A lot of people (myself included) grew up watching the Muppets. Maybe you just saw The Muppet Christmas Carol every Christmas, maybe you watched The Muppet Show regularly, or heck, maybe you just knew Muppet Babies (in which case I weep for you). At some point, you take that for granted and start to think everybody loves the Muppets.
GuideLive writer Sarah Blaskovich does not love the Muppets.
It's not even that she doesn't love them. As of last week, she barely knew them. She didn't "get" them or why people would care about them. As my other co-workers and I were joyously discussing the new ABC show (simply called The Muppets) the confusion on her face was clear. Her expression just screamed, "Why do you, grown adults with jobs and spouses and stuff, watch The Muppets? Isn't that a thing for kids?"
And then she vocalized those thoughts, asking, "Aren't the Muppets for kids?"
This could not stand.
So we did what any reasonable people would do to their friend and coworker: We locked her in a conference room and forced her to watch the first three episodes of The Muppets on Hulu.
Then she and I hopped online to discuss how she felt about it. The results were ... mixed.
Britton: So Sarah, we sort of threw you into the deep end on The Muppets. We watched the first three episodes of the ABC show and didn't tell you anything before hand. How much did you know about these characters before we started?
Sarah: I knew very little about The Muppets. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy were two of the only characters who I recognized and knew a little bit about. (Why didn't I watch more Muppets as a kid, you might ask? I don't really know; they just weren't part of my childhood.)
In fact, I don't really "get" why adults are so into The Muppets.
Britton: I heard you laughing a bit, but not as much as some of the other things you and I have watched together. Did you think the show was funny or do you still not really get it?
Sarah: I didn't think it was funny, not really. Some of the jokes felt flat, especially compared to other comedies on TV right now, which largely nail the jokes or don't live past Season 1.
I don't want to say it wasn't funny. There were amusing parts. But this outsider would not classify The Muppets as "funny."
Britton: Personally, I like a lot of the individual Muppet characters (the Swedish Chef always makes me laugh, and Bobo, I feel you, bro), but one of my favorite parts of any Muppet-related material is always the crazy interactions with celebrity guests. The new show has already had a lot of those (Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth and Jay Leno, just to name a few), who I think have been great. What do you think?
Sarah: The celebrity guests absolutely stole the show. I kept wishing it was all human celebrities -- no offense, Kermit. Liam Hemsworth rn the third episode, which is tricky, because Nick Offerman takes a close second place. For me (and many Muppets watchers, maybe?) the fun was seeing who would pop up next. If Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Aniston and Will Ferrell showed up in upcoming episodes, I'd totally watch.
Britton: I'll have to keep an eye out for them and drag you back into our conference room if your favorites show up.
I'm curious about your thoughts on what ages The Muppets is appropriate for. The characters are often seen as marketing for kids, even though they have a history of off-color humor and suggestive content (subtly referencing everything from sex to drug use). The new ABC show has come under fire for being "too adult." Having no nostalgia for any older Muppets material, did you think the show was too raunchy?
Sarah: I thought it should have been raunchier! I'm confused about who The Muppets ' target audience is. I suppose it was kid-friendly, but the content -- that the characters are writing for a late-night show -- probably wouldn't interest kids. It didn't feel right for adults, either. Whereas The Simpsons is squarely an adult show even though it's a cartoon, The Muppets is a kid show that didn't have enough adult jokes to keep me watching.
And I guess I should clarify: TV shows don't have to be raunchy to be interesting. I'm just not getting why adults are watching puppets.
Britton: Final question, the big one: If I'm not tying you to a chair in front of a projector like I did today, would you keep watching?
Sarah: No. I didn't love The Muppets and I didn't hate it, but indifference is not a good enough reason to watch TV.
I do feel bad, though. It's not easy being mean.
More of Britton and Sarah talking about pop culture:
'Vacation' movie road trips through Plano, gets it all wrong
Stripper movie 'Magic Mike XXL' is harmless, occasionally hilarious
Dallas drug cartel movie 'Hot Pursuit' has nothing to do with Dallas, is terrible
'Minions' won't teach your kids values, might put you to sleep
