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Your favourite Muppet

post #1 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:32am
Thread Starter 
With the new film actually happening I thought it might be a fun little list, I decided against a poll because there is so damn many of them.

So who is your favourite, and why?

For me it's Gonzo, everything about him is great (excuse the pun). From the Chickens, to the stunts, to not knowing what he is, the blue nosed werido always makes me smile.
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post #2 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:37am
Probably a boring choice, but I'm quite a fan of Kermit myself. He's smart, cool, hilarious, and all around a good guy who is not above occasionally freaking out when things get too weird (which undercuts the air of perfection that surrounds him).

Of course, I think I identify more with Fozzie, because like him, I'm just a neurotic mess who is constantly seeking approval and acceptance.

Also, this.
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post #3 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:39am
ANIMAL!

No question. Wild and unpredictable, with a heart of gold. Plus, I love feather-hair.
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post #4 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:11am
I would have to go with Beaker or the Swedish Chef just for general hilarity.

I do an impersonation of how Muppets laugh that kills.
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post #5 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:14am
Gonzo. Ever since I was a kid, it's been Gonzo. It will always be Gonzo.
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post #6 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:19am
Without a doubt, Fozzie Bear.

I love his willingness to always go out on stage and give it his best shot, only to be harassed by the two greatest hecklers of all time. And how about the whole gag in Great Muppet Caper on how he and Kermit are supposed to be brothers, and how they present us with this Lovecraftian monstrosty that allegedly spawned them:

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post #7 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:28am
Speaking of those hecklers:



They'd get my vote. A curmudgeonly Greek chorus to the goings-on on-stage, and the perfect little dose of vinegar to the general sweetness of the show.

But the best Muppet name has to be Lew Zealand.
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post #8 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Hindmarch View Post
ANIMAL!

No question. Wild and unpredictable, with a heart of gold. Plus, I love feather-hair.
That's affirmative.
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post #9 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
They'd get my vote. A curmudgeonly Greek chorus to the goings-on on-stage, and the perfect little dose of vinegar to the general sweetness of the show.
A very, very close second.
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post #10 of 82
11/11/10 at 11:57am
Rolf. In amongst the madness, it's good to have a bit of quiet soul to draw from.

ETA: Gonzo. The Muppet Movie. Singing "Back There". One of the most sublime moments in the annals of Henson's troupe. Unmatched to this day.
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post #11 of 82
11/11/10 at 12:01pm
If we're not limited to just The Muppet Show, then my answer is Bert and Ernie. Classic comedy team in the style of Abbott and Costello. I'm serious.
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post #12 of 82
11/11/10 at 12:22pm
Dr. Teeth also ranks pretty highly for me.
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post #13 of 82
11/11/10 at 12:32pm


Zoot the sax player. The epitome of coooooooooool.
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post #14 of 82
11/11/10 at 12:34pm
ANIMAL! With Rizzo as a close second.
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post #15 of 82
11/11/10 at 12:52pm
I liked the Muppets when I was a kid but at the same time I was utterly horrified of them as well. The way their arms wiggled freaked me out. I still remember a recurring nightmare I had when I was little I would dream that my parents had turned into muppets and I would wake up in a cold sweat sweat my heart racing. Am I the only one that was scared of them?
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post #16 of 82
11/11/10 at 1:05pm
Gonzo was always my favorite, though for a while I thought he was Grover.

I had a stuffed Fozzie Bear though that I loved dearly. I'm 37, and still remember that bear.
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post #17 of 82
11/11/10 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploid View Post
I liked the Muppets when I was a kid but at the same time I was utterly horrified of them as well. The way their arms wiggled freaked me out. I still remember a recurring nightmare I had when I was little I would dream that my parents had turned into muppets and I would wake up in a cold sweat sweat my heart racing. Am I the only one that was scared of them?
I used to have a nightmare about Miss Piggy crawling up my bed, only she had human eyes.
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post #18 of 82
11/11/10 at 1:14pm
Swedish Chef was/is my favorite, throwing things all over the kitchen. A true culinary giant.
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post #19 of 82
11/11/10 at 1:18pm
ANIMAL! With Fozzie Bear being a very close second
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post #20 of 82
11/11/10 at 1:28pm
Nice to see some Fozzie love. He's definitely a favorite, and I think a lot of people can relate to his desperate need for validation, sad-sack schtick.

