Who's up for a newsbit or twosbit? Yes, this is the caliber of jokes I will be telling in this article. Feel free to just look at the pretty pictures.
Every year, Sesame Workshop holds a gala, and every year they neglect to invite me (I'm sure it just got lost in the mail, right Joan Ganz Cooney??). This year, to celebrate the big four-oh, Brian Williams hosted the event, which included famous folks like Sheryl Crow, Al Roker, and Joel Schumacher. New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was also on hand to accept a special honor for appearing in Letters to Santa last year. The surprise of the night was a special video recorded by former Presidential nominee Barack Obama. I'm sure glad I voted for a guy who loves Sesame Street.
Now that you've read a few issues of The Muppet Show Comic Book, and you're all primed for Muppet Robin Hood, check out the first details from Muppet Peter Pan! In the comic, Kermit will play the part of Mary Martin, Piggy will lose a lot of weight to portray Tinkerbell, Gonzo will embrace the obvious jokes about his nose as Captain Hook, and Robin, Janice, Scooter, and Bean Bunny will trade duties as the kids who run away from home without a clean set of underwear. There's no release date set yet, but the comic will most likely come out immediately following the end of Muppet Robin Hood.
Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and other characters (I'm gonna guess at least one performed by Joey Mazzarino) will appear on A Capitol Fourth, a PBS special filmed in front of the Capitol Building in Washington DC on July 4th. I'm not sure when it will air in countries that don't have a Fourth of July.
A little birdie told another little birdie, who then told an albatross, who told Kevin Bacon, who told me that Archaia Comics will soon be publishing Fraggle Rock comic books. With the success BOOM! Studios is having with the Muppet comics, this seems like a no-brainer. But if it turns out to be a false rumor, then maybe they can just reprint the old Fraggle Rock comics from the 80s. And here's a better idea: They shouldn't do that, because those comics were terrible.
Kermit Culture, an academic anthology peering deep into the cellular structure of the Muppets, just became available from McFarland Publishing. The book features one article written by ToughPigs' own Andrew Leal, so kudos to him! Unfortunately, because it's an academic text, you probably won't see this book on shelves, so if you're interested, you'll have to buy it online. The nice thing about that is that you feel a certain air of superiority when you order academic texts while in just your underwear.
Oscar (the grouch) appeared on an ABC special earlier this week called "Un-Broke: What You Need to Know About Money." Unfortunately, I'm a big stupidhead and I forgot to watch, so I have no idea what it was all about. Un-unfortunately, ToughPigs' own Ryan Mead is much less of a stupidhead and watched the program. Says Ryan, "Oscar's sketch was about the importance of having stocks in your retirement account, and there were a few amusing bits here and there, such as Oscar explaining he hopes to move out of his trash can and retire to a Dumpster someday, and the revelation that his poor portfolio (Enron, etc.) is due to the fact that, not surprisingly, his only 'investing' is stock certificates that other people threw out in his can." I couldn't have said it better myself. Seriously.
Former Jim Henson Company President and CEO Charlie Rivkin was tapped by President Obama (did I mention how awesome that guy is?) to be the next US ambassador to France. That means he can park wherever he wants! What a great gig! Rivkin might seem like an odd choice to you , but his father was Kennedy's ambassador to Luxembourg and Johnson's ambassador to Senegal and Gambia, so ambassadoring must run in the family. I've got suspicions that he's only taking the job so he can secretly complete Kermit's World Tour. Quelle difference!
I have been waiting my entire life for someone to make a Super Grover shirt with just the logo, and MyPartyShirt.com made my dreams come true. I'm sure they made some mad money from just the folks who ordered it on the ToughPigs forum. I bought one, and it gave me the power to fly around the neighborhood. It did not, however, help me to land, so now I'm in traction. Maybe the shirt should come with a helmet.
Click here to park anywhere on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: news

So what’s all this I keep hearing about “going green?” People are going on and on about how recycling is good and carbon footprints are bad… or is it the other way around? Are my feet made of carbon? I don’t understand. You know what I need? I need somebody to explain the “green” movement to me as if I were three years old.

Well, I’m in luck, because there’s a new Sesame Street DVD out now called Being Green, which is all about saving our planet and crap like that. I couldn’t wait to find out about environmentalism, so I drove my Hummer to the video store, left it idling while I ran in to buy the DVD, then drove home and turned on all the lights in the house while I watched it.



With so few episodes of Sesame Street produced these days, these direct-to-video specials are like extra bonus episodes, and this one isn’t about to waste any of its running time... There are no opening credits, just the title, and then boom!, we’re on Sesame Street, where Elmo and Abby Cadabby are playing Hide and Seek.


Hey, remember when Zoe was Elmo’s best friend? Lately it sure looks like he’s ditched her for Abby. Man, Elmo’s so fickle. Or maybe Zoe was playing Hide and Seek with them, and she was so good at hiding that they never found her.

Anyway, the game is soon interrupted by a guy wearing a big, puffy globe. Why, it’s comic actor Paul Rudd, in the role of Mr. Earth! And he’s hosting the Earth-a-thon, a TV show that’s happening right here on Sesame Street!


So here are two things I like about this special: 1) They never try to pass Rudd off as being the actual planet Earth, or even the Spirit of the Earth or something silly like that. He comes right out and admits he’s “an actor in a ridiculously awkward Earth costume,” and it allows him some room to be loose and irreverent. 2) Every time anyone mentions the Earth-a-thon, they have to sing it, like this: “THE Earth-a-THOOOOON!” I highly recommend you do the same while reading this.

