ToughPigs

Well, there you are! Welcome back! This is the second installment of Most Treasured Muppet Possession stories submitted by Tough Pigs readers. The first installment can be found here. Now, what the heck are we waiting for? Let's hear about more Kermit dolls and junk:

Marianne:
Unfortunately the Most Treasured Muppet Possessions I had in mind a little earlier are now outdated, since I just received MR Gonzo for my 16th birthday today (and he’s all adorable in his wittle purple tux, aww, etc.) So it’s a whopping three-way tie between that and the drawing I received from Elmo in Long Island:


And the 500 piece puzzle I glued to my wall (contains Lew Zealand, Angus McGonnacle, Sal, Bobo, Link Hogthrob, AND Clifford: what are the odds)



Mary Catherine:
My most treasured Muppet item would have to be my Fisher-Price Rowlf puppet. Last spring, my mom picked me up in Albany after exams were over, and we went on a road trip to the University of Maryland so I could see the Jim Henson exhibit they had set up, watch Muppet clips at their library, and of course, take a picture at the bench with Jim and Kermit.

On the way there, we stopped in Princeton, NJ to visit my aunt. Before we left her house, she announced that she wanted to pass on a family heirloom to me that she had been saving for almost thirty years. I opened up the bag she handed me...and inside was the Rowlf puppet. She said that it had been a Christmas gift from my dad (her brother) to her when she was in high school and, amazingly enough, a really big fan of The Muppet Show.

Not only is it a pretty cool Muppet item to have, but now I have proof that my dad, for all of his grumblings about my fandom, does not hate the Muppets. Which means that all is right with the world.

Emma H:
My favourite Muppet possession is probably my 1984 baby Miss Piggy doll. I had one when I was little and stupidly threw it away when I was a sulking, miserable teenager. My brother trawled eBay to buy me one for my 21st birthday. It had to be the 1984 version, though - all the others of baby Miss Piggy are hideous. Especially the 1987 version, ugh.

I'm also very fond of my copy of Miss Piggy's Guide to Life and It's Not Easy Being Green because they both contain, in their own ways, some excellent advice... The thing I miss the most from my childhood Muppet fandom, though, is my Muppet Babies wallpaper. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but I remember it being white and covered in Muppet Baby heads! My parents let me choose it when I was about four, and they were worried I'd give myself nightmares. Never.

The two Muppet things I'd like most in the world are the complete collection of Muppet Babies on DVD (a dream that I suspect will be unfulfilled forever) and a Miss Piggy purse I once saw on eBay - it was covered in sequins and was very glam. She would approve. But I've never been able to find it again. Gosh, this was a long post. Apologies!

Tim:
Number 1 is pretty easy, though I have to mention several runners-up. This Kermit was released the year I was born, and has always been one of my most treasured possessions. I have no idea how he's managed to stay in good nick.

I was also terribly fond of my Baby Rowlf, though (like the Baby Kermit I have) the costume change puzzled me somewhat. I also have Piggy and Fozzie. Muppet Babies arrived at exactly the right time for me to latch onto it properly so it remains one of my favourite Henson properties.

Much uglier but also holding special places in my heart were the Fisher Price Piggy and Fozzie beanbags. They're fairly horrendous but in the flesh they have a bizarre charisma. Judging from the picture on the wiki, I should be glad that they had to hang out with the larger Kermit instead of his beanbag counterpart.


Alex G:
My most treasured Muppet item is a Kermit wired stuffed animal I picked up in a small shop in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. I was just beginning my Muppet fandom, but Kermit accompanied me on The Ride Across Minnesota, raising money for Multiple Sclerosis.

He accompanied me not once, but twice as I completed the ride. I changed it up for two years, once with a Ernie rubber ducky and an Animal stuffed animal (hehe), but both years suffered problems... Because I didn't have Kermit. For these reasons it is my most cherished and beloved Muppet item, even topping my 1986 Sesame Street figures (some of my first loved toys), or my Palisades exclusive Adventure Kermit, which I draw enjoyment from every day.


Wes:
My Most Treasured Muppet Possession is my Pigs in Space metal lunchbox! When I was younger my grandparents managed a Mini-Storage place and they would pay me a few bucks to clean the abandoned units and if I found anything I got to keep it. Needless to say, I found a Pigs in Space lunchbox and kept it.

Several years later it went missing... I think someone stole it when everyone was in a metal lunchbox craze. Well, last year my brother got me one for Christmas, better than the old one, in mint condition and even has the thermos. My apartment's small so I proudly display it in the bathroom, so everyone can enjoy it when they come over.

Joe:
My MTMP is a Kermit the Frog beanbag doll. I've had it as long as I can remember and it's accompanied me to my first day of school, my first summer at sleep-away camp, college, apartments, and so forth. And it's still with me today. Somewhere along the line, the Frog went all pirate on me and lost his right eye. The eye has never turned up, and I've long since stopped searching. I still expect to find it in an old Cracker Jack box or something one of these days.

A few years back, a friend gave me the Fozzie Bear beanbag that completes half of the full set, which elates me to no end. So, while my one-eyed, droopy, lumpy, never-washed Kermit might not win any beauty pageants, he's a prom queen in my book, and I love him so.

Christer:
My Most Treasured Muppet Possession has to be, as with most people I suppose, my oldest. And that little treasure is the Norwegian version of the Fraggle Rock album, on tape. As a kid I *loved* the Fraggles! Actually I loved most puppetry, but the Fraggles were my absolute favorites, and I nagged and nagged until I got the tape, and then I played it and played it until my parents nearly lost their minds.

