Original air date: May 15, 1970
Let’s not waste any time: the Diana Ross episode of The Muppet Show is a really good piece of television. It’s got good jokes based around the theme of a particularly angry audience, with good moments from all of your favorites. And of course, it’s got some amazing music thanks to the appearance of not one, but two legendary singers.
Of course, Diana Ross is an all-star. The former Supreme has terrific vocal range, some classic singles, and an incredible stage presence. She’s one of those stars who is having a blast performing with the Muppets, cracking up at some very terrible jokes and enthusiastically yelling each of their names to encourage them to sing along. The cool rehearsal version of “Last Time I Saw Him” is worth the price of admission alone (if you could pay for admission, because, y’know, Disney doesn’t want us to see these episodes or whatever). Diana Ross is great.
But Diana Ross is only the second-most important singer in this episode, because the UK spot of this one features Beaker singing “Feelings.” If you’ve been on the Muppet Internet as long as I have (which is, of course, as long as there was a Muppet Internet), you’ll remember that this video was a meme back in the late 2000s. In 2007, there was a version of this clip that had been redubbed so Beaker was singing Coldplay’s “Yellow.” (You see, it was 2007, so we all loved Coldplay.) In 2008, this clip was redubbed so that Beaker was singing Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” (You see, it was 2008, so we all thought this song was the funniest thing of all time. You… you had to be there.) I don’t remember it, but in 2011, the clip reappeared, now dubbed so that Beaker was singing “Enter Sandman.” Sure. Why not? It’s Beaker! It’s funny!
Honestly, because of the relative rarity of this episode, these clips were probably all I had seen of this sketch for a long time. Watching it now in its original form, it’s legitimately hilarious. Sometimes I worry the “Beaker-sings-a-normal-song-but-he-can’t-talk” bit will get old, but it honestly doesn’t. Richard Hunt puppeteers Beaker with such verve and gusto that you can’t help but feel his feelings, you know? And the friendship between Animal and Beaker, as Animal rushes in to protect Beaker from an irate audience, is also genuinely sweet in a way that Beaker is not usually awarded.
So what’s there to say? This clip is great. It’s great in its original form. It’s great when it’s overdubbed so that Beaker is singing with the voice of Chris Martin. It would be great in any form, pretty much. People loved it 13 years ago, when YouTube was just a weird fledgling video site for sharing your trip to the zoo. People probably loved it 40 years ago, when Diana Ross’s great songs were interrupted by an even better one. I’m sure people would love it today. It just reminds me that the Muppets could still go viral instantly if these clips would just be…out there. Oh well, now I’ve gone and made myself sad again. Feelings, huh?
MVM (Most Valuable Muppet): I fancy myself something of an expert on Muppet monsters, so I’m going to take this moment to remind you that the Bossmen are always impressive and cool. It’s always a treat to see them and their appearance in “Love Hangover” is no exception.
Best Joke: Kermit pleas “There must be somebody stupid enough to go out there and face that audience.” Immediately, we hear Gonzo’s signature “whoosh” sound effect as the stupidest of all of them emerges from stage right. The timing is perfect.
Worst Joke: Did you hear about the soft drink made out of acorns? It’s called… Oak-a Cola. (Admittedly, this one is supposed to be bad in the context of the show. But that’s bad.)
Most Classic Moment: Uh, I think I made this pretty obvious.
Musical Highlight: I’ve said enough about “Feelings,” so I’ll take a moment to remind you not to ignore “The Last Time I Saw Him.” Floyd’s groovy bassline is really something else here.
Adultiest Content: I mean, the song is called “Love Hangover.”
One More Thing: Hey, click this link for an unbelievable new Muppet video they just made where they all perform the theme from Hamilton.
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by Evan G.