Elmo’s all like, “What the heck is an Earth-a-thon?” and Rudd explains that they’re taking calls from all over from people who want to help the Earth. Then he has to explain to Elmo and Abby what the Earth is. Man, those kids are stupid.

Of course, a telethon needs volunteers to answer the phone, and fortunately for us, three familiar monsters are standing by: Telly, Rosita, and Cookie Monster. One has to wonder: Who thought it would be a good idea to trust Cookie Monster with this job? I don’t think it’s an enormous spoiler to say that before the end of this DVD, the telephone will find its way inside Cookie’s mouth. (One of my favorite parts has Cookie struggling to focus on pledges rather than cookies while Rosita yells at him: “You’ve got to pull yourself together, Cookie!”)


The special goes back and forth between Paul Rudd and the Muppets on the street doing the Earth-a-thon – sorry, I mean “THE Earth-a-THOOOOON!” – and various films and cartoons with an environmental theme. So it’s a lot like an episode of the show. Some of the segments I had definitely seen before. Yep, they’re recycled, which is perfect for this video.

There’s a clip about kids planting trees in Turkey… one about some other kids making paper out of old clothes… and one about kids in New York City working on a garden. That one looks to be from the early-to-mid-90s, and I swear one of the kids is a young Rosario Dawson, who shows up onscreen for about one second.


And then there are some segments that look like they might be new, including a cartoon about people of all the colors of the rainbow joining together to help the Earth… At this point in my notes, I wrote “Sign me up for WORLD PEACE!” Oh, and one with an all-kid band doing a surprisingly rockin’ song about… well, I don’t remember what it was about. Compost heaps, maybe?

But hey, what’s going on here? We’re 17 minutes in and Elmo is still red! I thought the whole point of this video was that Abby accidentally turns Elmo green! Where’s Elmo screaming frantically, as seen in this amazing “Being Green mashup” video on YouTube?



(Speaking of that YouTube clip: I love that Sesame Workshop made this official promo for the DVD that looks exactly like something a fan would come up with just for kicks. It’s really smart to use internet video tricks to sell projects to fans on the internet… Muppet Studios did something similar with that “Glad All Over” lip-synching video to promote Letters to Santa, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more stuff like it in the future. Too bad none of the clips seen in the Being Green mashup are actually present on the DVD.)

A-ha, here we go. Elmo is inspired by the words of Mr. Earth, and says he wants to be green, so Abby obliges with a wave of her wand: “Make Elmo more green than we’ve ever seen!” At first, Elmo thinks it’s fun being the color of green paint and green beans, but when it becomes clear that Abby doesn’t know how to change him back (“Um, well, here’s the thing,” she says, “and you’re gonna laugh… I don’t know how to do that.”) he FREAKS THE HELL OUT. As seen above.


Will Elmo ever return to his normal color? Well, I’m not going to tell you, because that would COMPLETELY SPOIL THE ENDING, and I would never want to do that.

But I will answer the obvious question: When does the song “Bein’ Green” show up? And the answer is… never! Well, that’s not exactly true. When Elmo thinks he’s going to be green forever, he starts to sing the song, but Paul Rudd interrupts him after about a line and a half to sing a song about how it is, in fact, easy being green. I don’t mind that Kermit doesn’t show up. I wouldn’t expect him to, these days. But the title of this DVD is clearly meant to evoke the song, so would it have killed them to at least let Elmo finish a verse?


Misleading title aside, this is an entertaining special. Paul Rudd is clearly having a blast in that uncomfortable Earth suit, and I’m guessing a few of his funnier lines were ad-libbed. All the Muppets get to do what they do best – Oscar even shows up for one scene, in which he’s mean to Telly. Oscar being mean to Telly was a staple of Sesame Street during my childhood, so that moment was particularly enjoyable for me. Much more enjoyable than for Telly, anyway. They even manage to squeeze in a closing musical number... It’s pretty low-budget, but the performers really sell it, so you almost don’t notice.


But what about the “green” agenda? Will it inspire kids to save the planet? I don’t know… A four-year-old who hears Elmo saying it’s cool to pick up trash is probably not going to run out and adopt a highway. But it couldn’t hurt to plant the seed, much like those Turkish kids planted those trees. And maybe in time, as that seed matures, the kids who watch this video over and over will grow into responsible adult trees who try to reduce their carbon emissions instead of douchebag trees who throw empty bottles out the windows of their tree cars.

And you know what? Since I watched this special, I’ve been thinking a little more about turning off lights and not wasting water. I’m green! Thanks, Elmo and Paul Rudd!

Click here to freak the hell out about Elmo turning green on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: DVD, review, Sesame Street

As the only company putting out any Muppet content, BOOM! Studios is publishing a sister comic to The Muppet Show Comic Book. This Wednesday, they’re making Disney look bad by releasing Muppet Robin Hood, the first in a 4-issue miniseries (written by Tim Beedle and illustrated by Armand Villavert, Jr.) retelling the story of Kevin Costner fighting against Severus Snape. Of course, it’s hard to put anything up against the terrific quality of Roger Langridge’s Muppet Show comic, but would Robin Hood back down against that challenge? Heck no! I mean, I assume not. Maybe he turns out to be a sniveling coward by the fourth issue.

Your first thought when seeing this comic on the shelf might be one of déjà vu-ity. That’s probably because this is far from the first time Kermit has donned the be-feathered cap of Mr. Hood. He cavorted with the Merry Men in the Lynn Redgrave episode of The Muppet Show, and in 1980 he was illustrated in those famous tights in a book simply titled “Robin Hood.” And in the “it hardly counts” category, Baby Kermit appeared as a wee version of Robin Hood in Muppet Babies’ Classic Children’s Tales. Did the public really demand another iteration of the Muppets as the Robin Hood characters? Was BOOM! Studios even aware of these other variations? Should we even bother buying new comics that tell the same story we’ve heard so many times before? Well, yeah. It’s got Muppets in it.

The most refreshing part of the comic was the characterization of Kermit the Frog. He’s got a tough job, being responsible for moving the story along without becoming too much of a boring narrator. Tim Beedle does a great job at making Kermit funny, while keeping his characterization in a comfortable middle place between Jim Henson and Carey Elwes. And that's not an unpleasant place to be, folks.

You’ll notice that I’m calling the green dude “Kermit,” and not “Robin.” That’s a pretty sensitive subject, considering the multiple meanings of that name for the Muppets. Thankfully, Beedle nipped that one in the bud by turning it into a running gag for us fans to enjoy, rather than confuse or ignore. It kinda makes you happy that there’s not a Muppet named David of Doncaster, doesn’t it?

The bulk of the story covers Kermit’s initial meeting with the Sheriff of Nottingham, followed by the introduction of Little John and the Merry Men. Sam the Eagle and Sweetums are typecast as the Sheriff and Little, respectively, which is a nice break from the obvious choices of Gonzo and Fozzie, respectively. The Merry Men are a fun mix of fan favorites, including Lew Zealand, Janice, and Scooter, all of whom will be fun to see run amok in the next few issues. Respectively.

Another nice surprise is the background references and character cameos thrown in for Fans Like Us. One character in particular hasn’t been seen since season 1 of The Muppet Show. How’s that for a tease?

My only complaint is about the art. Armand Villavert’s work is competent for the most part, but some of his character illustrations might not sit well with fans. I thought his Kermit was top-notch, but Gonzo and Sweetums (both of whom are understandably difficult to draw) look a bit odd, and not odd in the ways they'd probably prefer to appear. On the other hand, his Rowlf and Janice come out perfectly, making me wish (as I always have) that they had more screentime (pagetime?). Of course, we were spoiled by the three cover art images by David Petersen, Shelli Paroline, and David Alvarez. If BOOM! is smart (and it sure seems like they are), they’ll get those cats to draw some interior art for future Muppet comics.

All in all, I enjoyed the first issue of Muppet Robin Hood. It’s a good addition to the long list of Muppet literary parodies that BOOM! seems to want to continue publishing (coming up next: Muppet Peter Pan). Normally I’d complain about the Muppets not being allowed to be themselves, but we’ve still got The Muppet Show Comic Book coming out every month, and Tim Beedle gets my seal of approval for letting everyone speak with their own voice, so I’d welcome this comic to my bookshelf or longbox.

Plus, it’s got Muppets in it. Go buy it.
Muppet Robin Hood #1 is solicited for May 27, 2009, but because of Memorial Day weekend, some stores may not have it in stock until May 28. Contact your local comic book store for more information.

Click here to steal from the rich on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: comics/magazines, review

This is a True Story:

In June 2008, I caught wind of an artist who was doing something unusual on her website: Ali Spagnola was offering to create paintings and ship them to people for exactly free. That's zero dollars free. I poked around and saw it was no hoax (she subsidizes the work with PayPal donations), so I dropped her an e-mail asking for a painting. I asked for something Muppet-related, and Ali could be creative with whatever she'd like to paint for me. About three seconds later, I completely forgot about sending the e-mail.

Eight months later (to the day!) I received an e-mail from Ali saying that my painting was finished and ready to ship. It seemed that 750 people were in line ahead of me, and free paintings are first-come first-served. A few days later, the painting below was delivered by the US Postal Service.
The day after getting the e-mail from Ali (but before receiving the painting in the mail), I got an e-mail from friend-of-ToughPigs, Thomas, who runs the Superman blog Say It Backwards. Thomas thought I'd enjoy hearing that he also received a painting from Ali. He requested a picture of his favorite Muppet, Beautiful Day Monster. Was it coincidence that put both of those e-mails in my inbox within a day of each other? Yeah, probably.
Jealous??? Click here to request a painting from Ali Spagnola (but keep in mind that she has a 400-person waiting list), and don't be stingy by ignoring her PayPal icon!

Special thanks to Ali and Thomas for their hard work!

Click here to discuss Doozers, Monsters, and watercolors on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art

Season 40 (FORTY!) of Sesame Street is scheduled to begin airing in November, which is, like, forever from now. But the Sesame folks have already gotten us excited by announcing all the guest stars who will be appearing this year. For the past few seasons, it seems like they've tried to cram a celebrity guest into every episode, which is lots of fun for parents and grown-up fans, and probably less fun for the children in the audience who have no idea who these people are.

Last year we held a poll to determine which upcoming guest star was generating the most excitement, and Neil Patrick Harris won in a landslide, taking 56% of the vote. And of course, he did a fantastic job in his role as the Shoe Fairy.

This year I want to know once again: Which upcoming celebrity appearance on Sesame Street is gonna be the awesomest?

Is it comic actor Ricky Gervais, whose interactions with Elmo promise to be a hoot? Is it everyone's favorite mutant awards show host, Hugh Jackman? Or basketball-playing guy Kobe Bryant? Maybe you're more a fan of Late Night host Jimmy Fallon, though I can't imagine why.

Perhaps you're looking forward to actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who will probably be talking about something other than sex for a change. Or comedian Adam Sandler -- based on that photo, I'm guessing he'll be playing an acoustic set with a Muppet dragon singing backup. Then there's singer Jason Mraz, who has a funny last name; and Cameron Diaz, who used to be a movie star; and racecar driver Jeff Gordon, who could teach kids how fun it is to drive at unsafe speeds.

Or... well dang, I'm just about out of slots in the poll and there are still more guest stars left. There's a list on Muppet Wiki's season 40 page, so check it out and then click here to vote in the poll and tell me which season 40 guest star you're most looking forward to!

Here's yet another link to the poll: Click here to vote in the poll and explain your choice!

Labels: celebrities, poll, Sesame Street

Continuing our saga of rock-inspired Muppet parodies, we now bring you the second half of this year's Muppet Rawk series. If you missed the first part, then give this link a click or two to enjoy the pictorial goodness.

And once again, if you're in the Seattle area, stop by the Ouch My Eye gallery to see these works in person. The Muppet Rawk exhibit will be on display until May 31.

Don't forget, click the pics to see them in Large Vision (tm)!

Using Beaker in this picture really captured the gauntness of Jim Morrison. It also raises the question: Was Beaker born without nipples, or were they burnt off in a horrible Muppet Labs experiment?
This picture is already really impressive, but it's doubly so when you can compare every frame to its counterpart on the original album. Of course, we all know that Sesame Street already called dibs on that parody.
This picture makes a lot more sense when you know that Gonzo is smashing that guitar as a part of his act. He just got finished reciting the lyrics to the M*A*S*H theme song with a mouth-full of M&Ms.
These three pictures were the only ones of the bunch that stumped me. The best I could figure is that they're parodying the KISS solo albums from 1978. Fozzie in particular has got to be a parody of Gene Simmons, but the other two I'm not so sure. If anyone has any insight, please let me know. Especially if you're Bill McEvoy.
Once again, Piggy is parodying Madonna's Like a Virgin album. I should just cut-and-paste my comments from the last Muppet Rawk article. And I'm lazy enough to do it too!
I feel bad for the model on the Funkadelic album cover. First she's buried up to her neck just for a photo shoot, and then she's parodied by a pig with an afro.
Double points go to the Bunsen image for being anatomically correct. And they say size don't matter!
Old? Check. Dirty? Check. A bastard? Check. Looks like Oscar fits that role pretty well!
I am equal parts disturbed and turned on right now.
That's a pretty good look for Big Bird. I think he'd make a good coaster.
This image is interesting because I could only find the original album on the "bizarre records" blogs. But is the parody more or less bizarre than the original? You decide.
If you asked me, both Statler and Waldorf are comedy. If you asked them, they'd both be tragedy.
This is the second best Gaffer fan art I've ever seen.
When I run for President, I will make this my official seal. Also, watching Studio DC will be considered treason.
"This show is so terrible, I had to set myself on fire! Doh ho ho ho! OK, now seriously, put me out. It burns." (Note: This is why I'm not a writer for the Muppets.)

Special thanks to Lawrence Ruelos for being my supercool Muppet Rawk liason!

Click here to rock it with Sprocket on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: events, fan art

Nineteen years ago today, the world lost one of its greatest talents: Jim Henson. ToughPigs' own Peter Savieri decided to commemorate this date by creating a new series of works depicting some of our favorite Muppet Show characters showing their grief at the loss of their creator.

Please take some time today to remember Jim in your own way.

Click here to help us remember Jim Henson on the ToughPigs forum.

Labels: fan art, Peter Savieri

Last year, Seattle-based gallery "Ouch My Eye" gathered a pile of artists together and created a collection of album parody art works featuring the Muppets (for a slideshow of last year's pieces, click here). This year, they're at it again, and the good people at Ouch My Eye have granted us a sneak peek at the paintings and sketches that are on display now through May 31. If you're in the Seattle area, feel free to skip this article and visit the gallery in person. But for the rest of us, let's get on with the art appreciation!

For your convenience (and mine), I buddied up the images with the album cover they're parodying. Give the images a click to see them in big-size.

This is one of my faves of the bunch, because it makes Bunsen look all creepy and New Agey. Kinda how you expect him to be in real life. It's too bad he's not an arm rod puppet, or else that'd be a Neat Thing.
It's hard to choose which of these is a better homage. The look on Grover's face is priceless, but you've got to admit that Bowie does look a bit like Beaker in the original album cover.
Does it count as an homage if Björk is already a Muppet?
There is no earthly reason that this hasn't already been turned into a t-shirt. I'd wear it every day.
There's something equally thrilling and terrifying about Dr. Teeth wielding an axe.
That's right, it's Flying Zucchini Brothers fan art. We salute you.
The odd part about this one is that the guy in the original album cover actually looks like a human version of Bunsen. The giant devil monster only resembles Beaker in passing.
Little known fact: Flavor Flav is tapped to play the lead in the upcoming Gonzo the Great biopic.
Naturally, this is not the first time Miss Piggy has parodied the Queen of Pop.
This piece is the most likely to be turned into a mirror and framed on my mom's bathroom wall. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
Funny, I always thought Cookie Monster would be the first to end up in an institution.
I could do without Rizzo holding a gun, but this is otherwise a fantastic piece. But is Henson really that bad of a neighborhood?

Check back in with us in a few days when we'll have more pieces from the Muppet Rawk gallery!

Click here to go vinyl on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: events, fan art

The 2009 Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced, and it's no surprise that there's a bunch of Muppet-related nominations on the list. Let's take a peek:

Sid the Science Kid is nominated for Outstanding Children's Animated Program. They're up against Curious George, Little Einsteins, The Backyardigans, and Wordworld. Prediction: Sid wins, but I only say that because it's the only one on this list I've actually seen.

Sesame Street is nominated for New Approaches - Daytime Children's. I have no idea what constitutes a "New Approach", so I'm gonna assume that Sesame will win, if only because it's freaking Sesame Street.

Sesame Street is also nominated for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series, and they're vieing against Between the Lions, Johnny and the Sprites, and two other shows that don't have Muppet people working on them. That's a tough choice, but does Sesame ever really lose in this category?

There's a whopping four Sesame Street nominees in the Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series category. They are: Chris Knowings (for Chris), Kevin Clash (for Elmo), Marty Robinson (for Telly), and Leslie Carrara (for Abby Cadabby). Man, that's a hard vote, but most of me is saying that this is Marty's year. Alls I know is that Bindy Irwin better not surprise us and win.

Johnny and the Sprites is nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. They're up against a bunch of booooring talk shows, so the puppets deserve the Emmy.

Sid the Science Kid is nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Main Title and Graphic Design. Considering the whole show is one big graphic design achievement, they should win this one.

Sesame Street has three nominations for Outstanding Original Song (Children's and Animation) for Elmo's Ducks, I Don't Wanna Be a Prince, and The Addition Expedition. I don't know what those songs are, but they sound like winners to me!

Sesame Street garnered yet another nomination for Oustanding Achievement in Costume Design, up against Barney and Friends, The Price is Right, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and Yo Gabba Gabba. I do love the designs on Yo Gabba Gabba, but the other shows consist of a purple bodysuit, a suit, and some clothes for dancing. Let's give this one to Sesame too.

Sesame Street and Johnny and the Sprites were both nominated for Oustanding Direction in a Children's Series against From the Top at Carnegie Hall. Yeah, you know what I'm gonna say about that.

Sesame Street has another nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series. I'm an advocate of them winning that award.

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction? Sure, let's let Sesame Street win that too.

Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition? Yeah, Sesame Street.

Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction? It's Frank Biondo for the win!

And if 15 nominations isn't enough, Sesame Street will also recieve a Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of their 40th year on the air. Grover sure is going to have a lot of statuettes on his mantle this year!

The Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony will air on the CW Network on August 30 at 8:00EST.
Click here to thank the Academy on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: awards, news, Sesame Street

I’ve hesitated to bring this up for a while now, because I’m afraid it may ignite the kind of controversy that could rip the Muppet fan community apart, pitting brother against brother and frog against pig, but I can hold my silence no longer. I must stand up and ask this question, which has been gnawing at my brain for untold ages:

What’s the correct way to pronounce the name of Rowlf the Dog?

Rowlf is one of the oldest and most beloved major Muppet characters. He’s been around for four decades, so you would think everyone would know his name by now, yet there doesn’t seem to be a universally agreed-upon standard.

Of course, I’m writing these words and not speaking them, so it would be pretty darn clever for me to just say, “It’s easy! His name is pronounced ‘Rowlf!’ HAW! HAW!” But no, that’s not good enough. I want to get to the bottom of this vitally important issue once and for all. So I’m writing this Muppet fan website article, which I believe will soon be considered one of the finest examples of journalism ever produced by man. Let’s look at the evidence.

One way is to say it like this: “Rolf.” It rhymes with “golf” (the popular sport) or “Dolph,” as in Dolph Lundgren (the popular actor who starred in the 1991 film Showdown in Little Tokyo). I had twelve of our Tough Pigs interns hit the archives for some research, and they found a few Muppet productions in which various actors used this pronunciation. For example, the audio clip below features Lesley Ann Warren on The Muppet Show. This is where she thinks she’s doing a song with Rowlf, only to find Marvin Suggs onstage.


But honestly, is the chick who played Cinderella on TV really an authority on Muppet names? So for further credibility, here’s another one. It’s the announcer from John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together.



It’s not unreasonable to think he received some kind of coaching on how to say the characters’ names at the recording session, right? Even more persuasive than that, though, is this clip from one of the recent Muppet videos on YouTube, in which Rowlf’s fellow Muppet, Rizzo, clearly says “Rolf.”



So that’s one pretty crappy example, one so-so example, and one good example. But I have to say, I don’t think this is the correct pronunciation.

For one thing, the name has a W in it. Where is that W when you make Rowlf’s name rhyme with 18 holes and the guy who played Ivan Drago? For another thing, Rolf is a German name, and while I don’t think it’s ever been revealed what breed of dog Rowlf is, he’s definitely not a German shepherd.

So let’s look at another option: Pronouncing it the same way as the name “Ralph.” Here’s one guy who says it that way: It’s Jimmy Dean, the fellow who gave Rowlf his big break on national television. This next clip is from a sketch on The Jimmy Dean Show, naturally.



So there’s that. But you might say, “Jimmy Dean is just some yokel country singer who happens to make delicious sausage-and-egg biscuits. What does he know?” And you’re absolutely right -- Jimmy Dean does make delicious sausage-and-egg biscuits. But here’s a presumably more reliable source, a lady who never had a hit country song in her life: It’s Jane Henson, and this clip is from the PBS Great Performances special, The World of Jim Henson.



And check this out… From the same documentary, a guy even closer to the character than Jane: It’s Frank Oz, the man who was chiefly in charge of making half of Rowlf’s fingers wiggle in the early days.



To my ear, they’re definitely pronouncing it “Ralph,” as does Rowlf’s co-worker Scooter in this clip from The Muppet Show.




