Just about to post that myself. They weren't anything like the Sesame Street or the later Muppet Show characters, but it gives an idea of the sort of creative edge of comedy and performing where Henson wanted to be.
I remember those SNL Muppets. The 'Let's try to to do gross and physical humor with muppets' sketches. Then after they destroyed the set they kept bringing them back in other sketches out of the misguided idea they were lovable. Now, Dark Crystal on the other hand.
Long Livern der Sveedish Chef. Oom paar geer de hoom berdershkedoo....heer por daar haar ke goom....bork bork bork!
Seriously, what IS up with the Muppets?? They always act like they've got someone's hand up their butts . . .
I remember Rowlf the piano playing dog from the Jimmy Dean show in the mid 60s. Sesame Street introduced its gang of Muppets, including Kermit, who had been around for years prior. The Muppet Show took all that one step further with many new characters. Jim Henson and Frank Oz. That's a pair to draw to.
I'm sure there are some who might be "bothered" to see the Muppets motor vehicles lately, but those people are likely unaware Jim Henson creations were used to promote products like Wilkins Coffee as far back as 1957. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPUwPKThFxU So, in a way, they are returning to their roots. Sincerely, Bill
^ That's right! They were selling stuff! At least they did not try to sell cigarettes back then, like Fred Flintstone & Barney did!
Do you mean bothered to see the Muppets promoting motor vehicles? I'm used to seeing them doing commercials, but what bugs me about the recent car commercials are the terrible lyrics. The refrain "No, we ain't got no room for boring" has awful rhythm; the stress should be on "room" but instead it's on "no," and the "room for" is just crammed into a single beat. It's a very annoying, badly written song.
5 seconds after Henson died there stopped being one, & it's fully possible they'll fade away eventually, but until then, the nostalgia is always received well, they always manage to remain relevant, & if nothing else, they can always belong on childrens television in the Sesame Street venue, but mass appeal like they once knew is unlikely. They are an analog concept competing in a digital age, and as lovable as they are, they don't match the flash
As I've said, for their time they were very "flashy" and cutting-edge. Henson was an innovator in television/film technique and special effects, and if he were still alive, he'd still be on the vanguard.
Between Muppets in Space and the 2011 film weren't there a few TV specials and youtube music videos? And regarding CGI, I'm pretty sure Muppets Most Wanted used for Constantine's leaps and dancing.
Clumsily worded on my part. But, yes, I've encountered a few people who thought the Muppets were "selling out" (as the old expression goes) for promoting products for purchase. In (hopefully polite) rebuttal, I tell those individuals about the Wilkins Coffee commercials, some of which date back to 1957. Sincerely, Bill
Yep, and they didn't exactly necessarily hasten the production of a new movie or series. It did strike me the other day that, IP rights notwithstanding, SNL might be the ideal home to today's Muppets - they could do a sketch or two per ep, enough to keep current and produce regular viral content when particular skits land, but not have the burden of producing full half-hour shows on the own to an audience that might not be willing to watch that much puppet stuff.