The Proposal

December 17, 2010 12:33 PM

The Proposal. "After a decade of being together, I finally proposed to my long time love Sara. [This] movie trailer was shown on December 12th, 2010 at 4pm at the Red River Theater in Concord, NH. Sara had no idea."

Outtakes.

posted by zarq (60 comments total)

I was totally ready to be annoyed by it, given the music, but then there were muppets. And, you know, that made it okay.

Kudos, sir. I wish you the best love muppets can have.
posted by verb at 12:38 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

Muppets make everything OK! The Muppet shaking around playing Halo cracked me up.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:39 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

And that, my friends and MeFites, is how a New Hampshire man does it.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 12:40 PM on December 17, 2010 [4 favorites]

It was the blog entry about it that sold me. And the muppets. Muppet playing Halo. You can't go wrong with a Muppet playing Halo!

And this: "Thanks to the people at Babies ‘R’ Us for not calling security when this fat bearded guy came in with Muppets and started picking out clothes for them." :D
posted by zarq at 12:43 PM on December 17, 2010 [6 favorites]

Cute, but went on for too long.
posted by Windigo at 12:43 PM on December 17, 2010

My heart is normally cold and black when it comes to cute proposals, but I pretty much cried through the whole thing.
posted by padraigin at 12:45 PM on December 17, 2010 [4 favorites]

And that, my friends and MeFites, is how a New Hampshire man does it.

Just to explain, for those of you in other states: literally every NH state proposal is required to use at least two muppets and a movie theatre. It's actually a holdover from the 1700s, when the Isles of Shoals were the largest muppet-importing center of the East Coast.
posted by Greg Nog at 12:46 PM on December 17, 2010 [31 favorites]

Spinal Tap first, and Puppet Show last.
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:47 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

The idea and execution are so sweet and lovely that I really wish I hadn't gone and ruined it for myself by reading his smug, self-congratulatory blog entry.
posted by dersins at 12:47 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dang. He totally stole my idea for a Meet the Feebles proposal.

(Actually this made me cry and I loved it.)
posted by poe at 12:49 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm not usually a sucker for these sorts of things, but I guess I'm a sucker for this sort of thing.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:52 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Just to explain, for those of you in other states: literally every NH state proposal is required to use at least two muppets and a movie theatre. It's actually a holdover from the 1700s, when the Isles of Shoals were the largest muppet-importing center of the East Coast.

As a resident of the Northeast I can confirm this. My ex's family had endless stories full of the heartbreak and misery of couples in the 1700s and 1800s who wanted to marry, but couldn't, due to the simple fact that nobody could get married without a movie theater, and none had yet been invented. My ex's great-great-grandfather and his first wife apparently proposed in Connecticut and caused a huge scandal.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:52 PM on December 17, 2010 [11 favorites]

The best part is, he made the girl muppet's wig out of hair he cut off his fiancee in her sleep.
posted by inigo2 at 12:54 PM on December 17, 2010 [12 favorites]

dersins: "The idea and execution are so sweet and lovely that I really wish I hadn't gone and ruined it for myself by reading his smug, self-congratulatory blog entry"

Are you kidding? If I'd done this I'd be the smuggest motherfucker around. It's a novel proposition.
posted by boo_radley at 12:56 PM on December 17, 2010 [11 favorites]

I don't think I could ever trust a muppet with a beard.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 12:58 PM on December 17, 2010 [3 favorites]

That movie looks horrible!
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 12:58 PM on December 17, 2010 [5 favorites]

MUPPETS YAY AMIRITE?

But seriously, it's extra awesome that those are ACTUAL MUPPETS. I paused it during the closing credits and squinted to make sure, and those aren't just Muppet-y looking puppets, they are ACTUAL MUPPETS OF THE JIM HENSON COMPANY!

Also, apropos of nothing, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a Muppet with a beard. I mean a realistic-looking one, not a Fraggle-hair kind of beard. Don't know why that struck me, but it did.
posted by Gator at 1:00 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Classic mistake, editing the film to fit the song instead of editing down the song to fit the story you need to tell.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:01 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

It is a matter of some historical debate concerning rumors that state hero (and utterer of the phrase "Live Free Or Die,") General John Stark was actually Statler in Revolutionary War clothing. It's nice to see NH's current residents honoring our state's heroes this way.