You might think I’ve come to the conclusion that “Ralph” is definitively the correct way to pronounce Rowlf’s name. Well… not exactly. The way I’ve always understood it, Rowlf’s name should be pronounced almost like “Ralph,” but not quite. When I say it, it’s kinda like “Raowlf” or “Raoulf” or maybe “Raaouhwlff.” I’m pretty sure Jim Henson intended for the character’s name to recall the sound of a dog barking, so I figure “Rowlf” is the canine version of “Ralph.” Like, maybe if dogs could talk, that’s how they’d say it.

Fortunately, Rowlf is, in fact, a dog who can talk, so he’s the ultimate authority on his own friggin’ name. Now here’s where the definitive evidence comes in. This first clip is from The Muppets Go Hollywood.



And here’s one we’ve all heard at least fifty-five thousand times: It’s from the intro to “I Hope That Somethin’ Better Comes Along” on the Muppet Movie soundtrack.



I’ve just listened to those two snippets four thousand times each, and no matter how I twist and bend my ear, I just can’t get it to hear “Rolf.” To me, it sounds mostly-but-not-exactly like “Ralph,” so that’s the pronunciation I’m sticking with. If Lesley Ann Warren wishes to challenge me on this, she can contact me at the e-mail address below.

I’ve just written way, way, way, way, way too many words on this topic (way, way, way), but now I’m curious, and I’d love to know which pronunciation is more prevalent among Muppet fans, so I went ahead and started a poll on the Tough Pigs forum. It’s a poll, technically, but I see it more as a survey. The question: How do you pronounce Rowlf’s name? “Rolf?” “Ralph?” Or the more nuanced “Raoulf?” Or maybe you have yet another pronunciation.

So click here and place your vote now! Meanwhile, I can’t help but think that all this hullaballoo could have been avoided if Jim Henson had just named his dog puppet “Waggington” like he considered.
Click here to talk about Rowlf’s name on the Tough Pigs forum! Or did I already say that?

Labels: controversy, fanaticism, poll, The Muppet Show

Ever get those little bits of news stuck in between your teeth? And then you've got to find your newsfloss? And if you don't, then you have to visit the newsdentist? Yeah, I took that stupid joke way too far.
First Lady Michelle Obama visited her buddy Elmo, which puts her in that elite club with Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush, who have all also made appearances on Sesame Street. Also, they were all married to Presidents.
The great Dom DeLuise passed away this week. Dom is remembered for appearing alongside Koozebanians, monsters, and one irate pig on The Muppet Show. He also set Kermit on his cross-country journey to fame and fortune as Bernie the Agent in The Muppet Movie. He was a fantastic comedic actor, and he'll be sorely missed by Muppet fans (and everyone else) worldwide.
Kermit made an amphibious appearance in Prince Charles' Rainforests Project Awareness Campaign video along with James Bond, Indiana Jones, some royal British guys, a Buddhist monk, and Mork from Ork.
Last year, a gallery in Seattle showed a series of artworks featuring the Muppets on famous album cover parodies. They're at it again this year, and a few of the pieces have already been leaked. We'll have more on this show as it gets closer to the premiere, so keep an eye on this site. Click here for info on the show, and click here for a gallery of last year's works.
Have you seen the new trailer for Night at the Museum 2 yet? No? Well, go see Wolverine and get back to me. Rumors were confirmed that Oscar the Grouch (who actually does have a second home at the Smithsonian) makes a "very brief cameo", alongside Sith grouch Darth Vader.

Did you know that you could be receiving these newsbits faster? We're always chatting away on the ToughPigs forum, and I'll be posting news as we hear it on our Facebook page. Yeah, we make it easy for you!

Click here to discuss the dental analogy on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: news

Yep, the headline is true.

Beaker's original YouTube video "Ode to Joy" has won a Webby Award -- the "People's Voice" award, to be exact -- for best music video. We Muppet fans braved inclement weather, mudslides, and swarms of locusts to make it to our computers so we could vote for Beaker, and now all our hours and hours of hard work has paid off! Check out the list of Webby winners for proof that I'm not lying.

As of this writing, Beaker's video has received over 5 million views on YouTube. Five million! That sure is a lot of people watching Beaker butcher Beethoven.

And speaking of the voice of the people, here's what some of the world's most respected and influential critics are saying about "Ode to Joy":

"soooooooooo cute! "
-nerdtainment

"I love that orange haired guy!"
-octoberfest521

"lmfaorofl omg i think i blew my lung out omg
Beakers awesome meep meep"
-grimm656

"so beautiful it brought a tear to my eye"
-rockerchick428

"*head asplode*"
-deadwaldo

"pure utter genious"
-stalkerperson

"This is made of 73H 4W350M3! Jim Henson productions wins a free internet!"
-DecKrash

"x] this iz gangsta"
-MrSaNcHeZZZ

"OMFG BEAKER IS AMAZING!!! hes mine and kasey's bestieeeee :D"
-eyecatherine302

"it was sooo funni wen the violin caught fire and that guy got electrocuted!!!
welldone!! sooooo cute :D :D "
-vbstar1221

"rofl"
-Subscribing Sam

"rofl"
-xandra0bobandra

"OMG ROFLOL"
-alextyrey

"Nice harmonics and dackup singers!"
-poptheman1

"tits"
-striake209

"he looks omish"
-dopesniffereater

"these r the guys from studio DC almost live"
-gamemaster0999

"ther al jonesen for some crack get them a dime bag"
-salviowens098

"so funny... loved it
and check out mi videos
real funny 1 of mi bro
after his hair cutt....
you have to see it!!!!!"
-ballvolley20

"holy hell im so horney now!!"
-evelynad

"omg jajajjaja XD"
-lujurioscabaret

"im very confused."
-fineswine09

"lame"
-xMikuruChanx

"this... are... disgusting"
-IVOLEDED


With high praise like that coming from all over the globe, is it any wonder Beaker won this coveted, prestigious prize?