Somewhere along the way I managed to lose the cover (how could I lose that cover, and not lose the covers of any other tapes I had at that age!), and the tape is obviously pretty worn now, but listening to that soundtrack just puts me right back to when I was five years old and Fraggle Rock was the most exciting, scary and exhilarating place on earth. I never believed in Santa, I never believed in Jesus, or The Tooth Fairy, but I *believed* in the Fraggles! Just look at Travelling Matt - they were out walking around us!

Some few years later, a little older but still a huge Fraggle fan, I experienced the biggest high and the biggest low, Henson-wise, in my life. I read in my local paper that Mr. Fraggle himself, Jim Henson, was working on a project filming a book by Roald Dahl, one of my all-time favorite authors, and certainly my favorite at the time. This project, of course, was The Witches, a book which I had recently read and loved. The best part was; they were going to be filming in my hometown! Norway in the book was going to be represented by Bergen, and they would be filming right where I lived, in the yawn of a city where nothing ever happened! I was extatic!

Sadly, the joy did not last. Before the movie reached Norwegian theatres, both Jim Henson and Roald Dahl had died, only a few months apart. My euphoria had turned to absolute devastation, and I had to do some pretty quick growing up. Many years would pass without me thinking of The Fraggles as anything other than a show I loved as a kid.

This all changed when, five years ago, I happened to stumble upon my old tape. I put it on, and the memories all came instantly flooding back. After singing along to all the lyrics I still knew by heart, when I reached the end, I heard the instrumental version of All Around The World, a track that featured on most of the European releases. As a kid I always used to skip that track (I couldn't sing along to it!), but when hearing it again as an adult, it was just about the best darned piece of music I had ever laid ears on!

Today I own pretty much every Fraggle music release (as well as a fair bit of other paraphernalia, of course), and have about 10 copies of the 7" single of All Around The World, including mint, sealed and picture disc releases. People tend to describe me as a true Fraggle nut, walking around the office donning my "I Appreciate The Muppets On A Much Deeper Level Than You" T-shirt. Your post is filed with the tag fanaticism, and my Most Treasured Muppet Possession is the single piece of merchandise that truly launched the avalanche that took me from Fraggle fan to Henson fanatic - for the second
time in my life.

I hope I can still get a tape player when I'm 60. Or 80.

Scott E:
This one's easy, because my most treasured Muppet possession is my most treasured possession, period. Several years ago, a group of my friends decided to get me a Christmas present…why… I don’t know. Anyway, one of them is very big into books and frequents a lot of used book sites on the net. On one of these sites, he stumbled upon a copy of Of Muppets and Men. He knew I would love it, so he checked it out only to find that it was an autographed copy.

The woman who was selling it bought it in a huge estate sale and was selling off all the pieces that didn’t interest her. The inscription in the book reads “Christmas 1981. To Buddy with our love, Kermit the Frog, Jim, Dave, and all the gang”. My friend contacted the Henson archive to see if it was authentic and who Buddy was. They responded that it was authentic and that the book had been given as gifts to everyone who had appeared on the Muppet show that year, so Buddy was, in fact, Buddy Rich.

They also asked who my favorite Muppets and sent picture of the main Muppets, autographed by Animal and Pepe with their response. So…as a huge Muppet fan, who happens to be a drummer, and whose favorite Muppet is Animal, this book is by far my most treasured possession. It spends its days on prominent display in my great room.

It's Ryan again.  I know this wasn't a contest, but we can all pretty much
agree that Scott won, right?  I mean, I'd love to own any copy of Of Muppets 
and Men.  It doesn't even have to be previously owned by an awesome guest
star like Buddy Rich... I'd settle for one of the lesser ones, like Shields... or
Yarnell.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the great submissions. And take care of your
Muppet stuff!

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Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

Muppet fans love their Muppet stuff.

Beth:

My treasured Muppet possession would have to be the Palisades Muppet theatre backstage playset. I mean, how cool is it? It's a perfect small Muppet show set that I can transport back and forth between college and home. And all the Palisades action figures that go with it of course, especially Sweetums.

Amy:
My Fisher Price Sesame Street Little People playset.

I got it for Christmas when I was four or five years old. I remember being upset that David and Maria weren't included amongst the Little People, but being very happy to have Mr. Hooper and Susan. (Guess I didn't give a rat's ass about Gordon!)

Big Bird, Oscar, Ernie and Bert were cool to have, too, but Mr. Hooper and Susan really made me happy. Mr. Hooper reminded me of my grandfather, and Susan was my favorite female role model at the time. She was a nurse, she drove a VW Bug, she wasn't afraid to talk back to Oscar -- how cool was that?!

Possibly the thing that fascinated me the most about the playset was looking into Bert and Ernie's apartment and counting the bottlecaps on the wall. They had the most interesting domicile of the apartments. My brother and I also had the Fisher Price Castle. We used to have the Sesame Street people look around in the Castle for the Count. We also pretended that Snuffy lived in the dragon's dungeon in the FP Castle. Kind of dumb, but we had an awful lot of fun with that fantasy. I still have Susan and Big Bird someplace. I miss Mr. Hooper.


