4.10 /// The Timeless Charm of Henson's Creations...

Remember when Gonzo captured your heart with his off-the-wall antics (he did to me anyway!), or how "Muppet Babies" fuelled your childhood imagination? This episode is a cozy trip down memory lane, where I'll share my own cherished moments with the Muppets, those wacky creations of Jim Henson that have left an indelible mark on our lives. Recounting some of Muppet history, from their quirky inception to their Hollywood walk of fame, all through the eyes of someone who grew up with their TV shows on a CRT TV and "Muppet Weird Stuff" on  VHS.

With a laugh and a hint of nostalgia, we'll explore why characters like Gonzo resonated with me [us] on a level deeper than just slapstick humour and how the Muppets managed to hold a mirror to our own world, reflecting its joys and oddities. 

Listen as we discuss the impact of "The Muppet Show," the charm of "Muppet Treasure Island," and even the less-appreciated "Muppets from Space."   

So, pull up a chair, and let's celebrate the enduring appeal of Henson's colourful cast, still teaching us to find humour in our humanity and the courage to be unapologetically ourselves.

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Chapters

• 0:00 The Muppets
• 9:23 Childhood Memories of the Muppets

Transcript

Stephen: 0:00

Hello, welcome to Infinite Prattle and on this episode today I'm going to be talking about the Muppets, and some people of a certain generation will hold them dear. Other people will probably think why the hell are they relevant? So, yeah, that's what we're going to talk about. Also, strap in and yeah, let's talk about that. Welcome to the episode. Yeah, so the Muppets. Oh, firstly, how are you? I hope you're doing really well. I should say that I forget to do that quite a lot, so I apologise. Thank you for listening as well. So, yeah, the Muppets. I am of a certain generation.

Stephen: 0:56

I remember the Muppets being quite popular when I was a kid and they have made a kind of a revival in the last decade or so. But if you don't know what the Muppets are, go and Google them. But I'll kind of give you a little bit of a history. So Jim Henson was basically a puppeteer. I'm just getting this info from Wikipedia and my own knowledge in quotation marks. So you know, check the facts. But you know, this is kind of what I'm going off. But basically, the Muppets were created by Jim Henson and they're puppets basically. But he called them Muppets. I don't really know why. I'm sure I'm sure there's a reason for it, but basically he created them for a TV show. I don't think it was to do with Jim Henson. He was basically creating them for another TV show, as far as I'm aware, and then they were very popular. But that was back in the 60s when he kind of created his first one and then it kind of branched out from there. Really he obviously created the Jim Henson company and the puppet workshop and all that sort of stuff and they've worked on many, many films. So they're famous for obviously all the Muppet films and Sesame Street, because Sesame Street are technically Muppets. I don't know if they call themselves Muppets on Sesame Street because it's like a kids thing, but they are Muppets and it was Jim Henson's company that did that. But the other branches like they did the Dark Crystal, they did the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle films that were original from 1990, and the sequels, I presume, and they did TMNT too. Anyway, but they've done lots of other feature films. I'm trying to think of the other one I just can completely blank. Anyway they've done loads of stuff. Fragile Rock as well was Jim Henson production and then they've done loads and loads of films. I'm sure that at some point, even if you don't know them or watch them, you've heard of them. Muppets they're a thing, but I absolutely love them Muppets.

Stephen: 3:08

I was brought up in a household maybe not my dad, but I think he tolerated them but my mum definitely really liked them Muppets. She was a big fan of Miss Piggy and I always loved Gonzo because he was just weird. I loved the oddity that was Gonzo and one of my favourite childhood memories as a kid was watching maybe not the one on TV, there was probably reruns and stuff. I remember a VHS that I got when I was a kid and I'm not sure what year it was out. I was born in 1983. And I remember watching it a lot when I was a kid and I've still got it. I really should probably get out and try and transfer it to DVD or something, because I bet you can't get it anymore and I'd love to watch it. But I wonder if it's on YouTube, actually illegally somewhere.

Stephen: 3:59

Anyway, it was called the Muppets Gonzo presents Muppet, weird stuff, and it was basically Gonzo sat in his house with his chicken because he was like dating a chicken, which is bizarre in itself and he was like kind of like speaking to it. I'm assuming it was just done for the video as well. I think it was like. I think maybe the stuff that was in it was clips from the Muppet show, but the bits interspersed when he's like presenting. I was doing a film just for that VHS and I bloody loved it. It was great. And he sat with it. He sat with Camilla, which is his girlfriend chicken. That was bizarre and basically, yeah, they're just. He's just basically showing weird, weird clips from. They're not even some of them aren't that weird, but I used to love it.

Stephen: 4:46

And there's a lot of musical numbers in it as well Most of the musical numbers, to be honest, because on the Muppet show they did a lot of covers and stuff. But the only really sticks in my head from that VHS was Vincent Price singing You've Got a Friend, and firstly, I love that song. Anyway, it's a great song. I think it was the Cowl King, I think, originally did it and I think Joe Cocker is it Joe Cocker that sang it? Some old singer as well sang it as well. That's not a terrible singer to say that, but Vincent Price, one of the best horror movie actors, one of the best actors in general, really very famous for doing the rap in Thriller and yeah, that's really like a vivid childhood memory and also one of the ones where there's a monster singing I'm so Pretty and they start off as like a pretty Muppet, if that's a thing, and they turn into a monster and then go on a date with another monster looks the same, very bizarre.

Stephen: 5:46

I mean, the Muppets were a bit out there and I think that's the reason I liked them. My first memory of the Muppets was that of the HS and the Muppet show Waldorf and Statler, the ones that used to sit in the box at the theatre and heckle, and I don't think I think as you get older I think you kind of relate to their comedy a bit more, like heckling stuff and taking the piss and stuff like that. But yeah, so the most famous Muppets are probably Kermit the Frog, fozzy Bear, miss Biggie, big Bird and Elmo and stuff like that from Sesame Street. But they've made a load of films over the years and they've got a special place in my heart. And I bring this up because recently I saw a news story and this is kind of one of the reasons I wanted to do something on the Muppets anyway, because it's something that I like, but I saw a news story recently, just flipped on the radar, and it was a story from the Independent, which is a newspaper in the UK, and it was on their website and basically it is time we let the Muppets die off, and it's basically about whether the Muppets are still relevant in today's society and it's kind of like saying that they're not something that shouldn't be continued and puppetry is a dying art form, etc.

Stephen: 7:08

But I think it's more really being how they're represented in social media and, like I don't know if you've ever watched one. It was like Twitter or something blew up because Elmo had posted something and checked in and everyone went mad and it was like it became viral, which is ridiculous. It's a bloody inamina object at the end of the day, brought to life by very clever people. But I think, if you're getting that much uppity about it, you need to have a. You know you need to take a break, don't you? And, the end of the day, the Muppets are a cultural thing. It'd be like, I mean, you could say the same for Coca-Cola. Coca-cola make these dramatic adverts and ad campaigns. Is it time they died off? It's a product at the end of the day, isn't it?

Stephen: 7:52

And everyone's got a social media account. People's pets do, my dog's. Got a bloody Instagram account which I can never be bothered to post to anymore, if I'm honest with you. But you know, there we go. But yeah, like, I think that news story kind of grated on me a little bit because you're like you know what Is that just creating like sensationalism where it's not there and you kind of bind into the social media kind of sensationalism by just printing that story, so to speak. So, yeah, but I like the Muppets and I'd be interested to know what you like as well. Is the Muppets something that you know? You know? Have you been brought up on Muppets? Do you know what even the Muppets are Like? Am I bringing something new to your life? I would recommend, like, watch one of the films you know, watch some of the Muppets and don't be turned off straight away, because sometimes it takes a little bit to get into with these sort of things. But yeah, it's, it's all good, you know it's, I love them. I love them.

Stephen: 8:48

By the way, I'm using a new microphone. Let me know what it sounds like, because I got a bargain on the internet. I think I posted about it on Instagram and some other socials. Yeah, it was bargain and I couldn't, I could not buy a little condenser microphone. So, yes, so I've been using it because I like it. It's a bit of a different shape and it's a it's a phantom powered one. It seems to not pick as much background noise up. I seem to be able to, you know, speak into it nicely, not pick up like it doesn't seem to cut out as much. So for me it's winning so far.

Stephen: 9:23

Anyway, back to the Muppets. So yeah, when I was growing up that that Gonzo Muppet video was very and Gonzo means something else for some people as well. But yeah, don't Google that when I was a kid maybe it doesn't mean what I think it means. Anyway, but back when I was a kid I used to love Gonzo. He just made me laugh, him and Fosy Bear. They were just stupid and funny, I think, because Gonzo was a little bit out there and kind of. Gonzo was always like a sad character to me because he was kind of ostracised a little bit because he was so weird, but he was also celebrated because of his weirdness. So it was kind of like Because a kid that feels like that and I did as a child.

Stephen: 10:10

I felt like that. I was a little bit I don't know, like I've said this before like whether there's some neurodiversity in my brain, I don't know but I felt like that as a kid and I really really resonated with me, with Gonzo. I felt like Gonzo and me could be best pals and it didn't matter that he was a puppy. I knew he was a puppy, but you kind of I know a lot of celebrities have said this, actually when they've worked with them that you forget that someone's operating them because the people that operate them are so clever that you end up talking directly to the Muppet and not the person that's operating it. Because you know, same with ventriloquists, really like they're very clever at what they do, although they're stood with it, but obviously they're Muppets, they're kind of brought to life and everyone's hidden under the stage. They have to build elaborate stages where everyone's hidden underneath. So, yeah, it's for me. I really really fell in love with Gonzo and I wish we could have been friends. I'd love to meet Gonzo being operated and it would just. Yeah, that'd be joyous, I'd love it.

Stephen: 11:17

Yeah, in regard to other things, I remember when we were going over Muppet babies. Muppet babies was like an animated series and that was something I used to watch, like every weekend it was on and I used to love it. And I've seen it as an adult and it's not good. Well, it's alright, but the animation is not that good. But and basically all that was was drawings of the Muppets. But it's kids in this nursery and then they'd use their imagination to go on adventures and you know it was a strange program. But again, as a kid, that's how you play, isn't it? You know that's what you do as a child, like you're in your little area, you're in your little room, you're in your zone, and that's how you play. You use your imagination.

Stephen: 12:03

And yeah, so I really liked Muppet babies as a cartoon, but the animation, looking back, probably wasn't that great. But it was probably one of the things that was very cheaply produced and pushed out and it was more about the idea rather than high level production. So I said to anyone if they listened to the work on that, I still loved it. But yeah, I think they really got big, like you know, in the 70s, where they got their own Sesame Street, I think, came out first in the late 60s and then the Muppet show came out in the 70s. It's crazy to think that the Muppet show has been going since like 1969, it's mad and it's still going now and it still feels fresh. I watched an episode recently and it was still. I enjoyed it as an adult. Maybe it's because I have a brain of a 10 year old, I don't know. But yeah, I really remember as a kid like watching the Muppet shows and just thinking how zany and great it was. But then these have loads of celebrities guests. It was like when it got popular, like there was a queue of people trying to get on there, like you name it. They appeared on the Muppet show. It was kind of like the Simpsons of its day, where there's a list of waiting lists of people to appear in a Simpsons episode, and this was very much like a very similar thing.

Stephen: 13:22

Yeah, I just I don't remember. I don't remember seeing the films when I was a kid. To be honest, I remember seeing. Which one do I remember seeing first? Probably Probably Christmas Carol Was probably all the first ones I remember.

Stephen: 13:38

I remember watching Muppets takes one hat and was a kid, but I don't remember. Actually, I remember me one sat watched it with me, but I actually don't remember watching it, if you know what I mean. That sounds stupid, but I remember that we did watch it. I don't really recall the story and I've watched it since and I still can't recall the story, but the one that really you know. I watch it every year with Christmas as well as Muppet Christmas Carol. It's basically a Christmas Carol, dickens Christmas Carol, but told them of it and Michael Cain plays Scrooge and it's brilliant and it's a musical and it's amazing. And then Muppet Treasure Island came out in 1996, so that Muppet Christmas Carol was 92.

Stephen: 14:10

Treasure Island came out in 96 again. That used to be the film I used to watch if I was ill. It's brilliant, it's funny. God, what's he called? Oh God, oh, he's gonna kill Long. John Silver was played by the guy that's in Rocky horror show who plays Frank and Furture I Can't think of his name, him anyway. Oh my god, that's so annoying and he's brilliant in it. It's just amazing. Also, billy Connors in it as well and he's amazing and he's like a very long but spoiler alert, but he's brilliant in it, it's just hilarious.

Stephen: 14:48

You know, the Muppets are just funny, like yeah, and then Muppets from Space came out, which didn't get a very good review kind of received. It was all about Gonzo's. I bloody loved it Because Gonzo, the thing about Gonzo was he was a thing. No one knew what he was, he was like a whatever, and Muppets from Space basically told his story about what he was and his connection to his own people in his own kind, and it was. It was wonderful. I'm watching a look at a Wikipedia now and I've never seen it's a very Muppet Christmas movie. Apparently was one in 2002 a very Muppet Christmas movie. Never even heard of it. Amazing, how bizarre. So yeah, and there was a few films, obviously early in times. The Muppet movie was the first one in 1979. Great Muppet caper, muppets take Manhattan, and then Fraggle Rock appeared in the 80s. Fraggle Rock was amazing. That the Muppet babies was.