Though if we want to get more obscure: Beauregard, Dr Teeth, and Marvin Suggs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
I used to have a nightmare about Miss Piggy crawling up my bed, only she had human eyes.
Jeez.
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post #21 of 82
11/11/10 at 2:23pm
This is like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. But if I had to... it would probably be Fozzie. Or Swedish Chef. Dammit!
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post #22 of 82
11/11/10 at 2:36pm
ANIMAL! With Kermit being a very close second.

If we're including Sesame Street though, Oscar the Grouch trumps all, with Big Bird in second place.

I also like Crazy Harry. "Crazy Harry plays with electricity!"
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post #23 of 82
11/11/10 at 2:46pm
Swedish Chef to the point that I dressed as him for Halloween two weeks ago, it was a license to throw food around.

Followed by every member of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
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post #24 of 82
11/11/10 at 2:58pm
My close second choice:

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post #25 of 82
11/11/10 at 3:38pm
I had an Animal drum kit when I was a boy. God I wish I still had that drumkit.

Animal definitely rules, but I also loved Rolf.
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post #26 of 82
11/11/10 at 3:49pm
Animal - the master replicas photo puppet of Animal is one of the only expensive collectibles I could ever justify to myself. Swedish Chef comes in second - because of the creepy people hands.

Why does he have people hands!?! WHY!?! Creepy.
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post #27 of 82
11/11/10 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scruff View Post
Why does he have people hands!?! WHY!?! Creepy.
This goes onto a larger point that I struggled with as a child. I can accept that Frogs, Bears, Pigs and Rats are muppets, sure, animals don't really talk. I'll even take the Whatevers, Sweetums and the myraid of other monster-muppet types.

But Bunson, Beaker, Lew Zealand, and the Sweedish Chef (among many others) are not animals nor monsters, but rather just human muppets. In the muppet universe are these sub-humans considered a lower class? When Gary Coleman had to live in the bus station locker, it was depressing, but when the Electric Mayhem does it, it's hilarious!
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post #28 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:00pm
They're not even real people hands, they're like weird flesh-tone latex gloves. Always creeped me out, too.
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post #29 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:09pm
Why is "muppet" spelled wrong in the thread title? It's like a splinter in my mind!
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post #30 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:41pm
Probably the eagle who does the news. His design is exceptional. I don't even know his name.

Kermit and the Swedish Chef are up there as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Why is "muppet" spelled wrong in the thread title? It's like a splinter in my mind!
Fixed!
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post #31 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-7 View Post
Probably the eagle who does the news. His design is exceptional. I don't even know his name.
Sam is the eagle's name.
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post #32 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:56pm
Thank you sir. And now that you pointed it out, I'd just forgotten it.
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post #33 of 82
11/11/10 at 4:59pm
I think Nexus-7 is confusing Sam with this fellow:

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post #34 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:01pm
As much as I love them all, Kermit is the warm glowing center of the Muppet universe. He gets the nod as my favorite.

I think he's fairly new to the Muppets, but I also find Pepe the Prawn to be quite funny.
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post #35 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:03pm
I remember Sam doing the news as well. He was a great, underused muppet, and I agree with Nexus: he was very well designed.
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post #36 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:09pm
It's been too long since I've seen the Muppet Show proper... I think Sam did editorial pieces or something, but he was usually at the news desk.
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post #37 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:13pm
Kermit is that rare protagonist type character that truly is the heart of the ensemble. He has a warm, distinct personality unlike say, Mickey Mouse. This of course is all thanks to Jim Henson who embued the character with such heart. It's impossible to not love Kermit. Plus, he plays a mean banjo.
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post #38 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:13pm
Another vote for Animal. However, Link Heartthrob is a close second. The Zapp Brannigan of his day.
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post #39 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
I remember him doing a piece about how stupid it was to give money to save endangered species, then when he read the list out and saw his name he changed his mind.