Jenny:
A plastic Snuffy wearing a scarf and beret. It was a toy at my grandma's until one day I never saw it again. Then, years and years later in high school, my theology teacher had the exact same toy on his desk, and I had a huge SIRE* moment. I tell him the story and he freaking GIVES it to me. Snuffy now resides on my Ledge O' Crap. (despite the name, it is where the most esteemed plushies and figurines live)

*[Editor's note: SIRE, for those not in the know, is a Tough Pigs-coined acronym for Sudden Instant Recall Effect]

Martha:
My oldest, most-loved Muppet posession has to be my Grover puppet, circa 1974. I absolutely love him. I remember taking him to kindergarten - when he was much prettier than he is now - for show and tell. I have a picture with me, age 4, with my brand-new Grover puppet, which arrived at about the same time as my brand-new baby brother. Guess which one I was more excited about...

It's not really a posession, but I'm also awfully proud of the INEBG* Bathroom, which has a brand-new Kermit display shelf.
*It's Not Easy Being Green

Melissa:
I have several, I don't have the Fisher Price puppet but I got the doll, I'd say out of TOYS, it would be that, my Rowlf puppet and my Fisher Price Ernie doll that looks like he was hiding out where they found Saddam Hussein. But I can't part with any of them.

As far as NON toys, my genuine Big Bird feather that they gave me as a Henson intern, my Muppet Treasure Island crew hat that Steve Whitmire gave me when I visited the set, and all my autographs and photos with Henson folks.

Peter:
My favorite... was probably a 3D stacking Big Bird puzzle. I can't find a picture of it anywhere on the Internet, though. My brother once mischievously hid the various pieces throughout the house and I don't know how long it was before I found the last piece in the cream cheese. I had once actually decided to give it to Danny or Scott for Christmas, but then I couldn't find it. And then I decided that even if I ever found it, I was too selfish to let it go.

Cathy:
My very favoritest Muppet thing is actually two things. When I was a wee little tot, my parents got me a Miss Piggy trinket box. It was a knockoff of a Sigma piece and it was obviously handmade, but you could tell it was made out of love.

Anyway, my parents spotted this thing at a garage sale and the person selling it said that his daughter had made it, but had "outgrown" her Muppet phase, so they sold it to my parents for a dime. I loved this little box so much. It always made me happy when I looked at it because it reminded me of how much my parents loved me and supported me and my love of Muppets.

Anyway, a few years ago when I got married, Danny (who didn't know about my knockoff Piggy box) gave me the real Sigma Piggy box as a wedding gift. And it was such a great gift, because I could tell it was really thoughtful and given from the heart. And now both boxes are displayed proudly on my shelf, and while one reminds me of the awesomeness of my parents, the other now reminds me of all the awesome people I've met through the years here. All because of a shared love of the Muppets. Who knew?


Yancey:
Well... I would have to say my Miss Piggy Fisher Price dress up doll. My younger brother gave her to me for Christmas (probably in 1982?). I sewed her a number of spectacular outfits. She is one of my Muppet things I've owned the longest. I'm also very fond of my Piggy Enesco Marie Antoinette and Cleopigtra dolls. They're just so awesome. I got those off of Ebay about 6 or 7 years ago.

Anthony:
As for my own most treasured Muppet possession . . . I've never been much of a collector of things that you can't watch, read or listen to, so it's not a toy or anything.

Actually, I've gotta say the first Fraggle Rock LP. The kindergarten teacher in my hometown found it in her classroom and gave it to me when I was about a freshman in high school. I had only seen a few episodes of the show at the time, and I used to spend hours lying on my bed listening to that record over and over and over.

Even now, when I've seen all of the first 72 episodes of the show and several of the last year, those are the Fraggle Rock songs that always come to mind - Follow Me, Wemblin' Fool, The Friendship Song, Muck and Goo, Do It On My Own, Doozer Knitting Song, Easy is the Only Way to Go, and The Beetle Song especially.


Kyle:
My most favorite Muppet possession would have to be a several because I can't just think of one. The first one would be my plush 80's Big Bird. My mom said I carried that sucker everywhere. It was mine and nobody could touch it unless it was my mom or my sister.

But my then for some reason my dad told my mom that he had to throw it away because i had ripped its head off, but my mom thinks he threw him away because I was getting too old for it. I've been looking for him everywhere but can't find him. Hope I find it on ebay one of these days.

The second one would have to be the Oscar the Grouch in a can where you blow into the hose and his head pops out of his trash can. Not mine but my cousins', and I played with it all the time.

Third one was a Fraggle Rock drum set, but then I busted out pretty much all the drums and that was it for that set of Fraggles. I feel really sorry that i destroyed lots of my toys as a kid so now if I find something I had as a kid I save it and keep it from bad little hands.

Fourth one would be still not be mine but still I played with it. It was the Kermit the Frog puppet just like the one on the front page. It was my cousins but a different one from the first one.

Fifth one would have to be a Baby Kermit that sat inside of a wheel that looked like a Ferris wheel and spun around. Don't know why I liked it but it I did.

Sixth one would be a Oscar the Grouch puppet that came out in the late 80's or early 90's. He's still in his can but you could move the mouth. It was one of the Fisher Price ones. I now have a Cookie Monster one too that I found at Goodwill. That about does it but that's pretty much my Muppet Treasured stuff I have.

Quinn:
This is impossible for me to narrow down. The Palisades action figures, taken altogether, are probably my favorite Muppet possession, but not necessarily the most "treasured." I love every single one of them, and there are some highlights like Adventure Kermit and the Jim Henson figure that stand out above the rest.

