Comments on: Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women

Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women

homunculus — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:45:16 -0800

A preachment dear friends, you're about to receive, on John Barleycorn, nicotine, and the temptations of Eve, from the Good Reverend Peter Sellers and his Muppet friends.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:47:02 -0800

I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more Animal!

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:55:37 -0800

Give praise, my bretheren, for what you're about to receive - old John Barleycorn, nicotine, and the Rock'n'Roll chord E, featuring the Nails' cover of The Hombres' classic, "Let It All Hang Out".

By: Baby_Balrog

Baby_Balrog — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:34:50 -0800

Amen.

By: ibmcginty

ibmcginty — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:35:07 -0800

That was exquisitely strange. Some of my very earliest memories are of watching the Muppets. I remember Peter Ustinov, Lena Horne, and Linda Ronstadt, but not this. Hooray for YouTube. And hooray for two-link YouTube posts.

By: quin

quin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:36:13 -0800

There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed Brilliant. Consider this, the Muppet show was ostensibly a kids program. Can you imagine anything this surreal airing for children today? Tuned chickens? Not a chance. (unless they were trying to sell tuned chicken happy-meals that is...) I mean, my god, it's a song about drinking, smoking and wild women! Why the hell don't kids today get to experience this? Personally I believe that much of what makes us good and interesting today, came from watching shows like the Muppets. And of course, from absolute-fucking-geniuses like Peter Sellers. I worship that crazy bastard.

By: chuckdarwin

chuckdarwin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:58:44 -0800

That's fantastic. I feel a cover coming on.

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:00:57 -0800

Now I know why my parents insisted upon watching this every week. Thanks for the link, homunculus. My husband just reminded me of the Roger Moore "If I could talk to the animals" number, sung in full James Bond mode while fending off muppets all trying to kill him. Alas, I couldn't find a clip on YouTube. [Heads off to add the DVDs to the Netflix queue.] On preview: chuckdarwin, please make sure it's not this cover.

By: pax digita

pax digita — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:01:43 -0800

I was in high school in the heyday of The Muppet Show; it was one of the best things about TV in the 70s. One of my fave performances was a (by then) rare TV appearance by Harry Belafonte, here performing "Turn the World Around."

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:04:01 -0800

"...the Muppet show was ostensibly a kids program..." Not quite. It was an attempt (and at the time a rocky one) by Henson to prove that you could have safe family entertainment on prime time which would work on multiple levels for both parents and their children. He was trying to graduate his muppets out of the children's show niche. Just like most talent, his muppets had been typecast. Henson and his associates also did performances on the Ed Sullivan Show, Saturday Night Live, and Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, where he was decidedly not catering to children, but still, the end result was mature without going blue. People still think of puppets as kiddie toys. Henson proved that presumption wrong countless times.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:05:50 -0800

As for Peter Sellers, there are not enough appropriate adjectives in the english language to correctly justify describing his genius.

By: quin

quin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:12:18 -0800

I guess your right ZM, maybe it's just because I was a kid when I was watching it. Still, I stand by my point about it being surreal. You just don't get that in mainstream TV much anymore. Shame about that too, weird ages well.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:13:07 -0800

One of the things that made the Muppets truly great (although I didn't realize it as a kid) was the sheer incongruity of some of the bits. For example. Now if I could only find the one with the surprise guest star (who I think was actually a writer for the show) performing "Hawaiian Cowboy" from inside a wardrobe with a bunch of penguins in hula skirts as the chorus. Actually, anything with penguins on the Muppet Show was usually awesome.

By: ormondsacker

ormondsacker — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:23:21 -0800

"Hawaiian Cowboy" writer chappie would be Christopher Langham, if that helps you search.

By: Rich Smorgasbord

Rich Smorgasbord — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:24:44 -0800

Those were great. I never thought of the Muppet Show as being for children. What a great song. The tuned chickens were pretty bonkers, kind of Pythonesque. It's a pity it had that annoying laugh track, which was what always annoyed me about Monty Python too.

By: ormondsacker

ormondsacker — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:26:37 -0800

Langham "was hastily made the guest for this episode after the original guest, Richard Pryor, was unable to make the taping."

By: ulotrichous

ulotrichous — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:31:31 -0800

According to Brian Henson's commentary on this episode from the Time-Life release, the 'there used to be a me' bit grew out of early discussions between the Muppet Show writers and Sellers. They were looking for gag ideas for "The Wall" segment, where Kermit just talks to the guest star, and Sellers flatly refused to consider being 'himself' on camera. The writers naturally ran with that idea. There are many great episodes of the Muppet Show, but Peter Sellers is one of the very best.

By: ormondsacker

ormondsacker — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:38:41 -0800

..."because Pryor 'blew himself up freebasing'". Now that's a kid's show.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:40:20 -0800

I thought John Barleycorn must die.

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:41:08 -0800

For me, the single strangest and most memorable moment in that entire series was when Alec Guinness was on it. In the wrap scene, he was out of character, being just himself. And it was stunning; he was a blank slate. It really was almost as if his own person had been surgically removed. I've heard that Alec Guinness was able to walk down a busy street and no one would notice him -- because no one would recognize him. I believe that, having seen him in that one scene.

By: Chuckles

Chuckles — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:55:38 -0800

Animal, The Swedish Chief, and Beaker, sing Danny Boy.

By: Chuckles

Chuckles — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:57:48 -0800

ARGH! TheWhiteSkull, you need to try descriptive links..

By: frecklefaerie

frecklefaerie — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:33:13 -0800

I love this clip. I went through a Peter Sellers phase just recently and bought this disk. I wish my kid were more into it so I could watch it all the time.

By: Salmonberry

Salmonberry — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:48:55 -0800

The tbs site has a lot of "Puppet Up!" clips that they claim aren't censored, if you're into muppets and some adult humour! (Warning, their version of uncensored is, in fact, censored.)

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:13:46 -0800

Great stuff.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:27:04 -0800

ZachMind: As for Peter Sellers, there are not enough appropriate adjectives in the english language to correctly justify describing his genius. These words work pretty well: BIRDIE NUM NUM

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:38:30 -0800

I can make a dress out of a food sack. I'm a Woman.

By: StopMakingSense

StopMakingSense — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:58:49 -0800

I'm not sure if I'll ever get a better chance to point people in the direction of my friend-acted, no-budget, iMovie-edited, eight minute film of the exact same name, shot in a day for an undergraduate non-major directing class. The title was, in fact, inspired by this very clip.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:38:19 -0800

PLAY TIGER BY THE TAIL! /Buck Owens version.

By: malaprohibita

malaprohibita — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:42:54 -0800

I love this clip. I saw it once as a kid, and remembered it ever since. Thirty years later, it's still fantastic.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:47:23 -0800

Mala p you took the words right out of my mouth.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:50:37 -0800

Jim Henson was a Genius. The Muppets' soul is with him in Valhalla.

By: jiawen

jiawen — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 00:48:29 -0800

I remember very clearly being pretty scared and freaked out by "The Windmills of My Mind" when they did it on The Muppet Show.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:13:06 -0800

This one?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:33:47 -0800

Time In A Bottle

By: Rhomboid

Rhomboid — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 05:59:12 -0800

People still think of puppets as kiddie toys. Henson proved that presumption wrong countless times. As has Peter Jackson.

By: MsMolly

MsMolly — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 07:59:03 -0800

School's out for summer, y'all. God, I love the Muppets. Although, the worst fear, the last fear, just when I think I'm past fear did terrify me when I was little.

By: Area Control

Area Control — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:16:22 -0800

Haaaahahahahaaaa. Excellent Sunday morning primer. Anyone with a hangover needs to watch the first clip.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:03:10 -0800

A little bit about the song referenced in this post. Self-link.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:06:37 -0800

Man, thanks to homunculus for this post and to everyone else for all of the clips. Add me to the list of kids who grew up with the muppets. Also, add me to the list of people who were a little freaked by the Zero Mostel bit posted by MsMolly and Alice Cooper's "Welcome to My Nightmare" as a child, although watching Alice's performance now, it seems much more Milton Berle than Vincent Price. And although it's not a direct Muppet Show clip, I love this video: Lightning Bolt + Muppets = Muppet Bolt! I didn't see this above, so if it's already here I apologize.

By: raysmj

raysmj — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:36:34 -0800

I've always wanted to see the Muppets sing "After Midnight" with Eric Clapton. They'd all lean down and go back up whilst singing the "oooh-whaa!" part, with Eric standing up straight the whole time. Or maybe I did see this?

By: taosbat

taosbat — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:25:34 -0800

G i g g l e

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:59:02 -0800

Earlier someone said the soul of the Muppets went with Henson? I respectfully disagree with that. It was "Henson & Associates" and since his passing they've still done a lot of respectable stuff. I actually enjoyed the Christmas Carol with Michael Caine and Gonzo. I think post-Henson, they're still plugging. Admittedly Kermit's had to take a bit of a back seat, but there's enough creativity there to keep things hopping. You just can't keep a good pig down.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:03:55 -0800

Ooh! And Treasure Island with TIM CURRY! That was great! Tho admittedly the best parts were Tim Curry and not necessarily the muppets but still... That rocked.

By: Ogre Lawless

Ogre Lawless — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:08:09 -0800

Ho- ly CRAP! My boss regularly hounds folks to see if they've ever heard of this song being done by the Henson crew -- a friend of his told him about it years ago and he's been itching to find it ever since. He'll be no doubt happy.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:14:01 -0800

Don't show it to him unless he gives you a raise.