Filmmaker and Star Interviews from the Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere

The third installment of our coverage from the Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere with ToughPigs.com continues today with full interviews from the filmmakers and stars of the film. We got to talk to Nicholas Stoller, Ed Mitchell and Kaylin Frank, Dylan "Hornswoggle" Postl, Danny Trejo, and James Bobin! Check out the video below and be on the lookout for the final video coming sometime in the near future.



Special thanks to Joe Hennes, Matt Wilkie, Daniel Shick, and Cristina Barretta.






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

Muppet Performer Interviews from the Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere

As you know, (and if you don't, check it) your pals at The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs attended the World Premiere of Muppets Most Wanted as members of the venerable press line. The popularity of our initial video was so huge that Muppet fans demanded more--and obviously we live to please. So we're thrilled to showcase the full interviews we conducted with the Muppet Performers. We interviewed Steve Whitmire, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta (and his awesome son Jackson), David Rudman, and Eric Jacobson--plus we talked to Dave Goelz, but not on camera. We sincerely hope you enjoy!









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

Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere Exclusive Coverage

Ryan Dosier - In celebration of Muppets Most Wanted's North American release, I am thrilled and proud and honored and so lucky to present our exclusive coverage of The World Premiere in Hollywood. Our coverage is a joint effort between The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs.com and we couldn't be happier to share it with our great friends. Huge thanks to Joe Hennes, Matt Wilkie, Daniel Shick, Lindsay Kwek, and Cristina Barretta. Enjoy!!








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

News Update: March 18, 2014

MARCH 18, 2014

Kermit the Frog made a big-time appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night. He sat in as Jimmy's second guest and then performed "Bein' Green" accompanied by The Roots and Jimmy Fallon. It was a delightful appearance and Kermit was a lot of fun in the interview. Enjoy the videos below!





Miss Piggy stopped by Toronto's CP24 Breakfast show thiorning on her big promotional tour through Canada. Unfortunately, the video cannot be embedded, but you  can watch the fantastic nine minute appearance on the CP24 Breakfast website.

Tina Fey was spotted in Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios theme park a few days ago. Obviously, she stopped by Muppet*Vision 3D. While she was there, she got to hang out with the Muppet*Vision version of Sweetums, and we got this stellar picture:

The Muppets overwhelmed QVC on Sunday, appearing on the network for almost nine hours straight. The appearances were fun and Muppety, but few and far between. However, we got to see Rizzo, Constantine, Bobo, Big Mean Carl, and Link Hogthrob (plus the frog, pig, bear, whatever, and prawn), so it's all worth it. Our friends at ToughPigs.com have collected all of the videos from the appearance in one massive post, and I highly suggest checking it out!

The Swedish Chef and Constantine appeared on ABC's The Chew this morning. The Swedish Chef helped cook some meatballs. Unfortunately, the videos are once again not able to be embedded, but the appearance is hysterical and felt like an old Swedish Chef sketch on The Muppet Show. You've got to check it out. Visit The Chew's website for the two videos.

Constantine is the subject of a great article from The New York Times which also features interviews from James Bobin and Matt Vogel. It's a really insightful article about the creation of the character and goes into detail about some of their difficulties in distinguishing Constantine from Kermit. Give it a read!

Entertainment Weekly has yet another clip from Muppets Most Wanted. In this clip, we see Kermit attempting to break out of the Russian gulag he's trapped in. Unfortunately for the frog, Nadya (Tina Fey), doesn't really like that idea. Watch below (or don't to remain spoiler free):



Muppet fans Ryan Dosier (hey, that's me!), Ryan Roe, and Joe Hennes (both from ToughPigs) were interviewed by The Wall Street Journal for an article profile on Muppet fandom. The article is incredibly well written and I'm so honored and thrilled to be quoted alongside my friends Ryan and Joe. Read the article over on The Wall Street Journal site.

Our amazing friends at ToughPigs.com have organized fan screenings of Muppets Most Wanted in major cities across the United States. If our base wasn't in the middle of nowhere, we would've jumped at the chance to host one of these. But look at all the cities covered: New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Portland, Washington, DC, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Phoenix! Incredible. For more information, check out ToughPigs.

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

News Update: November 8, 2013

NEWS UPDATE: November 8, 2013

The official website for Muppets Most Wanted launched this week as an offshoot of Muppets.com. There's not much here that die-hard Muppet fans won't already know, but on the site you can watch the teaser trailer for the movie, read bios of the main cast members (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Walter, Animal, Gonzo, Sam the Eagle, Constantine, Dominic, Jean Pierre Napoleon, and Nadya), see a gallery of stills from the film (that we've been looking at for three months), and download desktop and phone backgrounds. There are some nice new Muppet poser puppet images, but that's about all the new stuff. I'm sure we'll see it updated as we get closer to the release of Muppets Most Wanted on March 21, 2014!

Our good friends at WeLoveFine are hosting yet another Sesame Street themed t-shirt design contest. Anyone can enter the contest up to five times, and there are no limitations as long as Sesame characters are used. The last day to submit is December 3rd. The grand prize winner can choose one of three prizes: $2000, a Wacom Cintiq HD 13 tablet, or a trip to the set of Sesame Street in New York City! Oh, and did I mention that the contest is being judged by Caroll Spinney and David Rudman? This is truly a once in a lifetime chance, so if your'e an artsy Muppet fan, get to work and enter this hugely awesome contest! Complete details can be found on the WeLoveFine site.

Speaking of Sesame Street, our friends and exuberantly lucky people Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe from ToughPigs.com visited the set of Sesame to talk to Matt Vogel, Martin Robinson, and Caroll Spinney about Jerry Nelson. And they video taped it and put it on YouTube because they're awesome. Check out the video below!



As if that weren't enough, Joe and Ryan also got to hang out with Count von Count for another awesome video...



Sesame Street is dominating our News Update this week! Earlier this week Sesame also announced that Jimmy Fallon and the Roots will be tagging along on their famous float in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Jimmy and the Roots are sure to only add to the awesomeness of the Sesame Street float by being there--I can't wait to find out what song they perform! The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on November 28th. Check your local listings! And for a reminder of why this is an awesome idea, watch Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and the Sesame Street gang perform the "Sesame Street Theme" with classroom instruments!

The Muppets will finally have a place at Walt Disney World's EPCOT theme park starting in March as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy topiaries will be unveiled and will headline the annual International Flower and Garden Festival. According to a press release, "Kermit the Frog will find it is easy being green when his artfully-crafted character topiary debuts during the 21st Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV March 5 to May 18, 2014 at Walt Disney World Resort. With flamboyance to spare, a floral Miss Piggy will join Kermit and his blooming banjo in the World Showcase topiary display." For more information visit our friends at StitchKingdom.com!





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

Muppet Fans Hangout with The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs!

Greetings, Muppet fans! Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, self, I sure do wish I could have a video chat with Ryan Dosier from The Muppet Mindset plus Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe from ToughPigs!" Well, if you've ever thought that very specific, rather odd thought, then you're in luck! Because this Wednesday, September 18th at 9:00pm Eastern Time, your pals Ryan, Ryan, and Joe are hosting a Google Hangout, the first ever Muppet Fans Hangout!

For those who don't know, Google Hangouts are a live, unlimited video chatroom where anyone can join in the fun and ask us whatever you want. Ever wondered what Ryan Roe's favorite flavor of yogurt is? Come to the Google Hangout and find out! We're really hoping a bunch of Muppet fans will join us in the fun, so mark your calendars and come hangout!

Plus, there may be secret special guests that show up--you never know! (Also we never know. Seriously.) For questions, comments, concerns, affidavits, or audits please contact joe@toughpigs.com. (Or muppetmindset@gmail.com, but preferably not for the latter two options.)

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

The Great Muppet Survey - Joe Hennes

Before we get started here, I have to comment on this piece of writing. It's written by Joe Hennes, my on-again-off-again rival and big-wig over at ToughPigs.com (his wig is HUGE). It was very difficult for me, personally, to agree to host this on the site, as Joe has never been... cordial to me, so to speak. But here it is, the survey answers from my rival, Joe Hennes. Don't even think about visiting his site, ToughPigs.com for their awesome articles.

1.   Who are your three favorite characters from The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight, The Jim Henson Hour, the Muppet movies, etc. and why?

First off, let me just say how difficult this is for me, filling out a survey for our rival Muppet fan site. But you asked questions and I have answers, and I love the sound of my own voice (funny, I sound remarkably like clacking keyboard keys).

My favorite Muppet Show-family Muppet has always been Rowlf. When he's funny, he's the funniest. When he's melancholy, he's the most insightful. And he's probably the closest we'll ever come to seeing Jim in puppet form (aside from Jim, I guess). Next is Fozzie, who never fails to crack me up on the old show, and he is possibly the greatest second banana in the history of pop culture. The third is every-other-Muppet, but if I was pressed to choose, let's go with Floyd, who is cooler than anyone you know.

