppet Mindset's link to a new Sesame tune sung by a rapper and co-founder of the Black Eyed Peas, I was... well "skeptical" is an understatement. But I dutifully clicked the link, and was absolutely delighted with what I saw and heard. It was a bright, cheery, incredibly fun and unbelievably catchy song! And simple; I couldn't believe how effective Will.i.am dancing and singing with a half-dozen of the main Muppets, in various combinations, in front of a plain white background really was. I'm singing the song in my head right now, just thinking about it! It's already my favorite thing from the new season. Too bad it only lasts a minute and a half.

I had my preconcieved notions, I was proven wrong, and as so often happens I learned something new and was truly glad for the experience.

Couple that with Katy Perry's newly-released Sesame video. I saw the links appear for this one while I was at work one afternoon, and couldn't wait to get home to watch it. I was still on my high from Will.i.am's "What I Am," and although I know nothing about Katy Perry except, well, her cherry chapstick, I thought if this was anything like my "What I Am" surprise, I was in for a treat.

I have to pause here and say that, prior to these experiences, I had never heard anything at all by Will.i.am or Katy Perry. So I need to ask you an honest question: is it weird that I don't know who these people are? I take pride in being blissfully unaware of pop culture and the "celebrity" landscape. Heck, I barely know who Ryan Seacrest is. Is that odd?  Anyway...

So I get home and eagerly click the link to watch Katy Perry's rendition of "Hot and Cold." And something strange happened. In one of those mind-flashing moments, I remembered back to my pre-"What I Am" mental state, expecting to be nonplussed or even put off and winding up being a rabid fan of the song. And then I compared that to my current "Hot and Cold" mindset-- that of eagerly anticipating watching the video, and then seconds into it, sinking into disappointment. Which eventually became appalled disbelief. I wound up turning it off.

Why am I writing this much about two little Sesame Street videos? Because these two specific examples demonstrate what's right--and still wrong--with some of the decision making regarding the show's content. I vehemently disliked the Katy Perry piece, and I wanted to be able to articulate specifically why it was so bad a fit for Sesame Street.

It's a little odd that Will.i.am's song, so simply put together and executed, could be so powerful and positive, while Katy Perry's video seemed to have so many components to it, and most of them were awful.

Let's start with her wardrobe. This is a simple one: overt cleavage is not appropriate for preschoolers. In any way. Do I need to repeat that? This went beyond distasteful; rather than simply cleavage, I saw much more of her upper anatomy than I ever want to see (on Sesame Street). Really, Sesame wardrobe people? That dress got signoff? I know you're better than that.

The song was refitted with lyrics for the Sesame audience, and that's how it usually goes with these things. It's her song "Hot and Cold," which I think I've heard in passing once or twice. While I couldn't understand what she was singing most of the time, it seemed good enough. But the song wasn't the guilty party here, it was everything around the song. The premise of this piece was that Elmo had told Katy they were going to play dress-up, and when Katy showed up in her dress-up costume (which Elmo would have had much more to say about had they been on Jay Leno or Jimmy Kimmel), Elmo decides he doesn't want to play anymore and takes off running. So Katy runs after him, chasing him every which way, all the while lamenting and singing how she always wants to play with him while he remains aloof.

The whole thing had nothing educational to offer--it hardly included a Sesame Street character. It was barely a Sesame-worthy piece; Elmo only seemed to be onscreen as an excuse to put this on the show. Almost every time you saw Elmo, he was secondary to Perry. This was unquestionably all about her, and it demonstrates exactly what I despise about many Sesame celeb appearances: it was an excuse for Katy Perry to appear on Sesame Street to get her hit song out there, and further expose promote herself.

Will.i.am didn't need a storyline behind his video. He didn't even need a background! With a good song, effective use of characters, appealing visuals, and a positive, self-affirming message, he did more in two minutes than Katy Perry, with all of her flashy, vapid, over-produced music and video, did in what felt like 20 minutes (but was probably more like four).

To the writers and producers of the show: you know we love you guys! We've stuck with you for over forty years, and by and large it's been great seeing the show evolve and serve the needs of today's youngsters. But when you're deciding on which high-profile people on invite on the set, please, please don't feel the need to stick celebrities in there just because they're the "it" thing today. Sometimes that's a good idea because they add something truly special to the show, something that stems from their natural talents and (in Will.i.am's case) gives something wonderful and invaluable to your audience. But with some individuals, as with Perry, you can get something empty, self-promoting, and at its worst, inappropriate for your audience.

As a quick sidenote, I was in for a third surprise when I watched Elmo and Rev. Run sing "Hop This Way" (a parody of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way"). I loved it! Cute, fun, and accessible to both kids and their parents.

Steve Swanson is the host of The MuppetCast, the only podcast dedicated to the work of Jim Henson and the Muppets. Every Sunday, The MuppetCast presents Muppet news, information, and entertainment completely free to fans worldwide. Subscribe in iTunes or at http://muppetcast.com.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier