Oh, those lovable Muppets! They are quite some characters, especially to my American readers. But does Jim Henson’s immortal trademark really mean kid-friendly? Think again!
Of course the over half-century-old “Sesame Street” shares only one Muppet with the mainstream Muppets (Kermit the Frog). And the late 80s cartoon “Muppet Babies” has corresponding Muppets to those presented in the “Muppet Show,” except, of course, as babies.
But the real Muppet Show? That can easily be adapted to both juvenile and adult audiences, and indeed is a genuine family show.
Spoiler Alert
/I will tell you a few elements of the Muppet Show clips that, by definition, are “adult humor,” but understated enough to bypass the limited sense of humor of kids. Among them are:
-Mocking the elderly (in this case, the “grumpy old Muppets” who played as judges for the skits and were posed as being unwise, unlike real senior citizens.
-The tension of feminism and misogyny, in the form of a soap opera sketch, in a hospital operating room! Miss Piggy played a doctor, along with Rowlf and another Muppet. A very good reason why doctors shouldn’t practice on loved ones, i.e., Miss Piggy on Kermit, especially if it’s surgery.
-The Swedish Chef’s animal cruelty. (Kids would just laugh at his obvious antics.)
-The word “queer.” I’m not sure if it was an LGBT umbrella term or not at that time. Prior to this linkage, it just meant “strange.”
-Bunsen, the Muppet scientist, unfairly treats his assistant Beaker. Childlike analog: When Beaker takes the whole bottle of “shrinking pills” Bunsen invented, kids would not. For many adults familiar with chemistry instruments, Bunsen burners may be needed to heat things to put in beakers!
-Strikes. Kids don’t know jack about strikes and the unions that cause them. Their teachers have strikes once in a while, but the teachers obviously don’t tell them the details. Their own parents (yep, many viewers of the show) may also be part of unions, and ditto for that regarding their children.
-And last but not least, race and racism. Kermit’s melancholy classic, “It’s Not Easy Being Green” counter to his overall playful nature, actually concerns this topic. I never knew about this years ago, but the kid analog to this is just simply because he’s a frog, and wishes to be a differently colored frog or not even a frog at all.
Bar none, the Muppets are an American icon, and a show that we all have come to enjoy.
The Adventures of a Christian Bookworm 