Help Us, Muppet Fans! You're Our Only Hope!

Dear Muppet Fans,

We need your help! One of the main goals we have here at The Muppet Mindset is to provide you, the adoring public, with quality, hopefully daily, updates with Muppet news, articles, and what have you. Unfortunately, lately, time has not been on my side as summer vacation reaches its peak and I find myself with a social life and odd jobs. It has become increasingly harder to find time to write articles with so much going on... but I'm hoping that's where you will come in!

There is always an opportunity on the Mindset for fan contributions and every so often we like to remind our readers of that... so here is your reminder! Anyone is welcome to contribute, so if you've got something about the Muppets rattling around in your brain that you think would make a good read--write it down! Chances are, if you think it's interesting, other Muppet fans will too.

But what if you can't come up with an article? Well, we can help there too! We have a couple series of articles that we are always accepting new contributions to. Below is the list of recurring Mindset articles that are always awaiting new entries...

• Weekly Muppet Wednesdays
• Muppet Fan Testimonials
• Muppet Fan's Muppet Collection Chronicle
• The Life of an International Muppet Fan

So... yeah! Plenty of ways for you to contribute. Write about your favorite Muppet character! Tell us how you became a Muppet fan! Show off your Muppet collection! Tell us about Muppet fandom in your area! Give us a try, I think you'll like us.

Once you've written your article, submit it in an email to Ryan Dosier at ryguy102390@gmail.com with the subject title: "Mindset Article: [Insert Title Here]"

As I said, we are happy to accept most articles, but we reserve the right to refuse and edit any article for length, content, or whatever. However, we're usually very lenient, so take a chance and send us an article! We'd love to have you!

Thanks Muppet fans! Hope to hear from a lot of you very soon!

~ Ryan Dosier

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Bringing Back the Bells

This idea springs from Muppet Central Forum member Convincing John.

Many years ago, over at Muppet Central, all of the members of the forum would ring bells on December 21st at a certain time to celebrate friendship on Muppet Central, our fandom, and our admiration of Jim Henson. It was inspired by "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" where all of the Fraggles had to ring their bells in sequence with the Great Bell in order to keep the rock from freezing over at winter time.

The beauty of this tradition is that, no matter what your religion or customs, we are all drawn together because we are Muppet fans. We exclude no one from coming to celebrate and showing their Muppet love. For at least one minute all over the world, it gave the fan community a sense of connection... Muppet fans all over ringing bells, as Cantus said, "All together, all at the same time."

We here at The Muppet Mindset have fully jumped behind Convincing John's proposal to bring back the bells. Out of tradition, the bells have always been rang on December 21st at 9:00pm. Sometimes coinciding with watching "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" with the bell ringing, naturally, done the same time as the Fraggles at the end of the special.

Over the past few years, this tradition has even spread to family and friends of Muppet fans. Without fail, they all ring bells at the same time each year. They all have copies of the episode and if they can, watch and ring at the same time.

The original bell ringing was done via chat, but even though we don't have the chat anymore, there is every reason that we can still celebrate the tradition. Muppet fans can ring bells all together, for just one minute, to celebrate Muppety goodness, friendship, and a sense of togetherness. If nothing else, ring the bell for Jim Henson and all of the good things he brought our lives and stood for and influenced you.

Over the past few years, there have (unfortunately) been a lot of arguments in the Muppet community, people leaving, tension between fans, etc., and it's sad, really. There have been a lot of times fans simultaneously waited in anticipation for something, experienced it together, then emotions rise, complaints come in droves and the arguments follow.

Bringing back the Bells would finally bring together the fan community, Muppet Central, Tough Pigs, The Muppet Mindset, The MuppetCast, The Muppet Newsflash, all kinds of fans, and allow us all to experience something together that's fun, easy to do, and probably won't cost you a dime (all you need is something that rings like a bell).

With no chat room, we may not be able to hear each others bells, but that's okay. As a wise composer once put it "don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear." You'll hear your bell, and you can believe that Jim will hear it too.

So come on, Muppet fans, I know we have all had our differences in the past, but let us put those behind us at that time of holiday joy and love and peace. Let us all ring our bells and let them chime throughout the world so that we can show our sense of pride and togetherness once again.

The Muppet Mindset