There are many things that are Muppets. These things include Lew Zealand, The Two-Headed Monster, Boober Fraggle, and every member of The Electric Mayhem.
There are many things that are not Muppets, but come close. These things include Labyrinth‘s Hoggle, The Dark Crystal‘s Fizzgig, Earth to Ned‘s Ned, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (from their first two films, and no others).
There are many other things that are not Muppets, and not almost-Muppets. Earlier this week, we asked our Twitter followers “What isn’t a Muppet, but FEELS like it should be a Muppet?” So thanks to you, we now have a definitive (yet incomplete) list of things that are not Muppets.
Yoda / Baby Yoda
Yoda is not a Muppet, despite being performed by Frank Oz. Baby Yoda is also not a Muppet, and we’re like 85% sure he’s not performed by Frank Oz either.
So, what is Yoda / Baby Yoda? They’re Star Wars creatures, both build by Industrial Light and Magic. We’ll call them… Swuppets.
ALF
ALF is not a Muppet, despite being the star of a popular sitcom during the height of the Muppets’ popularity in the 1980s.
So, what is ALF? He’s a unique creation by performer Paul Fusco. We’ll call him a… Melmacuppet.
The Phillie Phanatic
The Phillie Phanatic is not a Muppet, despite being created by Muppet designer Bonnie Erickson, who designed characters like Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, and Zoot.
So, what is the Phillie Phanatic? He’s a sports mascot who doesn’t even have a working mouth. We’ll call him a… Phuppet.
Barney the Dinosaur
Barney the Dinosaur is not a Muppet. He’s some sort of prehistoric beast brought back to life millions of years after his kind died in a fiery blaze, all for the education and terror of young children.
So, what is Barney? He’s a purple monstrosity created by Sheryl Leach. We’ll call him a… Tyrannosaurus Ruppet.
Glove and Boots
The puppet stars of webseries Glove and Boots are not Muppets, despite the stars Mario and Fafa giving off some strong Gonzo and Rizzo vibes.
So, what are Glove and Boots? They’re the creations of Damien Eckhardt-Jacobi and Vincent Bova, who haven’t made any new videos in a year, and they really should get back into it. We’ll call them… Glubbets.
Eureeka’s Castle
The cast of Eureeka’s Castle are not Muppets, even though literally the entire cast and crew were Muppet-related people.
So, what is Eureeka’s Castle? The puppets were built by veteran puppeteer and puppet builder Jim Kroupa. We’ll call them… Krouppets.
The MST3K Robots
The robots of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are not Muppets, even though they live in a theater and spoof popular culture by reveling in how bad it is (therefore, somehow, making it good again?).
So, what are the MST3K robots? They were built (both in real life and in-universe) by Joel Hodgson. We’ll call them… MSTuppets.
Shoebill Storks
Shoebill storks are not Muppets, although if one popped up in the background during a musical moment between Miss Piggy and special guest star Bruce Forsyth, you likely wouldn’t have batted an eye.
So, what is a shoebill stork? It’s a giant bird, created by a god with a sense of humor. We’ll call them… Storkets.
Gritty
Gritty is not a Muppet. He seems to be some sort of anti-Muppet, cursed to bear the googly eyes of his forefathers until the arrival of Ragnarok.
So, what is Gritty? He’s another sports mascot – for the Philadelphia Flyers – designed by Brian Allen. We’ll call him a… Gruppet.
John Mulaney, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Wendy Williams, John Oliver, Lady Gaga, Mr. Rogers
None of these people are Muppets, but each one got at least a few mentions in response to our tweet. Each of them may have a certain Muppetiness to their personalities, but the fact that everyone on this list has actually worked with the Muppets doesn’t prove that they have a felt bone in their bodies.
So, what are these people? They’re human beings, created by their biological parents. I won’t explain how – that’s not my job. We’ll call them… people. They are people.
Jason Segel
Jason Segel may have thought he was a Muppet, but he is a man. He sang a whole song about it. See above answer.
Muppet fans
Many, many of your responded to our question of “What isn’t a Muppet, but FEELS like it should be a Muppet?” with yourselves. And while almost all of you are probably human, we regret to inform you that Muppet fans are not Muppets. However, if you want to call yourself a Muppet, there’s literally nothing I can do to stop you.
So, what are Muppet fans? Simply the best.
Click here to be an honorary Muppet on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