While they were all made with attention to detail and more care than most Muppet toys we had seen up until that point, there was something special about some of the figures. Purple Tux Gonzo is still my favorite version of one of my favorite Muppets, and even seeing the Master Replicas Gonzo--the eight dollar piece of plastic is a better likeness, and more fun, than the version I'd have to pay hundreds of dollars for. And because of that, I appreciate Palisades' work on the Muppets line.

As for the most treasured...this is probably a cop-out, because it's not technically a Muppet possession. My Rubber Duckie. Even though he's not a licensed Muppet(TM) product, I only have him because Ernie has a Rubber Duckie. My brother gave me Rubber Duckie for my 17th Birthday, which was 17 years ago. And even though now I'm on Rubber Duckie II, I still have that same unnatural attachment to, and affection for, my Rubber Duckie.

He goes on every trip with me, and Miles and Carter consider him almost as much a part of the family as they are. They know when it comes down to it, he's been in the family longer than they have, and if I have to make a choice, it'll get dicey. I have more expensive Muppet toys, I have rarer Muppet toys, I have a piece of Gonzo's fur on my fridge from Muppets in Space--but it's Rubber Duckie that I love. I feel a song coming on.


Great stuff, eh? And I'm only a little bit envious at all the cool merchandise other people have that I never had. Click here to jump to Friday for more sappy nostalgia!

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Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

Hey, Muppet fans! Picture this scenario:

Late one night, you're enjoying a pleasant dream about dancing rats when you're suddenly awakened by a bunch of aliens. Using their powers of telepathy, they explain to you that they’re working on a comprehensive project to study Earth (last week they were studying entomology; next week is toupees), and they’ve just now gotten around to analyzing Muppets. They're going to take all your Muppet merchandise back to their home planet and you will never get it back, but they're going to allow you to keep one item.

So what will it be? Your vinyl LP of the Muppet Movie soundtrack that was the first album you ever owned? The Swedish Chef plush you got on your family's trip to Disney World? Or maybe a McDonald's Happy Meal toy of Mokey Fraggle driving an eggplant? Or a doll of Miss Piggy driving a carrot, a toy that actually exists but is sadly not on Muppet Wiki?

As Muppet devotees, we own a lot of stuff, and there are happy thoughts and memories associated with all of it. But I suspect I'm not alone in having one Most Treasured Muppet Possession. Mine is that guy in the picture up there: a 1978 Fisher Price "Muppet Puppet" Kermit.

For one thing, he's one of my oldest Muppet possessions. When I was just a tadpole of a thing, my parents went on a trip to New York City (leaving me in Grandma's capable care), and they brought me back this puppet as a souvenir. My parents provided me with a lot of Muppet toys in my early years, thus ensuring that I would grow up to be a total geek and spend the rest of my life wasting heaps of money on my Muppet collection. Thanks, Mom & Dad!

This puppet has been with me my whole life, just like my Muppet fanhood. It's moved from place to place (currently residing in my apartment in… New York City, which seems poetic somehow), and it's appeared in various school projects and home videos. When those trademark squinty eyes began to rub off, I filled them in with a black Sharpie, a fact that becomes painfully obvious on close inspection. (I can only hope that somebody, someday, cares enough to fill in my eyes with a Sharpie when I get old.)

What's your Most Treasured Muppet Possession? I want to know. Where'd you get it? How long have you had it? What's so special about it, anyway? You can tell me by sending an e-mail to ToughPigsRyan@yahoo.com, or just drop by the Tough Pigs forum and talk it about there. If you have a photo of it, that's great, but by no means necessary.

Then I'll post the best stories right here on ToughPigs.com. I'm not going to put a deadline on it or anything... Let's just say I'll give it a few weeks. And if you don't have a Most Treasured Muppet Possession, why not go out and get one? I bet you could find an old, used Baby Gonzo toothbrush on eBay for pretty cheap.

Click here to talk about your Most Treasured Muppet Possession on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, merchandise, reader participation

It's been almost a month since I announced the "Who Will Be Jim" contest, and we're ready to crown the winners! Ok, so there aren't any actual "winners," much like in a soccer game. Except that sometimes people do win in soccer. So maybe that wasn't the best analogy. The special prize for those of you who participated in giving us your thoughts on who could play Jim Henson and Company is getting to see your name in print in a Muppet Fan blog. Congrats!

Now let's get to the Jims (and Franks and Jerrys and Richards, etc)!

Jim Henson

Robert Downey Jr. (suggested by Kynan)


Steve Whitmire (suggested by Kellie)


Johnny Depp (suggested by Neil)


Josh Charles (suggested by Kynan)


Jeff Daniels (suggested by Brad)


John Cusack (suggested by Kynan)


William Hurt (suggested by Joe)


Jason Segal (suggested by Kynan)


Daniel Day-Lewis (suggested by Ryan)


Ryan Gosling (suggested by Brad)


Jeff Bridges (suggested by Joe)


Cate Blanchett (suggested by Peter)


Frank Oz

Peter Sarsgaard (suggested by Kynan)


David Cross (suggested by Brad)


Bernie Brillstein

Robert Prosky (suggested by Andrew)


Richard Dreyfuss (suggested by Kynan)


Jerry Juhl

Andy Richter (suggested by Ryan)


Philip Seymour Hoffman (suggested by Tom)


David Lazer

Tony Shaloub (suggested by Kynan)


Bradley Whitford (suggested by Kynan)


Lew Grade

Robbie Coltrane (suggested by Ryan)


Jim Broadbent (suggested by Andrew)


Bob Hoskins (suggested by Andrew)


Maurice LaMarche (suggested by Michal)


Richard Hunt

BJ Novak (suggested by Kynan)


Jay Baruchel (suggested by Kynan)


Hank Azaria (suggested by Joe)


Jane Henson

Maggie Gyllenhaal (suggested by Kynan)


Chris Langham

Hugh Laurie (suggested by Ryan)


Dave Goelz

Joshua Malina (suggested by Kynan)


So, if anyone from the offices of Penny Marshall are reading, now you know who to cast. See, we make it easy for you!

