It's the Muppet Show!

By Anna Bocook

I adored Miss Piggy when I was younger, but it dawned on me recently I'd never actually sat down and watched The Muppet Show. I watched the ABC show featuring "Up Late with Miss Piggy," where I was scandalized when the Muppets would make adult jokes. I had seen plenty of the movies at this point; A Muppet's Christmas Carol is a staple in my house around the holidays. Early this semester, I started playing shows in the background while I studied or did homework. For whatever reason, one day I decided to put on The Muppet Show. And I loved it. It wasn't just Sesame Street with different characters like I thought it would be. It was visually pleasing with pithy humor, political remarks, and classical references that kids today don't get enough exposure to. The Wayne and Wanda skit is comedically interrupted every episode, but they recite poetry or sing songs from musicals like "My Fair Lady" and "Guys and Dolls." It doesn't teach spelling or counting like Elmo or Cookie Monster, but it’s stimulating humor that’s cultural. 

It might all sound stupid, but I was just surprised at how much merit could be found in this show. Puppets making offhand political comments isn't what I was expecting. I've recommended it to all my friends; it's probably overbearing at this point. I couldn't help but be impressed, which is why I chose it as my blog topic. I know this doesn't really reach a lot of people, but maybe a few more can appreciate the beauty of Kermit, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang.

Anna is a McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville in the class of 2029 class. She is studying American Sign Language with a minor in Political Science.