2.   Who are your three favorite characters from Sesame Street and why?
Cookie Monster, hands-down. I just love how a one-note character (whose note was so specific, it's in his name) managed to become the funniest and among the most visible of any of the Sesame gang. Next is Bert, who I love for his lameness. Not that he's lame, but he's just SO lame! You know what I mean. And third is Grover, who is 100% furry blue heart. Apparently I just really like Frank Oz Sesame Street characters...

3.   Who are your three favorite characters from Fraggle Rock and why?
For the longest time, I could never choose a favorite of the Fraggle Five. But after marathoning the entire series over a weekend, I realized how much I adore Wembley. He's funny and loveable, and he benefits from being the most visually appealing of the group. Number two is Cantus, whose arrival in Fraggle Rock always feels like a holiday. And every word he says is quotable and perfect. Last would be Sprocket, who is a real dog and there's nothing you can say to make me believe otherwise.

4.   What is your favorite television program starring any of Jim Henson's creations (e.g. The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, etc.) and why?
This whole survey is unfair! How am I expected to choose??? I guess I have to go with The Muppet Show, which is the most diverse of the Henson shows, with songs and skits and drama and character development and perfect, memorable moments. Sometimes I wish it stayed on the air forever, giving us (by my calculations) about 876 episodes by now. I could live with that.

5.   What is your favorite Muppet movie and why?
I often go back and forth between The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan, and today I'm in more of a Manhattan mood, so I'll go with that. It's more of a departure than The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, since it's more about the Muppets splitting up than getting together, doesn't really feature a clear-cut villain, and takes place in a less exaggerated real-world setting. Plus it's so deliciously '80s, I can't even stand it.

6.   What is your favorite Muppet/Sesame/Fraggle song and why?
Yeesh, I can only pick one?? Come on, Dosier!!! Instead of conforming to the rules of picking a Muppet, Fraggle, or Sesame song, I'm going with "When the River Meets the Sea" from Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. It's so beautiful and heartfelt and perfect. And I'm man enough to admit that I've teared up on occasion while listening to it, and I defy you to listen to it without feeling something deep inside yourself too.

7.   If you could have dinner with any living Muppet performer who would you choose and why?
Even if I hadn't met most of the Muppeteers already (not bragging, just celebrating), I'd have to say Frank Oz. He has a stronger history with Henson and the Muppets than just about anyone else, he has a unique passion and insight into his characters, and I bet he'd be willing to speak pretty candidly once you get him going. I'd give a lot to get that experience someday.

8.   If you could tell Jim Henson one thing, what would it be?
I think I'd be speechless. Can I trade in my "one thing" for a hug?

9.   If the President called you and asked to discuss Muppet projects, what would you tell him was the "Greatest Muppet Moment of All Time"?
Ugh, these questions. I can't choose a Muppet moment, because that leaves out Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, and the same goes for the other two. So I'll go in a strange direction and say "Jim Is," the song the Muppets, Sesame gang, Fraggles, and more sang at The Television Academy Hall of Fame ceremony in 1987. It's funny and all-inclusive, and Jim gets the opportunity to pat himself on the back a little bit. It's not the most memorable moment ever, but it's pretty representative of what Jim could do.

10.   What's the name of that song?
Mmm Bop

11.   If a judge ruled that Grover had to be your personal assistant for a month, what jobs would you have him do?
Let's see. I can't let him serve me food, drive my car, deliver my mail, or act as my own personal superhero... so I guess I'll just let him sit on the couch and play video games with me. What could go wrong? (Famous last words.)

12.   In your opinion, what is the worst Muppet production ever made?
Any of the bad stuff pre-1990 (and yes, there's plenty of bad stuff) has at least a little bit of redeeming quality, either in one memorable moment or in the it's-so-bad-it's-good sort of way. But the one that I'll never revisit, never find an enjoyable moment, never allow into the cavities of my brain is Studio DC: The Muppet specials so bad, even the writers and director Alan Smithee'd their names.

13.   Who is one celebrity you would love to see cameo in the next Muppet movie?
Me. Yes, I'm a celebrity.

14.   If you could take a picture with any Muppet, who would you choose and how would you pose?
I want to recreate the picture from The Great Muppet Caper with Kermit and Fozzie's dad that their boss at the Daily Chronicle has on his desk.

15.   What is your favorite piece of Muppet merchandise that you own? (Feel free to include a picture!)
I'd have to say my collection of Palisades toys. I own one of every character (except one... can you guess which one I didn't care enough to buy?), and they look crazy good all together like that. Plus, it's like my own little Muppet Show in my bedroom every night. It doesn't get any classier than that.

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

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