And if anyone has more ideas for who you think should play Jim & Co., please stop by the ToughPigs forum and let us know!
Click here to discuss the many beards of Jim on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

Have you ever wondered what Ryan and Joe's voices sound like? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you're in luck! ToughPigs' own Senior Contributors were interviewed by Steve Swanson last week, and now we're featured on his latest podcast!

Tune in and you'll hear what Joe really thinks of Mr. Magorium, Ryan's obscure Muppet impressions, and who Pepe the King Prawn is romantically linked to.

If you're an impatient fellow, the ToughPigs interview starts about 34 minutes into the podcast (UPDATE: the MP3 version starts at 34 minutes, but it starts at 47 minutes when you play it directly through the MuppetCast website.. no idea why that is), but I recommend listening to the whole dang thing. Steve puts a lot of effort into the show every week, and the quality speaks for itself.

Click here to listen to the podcast, and go to MuppetCast.com every week for podcasty goodness.

Labels: fanaticism, internet

Lots of folks got lots of ideas over on the ToughPigs forum about who's got the chops to play Jim Henson in a possible feature film. But as we all know, Jim's only part of the story. Who will play Frank Oz? Steve Whitmire? Jerry Juhl? Frank Biondo?

Yeah, all bets are off! Cast everyone in The Works! Get your tuchus over to the ToughPigs forum and add in your $0.02. Or, if you're camera shy, you can send an e-mail to yours truly at joe.toughpigs@gmail.com.

Image courtesy of ToughPigs' own Brad!

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

According to the internets, it's official (or would that make it "e-fficial"?): there is a Jim Henson biopic in the works. The movie will be about Jim's life, successes, tribulations, and maybe some puppets. That is, if the Jim Henson Company, Disney, and Sesame Workshop can all allow the puppets to be in the film. Or else we might be getting two hours of a tall guy with a beard with nothing on his hands.

But the question remains: who out there can fill the shoes of the man behind the frog? I mean, other than this guy. Head on over to the ToughPigs forum with an idea or two. Feel free to post pictures (double points for fancy Photoshopping), and we'll post the results here on ToughPigs.com next week.

Prizes for the best choices will include bragging rights and a walk-on role in the upcoming Frazzle documentary.

Labels: fan art, fanaticism, Muppet movies, reader participation

Have you ever wished you were a Muppet expert, buy you don’t have time to memorize Jim Henson: The Works, pore over DVD extras, or read every page of Muppet Wiki, because you’re too busy doing things like working, cooking, and using the restroom? Of course you have! It feels great to be an expert at something!

Tough Pigs is here to help, with yet another valuable public service! It’s the Easiest Muppet Trivia Quiz Ever, and by the time you’re finished, you will feel like a true Muppet geek, guaranteed, or we’ll give you your money back. Heck, we’ll give you twice your money back! Now break out your No. 2 pencils and your thinking caps, and away we go!

1. As the story goes, Jim Henson made the first Kermit the Frog puppet out of…
a) His mother’s green spring coat
b) a bowling ball
c) the skins of 11 ½ real frogs
d) a Sababa Kermit doll


2. The first TV show starring the Muppets was a local Washington, D.C. program that debuted in 1955. What was it called?
a) Sam & Friends
b) Sam & Casual Acquaintances
c) Sam & People Who Hate His Guts
d) Shasta McNasty


3. The Muppet characters Jim Henson created for a series of Wilkins Coffee commercials were called…
a) Wilkins and Wontkins
b) A Drunk Old Man and Another Drunk Old Man
c) Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin
d) Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Milhous Nixon


4. Where did Jim Henson meet Frank Oz?
a) At a puppetry festival
b) At a cocktail party – they both showed up wearing the same dress, had a good laugh about it and became fast friends
c) At karate lessons
d) In prison


5. Rowlf the Dog first rose to national television fame on what 1960s variety show?
a) The Jimmy Dean Show, in regular appearances alongside Jimmy Dean
b) The Fugitive, as the one-armed man who killed Richard Kimble's wife
c) Laugh-In, as a miniskirt-clad background go-go dancer
d) CBS Evening News, as the anchor


6. Who has been Big Bird’s primary performer since Sesame Street premiered in 1969?
a) Caroll Spinney
b) Carol Channing
c) Cookie Monster
d) Nobody; he’s a real, live 8’ bird


7. What was unusual about the Gorch Muppets featured on the first season of Saturday Night Live in 1975?
a) They had lifelike taxidermist’s eyes
b) They had outie belly buttons
c) They were all gay
d) They were performed not by Muppeteers, but by dentists


8. Who financed the production of The Muppet Show?
a) Lord Lew Grade, a British television entrepeneur
b) Lord Lew Zealand, Boomerang Fish Thrower of the British Empire
c) The Lord of the Dance
d) Your mom!


