Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: The Martians

Today's Weekly Muppet Wednesday article was written by Michael Wermuth, Jr.

THE MARTIANS
 
Performed by...
Various (1971-present)

Best known role...
Visitors from Outer Space

Also known as...
The Yip-Yips

First appearance...
Sesame Street Season 3 (1971)

Most recent appearance...
iYipp iPhone application (2011)


WHO ARE THE MARTIANS?
The Martians are extra terrestrials who visit Earth on a regular basis and often try to interact with objects, which, unknown to them, are not alive. Their language is pretty much limited to "Yip-yip-yip-yip" and "Uh-huh! Uh-huh!", though they also say single English words, carrying around an English dictionary. There are at least three Martians: A blue one, a purple one, and an orange one, though usually only two appear at a time. They have interacted with such earthly objects as a grandfather clock, a telephone, a radio, various letters and numbers, and a book.

SONGS WITH THE MARTIANS

• "Hi Friend" with Bob


• "Martian Family (Yip Yip Song)"


• "Get Along" with Kermit the Frog and others


• "My Outer Space Friend" with Telly Monster

MOMENTS WITH THE MARTIANS
One of the Martians’ best-known moments is a season three segment in which the Martians try to communicate with a telephone, making the sounds of various animals and getting scared when the phone rings.

Another great moment came one morning when Ernie woke up and found that Bert was already out of bed, speculating that Bert was kidnapped by martians. But then Ernie learned that Bert had woken up early and was making oatmeal. Afterwards, two Martians suddenly showed up, and happily took Bert’s offer of oatmeal.

In Sesame Street: A Musical Celebration, Big Bird picks two Martians to be "la-la-ers" in his big show, but when Big Bird tells the Martians they're going to be stars, they look into their book and then decide to go into space (though they do return to earth in time for the big finale).

WHY DOES SESAME STREET NEED THE MARTIANS?
The Martians are a lot like the toddlers watching the show. They see things that are common to us, but unknown to them, and try to figure out what they are supposed to do with them. Their figuring out words is very much like a child learning a new word. And who can resist those colors?

Yep. That’s why they are needed. Yep-yep-yep, uh-huh, uh-huh!

 




The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Michael Wermuth's Top Ten Monsterpiece Theater Segments

Top Ten Monsterpiece Theater Segments

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - Monsterpiece Theater is one of Sesame Street’s best recurring segments. While it’s hosted by Cookie Monster (in the role of Alistair Cookie), it sure does have a lot of variety (being an anthology series of parody segments). So here now is my top ten list of the best Monsterpiece Theater segments.

10.   Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a great segment in which Herry Monster sings about the fact that some guys like to play with dolls, while the rarely-seen Ruby Monster sings about girls liking to play with trucks. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the majority of fans only know Ruby from this song. I don’t think I cared much for this song as a kid, but in recent years I’ve found that this segment is very enjoyable.


9.   ABCD Blue
I first heard about this segment a few years ago, and it is a great segment. Grover and Herry play cops who help kids solve the alphabet. And pretty much any segment with Cookie, Grover, and Herry (even if they don’t all appear together) has to be great.


8.   One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
There’s been a number of great Monsterpiece Theater segments in which Cookie Monster keeps introducing the wrong story or the story keeps going wrong, and this is one of them. It’s a great way of teaching the number 1 (which seems hard to do). And it includes a cameo by The Muppet Show chickens!

7.   Upstairs, Downstairs
I don’t really remember seeing this one as a kid... Grover keeps running up and down the stairs. I’d like to see behind-the-scenes footage or videos of this segment (I wonder if Frank Oz kept getting on his knees and standing up straight, or what). And there’s a photo of Dr. Teeth in the background!

6.   Little House on Prairie
A funny parody of Little House on the Prairie, with a little house appearing on top of Prairie Dawn, as well as a couple of additional stories, showing a little house under Prairie, and then a little house in Alistair Cookie.

5.   Twin Beaks
One of the few times Cookie Monster starred in the Monsterpiece Theater story, and it's my favorite of Cookie Monster's starring roles (on Monsterpiece Theater). This story is really weird and really funny. Cookie Monster plays a detective who tries to figure out why a town full of birds with two beaks is called "Twin Beaks." I especially like the Log Bird scene.

