# I, for one, welcome our new Muppet overlords. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455 "2008-02-20T23:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/21 "2008-02-21T21:31:06Z")
I’m so glad I don’t have to buy this for my daughter next Christmas. We bought her TMX Elmo when she was 9 months old. While my husband and I were giggling like kids, she was _terrified_ of it. Every few months, we bring it out to see if she’s over her fear. She’s almost 2 years old and she still hates it. So that was a waste of $40.00. This new Elmo would cause night terrors, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/22 "2008-02-21T21:39:31Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] I was thinking [Cybertronic.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence:_A.I.) Too on-the-nose? [/QUOTE] More that I’m showing my age and couldn’t come up with an evil robot meme less than 35 years old. Although if they start advertising that “Elmo-toys Last All Summer Long” I’m joining Farnham in his freehold… ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/23 "2008-02-21T22:04:08Z")
Hmm… I wonder what that huge pneumatic cable hooks up to? Why the good god damn do they insist on applying this technology to the absolute worst Muppet EVER?! Why not a talking, singing, banjo-strumming Kermit? What about an audio-animatronic Rolf the Dog who can mime out piano-playing gestures on any suitable horizontal surface? A toy that actually encourages your child to play instruments, instead of merely teaching them to shriek annoyingly for attention? How about a Miss Piggy doll that teaches kids judo? Or a robotic Lou Zealand that teaches fish-throwing skills? The list of possibilities is endless. Even an android Telly Monster who’s too neurotic to come out of the box would be preferable-- because he wouldn’t come out of the box. When am I going to be able to purchase a Sam the American Eagle doll, who can sit on my desk and stiffly inform everyone who enters the room: _“You. Are. All. WEIRDOS!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/24 "2008-02-21T22:07:32Z")
[QUOTE=Kizarvexius] He would stand in nicely for Mr. Collins. All he’d have to do is say “de Bourgh, de Bourgh, bork bork bork”, and the meaning would be pretty clear. [/QUOTE] Awesome! I bow to your greatness! bork bork bork! ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/25 "2008-02-21T23:35:30Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Hmm… I wonder what that huge pneumatic cable hooks up to? Why the good god damn do they insist on applying this technology to the absolute worst Muppet EVER?! Why not a talking, singing, banjo-strumming Kermit? What about an audio-animatronic Rolf the Dog who can mime out piano-playing gestures on any suitable horizontal surface? A toy that actually encourages your child to play instruments, instead of merely teaching them to shriek annoyingly for attention? How about a Miss Piggy doll that teaches kids judo? Or a robotic Lou Zealand that teaches fish-throwing skills? The list of possibilities is endless. Even an android Telly Monster who’s too neurotic to come out of the box would be preferable-- because he wouldn’t come out of the box. When am I going to be able to purchase a Sam the American Eagle doll, who can sit on my desk and stiffly inform everyone who enters the room: _“You. Are. All. WEIRDOS!”_ [/QUOTE] Why not go for some other classic Muppet animatronic dolls; Animal; teaches kids to play the drums, yell incoherently and ballroom dance…1,2,3 DIP!!! Doctor Bunsen Honeydew; teaches kids SCIENCE! Beaker; teaches kids that being a sidekick is _bad_ the Yip-Yips; for the sheer annoyance factor Sweetums; 'cause he’s just cool Swedish Chef; teaches kids how to cook, badly Gorgon Heap; eats everything Statler and Waldorf; heckle the other animatronic dolls ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/26 "2008-02-22T05:06:58Z")
I want an animatronic [Mighty Favog](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mighty_Favog). He could say sarcastic things about me. An animatronic Scred would be okay, too. I must say, that Elmo is going to sell like hotcakes. My daughter would have adored this when she was three. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/27 "2008-02-22T13:39:23Z")
I would TOTALLY buy a Sweetums doll. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/28 "2008-02-22T14:42:01Z")
This Elmo just looks like a slightly more elaborate version of the [Singing Bass](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znd0tIKjsPU&feature=related) to me. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/29 "2008-02-22T17:33:35Z")
How about an animatronic [Uncle Deadly](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Uncle_Deadly)? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/30 "2008-02-22T19:21:18Z")
One one hand that is pretty damned cool for a toy. OTOH, please god tell me someone is stealing that source code and making them evil. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/31 "2008-02-22T19:37:16Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] One one hand that is pretty damned cool for a toy. OTOH, please god tell me someone is stealing that source code and making them evil. [/QUOTE] you want evil? [Try this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=456995) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/32 "2008-02-22T19:51:39Z")
The Muppets were created by man. They evolved. They rebelled. There are many copies. And they have a plan." [Number Three](http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/thumb/a/ac/Janice2.jpg/300px-Janice2.jpg) [Number Six](http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/152/8154_MSPIG~The-Muppet-Show-Miss-Piggy-Posters.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/33 "2008-02-22T21:14:47Z")
they’re hyping this as advanced technology and they can’t even make it run on batteries? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/34 "2008-02-22T21:19:12Z")
It won’t be such a problem with the upcoming Elmo Hybrid . ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455/35 "2008-02-22T21:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=cmkeller] I prefer Elmo dead to Elmo live. [/QUOTE] According to [this](http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/21/toddlers-elmo-doll-makes-death-threats/), Elmo prefers to see the kid dead. > [@](#): > > Instead of singing songs or reciting the favorite color of its 2-year-old owner, James Bowman, the doll started making death threats, the family says. > > With a squeeze of its fuzzy belly, the Sesame Street character now says, in a sing-song voice, “Kill James.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-muppet-overlords/438455.md?page=1)