# The Creepy Muppet Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155 "2009-03-12T02:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/21 "2009-03-12T13:38:52Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I don’t have youtube at work, so correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like the punchline is missing from that skit. No, the whole joke’s all there. Alice is in full-on spooky mode in the episode - he has an entourage of monsters, he’s trying to get the Muppets to sell their souls over to the devil, and so forth - so, of course, when he sings a nice, straight up love song\*, it’s going to be a creepy monster, because Alice\*\* and the monster really are in love. - You and Me is a track off of [Lace and Whisky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lace_and_Whiskey), which is Alice deliberately moving away from his spooky ‘evil’ image for an album. \*\* Alice the character, of course - should be clear, but I felt the need to clarify. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/22 "2009-03-12T14:01:23Z")
Lynda Carter did a marvelous rendition of “Orange Colored Sky” with some great explosive effects. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/23 "2009-03-12T14:06:16Z")
You want creepiness leading to years of nightmares? Try [Bert and Ernie exploring a pyramid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nSmWHHZpVE). That skit terrified me to the point of demanding my mother remove all pictures from the wall of my bedroom in case they came to life at night. And I was scared to look at my stuffed animals, in case I’d see them blink or something, so I’d turn them to the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/24 "2009-03-12T14:46:08Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > It’s just the song with nothing else at the end. Or do you mean Cooper’s little speech at the beginning, where he says, “And with the power vested in me, I have touched you and made you beautiful. Let no man call you ugly,” etc.? I’ll spoil it, then. After Alice is done with the song, Scooter knocks on the door to tell Miss Piggy to get ready for Pigs in Space. The monster Alice was cuddling with replys (in Miss Piggy’s voice) that she’ll be right there. She gets up and catches a look at herself in the mirror and sees what she look like. She gives Alice and ear full, and he turns her back. After she slams the door in a huff, Alice goes to a radio and sys something like, Boss? Yeah - we lost another contract." ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/25 "2009-03-12T14:49:18Z")
Odd. I never found any of it particularly creepy or upsetting as a kid. Looking back on The Muppets as an adult, I’ve come to appreciate the subversiveness of a lot of the humor. I have the first three seasons of _The Muppet Show_ on DVD and I watch it with my 10 year-old daughter all the time. I don’t know where we’ve gotten the notion that childhood is all sweetness and light. Face it, kids are morbid. Nursery rhymes and fairy tales are filled with death and torture and other horrors. Shel Silverstein’s beloved books have poems about murder and cannibalism. Halloween is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Henson and company were not of the opinion that kids had to be protected from knowing that there were monsters in the world. As **GuanoLad** rightly pointed out, the Muppets lost their edge for quite a while, and watching these clips really brings it home. The satire, the absurdity, and the bows to darker humor took a back seat to saccharine cuteness. I realized to my delight that they’d gotten some of it back when Kizarvexilla and I sat down to watch _Muppet Wizard of Oz_. Kermit as the Scarecrow, while hanging on his pole, makes a wisecrack about being reminded of _The Passion of the Christ_. A corn-thieving crow snaps back that he hasn’t seen the movie and doesn’t want the ending spoiled. Now if that’s not the Muppets returning to their roots, I don’t know what is. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/26 "2009-03-12T15:05:39Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > You want creepiness leading to years of nightmares? Try [Bert and Ernie exploring a pyramid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nSmWHHZpVE). That skit terrified me to the point of demanding my mother remove all pictures from the wall of my bedroom in case they came to life at night. And I was scared to look at my stuffed animals, in case I’d see them blink or something, so I’d turn them to the wall. Oh dear god, yes! I knew there was a legitimately creepy skit I’d seen before, but I couldn’t remember what it was. > [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I’ll spoil it, then. Ha, okay. The context makes a lot more sense. I never saw the full show with Alice, just the songs on Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/27 "2009-03-12T15:23:26Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > You want creepiness leading to years of nightmares? Try [Bert and Ernie exploring a pyramid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nSmWHHZpVE). That skit terrified me to the point of demanding my mother remove all pictures from the wall of my bedroom in case they came to life at night. And I was scared to look at my stuffed animals, in case I’d see them blink or something, so I’d turn them to the wall. I’ll third that one. Scared the shit out of me as a kid and still does today. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/28 "2009-03-12T16:15:39Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > The first error is to believe the Muppet Show was written for children. I think [this skit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLIDuu1XsRc) proves it. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/29 "2009-03-12T17:42:28Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > There he is, **Uncle Deadly** I liked it better before they named him that. He previously was just called “The Phantom of the Muppet Show.” ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/30 "2009-03-12T17:46:37Z")
Tha Phantom was one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid. I always hoped he would show up. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/31 "2009-03-12T17:47:33Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > The context makes a lot more sense. I never saw the full show with Alice, just the songs on Youtube. So…That’s supposed to be Miss Piggy…without make up, or something? And she doesn’t like being reminded of inner beauty? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/32 "2009-03-12T17:52:23Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > So…That’s supposed to be Miss Piggy…without make up, or something? And she doesn’t like being reminded of inner beauty? Going by **Maus Magill** saying “he turns her back,” I’m presuming Alice somehow turned Piggy into a monster without her knowing. Or something. I really ought to track that episode down, it sounds like fun, and I’m sure it makes more sense on screen (as much sense as the Muppets usually make, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/33 "2009-03-12T19:18:11Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Going by **Maus Magill** saying “he turns her back,” I’m presuming Alice somehow turned Piggy into a monster without her knowing. Or something. I really ought to track that episode down, it sounds like fun, and I’m sure it makes more sense on screen (as much sense as the Muppets usually make, anyway). It’s season three. I loved the Alice Cooper episode as a kid, and still love it. It and the Harry Belafonte episodes are my all time favorites. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/34 "2009-03-12T19:43:14Z")
Tell me that Jim Henson never did acid. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/35 "2009-03-12T20:10:34Z")
Ahh, that makes sense, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/36 "2009-03-12T21:02:10Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > I don’t know where we’ve gotten the notion that childhood is all sweetness and light. Oh, gimme a break. On the drive home today, I was toying with a lesson plan in which I’d reinforce the idea of place value by teaching my second-graders about Genghis Khan’s brutally efficient hierarchy. I regularly counsel kids on their writing about the death of pets or their parents’ arrests. I’m sure I have a much better idea about the traumas of childhood than you do. I don’t know where you get the idea that recognizing the dark side of childhood necessitates pretending that it’s not traumatic for kids. Yeah, childhood is dark; yeah, that darkness is traumatic. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/37 "2009-03-12T21:34:44Z")
About 5:58 into this clip [you’ll see the kind of humor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iac9mApfv4)The Muppets were known for before they got their own show. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/38 "2009-03-12T21:36:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Oh, gimme a break. Shit, that was way too strong. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/39 "2009-03-13T02:55:38Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > About 5:58 into this clip [you’ll see the kind of humor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iac9mApfv4)The Muppets were known for before they got their own show. Okay, I’m grown, and that skit is going to give me nightmares. Ugh! > [@NDP](#): > > Anyway, from the very beginning the Muppets did a lot of dark-humored stuff. Just take a look at [these ads](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ky7g1lgTwc)for [Wilkins Coffee](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhbz4Rtup3I&feature=related) they did back in the 50’s. Suddenly, I have a craving for some Wilkins Coffee! Please don’t kill me. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155/40 "2009-03-13T07:09:55Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > This kind of fun stuff is evidence of how the Muppets have lost their edge. They don’t do this funky weird stuff anymore, they go for very tame and sad attempts at humour instead. It’s quite disappointing. Except for Pepe the King Prawn, who I saw a couple of weeks ago on Craig Ferguson talking about his ex-fiancee, who is human, and how he’s into the interspecies thing. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creepy-muppet-show/489155.md?page=3)