"Hey dad, what is a muppet?""Well son, it's not quite a mop, but it's not quite a puppet, but MAAAN!... to answer your question I don't know."
The Simpsons pretty much sum up the knowledge of the Muppet to the common man. What is a muppet? Strange soft creatures with uniform noses? Satanic possessed puppets with a strange sense of humor? Regardless they have been a sensation for the American people, nay, the WORLD for probably the past fifty years. We hear their songs on the radio, we see their faces in Hollywood, we watch Muppet Babies with children, we see them golfing every thursday afternoon! They are often on talk shows too! For those of you who aren't in this cool fad just yet, tattoo one on your arm! Buy one a drink! Take up puppeteering yourself! But sadly the good name of the Muppets is being tarnished. Let's take a look at the most drastic turns this show was taken.
1) Kami, the HIV-positive Muppet removed from American Sesame Street
Quite honestly there's not a whole lot more to this story of this, other than the spineless Corporate America is pathetically using the cop-out of being politically correct yet again. If you want more on the article, go to http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901020930-353521,00.html.
2) The Cookie Monster cuts back on cookies
You people are sick. Sick, sick, sick! This was probably the best part of the show other than that pimp the Count. The Cookie Monster was a laugh a minute, for kids, adults and drunks alike! So WHY HEALTHY FOOD! We don't need television to tell us that obviously eating cookies three meals a day is bad, that's why we have parents. The name of Cookie Monster is an insult to the ears, if you people are going to be so twisted as to change his diet, his nature you might as well change his name to the Vegetable Nazi.This is probably my personal unfavorite change the Muppet Society has brought around. He was my favorite character, this new Vegetable Monster is dead to me. I will forever have a special place in my heart for the Cookie Monster.
3) Kermit ditches Rolf
Kermit back in the days was with Rolf, in a band as seen by the picture. Only for what? Loyal years of friendship that Rolf gave to Kermit down the drain when Kermit heartlessly ditched him for Fozzie the Bear. But why?! Fozzie sucks at jokes and Rolf can play the piano like a regular Rachmaninov. Now Rolf hustles money for playing sappy songs for sorry people.
But let's not end on a sour note (no pun intended). Remember, the drastic changes were of no fault to our good friend Jim Henson. Disney bought them out in 2004 and look what they've done. Ruined it. But anyways, here are some fun facts hopefully to lighten your mood after such a dismal article.
-Big Bird is 8'2" tall.
-Some old Bert and Ernie skits showed Ernie having his own bedroom instead of sharing a bedroom with Bert.
-In the first few episodes in which he appeared, Barkley was originally called Woof-Woof. Glad they fixed that.
-Oscar the Grouch's fur was originally orange
-The Count was born on 9 October 1,830,653 B.C.
-Unfortunately, some classic Muppets have been canned over the years. Don Music, the piano player who would bang his head against the piano in frustration, had to be discontinued when kids at home started doing the same thing. Harvey Kneeslapper was discontinued because his signature laugh was too much of a strain on Frank Oz's vocal cords. Roosevelt Franklin, arguably one of the first breakthrough Sesame Street Muppets, had to go as he was considered to be a negative cultural stereotype (he was the only African American Muppet at the time and was seen mostly in detention after school).
-The character of Oscar the Grouch was inspired by two people. His attitude comes from a nasty waiter that served Jim Henson and former director Jon Stone at a restaurant called Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan. The voice was inspired by a cab-driver that used to drive 'Carroll Spinney' to the set every day during the first season.
-In 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before trying cookies for the first time, his name was Sid.
-The only topic that has never been dealt with on the show is divorce. The producers have tried several times, but couldn't come up with a story that didn't lead children in test audiences to fear their own parents were planning to divorce.
-The shoe size of Snuffy Snuffleupagus was 65 GGG
-Ernie wears horizontal stripes on his sweater to make him appear more relaxed; and Bert wears vertical stripes on his sweater to make him appear more uptight.
But let's not end on a sour note (no pun intended). Remember, the drastic changes were of no fault to our good friend Jim Henson. Disney bought them out in 2004 and look what they've done. Ruined it. But anyways, here are some fun facts hopefully to lighten your mood after such a dismal article.
-Big Bird is 8'2" tall.
-Some old Bert and Ernie skits showed Ernie having his own bedroom instead of sharing a bedroom with Bert.
-In the first few episodes in which he appeared, Barkley was originally called Woof-Woof. Glad they fixed that.
-Oscar the Grouch's fur was originally orange
-The Count was born on 9 October 1,830,653 B.C.
-Unfortunately, some classic Muppets have been canned over the years. Don Music, the piano player who would bang his head against the piano in frustration, had to be discontinued when kids at home started doing the same thing. Harvey Kneeslapper was discontinued because his signature laugh was too much of a strain on Frank Oz's vocal cords. Roosevelt Franklin, arguably one of the first breakthrough Sesame Street Muppets, had to go as he was considered to be a negative cultural stereotype (he was the only African American Muppet at the time and was seen mostly in detention after school).
-The character of Oscar the Grouch was inspired by two people. His attitude comes from a nasty waiter that served Jim Henson and former director Jon Stone at a restaurant called Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan. The voice was inspired by a cab-driver that used to drive 'Carroll Spinney' to the set every day during the first season.
-In 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before trying cookies for the first time, his name was Sid.
-The only topic that has never been dealt with on the show is divorce. The producers have tried several times, but couldn't come up with a story that didn't lead children in test audiences to fear their own parents were planning to divorce.
-The shoe size of Snuffy Snuffleupagus was 65 GGG
-Ernie wears horizontal stripes on his sweater to make him appear more relaxed; and Bert wears vertical stripes on his sweater to make him appear more uptight.
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