4.   Me, Claudius
I don’t really remember seeing this one as a child, but I remember watching Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting and seeing a clip from the introduction which took place in a different room than usual, and being very curious about it. The story itself is funny, with various monsters fighting over which one is Claudius, and none of them cooperating or figuring out which one is Claudius. And it’s an opportunity to hear Elmo with a different voice.

3.   The Taming of the Shoe
Many of the best Monsterpiece Theater segments star Grover, and this one is kind of funny. Grover needs to cooperate with a talking shoe, who refuses to be worn by Grover, but realizes she can’t walk on her own. I also like the music heard at the end of this sketch.

2.   Gone with the Wind
The only Monsterpiece Theater segment to feature Kermit. This parody of Gone with the Wind involves heavy wind and a lesson in subtraction. Kermit (in the role of “Green”) is paired with Miss Scarlett, who I’m unsure as to whether she’s a frog or a human. The end of this segment, in which Cookie Monster catches and cuddles with a  lamb who got blown into the set, is kind of sweet (though it would be funny if Cookie Monster ate the lamb).

1.   Chariots of Fur
My favorite of the Monsterpiece Theater segments, I always felt like it was an event whenever this one aired. I listed this as number one in my list of the top ten Sesame Street segments not on DVD and listed it in my Top 41 Sesame Street Moments list, so I won’t talk much more about this, other than the plot involves Grover and Herry running at the beach (and as I said about ABCD Blue, any sketch with Cookie, Grover, and Herry must be great).

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

The Muppets NOT in "The Muppets" Trailers

The Muppets Not in The Muppets Trailers

Michael Wermuth, Jr. with Ryan Dosier - The recent trailers for The Muppets, and the recent article here on The Muppet Mindset, show that many Muppets, over 70, will be seen in the film: major characters, minor characters, fan favorites, obscure characters, new characters... Still, there are many great characters who haven’t been spotted in the trailers yet, and while I don’t doubt they’ll be included, it's still interesting to note some of the characters not seen in any trailers yet.

Doglion
George the Janitor
Angus McGonagle
Mildred Huxtetter
Hilda the Wardrobe Lady
Annie Sue Pig
Pops
J.P. Grosse
Foo-Foo
Gaffer the Cat
Fleet Scribbler
Bean Bunny
Digit
Johnny Fiama
Sal Minella
Seymour
Andy and Randy Pig
Bill the Bubble Guy
Boppity (Blue Frackle)
Fletcherbird
Timmy Monster
Gladys the Cafeteria Lady

There you go, some (semi) great, (partially) fan-favorite and (mostly) popular Muppets who have not been spotted in any of the trailers for The Muppets. Will we see these Muppets in the film come November? Will anyone but obsessed Muppet fans care? Are these questions dragging on too long? Where am I?

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Michael Wermuth's Top Ten Muppet Explosions

The Top Ten Muppet Explosions

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - One of the Muppets’ greatest trademarks is explosions. In the early days, explosions would often punctuate the punch line of a routine. And of course, blowing things up was a trademark of Crazy Harry. The recent "Green With Envy" trailer for The Muppets has "an expensive-looking explosion," according to Fozzie. And yet that “expensive-looking explosion” doesn’t look too impressive to me. But I guess no explosion really beats the old-fashioned kind, in which somebody would blow into a tube of powder to make the effect look real, sometimes making sparks appear.

I’m going to list my top ten favorite explosions in Muppet productions. And I’ll try to do so in the manner of a dignified film critic.

10.  Crazy Harry blowing up a wall in The Muppet Valentine Show
At one point, Crazy Harry blows up a wall, and it’s the only time that wall was shown in the special. Too bad the wall was only built for one reason, but at least it was a worthy cause. Two thumbs up!

9. Bunsen’s exploding clothes
In the Phyllis Diller episode, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew presents his latest inventions, exploding hats, exploding earmuffs, and the self-destruct necktie. It’s amazing to think of what Dave Goelz must have gone through putting his hand up in the air as his character was getting blown up. Fans often think this experience is what led to Bunsen getting an assistant. If that’s true, then if it weren’t for this scene, we wouldn’t have Beaker, would we? So thank you, explosive clothes!

8. The explosions in "Danger"
The Sesame Street song "Danger" includes a few explosions, making it among the few times Sesame Street used an explosion, proving that explosions aren’t too taboo for television, not even educational television.

7.  Waldorf’s "explosions aren’t funny" speech
In the very first episode of The Muppet Show, Waldorf tells Statler that he always thought the Muppets were weird because they thought explosions were funny, which Waldorf doesn’t agree on… Until Statler’s cigar blows up. The irony of the scene is very genius, though I disagree with Waldorf on explosions not being funny.

6.  Kermit’s introduction to Ben Vereen’s second number
The episode with Ben Vereen is full of explosions by Crazy Harry. But some of the best come from when Kermit is introducing Ben Vereen’s second number. It’s beyond brilliant that Crazy Harry ends up holding a bomb even as it explodes.

5.  M.A.M.M.A.’s big explosion
When Dudley Moore was the guest star and brought along his music machine known as M.A.M.M.A., Gonzo did an act, defusing a big bomb. He needed silence... But M.A.M.M.A. just had to go on-stage and make a big dramatic sting, causing the bomb to explode, and not only destroy the robot, but also half the theater. Perhaps one of the biggest explosions ever!

4. "Television news reporters are blowing up!"
In one Muppet News Flash segment, the Newsman reported that news reporters are blowing up... And then promptly blew up. A very good explosion, indeed. It’s quick and to the point.

3.  "I hear this movie is dynamite!"
At the beginning of The Muppet Movie, Dr. Teeth tells Crazy Harry that he hears the movie is dynamite, to which Crazy Harry makes a rather genius explosion. It’s a shame this didn’t even get nominated for "Best Explosion in a Film." What’s that? There’s no such Oscar category? Never mind...

2.  The World’s Most Powerful Explosion!
In a classic bit that originated in an IBM film (which I actually haven’t seen) and was remade on The Ed Sullivan Show and then The Muppet Show when George Burns guest starred, a monster eats various parts of a machine, as the machine describes the parts being eaten, before the monster learns that nothing can stop it from its primary purpose: to be the world’s most powerful exploding device. In fact, in the version done on The Muppet Show, it’s so powerful that Luncheon Counter Monster disappears. This is more than just genius (super genius, perhaps?).

1.  Jaye P. Morgan’s talk spot
So how do you top the stroke of genius that is #2 on this list? Well, there are many ways, but the talk spot with Jaye P. Morgan should be #1 for the quantity more than the quality. The first half of the episode is full of explosions, from Jaye P. tossing a bomb to Scooter, to Waldorf blowing up Statler, to the guest star getting a cake that was unknowingly baked by Crazy Harry. But in the talk spot, Jaye P. Morgan and Kermit discuss explosions, which Kermit notes is a trademark of the Muppets. So the best way to top explosions on a list of explosions is by talking about the explosions.

Well, let’s end this list with a BANG!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Michael Wermuth's Top Ten Sesame Street Inserts Not on Video, Part 2

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - Well, about a year and a half ago, I wrote an article on the top ten Sesame Street inserts that have not been released on any commercial video format. Unfortunately, all those segments are still unreleased. But, despite that, I’ve decided to make a second top ten list.

10. Monsterpiece Theater: Little House on Prairie

A great Monsterpiece Theater segment starring Prairie Dawn, teaching the concepts of “on”, “under”, and “in” (the last of the Monsterpiece segments hosted by Alistair Cookie).

9. Opposite Stuff

One of my favorite performances by Bip Bippadotta (Sesame Street's answer to Mahna Mahna). I like the black background used here, and it’s probably the only time we see Bip’s legs.

 
8. Bert and Ernie: Cake

A good lesson in telling the truth, Ernie eats a piece of cake that Bert was saving for desert. But when Bert states that he was saving two pieces for desert, Ernie makes up a story about a monster eating the cake and planting the evidence on Ernie. Bert doesn’t believe this, and then Beautiful Day Monster comes in and does exactly what Ernie had just told Bert.

7. Super K Cereal

A funny parody of Special K and Alphabet Cereal, only for the letter K. It includes great performances by Leslie Carrara Rudolph and Joey Mazzarino. It's very funny how the kids need the letter K to spell words. I certainly hope it gets included in the upcoming “Best of Sesame Street Spoofs” DVD release.

6. My Pollywog Ways

I recall this one being shown a lot, so it’s a wonder that this song has not yet been released on video or even online. Kermit sings about growing up from a pollywog to a frog. The music is really good.

5. Letter G Game

A very recent sketch where Grover appears as a game show host, and gets Mr. Johnson to participate in his game. In the game, Mr. Johnson has to supply an object that starts with the letter G. Mr. Johnson doesn’t want to play and admits he has no G objects, but wins by accident for being a gentlemen. But the prizes are G objects Mr. Johnson has no use for.

4. Danger

This is one of the best numbers from Little Jerry and the Monotones, right up there with such great songs as Mad and Telephone Rock. This is a rare Sesame Street segment to involve explosions, something that the Muppets are otherwise known for.

3. Sesame Street News: Old MacDonald and the Spaceship

Kermit has been told that Old MacDonald has spotted a spaceship, but it turns out he mistook a red Frisbee for a spaceship. But then the Martians arrive inside a spaceship. A funny twist ending.

2. X Marks the Spot

One of the few songs performed by Sherlock Hemlock.


1. Hot and Cold

Yeah, I mentioned this infamous number which won’t be shown on Sesame Street. And I don’t really expect it to be released on an official Sesame Street DVD (the upcoming “Best of Sesame Street Spoofs” release would be a great release to include it on). But maybe someday there will be a DVD of Katy Perry music videos, and if we’re lucky the company releasing it will negotiate to include this as a bonus feature (after all, it is on Katy Perry’s YouTube channel).

Honorable Mention: Monster in the Mirror – celebrity edition

The original non-celebrity version of Monster in the Mirror has been released commercially three times, but the version with celebrities added has not. And I prefer that version. By now I’m convinced that there’s problems with one or more of the celebrities involved in getting this on a commercial release, if there’s not issues in getting clearances for the use of The Simpsons characters. Thankfully this version is available at sesamestreet.org, YouTube, and Hulu, but it would be great if this version eventually gets a DVD release someday.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Michael Wermuth, Jr's Top Ten Favorite Fraggle Rock Songs

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - You’ve seen my articles and lists on The Muppet Mindset. Most articles I’ve written have been about either Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. While I’ve occasionally mentioned Fraggle Rock in my articles, I have never done a full article relating to the series before. And there’s a simple reason for that: I like most of Henson’s other works better. I do enjoy the show, but I’m a bigger fan of Jim Henson’s other properties. But, to show that I do like the show, for the first time ever, here is my list of the top ten Fraggle Rock songs. Enjoy!
10. Dum of a Son of a Gun (from "The Garden Plot")
This is a catchy song, sung by Pa Gorg and Junior Gorg. Pa expresses his frustration over his son's stupidity.

9. Pass It On (from "The Perfect Blue Rollie")
This song was sung by the Fraggles as they get and give rollies to each other. This song was later sung by the Fraggles in A Muppet Family Christmas.

8. Yes We Can (from "All Work and All Play")
This song was sung by The Architect at a ceremony for Doozers to get their helmets. I used to think the line “Does a Doozer thumb his nose at doing Doozer work?” was asking if Doozers pick their noses over Doozer work.

7. Follow Me (from "Beginnings")
The first song from the show, Uncle Matt sings to Gobo before setting off to “Outer Space.” Also famous for being Jerry Juhl's favorite song from the show and sung at his memorial service.

6. I’m a Little Fraggle (from Boober Gorg)
This song, sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot,” was sung by the Fraggles to Boober after Boober lost his memory, in an attempt to get Boober to remember who he is.

5. I’m Always Here (from "Wembley and the Gorgs")
A funny little song sung by Wembley, about always being here and never being there. It would have made a great song for Sesame Street as well.