Stephen: 15:43

My memory of the Muppets when I was a kid, less so the Muppet show, but Fraggle Rock was. I Was a little bit scared as well because I can't remember they were called. There was, there was a. There was like miniature Frackles that lived on the ground, which were Muppets like miniature. They were called Fraggles and and Basically they were like mining and living underground and I think it was kind of like the boroughs I think.

Stephen: 16:10

I think they headed out and tried to borrow stuff in the real but the big world. And then there was ease, these monsters. I'm trying to find what the monsters were called now, the land of the gorgs and the outer space world, that's the outer world. And then you got the doozers. Were like, the doozers were like a second species, it says a second species of small humanoid creatures. They're like small pudgy men based like the pills be dough boy and they were like all construction workers and they were small than the Fraggles even, as far as I remember, they were like really miniature and then the Fraggles looked giant to them. But then when the Giants went out into that the real world, into the outers world, there was these big animals. I Remember they were called.

Stephen: 16:59

What are they called? Doesn't say the. It says the gog's. Is that one gogs? Yeah, that might be it.

Stephen: 17:09

Yeah, the gorgs, probably a gorgs, fat, furry, humanoid, stand about six foot. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's right, yeah, so, but they weren't. They weren't like that scary looking. But for me as a kid I found them really intimidating because they they were basically Um, fragils, were like annoying to them and the pest and they wanted to try and get them and grab them and I don't know that. That really scared me, the fact they were like after them, like they were giants, like the Fragils were. The Fragils were like nice to the, to the, the doos and yeah, and I had like a kind of symbiotic relationship. I'm getting really deep. It's a freaking Fragil Rock, but yeah, but the gorgs used to scare me. Basically is what I'm trying to say.

Stephen: 17:55

But I used to love that show and the theme tune is it's just something else, it's just one of the best team tunes any show. And that bass line you just know what's going. Ace, like don't get me started, oh, amazing. So yeah, I just and that's come back. That's actually on Apple, apple TV at the moment. Actually Fragil Rock, the, the restart, and I've started watching it and it's brilliant. I still need to have got so much on my watch list. I'm so behind on everything, but you need to carry on watching that.

Stephen: 18:29

And Disney, yeah, disney actually bought the whole rights to Jim Henson Studios in like the early 2000s and like made a few more films they made. They made Called Muppets movie was a little Muppets movie. It was called the Muppets, I think. And then Muppets most wanted Was it like a. And then they came, they brought back a TV show as well which was like a prime time series. Was that? Yeah, I'm always called? Was that called Muppets, most wanted as well? I can't remember. And and then they did another film called Muppets haunted mansion, which I've actually not seen and I'll actually have to add that to me Disney plus and watch that at some point. And then they had a new series called Muppet mayhem, mother Muppets mayhem, which was I've actually seen quite a few of them and they, for me, they weren't as good.

Stephen: 19:24

Actually, I don't know why they were. They were funny, but they weren't as as quick and as bizarre as they should be. They were still. They were still good, though they were still better than most. Shout this on TV, to be honest, yeah, but I just.

Stephen: 19:36

The Muppets are amazing. They're not irrelevant in my eyes. Who cares if they got a bloody social media account? Get a life when you know what? Like there's a guy that holds a sign that's got a bloody man, what's he called, dude with sign? Like why don't people mode about him? I Don't, I don't care, let's do what you want, do you not hurt anyone?

Stephen: 20:00

Yeah, the Muppets, you know if you're not seeing them, not her to them, not like, go and sample them, just Google them. Sure, there's loads of clips on on YouTube or whatever, and I'm gonna actually go, and I'm gonna actually go and search for the Gonzo presents Muppet weird stuff, because I'm pretty sure it'll be on the internet somewhere and I need to watch it. And who doesn't destroy my childhood memories? Because that's something that sometimes happens, isn't it? You know, you go back and watch something that you actually adore and then you go. This is absolute bullshit. I don't think that will happen with that, though, the Muppets hold a very strong place in my heart, especially that VHS, which is an loft. It's a my attic and it's probably worn out, to be honest, because I played it so much.

Stephen: 20:41

Yeah, but what do you think of the Muppets? Do you know them? Do you remember them? Do you think they're irrelevant? Do you think they should die off? It's like 60 years too much to have them in our lives? I don't think so. I enjoy the Muppets. It's a bit of lightheartedness. I think we all need our lives sometimes, and and I'm all for that. So thank you very much for listening. Please like, share, comment, subscribe, all that jazz. Thank you very much for listening. You can listen to infinite Prattle with me, your host Steven. Take care and I'll speak to you soon. Thanks for listening to Infinite Prattle with your host Steven. Follow me on social networks at infinite prattle and don't forget to subscribe. Thanks very much.