(plus that's an awesome movie theater)
posted by ChuraChura at 1:01 PM on December 17, 2010

Really cool, what a great guy! It's raining here, in my condo, splashing on my cheeks ...
posted by dancestoblue at 1:03 PM on December 17, 2010

Gator, he built them using the Whatnot Workshop. More at the blog entry.
posted by zarq at 1:03 PM on December 17, 2010

That made me all misty.

*sniffle*
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:03 PM on December 17, 2010

Perhaps I am missing it, but his blog entry reads to me as straightforward, if excited, retelling of the event. I'm not seeing any actual examples of self-congratulations or overly inflated sense of accomplishment. Where is it that I am missing it?

Or are the criticisms of this proposal coming from fellow Minnesotans, for whom any mention of an accomplishment is understood as the bragging of a egomaniac who now needs to be cut back down to size?
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:05 PM on December 17, 2010 [14 favorites]

Fucking allergies.
posted by special-k at 1:06 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'm not usually a sucker for this sort of thing and I wasn't this time either.
posted by mrnutty at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2010 [3 favorites]

Was anyone else disappointed that this wasn't Sid Caesar? Because just the idea of Sid Caesar as a Muppet makes me laugh.
posted by briank at 1:13 PM on December 17, 2010

I'm totally a sucker for this sort of thing so yet again I am bawling at a computer screen.
posted by gaspode at 1:14 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

A note to all people who may be thinking of making a proposal in such a grand and public way: you better be damn sure the person you are asking is going to say yes! I was relieved to read that they've been together 10 years and had been talking seriously of marriage. Especially since he invited all their family and friends!

I sometimes worry when I see things like this that some poor schmuck who is in relationship that is circling the drain will see something like this and think "Ah, that's just the sort of shock and awe I need to win my true love back!" Cause then you end up with this: 1, 2, 3, 4
posted by kimdog at 1:32 PM on December 17, 2010 [7 favorites]

The idea and execution are so sweet and lovely that I really wish I hadn't gone and ruined it for myself by reading his smug, self-congratulatory blog entry.

I've always hated this attitude. So, we're only supposed to enjoy things by people who aren't proud of what they've done? I call BS. He did something cool, then did us all a favour by explaining how it was done. Kudos to him on both counts.
posted by auto-correct at 1:37 PM on December 17, 2010 [3 favorites]

Cause then you end up with this

#4 was so damn painful to watch. holy shit.
posted by special-k at 1:38 PM on December 17, 2010

Cause then you end up with this

You end up with a bunch of totally fake and contrived stunts?
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 1:39 PM on December 17, 2010 [4 favorites]

100% Tim
posted by chinston at 1:40 PM on December 17, 2010

Sid. Dammit! Three-minute edit window seems to be broken.
posted by chinston at 1:41 PM on December 17, 2010

#4 was so damn painful to watch. holy shit.

The biggest asshole out of anybody in that video is the cameraman who continued to film the guy's reaction, and then uploaded it to YouTube.
posted by schmod at 1:45 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

(Also, for the record, if anybody ever proposes to me, I'll gladly accept an engagement muppet in lieu of a ring)
posted by schmod at 1:48 PM on December 17, 2010 [3 favorites]

I don't really want to be a nit-picker, because the idea and the story is really pretty neat, but if the boy puppet had just proposed to the camera, and he left the reaction shot to the real girl presumably in the audience watching it, the movie would have been better. Nevertheless, good for him. It was an excellent idea.
posted by crunchland at 1:48 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh man. I hope that some of those failed proposals ended up working out in the end after much (private) conversation between the couples. But yeah, you've got to know it's a done deal if you're going to do it in public.

As for the Muppet proposal, I loved it. Thanks, zarq!
posted by ocherdraco at 1:52 PM on December 17, 2010

Um, guess I must be the only one who missed out on the fact you can now BUILD YOUR OWN FUCKING MUPPET. HOLY SHIT.
posted by fire&wings at 1:52 PM on December 17, 2010 [15 favorites]

This is the most romantic thing! I love it! This made my DAY!
posted by iohyem at 1:58 PM on December 17, 2010

Nobody who proposes during a sports event deserves to be married.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:20 PM on December 17, 2010 [4 favorites]

WHY DO YOU MAKE ME CRY?!?!?!?!?!?! WHY DO YOU POST THIS AND MELT MY HARDEND CYNICAL HEART!!?!?!?!?!?!??! WHY! WHY! WHY!
















