Where would Johnny Carson be without Ed McMahon? Or Larry Sanders without Hank Kingsley? How funny would Tool Time be without Al Borland chiming in with a well-timed “I don’t think so, Tim!”? And I couldn’t imagine Conan O’Brien without Andy Richter – y’know, except for the break he took from 2000 to 2009. (Actually maybe that’s a bad example, Conan was just fine.)
Sidekicks are an important part of late night television and our beloved Up Late with Miss Piggy is certainly no exception. Lucky for us, we’ve got the best in the business – Fozzie Bear! He’s got all the makings of a top-notch late night sidekick, and we’re here to break it down for you as to why he’s undeniably (and unbearably) the best!
Warm-Up:
Oftentimes sidekicks are also the warm-up comics, the first faces audiences see that get them laughing and ready for all the fun they’re about to have watching a live taping. And have you noticed how much the Up Late audience is always laughing? That’s all thanks to Fozzie Bear getting them primed and ready!
Now I know what you’re thinking: how could Fozzie possibly beat Hank Kingsley’s brilliant “Applesauce!” joke? Easy – Fozzie turned it into a Lady Gaga joke! I attended a live taping recently and Fozzie began with this witty banter:
“You folks see that flashing sign up there? Now, that sign says “Applause.” And no, that doesn’t mean that Lady Gaga is going to come out and sing her hit song. It means we want you to clap! Bobo, do me a favor. Could you flick that once? All right, good clapping! Now remember. You’re all a big part of the show, so the better you are, the better Piggy is!”
What class! What humor! What relevance! Everybody remembers that Lady Gaga song and everyone knows that nothing goes together like the Muppets and Lady Gaga! Oh boy, that Fozzie!
Banter:
Speaking of witty banter, a good late night t.v. sidekick adds in a joke or two to help out the host. A GREAT late night t.v. sidekick adds in lots of jokes, whether the host knows they need them or not! And boy does Fozzie have jokes. Lots of jokes. Too many jokes one might say, if one were not me. But I’m me and I love every joke Fozzie has ever told.
Podium:
Look at Steve Higgins on the set of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. What a paltry podium.
Now look at Fozzie. That’s real mahogany, folks. Beautifully lacquered and brilliantly painted. And that subtle lighting – Amazing! It’s just no contest.
Sketches:
Every successful late night show knows that a key component is a well-done sketch, and every Up Late with Miss Piggy fan knows that a key component in every well-done sketch is Mr. Fozzie Bear! I could go on and on about how many brilliant sketches Fozzie has been a part of in this year alone (“Bear on Patrol: New Orleans” was a particular highlight for me), but I don’t need to preach to this choir. It would be ridiculous to have a show starring the Muppets and not let them do sketches. Ridiculous! So of course we all know how important sketches are to Up Late and how Fozzie has been killing it in them lately. Take that, Andy Richter!
Catchphrase:
Ed McMahon had his “Hiyo!” Hank Kingsley had his “Hey now!” Andy Richter had his … um … “Hi, I’m Andy!” I think. But no catchphrase can hold a candle to Fozzie’s “Wocka wocka wocka.” Wocka wocka wocka (or WWW for short) will surely go down in history as the greatest punctuation to a joke. It elevates even the oldest vaudeville stand-by into the stratosphere of comedy.
Outshining the Host:
Every once in a while, a sidekick comes along who’s so brazen, so sharp, so fantastic, that they upstage the host. But not Fozzie! He’ll happily play second fiddle to Miss Piggy’s first chair violin any day of the week (twice on Thursday since they don’t tape episodes on Fridays). Because while we love Fozzie, we love Miss Piggy even more – heck, we’re contractually obligated to as the premiere destination for Up Late with Miss Piggy on the internet! A contract Miss Piggy herself forced us to sign!
So overall, how does Fozzie rank among other late night t.v. sidekicks? It’s clear that Fozzie always comes out on top. He’s funny, fierce, and furry to boot! There’s no topping Fozzie Bear, and we’re all lucky to have him to help Up Late with Miss Piggy reach the highest heights every week. Thanks, Fozzie!
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by Matt Wilkie
