Tough Pigs Anthology

 

The Decline and Fall of Gorch

Part One: The Decline

June 2002

   

The Gorch Anthology

Anthology Contents

 

Chapter 1.  Ploobis is Mildly Annoyed

 

in which Ploobis and Scred 

are sent to The Mighty Favog 

for medical advice

 

(October 11, 1975 -- host George Carlin)

 

 

[ The camera pans across a deserted, rocky landscape -- craters filled with smoky, bubbling slime. ]

 

Announcer

 

 

Come with us now... from the bubbling tarpits to the sulfurous wasteland... from the rotting forest to the stagnant mud flats...

 

Ploobis

 

[ singing ] From the bubbling tarpits... to the sulfurous wasteland... This land was made for me! And me only! Cause I am Ploobis! King of all I survey.  [ Ploobis reaches into a crater and picks up a phone receiver. ] Scred! Scred!

 

[ Scred enters. ]

 

Scred

 

Yes, oh high supreme mucky muck, sir!

 

Ploobis

 

Scred, I'm hungry.

 

Scred

 

Ohh... what would please your flatulence?

 

[ Ploobis grabs Scred by the throat. ]

 

Ploobis

 

FOOD! See, I'm hungry -- and when I get hungry, I get a headache. [ He shakes Scred by the throat a bit. ] And when I get a headache, I get, uh...

 

Scred

 

Furious?

 

Ploobis

 

No.

 

Scred

 

Angry?

 

Ploobis

 

[ shaking Scred ]  NO!

 

Scred

 

Cranky!

 

Ploobis

 

NO!

 

Scred

 

Peevish!

 

Ploobis

 

NO!

 

Scred

 

Irked!

 

Ploobis

 

NO!

 

Scred

 

MILDLY ANNOYED!

 

Ploobis

 

That's IT!  [ He releases Scred, who gasps for breath. ]

 

Scred

 

Oh, thank you, sire.

 

Ploobis

 

I get mildly annoyed when I don't have food.

 

Scred

 

I'll see to it immediately, your grossness.

 

 

 

[ Scred slinks off. ]

 

Ploobis

 

Hmmm. This is something Peuta should have taken care of.

 

 

 

[ Queen Peuta enters, shrieking. ]

 

Peuta

 

I heard that!  [ Ploobis winces. ]  I don't have time to worry about your food. Especially in my condition.

 

Ploobis

 

Mmmm.

 

Peuta

 

I said, especially in my condition.

 

Ploobis

 

Especially in your condition.

 

Peuta

 

Yes.

 

Ploobis

 

Rrgh. What do you expect me to do about it? You're too old to molt.

 

Peuta

 

Arrgh! Oh, Ploobis -- I don't know what my problem is. I'm just not in the swing of things. You see... I'm having tremendous difficulty releasing my darts. 

 

Ploobis

 

Releasing your darts. Urrgh. What should I do about it?

 

 

 

[ Scred enters and hides behind Ploobis. ]

 

Peuta

 

Go to The Mighty Favog. He's the only one who can relieve my pain.

 

Ploobis

 

Mmm. Your pain is my pain, m'dear.

 

Peuta

 

I'm going to lie down now. Perhaps the darts will loosen.

 

 

 

[ Peuta exits. ]

 

Scred

 

Uh, would it help if I massaged your moogies?  [ Ploobis grabs Scred. ]  Ow ow ow ow! Only joking, only kidding, your majesty!

 

Ploobis

 

Don't say it if you don't mean it.  [ He releases Scred. ]

 

Scred

 

Yes, sire.

 

 

 

[ Scred exits, and Vazh enters, bearing food. ]

 

Ploobis

 

Ah, there you are.

 

Vazh

 

Here's your food, Ploobis!

 

Ploobis

 

Well, thank you, Vazh -- what've you got here? Grrrh... [ Ploobis can't get the prop turkey leg off Vazh's hand. This is one of the problems with live TV puppetry. Vazh falls partly out of shot as Ploobis grabs the meat. ]  Let go of it, would you? Mmmm.  [ He tastes the meat. ]  Tastes like boiled Kleenex. Mmph. This tastes familiar -- is this anyone I know? 

 

Vazh

 

Will you want dessert, Ploobis?

 

Ploobis

 

Unnnh. What I want, Angel Buns -- is not on the menu.  [ He embraces her. ]  C'mere, you. Ohhh. Yeah. Oh, sweetheart. Mmm.