*sob*
posted by liza at 2:20 PM on December 17, 2010 [5 favorites]

A note to all people who may be thinking of making a proposal in such a grand and public way: you better be damn sure the person you are asking is going to say yes!

You ensure this by following the tried and true flirt, hug, flirt, flirt, hug, flirt, passionate hug, first kiss, kiss, kiss, leap into arms, flirt, bathroom break, meal, possible shower depending on moodlet bar, flirt, kiss, back rub, kiss, make-out, kiss, move to bed, flirt, talk on bed, kiss, kiss, make-out, flirt, make-out, woo hoo, proposal method I learned from The Sims.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:25 PM on December 17, 2010 [29 favorites]

*sob*


Aaaaaaand, my work here is done. :)
posted by zarq at 2:29 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

At the risk of embarrassing myself across the internet, I have to say... I thought the bearded muppet was kind of cute. (Not as cute as the guy himself...)

Does this mean I have to contact the furries or something now?
posted by hippybear at 2:43 PM on December 17, 2010

hippybear: " Does this mean I have to contact the furries or something now?"

Murries.
Muffies.
Muppies.

Um.....
posted by zarq at 2:55 PM on December 17, 2010

If loving this is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
posted by crunchland at 3:12 PM on December 17, 2010

This made me cry. In a good way.
posted by mrbill at 3:19 PM on December 17, 2010

I was thoroughly prepared to hate this, as public proposals are incredibly tacky. However, reading the story of how he organized it won me over. Getting all those other parties involved and making staging a completely believable event while sneaking their friends in without her knowing was pretty creative.

Still waiting for a divorce video that goes viral, though.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 3:37 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna wait for the sequel, which I understand has better effects and more explosions.


OK, OK, it was really sweet. But still, MOAR EXPLOSIONS!
posted by happyroach at 3:55 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

This would've been great, but littering is a deal-breaker for me.
posted by mistersix at 4:07 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Excellent video and the backstory is neat, but totally agree with “the bar has been raised to impossible expectations” comment.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 4:14 PM on December 17, 2010

This is kind of surreal; I was wondering if this would show up on Metafilter, but didn't think it appropriate to post it myself.

So, Sid is a friend of mind- we were friends for quite a few years growing up in NH and were in the same grade throughout school; he's one of only two people I still stay in touch with from my childhood (granted, being a typical small town, I pretty much hated everyone I went to school with but for a handful of people, and couldn't wait to flee to the big city of Seattle).

This video was all over our Facebook feeds last weekend, and I guess some of his friends were more assertive at contacting people like the Ellen Show to get it out there; but I can say knowing Sid, he didn't make this with the intent to make any kind of viral video. He has always been one of those people who loves childlike things- muppets, comic books, figurines, video games, etc- the kind of person who enters adulthood thrilled at the possibility of finally being able to buy and own all the things that would have made him happy as a child. He's a good egg, and the one time I'd met Sara some years ago, she seemed like a perfect fit. Congratulations to the happy couple!
posted by hincandenza at 5:24 PM on December 17, 2010 [10 favorites]

Or are the criticisms of this proposal coming from fellow Minnesotans


Hellz no, not from me, I thought it was the sweetest ever and didn't feel like he was bragging at all.

But I am originally from Wisconsin, so you might still be right.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:11 PM on December 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Loved that. And this time I will not spend the next 2 hours watching proposal video after proposal video after proposal video... I have a date tonight :)
posted by Lukenlogs at 6:35 PM on December 17, 2010

Brilliant!
posted by jack.tinker at 7:05 PM on December 17, 2010

I call BS on #4 of the failures. The guy's reaction looks too practiced & deliberate, it just doesn't look authentic to me. I think it was a stunt between them.
posted by scalefree at 7:20 PM on December 17, 2010

Yeah what a waste of time. Just fucking ask the girl. She knows you want to anyway.
posted by ReeMonster at 12:12 AM on December 18, 2010

After 10 years of waiting, she may not.
posted by crunchland at 3:52 AM on December 18, 2010

From Sid's blog entry:

Photos taken at the Red River Theater.

Video from inside the theater.

posted by ericb at 5:38 AM on December 18, 2010

I don't think I could ever trust a muppet with a beard.

WinnipegDragon, Dr. Teeth. Dr. Teeth, WinnipegDragon. Please get to know each other. Despite your differences, I really believe you two have more in common than you realize.

Now, can't we all just get along?
posted by IAmBroom at 11:34 PM on December 18, 2010