9. The Great Muppet Caper’s “Couldn’t We Ride” musical number, a tour de force of puppet wizardry, features the Muppets doing what?
a) Riding bicycles while singing
b) Sleeping
c) Silently staring at the camera
d) Wearing socks with sandals


10. The 1984 film The Muppets Take Manhattan includes the debut of what group of characters, who would later star in their own Saturday morning cartoon?
a) the Muppet Babies
b) the Golden Girls
c) the Opera-Singing Zookeepers
d) the Horrible, Foul-Smelling, Foul-Mouthed Cannibals


11. What was Jim Henson’s pitch to his creative team for Fraggle Rock?
a) “I want to create a show that will bring about world peace”
b) “I want to create a romantic comedy for arsonists”
c) “I want a do a hard-boiled crime drama set in a castle made of pink cotton candy”
d) “MTV cops”


12. What happened to Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street in 1986?
a) The grown-ups on the street saw him for the first time
b) He married Maria
c) He made the Statue of Liberty disappear
d) He shot Larry Hagman


13. Jim Henson’s hour-long 1989 variety/anthology show was called…
a) The Jim Henson Hour
b) The Vicki and Leon Show
c) Lots and Lots of Really Scary Buckets of Blood
d) Howie Hayseed & Yancy Yokel's Country & Western Jamboree






14. Who took over Kermit the Frog after Jim Henson’s passing in 1990?
a) Muppet performer Steve Whitmire
b) Lawyer Alan Dershowitz
c) Cosby Show star Lisa Bonet
d) Vice president Dan Quayle


15. The 1992 Muppet film The Muppet Christmas Carol, set in Dickensian England, was based on what book?
a) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
b) Babysitters Club Mysteries #7: The Case of the Vanishing Training Bra
c) Latawnya, the Naughty Horse, Learns to Say "No" to Drugs
d) A Muppet Christmas Carol: The Storybook of the Movie Based on the Book A Christmas Carol Which Was Written by Charles Dickens


16. Complete this lyric from the theme song of the 1996 Muppet series Muppets Tonight: “Here come the Muppets, here come the Muppets, here come…”
a) “…the Muppets tonight!”
b) “…the cops! Everyone hide!”
c) “…the Chickens of Death! Run for your life!”
d) Avril Lavigne


17. Where did MuppetFest, 2001’s official Muppet fan convention, take place?
a) Santa Monica, California
b) Ganymede, the seventh moon of Jupiter
c) A castle made of pink cotton candy
d) In the forest, but no one was around, so it didn’t make a noise


18. What was the biggest Muppet news story of 2004?
a) Disney bought the Muppets
b) Zoot was elected president, narrowly beating the incumbent Hush Puppy
c) The Swedish Chef was named Super Bowl MVP after taking the Green Bay Packers to a 343-7 victory over the Harlem Globetrotters
d) Elvis Presley came back from the dead to perform one of the Muppet Elvises for a charity concert, then died again

Well? You got every single question right, didn’t you? See, I told you you’d feel like an expert. Just to make sure, here’s…

How to calculate your score: Give yourself 10,000 points for each time you chose answer “a” on a question. For each time you chose any other letter, smack yourself in the face as forcefully as possible.

Click here to discuss this article and compare scores on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism

The tree is lit, the mistletoe is hung, and there's a fat man on the roof. That must mean it's everyone's favorite excuse to eat eggs and throw chocolate (or the other way around): Halloween! It's the time of year when everyone reaches deep into their psyche and pulls out a costume idea that will set the world ablaze. Or at the very least will get your drunken photos onto TMZ.

This year, many people decided to mock what you and I hold most dear by dressing up as their favorite, or least favorite, Muppet characters. Let's take a peek at some of the best and most embarrassing hilarious pictures that I stole from Flickr, shan't we?
Here we've got a couple of giant-headed roommates, Bert and Ernie. C'mon guys, you couldn't find some stripey shirts?
Two extracool points go to this Two-Headed Monster for remembering that the one on the left has horns that go up, while the one on the right has horns that go down.
Boy, that Cookie Monster costume looks warm, doesn't it? I guess Big Bird wouldn't know, since he can't see a damn thing.
Ignore the wolf-in-grandma's-gown, take note of the Swedish Chef. I give an extra point for the bow tie, but I'll take it away again for thinking he has a goatee.
Golden teeth and golden tones (and a few feather boas) make this costume extra nifty.
This Doozer costumes looks more like a chubby construction worker. The confused look on his face make him look like a construction worker who lost his favorite wrench.
I can imagine that a Gonzo costume is near impossible to pull off, so I'll give points for the purple tux, as well as convincing his girlfriend to go as Camilla.
Guess what Elmo's thinking about today? That's right, Elmo! Let's ask a baby what Elmo looks like. Hey baby...
A very strange attempt at a Jim Henson costume. I guess the gray beard means this is 1989 Jim Henson, though I don't understand the Kermit puppet with his neck on fire. Though I really don't get the lady next to him. I'm afraid to ask.
This Pepe costume might be my favorite of the bunch. She's got the extra arms (and the strings to make them work), the blue hoodie, and the spiky hair to simulate antennae. 100 Muppet points to you, King Prawn!
Sweetums in da house! This is one really well-made costume. I want to buy one, then run around town with a suitcase, shouting "Wait up, you guys! I wanna go to Hollywood!"
Statler and Waldorf here get my approval for actually being two old guys. Oh, and the portable balcony doesn't hurt either.
Halloween? Uh huh, uh huh. Book! Book book book. Yip yip yip.

