With Muppets, It's NOT Dismaland
August 26, 2015 3:41 PM Subscribe
Of course, Disney is the media master of cross-property promotion. And there are a LOT of Muppet videos popping onto YouTube in preparation for their new fall series (on Disney-owned ABC). So this was natural (if not inevitable): MUPPETS DOING DRAMATIC READINGS OF THE LYRICS OF DISNEYLAND ATTRACTION SONGS.
First was Bunsen and Beaker with "A Pirate's Life For Me."(maybe TOO dramatic)
Then Floyd and Animal of the Electric Mayhem with "It's A Small World." (what could go wrong?)
And most recently, Rowlf with "Grim Grinning Ghosts" from The Haunted Mansion. (solo, but not quite)
I could've waited longer to post this - the Enchanted Tiki Room song is inevitable, probably with Gonzo - but Rowlf is MY MUPPET MAN, and this is National Dog Day. Good dog.
First was Bunsen and Beaker with "A Pirate's Life For Me."(maybe TOO dramatic)
Then Floyd and Animal of the Electric Mayhem with "It's A Small World." (what could go wrong?)
And most recently, Rowlf with "Grim Grinning Ghosts" from The Haunted Mansion. (solo, but not quite)
I could've waited longer to post this - the Enchanted Tiki Room song is inevitable, probably with Gonzo - but Rowlf is MY MUPPET MAN, and this is National Dog Day. Good dog.
I love and bleed Disney. I'm wearing Mickey Mouse Vans right now. But Beaker should never, ever, say anything other than meep. Or eep. But not Yo Ho. That one was weird.
The other two I adored, though I was slightly surprised when Floyd blinked. He didn't do that before, right?
posted by kimberussell at 5:51 PM on August 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
The other two I adored, though I was slightly surprised when Floyd blinked. He didn't do that before, right?
posted by kimberussell at 5:51 PM on August 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
I think that's the most eloquent Animal has been in decades. I actually wished they'd have woven some grey into his and Floyd's hair.
posted by Catblack at 5:57 PM on August 26, 2015
posted by Catblack at 5:57 PM on August 26, 2015
Whoever is doing Rowlf (Bill Barretta?) has nailed the voice and character. Some of the others haven't fared as well, but Rowlf lives on. As one of my favorites muppets, this makes me happy.
Please let the new show not suck. Please.
posted by beowulf573 at 6:09 PM on August 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Please let the new show not suck. Please.
posted by beowulf573 at 6:09 PM on August 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
This is a Muppets/Disney crossover of which I approve.
The black turtlenecks are perfect.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:25 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The black turtlenecks are perfect.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:25 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ellen's Synergy Adventure!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:11 PM on August 26, 2015
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:11 PM on August 26, 2015
I was slightly surprised when Floyd blinked. He didn't do that before, right?
Floyd has always blinked, just not very often.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:24 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Floyd has always blinked, just not very often.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:24 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Two other muppetational things of note:
Ricky Gervais probably IS involved with the new show (originally from a Daily Fail article but ultimately retweeted by Gervais himself). Consultant? (Since his British version of The Office mostly invented the show format) Guest Star? As himself? As his character from Muppets Most Wanted? Let the basis-free speculation begin!
And you know all those articles on The Toast "If [famous person/fictional character] were your boyfriend/girlfriend..."? Well, they won't be doing one of those with our favorite Amphibian-American, because somebody already wrote "10 Reasons Why Kermit Would Be The Perfect Boyfriend".
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:43 PM on August 26, 2015
Ricky Gervais probably IS involved with the new show (originally from a Daily Fail article but ultimately retweeted by Gervais himself). Consultant? (Since his British version of The Office mostly invented the show format) Guest Star? As himself? As his character from Muppets Most Wanted? Let the basis-free speculation begin!
And you know all those articles on The Toast "If [famous person/fictional character] were your boyfriend/girlfriend..."? Well, they won't be doing one of those with our favorite Amphibian-American, because somebody already wrote "10 Reasons Why Kermit Would Be The Perfect Boyfriend".
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:43 PM on August 26, 2015
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for MEEP.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, MEEP 'earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up MEEP 'earties, yo ho.
The missed opportunity of having Dr Honeydew read the lyrics and Beaker only inserting the obvious bits just shows that the Muppet people really need to step their game up.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 9:17 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, MEEP 'earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up MEEP 'earties, yo ho.
The missed opportunity of having Dr Honeydew read the lyrics and Beaker only inserting the obvious bits just shows that the Muppet people really need to step their game up.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 9:17 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am really kind of astounded at how cold these leave me. This is like the video equivalent of the 500th Threadless t-shirt with Doctor Who driving a Delorian while a Dalek chases him on a hoverboard. Except it's official stuff done by the owners of all the trademarks involved.
What's next? Muppets showing up in the next Avengers movie*? It just makes me feel dirty inside. I guess this is how people who have not been completely jaded to porn of grown-up versions of cartoon characters from their youth feel when they see a picture of Gadget Hackwrench finding a new use for a screwdriver.
* I was going to use the name of one of the Marvel films coming out in 2016 but I feel like the Muppets plus Deadpool or Dr. Strange would be weirdly appealing and might actually get me to see one of those things for once.
posted by egypturnash at 12:29 AM on August 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's next? Muppets showing up in the next Avengers movie*? It just makes me feel dirty inside. I guess this is how people who have not been completely jaded to porn of grown-up versions of cartoon characters from their youth feel when they see a picture of Gadget Hackwrench finding a new use for a screwdriver.
