Monday 30 November 2009

MUPPET MADNESS

What gift Jim Henson bequeathed to us all! The Muppets are - and always will be - totally and indispensably part of our lives.

Back in 1977, Kermit the Frog's nephew, Robin, sang 'Halfway Down the Stairs' (Words from A A Milne's When We Were Very Young, set to music by H Fraser-Simpson) which, incredibly, made it into the British Top 10 and earned an appearance on the BBC TV show Top of the Pops...



And just last week, the Muppets demonstrated their staying power with their hilarious rendition of the Queen anthem, 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which is, at the same time, a witty pastiche of the original Queen video.

Supposing you have never, hitherto, contemplated the similarities between Freddy Mercury and Rowlf, now's the time to do so!

If you missed this gem, here it is; and if you didn't (and with 3.5 million hits in two days that would hardly be surprising) here it is again...



PURE GENIUS!!

8 comments:

Good Dog said...

Absolute genius. Beaker rocks!

Although watching it just before switching off the computer and retiring for the night I just know I'm going to have some strange, strange dreams.

Supposing you have never, hitherto, contemplated the similarities between Freddy Mercury and Rowlf, now's the time to do so!

I suspect there are Media Studies students who are going to make this the subject of their thesis.

Suzanne said...

Fan-flaming-tastic! Thanks for that early morning giggle!

Brian Sibley said...

GOOD DOG - If you move very fast, you could be the one to get the bursary to study the topic for three years... :-)

SUZANNE - You're entirely welcome!

SharonM said...

What I can't figure, is how they managed to keep Miss Piggy out of the limelight for so much of the video!

Brian Sibley said...

The Frog's probably been on an Assertive Management course.

Boll Weavil said...

No arguments - just brilliant ! Its worth saying, yet again, that the Muppets are unique.Yes, as this clip shows, they are very funny but they also do sentiment in a totally convincing and genuine way. Who else could do 'Halfway Up the Stair' and make it so appealing ? Who else could treat the death of Tiny Tim in 'A Christmas Carol' with such obvious and simple sincerity it knocks flat every single other filmed version there is ! And supporting all that is the equality that runs through everything they do - all the Muppet Shows and Sesame Street. Every character, for all his or her eccentricities, is given a fair go - even if, like Beaker or Fozzy, we delight in their total inability.The universality of that acceptance of species and ability somehow conveys a sense of togetherness and goodness that is sadly lacking in humankind but which, displayed in these creatures, carries the message of Jim Henson ever onwards.... and I say God Bless 'em !
REOPYR : A paragraph or essay that successfully conveys a sentiment shared by all that previously has only been conveyed succinctly and accurately in a single sentence.

Andy Latham said...

I honestly think that The Muppets are without a doubt one of the greatest things to ever be done with moving pictures. I struggle to think of many shows that are as universally adored as our furry friends.

And we're at the right time of year to appreciate Henson's genius and what he has inspired in others - how much more powerful is "A Christmas Carol" when performed by simple puppets than it is with millions of dollars of motion capture technology?

I'd like to share my favourite photo of Jim Henson:
http://www.anniefightsfear.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/hensonkermit_big.jpg

Brian Sibley said...

How right you are, BOLL and ANDY. You both (independently) said the same thing in as many words.

The Muppets' mutual respect and tolerance for one another is a lesson to many an organization to which I belong... ;-)