Now let's take a look at some repeated costumes I found. Then we can compare and thrown toilet paper over the house of the loser.
Red Fraggle showed up at a couple of parties. Both Reds have the red shirt/yellow face combo, but only one managed to grow pom-poms on her head. Oh, all for the sake of Halloween!
No Halloween is complete without a few Kermit the Frog impersonators. Kermit #1 gets cool points for bringing his own banjo, though Kermit #2 gets supercool points for actually making her costume out of a green jacket. Nice historical reference, and I'm sure it was completely intentional.
This one's a no brainer. Oscar #3 wins by default for having a trash can without two gangly legs sticking out from the bottom.
And here we've got three sets of Kermits and Piggys. The first pair obviously put a lot of effort into their costumes, while couple #2 looks more bored than if they were watching the Muppet Treasure Island Sing-Along. Of course, the brilliant pairing of a child and a dog makes us all forget that the first two ever existed.
And let's finish up with some group shots. In the first picture, I really enjoy the Yip-Yip Martians, as well as the brave attempt at the Two-Headed Monster. Super Grover and Guy Smiley are neat, but the icing on the cake is... Farley? No, Sherlock Hemlock. No, Green Anything Muppet. Yeah, that's it.
I like the mix of giant heads and real people in this one. Kermit and Piggy are completely awkward, but they look great alongside Lew Zealand, Bunsen and Beaker, and most of the Electric Mayhem. Take note of the failed attempt at Scooter in the back there.
Lastly, a traditional family picture, which I think is way too adorable for words. The hand-made Oscar does it for me, though I doubt he'd much enjoy living in a Rubbermade can.

That's all for this year! Happy tricking and happy treating! Save a Mars Bar for me.

Click here to dress up like a frog on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism, Halloween

Most people, both Muppet fans and otherwise, have access to their five basic senses. Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching. That's five. Count 'em yourself if you don't believe me. But there is a sixth sense which Muppet fans have and all other mundies yearn for. I call this sense, The Sixth Sense. Catchy, no?

Now you may be asking yourself, "What is this Sixth Sense? And how do I know if I have it? And how are my thoughts being projected into a Muppet blog?" These are all valid questions, though we'll only have time for the first two.

Before we delve into the fascinating world of heightened senses, let's take a look at the original five. See what I did there? We're taking a look! That's one of the senses! I'm so clever.

The truth is, a Muppet fan's perspective on almost all things is different from the rest of the world. For example, a Muppet fan does not see things. A Muppet fan chooses a set of eyes from a drawer to go with his or her character for the day. Also acceptable options are a hat that covers the eyes or a pair of glasses with no eyeballs.

Much like Howie Mandel, Muppet fans don't talk about touching. We talk about our feelings. Nothing more than feelings.

Our sense of smell is another thing entirely. All Muppet fans know that not everyone has a nose. And yet, some people have noses in abundance. Then, there's the lucky few with detachable noses (for narrow garages).

All Muppet fans know that one does not necessarily need ears to be able to hear. This is especially true if one is a frog, a monster, a grouch, a dinger, a snuffleupagus, a fraggle, a chicken, a musician, or a boomerang fish thrower.

And there's little that Muppet fans are more familiar with than bad taste.

For those of you who are skimming this article, here is a visual representation of the first five senses, according to a Muppet fan.

As for The Sixth Sense, it is the ability to sense Muppets wherever they are. Confused? Rightfully so. A Muppet fan with this talent can look down the aisle of a toy store and immediately spot the lone Grover toy on the shelf. This person can open a book and his or her eyes will be immediately drawn to the word "Henson." This person can skim through a magazine and stop on the ad for Fraggle Rock DVDs. The sensation is automatic and unconscious, and it comes in handy when browsing for used Sesame Street books.

But how, I say, how do you check to see if you have this superpower? I have set up a series of tests so you can deduce whether or not you possess The Sixth Sense.

First, scan the article below. Do NOT read it, but scan it with your eyes. See if you can spot the Muppet references quickly.

Once upon a time, there was a guy named Jim Hanson. Hanson loved muffins, and he loved puppets. Muffins and puppets, puppets and muffins. He wasn't too keen on frog juggling. No sir, there was no frog jugglers to be had. Sometimes he would indulge in sesame seeds. Maybe sesame seeds on his muffin. Maybe he'd juggle sesame muffins. But probably not. Or maybe his friend Karmin would juggle Hanson's sesame muffins. So, to recap, puppet-fan Hanson's sesame muffins will be frog-juggled by Karmin. Henson's fraggle sesame street kermit muppets with fries. Juggling sesame muffins by Karmin for puppet Hanson. Hanson puppets juggle frogs for Karmin's sesame muffins. The gray squirrel eats acorns at midnight.

Did you catch the Muppet references? How long did it take you? That long, huh? Well, maybe you'll have more luck with the next test.