Now, just to help Beaker get a few more million views, here, yet again, is the video in question:



Click here to love that orange haired guy on the Tough Pigs forum!

Labels: internet, news

Roger Langridge is currently the MVP for the Muppets, being the only one these days who has been writing The Muppets in a consistent and funny voice on a regular basis. The second issue of The Muppet Show Comic Book hit the stands this week (read our review here!) and Mr. Langridge joined us for another Q&A, because he's the coolest guy I know (sorry Dad).

If you've got questions for Roger Langridge, feel free to e-mail them to me and I'll include them in next month's Q&A. Now let's get some As for our Qs!

ToughPigs: I noticed that Pepe made a cameo in the opening 2-page spread. Is that just a tease to the fans, or can we expect him to have a role in future issues?

Roger Langridge: I confess I'm not that familiar with Pepe - if I'm requested to give him a bigger role I'd do my best to find out more about him, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't a part of the classic show, which is what I'm trying to evoke, and what my brief is, as it were. So it's low on my list of priorities at the moment. I'm not ruling anything out, though!
TP: In the latest issue, Fozzie is dealing with the pressure of having to be funny for a niche audience. Were you channeling your own turmoil for this one?

RL: Ha ha! Not really, though I can see the connection now that you mention it. It was more that I needed to find something central to Fozzie's character to build a story around, and his sense of himself as a "Funny Bear" seemed about as central as you could get.

TP: What has the feedback from Disney been like?

RL: I haven't heard anything from Disney directly, but the feedback Boom! have passed on to me has been very positive.

TP: Will we ever get to meet Flash McBuck?

RL: No plans, but you never know! I think the Pigs In Space situation works best when it's claustrophobic and the principals are getting on each other's nerves - introducing a supporting cast would dilute that somewhat.

TP: Both this issue and the first one ended with a nice message and the main character learning something about himself. While this is welcome territory for the Muppets, will this be a recurring theme, or will we see some more bizarre storyline endings that focus more on the zaniness of the Muppets rather than the heart?

RL: These issues, focussing on individual characters, sort of require some moment of heart, some statement of who they are - that's kind of the point of them. Further down the line, I expect I'll mix things up a bit more. But on the whole I'm trying to balance the wacky with the heartfelt without letting one overwhelm the other. Can't promise I'll get it right every time, but it won't be for lack of trying!

TP: How did your approach to the writing and art change between the first two issues? After the feedback of the first issue's release?

RL: The first four issues were completely written before the first one was released, so there wasn't any real difference in approach as a result of reaction to the first one. I hope there's no difference in approach afterwards, either! I'm trying to produce a comic I'd like to read myself; I've been doing that since day one, and I want to continue to do that. If I think it's funny or moving or whatever, presumably other people are going to think so too. I'm not sure I believe that trying to anticipate critical reaction and change things accordingly can ever produce anything of value.

TP: How did you come up with the sketch, "The Ubiquitous Quilp?" Between the nonsense language and your playing with the comic page as a multi-tiered set, it's very impressive, yet confounding!

RL: I'm always trying to come up with ways to make the comic book something unique, something that couldn't work on television - the graphic style is a part of that, and using the medium in ways that wouldn't work on screen is another part. Otherwise, the entire comic book project is kind of redundant - why make a Muppet comic when you could just watch the videos? So I try to come up with something that could only work as a comic in each issue. And I always liked the bits on the show that seemed to come from nowhere; that were, shall we say, aggressively strange. So that was something I wanted to do as well.

TP: Can you tell us anything about your next Muppet Show comic book, "The Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson"?

RL: It's a four-issue story where Scooter finds a map in a storeroom that reveals the existence of a treasure hoarde hidden somewhere in the theatre. Rizzo gets his fellow rats searching for it, and naturally this interferes with the smooth running of the show. Hilarity ensues! (Or something.) Meanwhile, Kermit starts acting very cool for no apparent reason, getting Miss Piggy all hot and bothered, and Animal... oh, poor Animal isn't himself at all. This story will be a bit stronger on subplots than the first four issues, hopefully all coming together in a satisfying way by the end. (Bit of a new way of working for me, so I hope I can pull it off!) And, of course, the skits and general mayhem will continue unabated.

TP: Again, is there anything you'd like to relate to the fans?

RL: Once again, I'd just like to express my sincerest thanks for the warm reception the book has received so far. It's very gratifying and means a lot to me. So thanks!

Thank you, Roger, for taking the time to chat with us!
Click here to discuss this article on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: comics/magazines, interview, Roger Langridge, The Muppet Show

Earlier this month, I posted everyone's favorite multiple personality disorder-inducing Sesame Street book, Just Like Ernie, which you can read in it's entirety by clicking here. Unfortunately, if you missed out on reading it way back when, then you missed out on saying funny things about it, and then getting your name up in lights (pixels on your computer screen are like lights, right?).

Thankfully for all of us, we've got some funny folks over on the ToughPigs forum who did the heavy lifting, as well as a few readers who sent in their comments via e-mail. But don't take my word for it, let's see what those cats had to say about Just Like Ernie:
IDENTITY THEFT:

Mo: Ernie is a wise man. By nurturing his friend's self-esteem, he may have headed off a wicked case of identity theft at the pass.