4. I’ve Seen Troubles (from "Beginnings")
Marjorie the Trash Heap sang this song, stating that troubles are her favorite thing.

3. Let Me Be Your Song (from "The Minstrels")
One of the best songs sung by Cantus and the Minstrels, sung by the group when they made their first appearance on the show. A good way of introducing the group.

2. Convincing John (from "The Preachification of Convincing John")
Convincing John’s trademark song, sung to both convince the Fraggles to NOT eat Doozer constructions, and later to convince them TO eat Doozer constructions. This song includes a rare instance of a Fraggle referring to a human being (as opposed to calling them "silly creatures").

1. Friendship Song (from "Marooned")
Sung by Boober and Red (two of my favorite Fraggles) when trapped during a cave-in, this is a very moving song.

What are some of your favorite Fraggle songs? Mine is "Dixie Wailin'," but we'd love to know yours! Share with us on Facebook or Twitter or in the comments below.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Weekly Website Wednesday: Jim's Red Book

Today's article is not the start of another Wednesday series... I just wanted to add in the cute, alliterative title. That is all.

Jim Henson's Red Book Review

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - On September 24, 2010 (Jim Henson’s birthday), The Jim Henson Company added a new website, Jim Henson’s Red Book, containing excerpts from, well, Jim Henson’s red book, Henson’s personal journal. As noted at the top of the page, every day from 1965 until 1988 Jim Henson wrote one-sentence journal entries on what he did that day, and excerpts from the book get reprinted on the website. Now, this may not be too interesting to many, unless you just like knowing dates of events (and even then, Muppet Wiki has many dates posted already). Interest may be even lower if it’s not about a specific production. But many (not all) entries have additional historical information, written by archivist (note from Ryan: and good friend of The Muppet Mindset) Karen Falk. And the historic information is a real treasure.

In case you don’t know, I’m a pretty hardcore Muppet fan. I know the names of all the important characters, and the names of many minor characters you may not be aware of. But pretty much all of the historic information entries include info that even I had never previously known, and not just the kind of info I might not have cared about.

Before the Red Book website started, I didn’t know that Twill and Harrison from the “Muppets String Quartet” sketch (from The Ed Sullivan Show) had names, or that said segment was a remake of one done years earlier, or that Mahna Mahna was called “Harry” in that script. I didn’t know that Jim Henson’s Sesame Street film where kids play in the sand was titled “Body Parts vs. Heavy Equipment.” I also didn’t know what the musicians from the “Come Together” number looked like (they’re basically Beatles caricatures with the same attire as Mahna Mahna)--and these are just some of the many, many things one can learn from Jim's Red Book.

The historical information indeed provides great information, pictures, and often links to video clips uploaded to YouTube by The Jim Henson Company (just recently Jim Henson’s “Wizard of Id” pilot was uploaded). Almost every time an entry is on a variety show appearance there is plenty of detailed behind-the-scenes info and pictures. There are some great behind-the-scenes articles on scenes from The Great Muppet Caper (I am particularly fond of the article on the parachute sequence).

Although it says the red book started in 1965, there have been a few entries that pre-date 1965, such as when Jane Henson got hired in 1955 and the last broadcast of Sam and Friends in 1961. Although the book ended in 1988, I’m hoping for some kind of entry on The Jim Henson Hour. I’m hoping to eventually see entries on the making of all of Jim Henson’s Sesame Street films (especially the “baker films”), the various direct-to-video productions of the 1980s, and something related to Follow That Bird. Only time will tell.

If you don’t follow the website you really, really should. It is a treasure for Muppet fans and a great history lesson every single day.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Statler and Waldorf

Today's article is written by Michael Wermuth, Jr. with edits and contributions by Ryan Dosier.

STATLER AND WALDORF


Performed by...
Statler
Richard Hunt (1976-1990)
Jerry Nelson (1975, 1992-2002)
Steve Whitmire (2003-present)

Waldorf
Jim Henson (1975-1990)
Dave Goelz (1992-present)

First appearance...
The Muppet Show: Sex and Viloence Pilot (1975)

Most recent appearance...
The Muppets (2011)

Best known role(s)...
Hecklers. Those two old guys in the balcony. Bear-comedy haters. Hurlers of over-ripe fruits and vegetables.