In this test, there are 100 images. Hidden in the faces are 10 Muppets. See how fast you can spot them all! Well? What are you doing still reading this? Go find Muppets!!
Did you find all ten? Hooray! Now for the final part of the test. Blindfold yourself and go to your local toy store. Wait, maybe you should blindfold yourself after driving to the toy store. Now, ask the elderly toy store employee to lead you to the preschool toy aisle. As fast as you can, rip off your blindfold and purchase at least $50 worth of Sesame Street merchandise. I would suggest the TMX Cookie Monster and anything with that adorable Abby Cadabby on it. Then run it back home and mail them to: Joe, c/o ToughPigs.com, Anytown, USA.

Did you do it? Well then congratulations, you just confirmed that you indeed have The Sixth Sense! Please be advised, you must follow the sacred code that goes along with having The Sixth Sense. You must never use your powers for evil. If the need arises, you may don tights and a cape to fight crime, but only if there isn't already a Superman knockoff in your hometown. And lastly, be excellent to each other.
Click here to smell this article on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fanaticism

This is part two of two of NicheMuppet. Click here to read part one! And now, some more made-up Muppets.

Skinny Blue, created by Quinn R
Target audience: Celebrities

Quinn says: "Skinny Blue" is a Paparazzi weasel who's new to Sesame Street. The paparazzi realized that Sesame Street was a magnet for celebrities, and sent this blue-furred cretin to get some exclusive pictures. Somehow he became convinced that Oscar was related to the Academy Awards, and won't leave him alone. With all the spoiled starlets out there, I figured that Sesame Street needs to make them feel like paparazzi are okay and misunderstood, much like Count von Count and Cookie Monster did for vampires and googly-eyed beasts.

Upside-Down Steve, created by Joe H
Target audience: Kids who walk on their hands

Joe says: You know what kids really love? Walking on their hands! You know what they love even more? Muppets who walk on their hands! Upside-down Steve has been walking on his hands for so long, he has forgotten how to walk upright. Oh, that crazy Steve! Most of his storylines involve looking for his missing shoe, which is ironic since he has no need for shoes.

Sister Mary Monster, created by Michal R
Target audience: Viewers seeking wholesomeness
Michal says: If you've taken part in the recent clamoring for a return to family values on television, we'd like to direct your full attention to Sister Mary Monster. Mary occasionally stops in at Hooper's for a nice, tall glass of milk, but generally tends to mind her own business unless someone needs something to count. She doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke, she doesn't swear, and she doesn't engage in premarital sex. Or sex of any sort. Which, considering that she's a Muppet, should be a given, but a surprising number of viewers consider this guarantee extremely valuable.

Reggie Monster, created by Leighanne M
Target audience: Sticklers

Leighanne says: Meet Reggie the Monster, who loves rules & regulations and makes his living updating them to suit the modern stickler. One of his favorite topics is food safety regulations, and he's lobbying hard to get the Five Second Rule legally amended to .05 seconds for barber shops.

Artie, created by Kyle W
Target audience: Artists

Kyle says: Artie is a full body Muppet character with brownish fur. He loves to draw and paint. He moved to Sesame Street from Paris, and he wears a striped white and red shirt and a beret. He's a little older than Big Bird, and has always wanted to be a famous artist. He's fun but also doesn't like criticism. Artie is fond of Baby Bear, who loves to draw with him. They both enjoy having fun with Hero Guy, and Artie really enjoys living on Sesame Street.

Naked Nate, created by Ryan R
Target audience: Nudists

Ryan says: Although characters like Big Bird and Snuffy never wear clothes, Nate will be the first humanoid Muppet to go au naturale. He just prefers to be nude, that's all. Like most Sesame Street Muppets, Nate is normally only seen from the waist up, so there’s no need for concern over indecent exposure. But if the script ever calls for a wide shot, Nate’s unmentionable areas can simply be blocked out with a black censoring bar, which may be adorned with the number or letter of the day. Nate loves grabbing lunch at Hooper’s Store, but he’s run up a massive tab because he never has any cash on him, due to the fact that a naked dude has no pockets.

Unseen Muppet, created by Quinn R
Target audience: Agoraphobes

Quinn says: This Muppet is really just a pair of eyes up in a window on Sesame Street--an agoraphobe who would like to be out playing with Elmo, Big Bird, and others, but can't bring himself to come out of his apartment and interact with them. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of him, but he's usually just out of sight. This will send a message of some kind to the agoraphobic children of the U.S. that yes, they have a problem, but there are millions of others out there just like them. In their apartments.

Milkie, created by Joe H
Target audience: POG collectors

Joe: The year is 1992 and POGs are all the rage! Every kid in America had to collect as many as they could and bury their friends in the fiercest of competitions. There was no badge more honorable than that of your favorite pop culture characters and actors on small circular bits of cardboard. So Sesame Workshop created a Muppet to cater to POG-loving kids. Unfortunately, Milkie debuted in the fall of 1999, long after the death of both the POG fad and the retro-POG fad. Milkie is currently living out her days at the Muppet Workshop, keeping a wobbly desk stable.

Guitar Hero Guy, created by Michal R
Target audience: Guitar Hero experts

Michal says: For the all the Guitar Hero addicts out there who would watch Sesame Street, if only they could wrench their fingers away from their consoles long enough to change the channel, Guitar Hero Guy is not necessarily eager to be your friend, unless you’ve brought your own controller. Muppets and humans alike from the Sesame gang periodically approach this enigmatic little animated fellow, hoping to cajole him into singing the Alphabet Song or even to eat lunch, only to be rebuffed with remarks usually lost under the deafening strains of a Van Halen cover.

Connie, created by Leighanne M
Target audience: Muppet performers