I think he was more of a political commentator type.
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post #40 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:16pm
Damn, I think you're 100% correct about Sam, Ken. He was the Op/Ed guy, not the main anchor.
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post #41 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:23pm
Muppets: Kermit.

Sesame Street: The Yip-Yips.
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post #42 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:35pm
Zelda Rubinstein.

And just like with The Swedish Chef, her creepy people hands give me waking nightmares.
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post #43 of 82
11/11/10 at 5:45pm
Great thread. My Dad was always crazy about The Swedish Chef and I sort of inherited that. I also was a fan of Janice in a way that I didn't understand at the time and am too afraid to explore further.
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post #44 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:37pm
For me it's neck and neck between Gonzo - who I love for being such a fierce and staunch individual and not caring what anyone thinks of him ever - and Grover - who frankly I wanted to be when I was a little kid (helps that with the surname Groves I still get Grover as a nickname) and is simply the funniest most heart-breakingly adorable muppets in Hensons pantheon.

That said, there are so many others that come close seconds and thirds to these guys that it's a very hard pick.

...and someone mentioned Gonzo singing 'Back There' in The Muppet Movie - god damn to this day. Tears. Just floods of tears.

Henson had the direct line to my soul frankly.
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post #45 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:49pm
Gonzo. As Rain Dog (and a couple others) said, I love his individuality. I sort of identified with his peculiarities as a young fellow.
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post #46 of 82
11/11/10 at 10:57pm
Used to be Gonzo, when he was just weird. Then he became a sentimentalist seeking acceptance, and he lost me. Now, probably Fozzie. Pepe the prawn has some game though.
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post #47 of 82
11/12/10 at 12:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Rain Dog View Post
For me it's neck and neck between Gonzo - who I love for being such a fierce and staunch individual and not caring what anyone thinks of him ever - and Grover - who frankly I wanted to be when I was a little kid (helps that with the surname Groves I still get Grover as a nickname) and is simply the funniest most heart-breakingly adorable muppets in Hensons pantheon.

That said, there are so many others that come close seconds and thirds to these guys that it's a very hard pick.

...and someone mentioned Gonzo singing 'Back There' in The Muppet Movie - god damn to this day. Tears. Just floods of tears.

Henson had the direct line to my soul frankly.
You are so right it hurts RD. I love so many of the muppets but for me Gonzo and Grover are the two characters who run the deepest. They're both raving loons but somehow endearingly anxious and vulnerable.

Gonzo, even amongst an outlandishly wild and wacky ensemble, is the outsider - the "weirdo". And Grover, as well as being tons of fun on TV, is the star of The Monster At The End Of This Book, which remains in my list of top five books to this very day.
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post #48 of 82
11/12/10 at 12:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucho View Post
And Grover, as well as being tons of fun on TV, is the star of The Monster At The End Of This Book, which remains in my list of top five books to this very day.
Still a massive favourite of mine to this day as well. Introducing it to my niece and nephew was a definite treat.

I used to get such incredible joy from turning another page...

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post #49 of 82
11/12/10 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ploid View Post
I liked the Muppets when I was a kid but at the same time I was utterly horrified of them as well. The way their arms wiggled freaked me out. I still remember a recurring nightmare I had when I was little I would dream that my parents had turned into muppets and I would wake up in a cold sweat sweat my heart racing. Am I the only one that was scared of them?

Yes.

The Muppets are a national treasure.

As far as a favorite...man, Dr. Teeth. Fozzie. Rizzo. Sam the Eagle. And who doesn't love Rolph? So laid back.

MuppetVision 3D is a must-stop every time my family goes to WDW. I always smile when Sam says "Sitting in the middle of your row is thoroughly unAmerican."
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post #50 of 82
11/12/10 at 1:03am
Ahhh Sam. I remember his moral outrage when he worked out that everyone was naked under their clothes - naked! Disgusting!
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