Here at ToughPigs, we’ve found ourselves in a never-ending vicious cycle. Something atrocious happens in the news, we find ourselves compelled to help our readers feel educated and less alone, we use our platform as a Muppet fan site to share educated and moral opinions, we receive blowback from certain Muppet fans who don’t understand the complexity of the situation, the world continues to spiral, and repeat.
We’ve been using this platform as a way to share messages of hope and understanding for years now. And while, despite our efforts, we can’t stop the cycle listed above, there’s one element that we haven’t fully explored yet. And that’s in our responses to those who’ve been leaving comments with a blatant misunderstanding of what we’re doing, what our messaging is, and what it means for the Muppets. And if you have any conservative folks in your circles, I bet you’ve gotten a taste of this blowback as well.
So in our attempt to help everyone understand (and so we can stop repeating ourselves), here’s a handy FAQ to send to anyone on the right side of the aisle who doesn’t understand… well, anything.
Why do you say I’m not allowed to like the Muppets?
Let’s make this one clear, because it’s easily the most common misunderstood response we get. We have never said that anyone is not allowed to like the Muppets. Not only is that a crazy thing to say, and not only is it a toxic and gatekeeping idea, but we would never insinuate that there should be fewer Muppet fans out in the world, even if we do disagree on important topics. That’s not good for the Muppets, nor Jim Henson’s legacy, nor ToughPigs.
Besides, even if that was something we felt, we don’t have the power to take away anyone’s Muppet fandom badge.
The closest, as far as I can recall, that we ever said anything close to this was in our 2017 commentary “Donald Trump: The Anti-Henson,” which explained in full detail why we believe that Trump is actively against any of the ideals we’ve learned from Muppet projects. Ryan Roe stated that he couldn’t understand how Muppet fans could also be fans of Trump, giving his personal opinion (which I share as well) that anyone who was actually paying attention to the underlying lessons of the Muppet, Sesame Street, and Henson productions would disapprove of Trump’s destructive actions. Ryan did add that “any person who is pro-Donald Trump should not claim to be a Muppet fan,” but in the context of our article, you can see he’s referring to fandom and not your cousin Mickey who just really likes Beaker.
So yeah, feel free to like the Muppets. Be a Muppet fan. But also understand that to be a fan of something, you should also understand its messaging. And if you don’t see that messaging because you’re on the Trump bandwagon, then perhaps you’re picking and choosing what parts of this fandom you want to hear.
Why are you trying to make the Muppets political?
Before we get into this, let’s address the topic of what is or isn’t “political.” In days of yore, “political” issues were limited to things like taxes, international affairs, and elections. Were the Muppets tackling political issues back in the day? Rarely, unless you count some non-partisan satire here and there.
But these days, so many world-affecting topics have become political thanks to their increased presence in legislation and in the platforms of elected candidates. We’re talking about things like climate change, gender affirmation, access to healthcare, and – I can’t believe I even have to say this – the basic idea that racism is bad. So yes, these things that may not have been considered “political” at one point in time are now part of the conversation of politics whether we like it or not.
And for so many of these topics, we can point to Henson productions that have made a very clear stance on which side they stand on. Fraggle Rock was made to find understanding between different communities. Sesame Street provided a free education to the underprivileged. The Song of the Cloud Forest tackled environmentalism and preservation. The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan both conclude with the argument that the world is a better place when you can share it with all sorts of different people (and frogs, dogs, bears, chickens, and things). All of these topics and more have been under attack by the current administration.
To learn more about this, I suggest reading our recent article by Leah Lane that dives further into the politics of the Muppets.
So yes, as crazy as it sounds, wanting a better world has become political. And if you agree with that, then you know that the Muppets have always been political too.
Jim wanted everyone to get along, so why don’t you accept us as we are?
You’re absolutely right, that is one of the many lessons we’ve learned from Jim Henson’s work. From The Muppet Show to Fraggle Rock, a constant throughline among so many Muppet projects is in the promotion of acceptance and togetherness.
