Am I a Woman…Or Am I a Muppet?

If I’m a Woman, I’m a Muppet of a Woman. 

You’ll only get the musical reference above if you’ve seen the new Muppet Movie, which is exactly what my best friend and I did on Tuesday night.

I’ve written before about my undying love for the Muppets. I grew up with the Muppets and they were such a huge part of my childhood. I know the idea of a 30-something woman being into a bunch of puppets probably sounds pretty lame to some people (and I’ve learned to never , ever bring it up on a first date) but I’m OK with that. The Muppets captured my heart as a kid and just never let go. I’ve always associated the Muppets with everything that is magical and innocent. Watching the Muppets as an adult reminds me that there is still good in this world.

{If you want a better understanding of why I love the Muppets I would suggest reading this post by Hipstercrite that she’s written about the new movie. I kind of have a huge blog crush on her right now.}

I’m also a huge Jason Segal and How I Met Your Mother fan. Just like I know all the Muppet songs by heart, I can relate almost any life experience back to an episode of How I Met Your Mother (High Five!) which I do often (this has already happened once today) So, when I found out Jason Segal (HIMYM) was co-writing the new Muppet movie I was so excited that two of my favorite things would be coming together.

To say I was excited about the movie would be the understatement of the century. However, I also wasn’t sure what to expect. Although I loved all the Muppet movies from the 70’s and 80’s that I grew up with, some of the more recent ones left a lot to be desired (Muppet Treasure Island anyone? *shudder*). What if I didn’t like this movie? Would that mean that I had somehow grown up and lost the ability to appreciate Muppet humor? Is this even possible?!

Just like I believe you read certain books at the perfect time in your life, I also believe the same is true of movies. An example of this would be when I saw Lost In Translation in the theatre. The movie echoed so perfectly the slightly lost, drifting feeling of being a 23 year old about to graduate university. It was what I needed to see at that time to make me feel better.

Now enter The Muppets.  The movie turned out to be everything I had hoped for and then some. They managed to capture the whimsy, magic and humor that I loved about the original Muppet movies while giving it a grown-up twist with some of my favorite actors (Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Rashida Jones) and lots of cameos from other cool people I adore (Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Neil Patrick Harris, Kristen Shaal). I spent the whole 98 minutes of the movie with a huge smile on my face, in complete awe: “The Muppets are back!”  I laughed. I teared up in parts. I fell back in love with my fuzzy friends. Given everything that has happened over the past few months, it was what I so desperately needed to see right at that moment. I needed to be swept away in song & whimsy & magic & a sea of brightly colored huggable felt bodies. I needed to laugh.

My smile spread extra wide as soon as this song came on. My best friend leaned over and said: “I think this one is just for you. I can totally picture you dancing around to this at home!” She knows me well. Unfortunately, the actual scene from the movie  ( which features a killer disco dance routine) wasn’t available on Youtube, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

 

We all need a “Me Party” every now and then.

There were so many things I loved about the movie.

Another great moment was a piece of dialogue that occurs near the end of the movie between Gary (Segal) and his Muppet brother Walter. Gary and Walter do everything together. They travel to LA, meet the Muppets and after many plot twists, the Muppets ask Walter to join them. Walter, who has always felt out of place as a Muppet living amongst humans, has finally found his tribe but he’s scared. Gary reassures him that’s it’s OK to go and says something to the effect of:

“Growing up is about becoming who you were always meant to be” 

It’s so true. You sometimes have to take those scary risks to get to where you need to go…and it’s OK to be a bit scared.

So, when I read an article on Wednesday morning that said FOX news is now accusing the Muppets of being Communists intent on “brain washing children” and inciting class warfare, I thought “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read!” The Muppets are all about friendship, love and togetherness and what they can teach us is simple: That it’s OK to be different or a misfit – there’s a place for you in the world, anything is possible if you believe in yourself and go after your dreams & that you can make this world a better place through song & dance. I’m really grateful the movie reminded me of this.

If their movie does have a secret anti-corporate agenda, GOOD! Bring it on. In case you were wondering, the way I feel about FOX news is pretty much the complete opposite of how I feel about the Muppets.