My life was never quite the same after I watched Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas for the first time as a child. Never before had I seen a story that so encapsulated the holiday spirit without getting preachy or dumb, but also including incredible songs and that patented Henson quality.
As the years went by, it was a little shocking to learn that the movie didn’t have the same effect on the rest of the world. Emmet Otter was a hidden gem, only accessible by diehard Muppet fans. It wasn’t exciting enough for some people, and it wasn’t filled with enough recognizable characters to draw in the casual Muppet fans. Mostly, it was just hard to find the special at all.
But it’s 2018! The times, they are a-changing! While we weren’t looking, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas became a sleeper hit! Now it’s everywhere, and everyone loves the crap out of it.
Look, I don’t to be that guy who says “I was a fan before it was cool”, but I was totally a fan before it was cool.
This new lovefest started with the announcement that, for the first time ever, the Emmet Otter soundtrack will be released. It’s like a light bulb went off above the collective minds of the nation, and the wonderful songs were poised to re-enter the zeitgeist. Cut to a few months later when the album was released on vinyl, exclusive to just 2,000 copies on Record Store Day, and suddenly it’s a best seller. (Personally, I called every record store in two cities and couldn’t find a copy. I only got one for myself thanks to a generous friend who found an extra in Madison, Wisconsin. Getting that record was more difficult than finding Carmen Sandiego.)
Who knew that the soundtrack to this (not actually) forgotten Henson special would be so popular? Is it because people see Muppets and are compelled to buy? Or that the word “Christmas” in the title is a call-to-action for anyone who collects music for the holidays? Or did everyone who wanted it buy all the copies they could find? I hate to say it, but in this case, the lack of Muppet merchandise availability is a good problem to have.
It also helps that Emmet Otter, along with a holiday-themed episode of Fraggle Rock is coming to theaters as a Fathom Event on December 10th and 16th. I don’t know about you, but I never thought I’d see those two in an official theatrical release. Honestly, I can’t wait to see them on the big screen along with full audiences of Otter fans.
Recently, we learned that Emmet Otter will also be released on Blu-ray for the first time. I’m also seeing more bootleg t-shirts and Etsy projects popping up online. For the first time in my life, I’m seeing scores of other people on the internet expressing their love for this heartfelt movie that I’ve obsessed over, and it’s miraculous.
It’s also shocking to see any websites other than the so-very-few Muppet fan sites talking about Emmet Otter at all. But recently, there has been some fantastic coverage, including this wonderful interview with Paul Williams on Yahoo, an oral history of the film on SyFy, coverage on The AV Club and more. It’s heartening to see some of the things we discuss year-round on mainstream websites like those.
Earlier this week, I attended a live Q&A with Paul Williams at the Museum of the Moving Image. Paul, as you know, wrote the music for Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (as well as The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Letters to Santa). During this Q&A, Paul spoke about the inception for several of the songs and collaborating with Jim Henson. Highlights included thoughts on the timeless Americana tone of these songs, his inspiration of being a touring musician for the Riverbottom Nightmare Band’s raucous song, and memories of writing the lost song, “Born in a Trunk” (which is included on the soundtrack).
I especially loved hearing Paul speak about Jim Henson’s influence. Not just his presence while in production, but also Jim’s place in our appreciation of the film today. Paul likened Emmet and Ma’s struggle with the loss of Pa Otter with one we deal with today as Muppet fans. The patriarch of our family is gone, and in many ways, we’re struggling. But the show must go on, and we can pay homage to him with our sense of partnership and community. It’s a beautiful sentiment, and I don’t think I’ll ever watch the film the same way again.
It makes me think about why we’ve gone so long without much chatter about this holiday classic. Maybe it’s because it’s always felt “old”, by design for sure. And now, we’re far enough away from 1977 that we can appreciate the nostalgia for both the time period and the filmmaking style.
Maybe because we’re living in a time where the world outside is dark and disturbing, and Emmet Otter reminds us that family is more important than greed, and there is joy in a simple life, with simple puppets.
Or maybe appreciation just takes time. Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a lot like Ma an Emmet’s songs in the talent show. People sure seemed to love it at the time, but they still lost to the flashier Riverbottom Gang. It took time (not to mention good timing) for them to find success with their art, and everyone is happier in the end, despite the initial disappointment.
Here’s hoping Emmet Otter‘s success continues. I hope the world won’t forget the residents of Frogtown Hollow, and the film stays in everyone’s lives for many Christmases to come.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