But that arrow points both ways. We’re living in a world in which ICE raids are kidnapping our neighbors without warrant or due process. White nationalists and neo-Nazis are marching in our streets. The underprivileged are having more of their rights taken away every day. Our LGBTQ+ community is under constant attack. And, sadly, the list goes on. And all of these things are happening under the support of the Republican party.
So the question is: Are we meant to “get along” with people who clearly have no intention of supporting the acceptance and togetherness we learned from Jim Henson? Would accepting those who actively fight against those ideals suggest that we approve on some level? I know how I feel about it, and I feel that the way to get everyone to get along is to support the ones who are actively working on making that dream come true.
Why do you get to speak for the Muppets?
Another thing we’ve tried to make clear on this website time and time again: We do not speak for Jim Henson or the Muppets. We don’t speak in the characters’ voices, we don’t claim to know what Jim would think or say or do; we can only make educated guesses and reflect on what he taught us through his work. Interestingly, some of the folks who incorrectly accuse us of “speaking for the Muppets” are out there pretending to be Muppets on their social media accounts. But we’re just ToughPigs, a Muppet fan site. A step or three removed from the Muppets themselves, and with a long history of creating commentary based on what we’ve learned from them.
Some folks may not know this, but ToughPigs is made up of a team of volunteers, all of whom contribute to this website out of a pure love and respect for the Muppets. We don’t sell ads, we don’t have sponsors, and none of us – not even the website owners – receive payment. All we do is as a service to you, the fans. Our payment isn’t in the form of getting to pretend to be the Muppets, but in the opportunity to speak as ourselves, and to help many of you out there feel like a part of something larger, whether it be the online Muppet fan community or as a human being with genuine concerns for where our world is headed.
Will you stop posting political stuff if I threaten to unfollow you?
Not a chance. As I’ve said many times, the situation in our country has become so bad, being silent is equal to complicitness. We have an opportunity to help change the world for the better, even if it’s the smallest of nudges, because we have a venue and a voice and we’re going to use it no matter what.
As stated earlier, we don’t receive income from ToughPigs. So losing readers won’t be taking money out of our pockets or make us any less effective at writing about the Muppets. Sure, we’d like to reach as many people as possible with our work, but if seeing a social media post about why we don’t want a dictator running our country triggers you, then maybe your Facebook likes aren’t quite that important to us. Truth be told, if the tables were turned, I’d unfollow too. If there was a pro-Trump Muppet fan site out there, you’d better believe I wouldn’t want to see that on my feed.
So I’m giving you permission. If you don’t like what we have to say, that’s perfectly okay – no one is making you read this website or our social media accounts. You have our permission to unfollow us.
What’s this nonsense about “Jim Henson’s philosophy”? I just want to watch Muppet stuff and laugh!
As you may have noticed, we think about Muppets a lot more than the usual Muppet fan. Speaking just for myself, I’ve taken a lot of my own personal philosophy from what I’ve learned from the Muppets. Subjects on community, education, equality, and so many more, all from the seeds planted by my personal hero.
If you don’t see these tenets scattered throughout the Muppet oeuvre, then I have to assume you’re just not paying attention. How can someone watch Fraggle Rock while still voting for someone who supports ICE raids? Clearly, it’s only if you disagree with the lessons taught to us by these shows, all of which stemmed from Jim Henson’s work and legacy.
Besides, I have never met a Muppet fanatic who hasn’t found some sort of philosophy in Jim’s work. Heck, just a few FAQs above we talked about Jim’s desire for acceptance. That’s the sort of thing I’m talking about! The real question is: How are you choosing to learn from the fun Muppet content on your screens?
So yeah, you can watch these things and just laugh. But also know that the only reason you get that privilege is by putting up your blinders and choosing not to think too hard about it. And I know you can do better – you can be better. Because another lesson learned from the Muppets is that people can learn and change. No cause is hopeless, and no one should be left behind. I hold onto faith that Muppet fans who may still be on the right will be able to raise questions and conversations inspired by these programs and characters that we all love.
As Jim Henson said, “It’s a good life, enjoy it.” But don’t just enjoy it. Fight for it too.
Click here to settle this once and for all (but probably not) on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Joe Hennes – [email protected]