* I was going to use the name of one of the Marvel films coming out in 2016 but I feel like the Muppets plus Deadpool or Dr. Strange would be weirdly appealing and might actually get me to see one of those things for once.
posted by egypturnash at 12:29 AM on August 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who realizes that Beaker says "mee" and not "meep".
He doesn't pronounce a consonant at the end of "mee", it's just "mee mee mee mee mee"
Although in Muppet Christmas Carol, he does have the line "mee mee moo"
posted by Fleebnork at 6:57 AM on August 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
He doesn't pronounce a consonant at the end of "mee", it's just "mee mee mee mee mee"
Although in Muppet Christmas Carol, he does have the line "mee mee moo"
posted by Fleebnork at 6:57 AM on August 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
when they see a picture of Gadget Hackwrench finding a new use for a screwdriver
TIL: Gadget has a last name. (Googled with a cringe given the context of that sentence.)
posted by dances with hamsters at 7:04 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
TIL: Gadget has a last name. (Googled with a cringe given the context of that sentence.)
posted by dances with hamsters at 7:04 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am an enormous Haunted Mansion fan. Like, a little nuts. I am also a huge fan of the Muppets. Rowlf doing Grim Grinning Ghosts has made my day.
posted by Sophie1 at 7:36 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sophie1 at 7:36 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am trying to think of other Disney Theme park songs they could do. Tiki room had been mentioned. there is also "Its a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from Carousel of Progress. And... I can't think of anything else.
posted by Badgermann at 7:59 AM on August 27, 2015
posted by Badgermann at 7:59 AM on August 27, 2015
"Hey, you put Disney in my Muppets!"
' Well, you put your Muppets in my Disney!"
*choke!* Tastes like highly commercialized foam rubber!
posted by markkraft at 8:33 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
' Well, you put your Muppets in my Disney!"
*choke!* Tastes like highly commercialized foam rubber!
posted by markkraft at 8:33 AM on August 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm going to be a pedant (or something) here and say that Beaker has *always* said more than just "mee". One of my favorite lines in The Muppet Movie (and sadly I can't find a clip online) is when Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are describing the super-grow pill they are working on (that Animal eventually takes) -- Bunsen Honeydew says, "But the effects are sadly temporary," and Beaker repeats something that sounds vaguely like "sadly temporary."
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:08 AM on August 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:08 AM on August 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's never a bad time to kick back and revel in Rowlf's world-weary intro to his song from the 1979 Muppet Movie.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 9:16 AM on August 27, 2015
posted by the phlegmatic king at 9:16 AM on August 27, 2015
I was a full grown-up before I learned that Heifetz was a violinist, not a piano player.
FYI, I read somewhere (can't find it now, of course) that although most people consider Kermit to be Jim Henson's alter ego, Henson more closely identified with Rowlf.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:35 AM on August 27, 2015
FYI, I read somewhere (can't find it now, of course) that although most people consider Kermit to be Jim Henson's alter ego, Henson more closely identified with Rowlf.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:35 AM on August 27, 2015
Honeydew and Beaker was surprisingly funny. The other two, meh.
It is incredibly discombobulating to describe Animal as meh. I mean, Animal.
posted by Quasirandom at 9:37 AM on August 27, 2015
It is incredibly discombobulating to describe Animal as meh. I mean, Animal.
posted by Quasirandom at 9:37 AM on August 27, 2015
"I finish work, I go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk, and go to bed."
posted by beowulf573 at 4:59 PM on August 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by beowulf573 at 4:59 PM on August 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
Ben Trismegistus - my sister and I did the "sadly temporary" routine for years as pre-teens and teenagers. You have it right.
posted by Sophie1 at 5:33 PM on August 27, 2015
posted by Sophie1 at 5:33 PM on August 27, 2015
Eeeep.
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:25 PM on August 27, 2015
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:25 PM on August 27, 2015
I am trying to think of other Disney Theme park songs they could do.
There's "One Little Spark" from Journey into Imagination.
Gone are the days of the days of "If You Had Wings," "Miracles from Molecules," "Listen to the Land," "Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit," and "It's Fun to Be Free."
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:33 PM on August 27, 2015
There's "One Little Spark" from Journey into Imagination.
Gone are the days of the days of "If You Had Wings," "Miracles from Molecules," "Listen to the Land," "Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit," and "It's Fun to Be Free."
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:33 PM on August 27, 2015
20 years old now, but there's these.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 2:34 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by vibratory manner of working at 2:34 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
20 years old now, but there's these.
Yeah, the list expands a lot if you include songs that weren't written specifically for attractions in the first place.
Like, I didn't include "Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah" on my list, because although most people nowadays know it from Splash Mountain it was written for Song of the South and added to the attraction based on that film. Same with most of the attractions based on existing films.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:07 AM on August 31, 2015
Yeah, the list expands a lot if you include songs that weren't written specifically for attractions in the first place.
Like, I didn't include "Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah" on my list, because although most people nowadays know it from Splash Mountain it was written for Song of the South and added to the attraction based on that film. Same with most of the attractions based on existing films.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:07 AM on August 31, 2015
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I still wish the Muppets were not Disneyfied, but I understand the market pressures and blah blah blah.
posted by allthinky at 5:45 PM on August 26, 2015