Jog: Bert's not the only one with an identity crisis... what's Ernie's reason for wearing a "cool jacket" and sunglasses anyway? Isn't the whole point of the book that you're cool in your own style; in Ernie's case, sans sunglasses and with a good old stripy sweater?
That jacket, for instance, reveals a desire to be more like Scooter.

Michal: Bert is no match for Ernie's burgeoning social life. Between Ernie's weekend gigs and telling jokes to his sycophantic playground pals, Bert has been getting zero Ernie face-time. He won't stay Ernie's best friend for long unless he does something drastic. His only recourse is to assume an alternate identity, Mrs. Doubtfire-style.

ERNIE IS COOL; BERT IS LAME

Michal: Good gravy, I wish Chris and the Alphabeats would ask *me* to play a set with them every time I ordered ice cream. What a life Ernie's got. No wonder Bert wants in.

Ryan: I know we're supposed to feel sorry for Bert when nobody laughs at his joke, but to be fair, it's a pretty sucky joke.

Steven: If Bert is depressed that no one likes him, just get some cookies and persuade Cookie Monster to be his friend for them since Cookie Monster only cared about what's inside Ernie's lunchbox.

Jog: I wonder if Ernie uses his cool image to take the attention away from that dorky tricycle of his. Dude can't even ride a real bike.

Ryan: "Ernie ordered a Banana-Dana Super Sundae. Bert had a small dish of vanilla ice cream." Ernie may be cooler than Bert... but we'll see who has the last laugh when Ernie gets a cavity!

Jenny: This book makes a laughable attempt to pass Ernie off as "cool", when in reality he's nothing but a sadistic jackhole. The other denizens of Sesame Street see Bert as a warning - this will be them if they don't placate Ernie, and so they pretend to admire him. Lately Ernie's ego has inflated dangerously - he's tired of the "Bert and Ernie" dichotomy, and he's made it known to his friends that Bert will be ignored if they know what's good for them. Bert, in a desperate, last-ditch effort to ingratiate Ernie, begins to imitate him, and fails disastrously. Ernie is unimpressed by this sad parody, and makes his disproval clear by usurping Bert's possessions - insinuating Bert won't be needing them for much longer, unless his Ernie homage does the man justice. Rather than up his game, Bert opts for the sweet release of death, rather than the living hell of being Ernie's roommate for another 40 seasons.
BERT’S HAIR

Mo: I am worried that if I ever meet someone with that hairdo, I will accidentally bread and fry their head in juicy cutlets. Mmmm... Muppet-head Parmesan...

Michal: His slicked-back hair may look hip now, but just wait until he busts out into "You're the One That I Want."

Jarrod: Bert's little "cool dude" hair is just a comb over that makes him look like he's balding. And no-one likes bald people. Besides Gordon. That dude RULES!
ERNIE’S UNDERWEAR

Ryan: So, why DO we see Ernie in his undies? I was so sure it was going to turn out that Bert had stolen his pajamas, but that never happened. In fact, we never even find out whether Ernie found his pajamas. So where are they? I demand a sequel!

Michal: Either Ernie's boxers bunched up, or his naked bum has a wacky tanning pattern. But I refuse to believe that Ernie wears briefs.

Lara: I have just seen a mostly naked childhood friend in his underwear. And I have nothing more to say.
THE LUNCHBOX

Cathy: So when did Cookie Monster get a licensing deal and why don't any of his friends find that odd?

Ryan Mead: Cookie Monster isn't even startled that his own picture is on the box- he's just curious as to the contents. Given that he probably thinks there's cookies inside, I'm not surprised, but it seems rather unusual that his first thought would be "me want cookie" rather than "oh yeah, me remember posing for that lunch box" or "hey, that unauthorized use of me image." But then again, Cookie Monster doesn't seem like the type who would know about either licensing deals or legal matters.

Beth: Isn't it a bit odd that Cookie Monster is depicted as a superhero, when this is usually Grover's job? Maybe Cookie is trying to steal Grover's identity as well!

Cathy: Also, Ernie finds it strange that Bert is trying to be like him, but he doesn't see a problem with carrying a lunchbox with his friend's face on it? If one of my casual friends started carrying around a lunchbox with my picture on it, I'd probably be a touch creeped out. Perhaps Ernie is the one with the case of identity envy?

Jarrod: Is Super Grover aware of this sudden new Super Cookie? Or is he a villian? The Cookienator. Watch your back, Grover. It's always the person you'd least suspect...
UNDER BERT’S BED

Scott: What's Ernie doing snooping under Bert's bed while he sleeps? It's not like he just noticed a box of paper clips and went in closer to investigate. He actually had to go out of his way to get down on the floor (in his underwear) and move away the blankets that were obscuring his view. Does Ernie regularly check under Bert's bed after he goes to sleep? I can imagine a sketch on the show in which Ernie creates an idea in his head that looking under Bert's bed is imperative to his friend's safety. But it's harder to grasp in storybook land where Bert and Ernie don't fly planes or drive cars, but instead go to school and carry lunchboxes.

Joe: Yeah, but if they tried that on the show, Ernie would look under the bed and find Frank Oz.

Steven: Unless, Frank Oz puppeteers Cookie Monster who is under the bed looking for cookies crumbs since his sleepover there with Ernie.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Jes: You had me at Ernie's underwear....
Click here to dress like your roommate on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: book club, reader participation, Sesame Street