 

 

 

[ Peuta enters and interrupts. ]

 

Peuta

 

Ploobis! What are you doing?

 

 

 

[ Ploobis starts, throwing Vazh to the floor with a crash. ]

 

Ploobis

 

Ah! Well, uh -- excuse me, ma'am.  [ Vazh gets up, cradling her head. ]  Uh. I was just on my way to The Mighty Favog, y'see.

 

 

 

[ GONNGGG! The Mighty Favog is revealed. ]

 

Favog

 

DIS IS THE MIGHTY FAVOG. HOW MANY IN YOUR PARTY?

 

 

 

[ Ploobis and Scred approach respectfully. ]

 

Ploobis

 

Uh... one! Me and Scred.

 

Favog

 

TALK TA ME.

 

Ploobis

 

Oh, Mighty Favog! I got a problem.

 

Favog

 

BUSINESS, SPORTS OR PERSONAL?

 

Ploobis

 

Uh... Scred?

 

Scred

 

Medical, your grossness.

 

Ploobis

 

Oh, Mighty Favog, it's medical.

 

Favog

 

MEDICAL.

 

Ploobis

 

Mmm.

 

Favog

 

IT'S GONNA COST YA.

 

 

 

[ Ploobis looks uneasily at Scred. ]

 

Favog

 

THREE CHICKENS, TWO SWANS, AND A DUCK.

 

Ploobis

 

Holy guacamole. Whatcha got on you, Scred?

 

Scred

 

Just two chickens. But that's carfare home!

 

Ploobis

 

Oh Favog, I offer you two chickens -- it's all I've got!

 

Favog

 

BUSINESS IS SLOW. I'LL TAKE 'EM.

 

Ploobis

 

Hand him the chickens.

 

Scred

 

Oh, okay -- but phooey, anyway.  [ Scred holds two chickens over the sacrificial hole. ]  Are you ready?

 

Favog

 

LAY 'EM ON YOUR GOD!

 

Scred

 

Here they come! 

 

 

 

[ Scred drops the chickens into the hole. They land with a splash, and there's a flushing sound as The Mighty Favog digests the sacrifice. He smacks his lips. ]

 

Favog

 

AWRIGHT. STATE YOUR PROBLEM.

 

Ploobis

 

Oh, Mighty Favog! My charming wife Peuta can't release her darts.

 

Favog

 

MMMMM. AWRIGHT. YA READY?

 

P & S

 

We are ready, Oh Mighty Favog!

 

 

 

[ There's a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. ]

 

Favog

 

HERE IS THE ANSWER!

 

Ploobis

 

Yeah?

 

Favog

 

CHEER UP. THINGS COULD BE WORSE.

 

 

 

[ GONG!!! ]

 

Ploobis

 

For that, I paid two chickens?

 

Favog

 

LIKE I SAID -- CHEER UP, THINGS COULD BE WORSE. YOU COULDA PAID FOUR CHICKENS. NEXT!

 

 

 

[ Scred and Ploobis walk off. ]

 

Scred

 

You can't argue with that...

 

Ploobis

 

Yeah, but...

 

Favog

 

I'M HERE EVERY DAY! TELL YER FRIENDS!

 

 

Gorch Fact

   Vazh is performed by Fran Brill in all the other sketches -- but for this first Gorch sketch, the character is performed by another female puppeteer who I don't recognize. This puppeteer isn't named in any of the sources I looked at -- Jim Henson: The Works only lists Brill as Vazh's performer. At Muppetfest in December, even Jerry Nelson said that he doesn't remember who originally played Vazh. 

   Watching this first sketch, it's obvious why this mystery puppeteer never worked with Henson again -- she's terrible. Her problem with handing Ploobis the prop food is the most obvious flaw. She strikes weird, stiff poses throughout her brief appearance, and her line reads are stilted and too loud. When Ploobis drops Vazh, it looks like the puppeteer herself actually falls down -- and Ploobis' line "Excuse me, ma'am" may actually be Henson apologizing to the puppeteer for knocking her over. In general, it's one of the worst puppet performances in Muppet history. When Vazh appears next in the fourth sketch, Fran Brill takes over the character. 

   If anyone knows who this performer was, I'd love to know... and if she happens to read this, my apologies, and best wishes for whatever you're doing now. 

 

 

-- Coming soon --

The Mighty Favog provides fiscal assistance in

Chapter 2: The Brink of Default

 

 

The Gorch Anthology  --  Anthology Contents

 

 

Danny@ToughPigs.com