Family...
Waldorf has a wife named Astoria, who resembles Statler in a drag. Statler has mentioned having at least two wives in the past. Statler also has a grandson, who attended the show when Elke Sommers was the guest star.

WHO ARE STATLER AND WALDORF?
Statler and Waldorf are the two old men who regularly watch The Muppet Show from a small balcony, despite the fact that they usually hate the show. They often heckle all of the acts on the show, but their favorite target has always been Fozzie Bear and his comedy monologues. Despite this, they do occasionally like what they see on the show (particularly certain guest star performances). When they’re not complaining about the show, they’re making insults at each other (using such terms as “old fool”). Their old age has sometimes led to them forgetting or mishearing certain things, or even caused them to sleep during the show. The two are rarely seen without the other.

Outside of The Muppet Show, they have been involved with almost every big Muppet production, whether they are among the main group of Muppets or not. In the movies, they often just happen to be at a location that the other Muppets are at: such as in the park while the Muppets ride their bicycles, or sunbathing in New York City while Kermit walks by. On Muppets Tonight, they were often seen watching the show on television, initially from inside a nursing home, but later at a variety of locations such as a beach, a bar, and a ski resort.

In 2005 they hosted their own web series, Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony on Movies.com in which they reviewed recent movies. This series was fairly successful, but only lasted a year. More recently, they have appeared in every Muppet viral video, usually by giving their comments from at the computer at the end of the videos. A handful of viral videos were just them in front of their computer screen giving comments.

WHICH ONE IS WHICH?
Statler is the one with gray hair and eyebrows. Waldorf is the one with white hair and a mustache. They usually sit with Waldorf to Statler's right.

MEMORABLE QUOTES...

Statler: It’s good to be heckling again.
Waldorf: It’s good to be doing anything again!
~ The Muppet Christmas Carol

Statler: Well, Waldorf, they’ve finally made it to Broadway.
Waldorf: Yup, and I’ve got tickets.
Statler: You did? Are they good seats?
Waldorf: They sure are! They’re for the next train out of town!
~ The Muppets Take Manhattan

Statler: We’d love to see your act!
Waldorf: In fact we’d hate to miss your act!
Statler: In fact we’d love to hate your act!
~ A Muppet Family Christmas

Statler: The question is “What is a Mahna Mahna?”
Waldorf: The question is “Who cares?”
~ The Muppet Show Episode 101: Juliet Prowse

STATLER AND WALDORF SONGS

• "The Varsity Drag"
• "Take Ten Terrific Girls"
• "It Was a Very Good Year"
• "Marley and Marley"

MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Though usually seen in their balcony, the duo has occasionally acted on-stage at the Muppet Theater. After complaining about their opening numbers, Kermit once let them put on their own opening number, “Take Ten Terriffic Girls.” Statler and Waldorf got the opportunity to host the show themselves when Hal Linden guest starred.

When Danny Kaye guest starred, the duo chose to sit outside the theater as opposed to watching the show, citing “Whats-his-name Kaye” as the worst performer on earth. However, as the show was about to end, they realized that they misheard who the guest star was: Manny Kaye, the tune clam player, and it turned out that Danny Kaye was actually one of their favorites, making them wish they had watched the show.



WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED STATLER AND WALDORF?
It's kind of hard to justify the Muppets needing Statler and Waldorf, per se, considering how much of a pain they can be. Yet I think it's safe to say that Statler and Waldorf need the Muppets. What else would they do with their down time? Who would they heckle that wouldn't eventually call PGOP (Prevention of Grumpy Old People)? The Muppets are so thrilled to just have someone in the audience that they'll take the two old geezers no matter how awful they are to them. Yet Statler and Waldorf keep coming back... could it be that the two of them actually like the acts and they only heckle the Muppets to keep them on their toes and keep doing their best work?! ...Nah.

Additionally, Statler and Waldorf represent the audience, especially those who may think the Muppets are weird. They represent old people. And they also give the Muppets a bit of conflict, though they aren’t really villains.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier