Skip to content

Tag: Muppets

February 27: Queen (and others) ~ Bohemian Rhapsody

Throwback Thursday isn’t just for the original clip. Sometimes, it’s for the original clip and all the things it inspires.

The original, ground-breaking Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was released in 1975 as part of the album A Night at the Opera. Since then, it has achieved stratospheric status as the UK’s third best-selling single of all time. The work is amazing, considering the analog nature of the recording and the process of assembly. (Click the link for a detailed description of the entire studio and post-production work that went into the final project.)

As imitation is considered the sincerest form of flattery, this song has plenty to recommend it, from Wayne’s World

…through parodies (including the Muppets version) to mash-ups with Gershwin…

Freddie Mercury’s inspired combination of ballad, guitar solo, opera and hard rock has inspired these artists as well. Every one of these is a viral video. Dang, but I miss Freddie. Gone WAY too soon.

1 Comment

December 12 (13 Days to Go): Muppet Christmas Carol ~ It Feels Like Christmas

I think it’s a safe bet that of all the things I love about Muppet Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present is my favorite is my favorite character and this scene the best in the movie.

Not just that I have a thing for redheads (because I do), but the emotion carried out, the truth in this scene in relation to the original story, the character is so well played, it just makes me want to see this movie over and over again.

Comments closed

December 5 (20 Days to Go): The Muppets: Ringing of the Bells and The USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum 2013

Okay, so today’s selection is really, REALLY short. Also Muppet-y goodness featuring Animal AND Beaker, two of my all-time favorite redheads.

But wait. There’s more, thanks to the USAF Band and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Related? These two videos? Not a chance. Who cares, though.

First one’s viral, to the tune of over 5 million hits. Second one? Just incredibly awesome.

Comments closed

November 27: Hilarious Muppets Bloopers! and Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

Back in 2008, a phenomenon took over the Internet. Since then, the interest has ebbed, but I think it’s noteworthy that over 8.5 million people have seen this video, the direct result of a craze that started with Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

I caught it again while I was looking through Muppet videos  to post when I highlighted them for a whole week, a while back. Yeah. The original video’s audio has been replaced. If you’ve never been Rickrolled before, now you can check that dubious experience off your bucket list.

But here’s the king of them all, which I watched five years ago, live, during The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Rickroll, uploaded on the 27th (five years ago today). I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to die. Muppets AND Rickrolling, all in one tidy package.

You’re welcome.

And now you know the the rest of the story.

(With apologies to Paul Harvey.)

Happy Chanukah and Pre-Thanksgiving!

Comments closed

October 25: The Muppets ~ Cårven Der Pümpkîn

One more Muppet clip, because I can. Besides…Who can resist the Swedish Chef? Really?

Pumpkin carving – another annual ritual abused horribly by the Chef.

The Muppet Studios clips – almost all of them designed to help pump up Muppet popularity in advance of The Muppets (2011) – resulted in some selections of sheer genius. Also hugely popular viral videos.

We’re counting down the days to Halloween. One more week to go (a mere six days left).

Comments closed

August 10: La Choy Presentation 1966

Okay, so, moving from cats to dogs to dragons… The connection (of course) is Jim Henson. This is an early example, pre-Sesame Street/Muppet Show, of Henson’s Muppets and the commercial work he did before breaking into educational TV.

I remember the La Choy Dragon from my childhood, but he might be completely new to you.

Comments closed

March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day): Dear Boss (Sick Note) ~ Clancy Brothers & Robbie O’Connell

I “sang” this tonight at the coffee house. See what you miss when you don’t come out? I always think of Wade in Laurel when I hear this song.

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Florence (also born this day, gone since my first year in college, in 1981). Were it not for her mother’s direct interference, she would have been Grandma Patricia. She’s the first reason why I dress up, and why I love Otterbein Chocolate Chip Cookies so very, very much.

Bonus: The Muppets ~ Danny Boy 

Comments closed

February 23: Bert and Ernie recording for TomTom GPS – behind the scenes

A heck of a day. I did get a web site launched (finally), that’s been stewing in the background, but PayPal link isn’t there yet, so we’re not quite done. The rest is less useful.

Tomorrow starts with services and carries to a wake, and thence to The Oscars. Somewhere in there, a board game needs to be finished. A friend tonight said he’s never seen me this tired this late. And that was after a nap this afternoon. Next week’s shaping up to be extra special.

So here you go. Bert & Ernie. They have the energy for learning new stuff. I wish I was them.

Comments closed

February 20: The Muppets ~ Pöpcørn

Today has included (in no particular order) 15 email messages that had to be dealt with at the same time I was in classes, two trips to different schools because of poor planning, not enough sleep by half, and chocolate mousse. I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader which I actually enjoyed.

Spending the evening catching up on email (done) foregoing catching up on FB (sorry) and generating all the membership letters so they can go out in the mail tomorrow, a couple of weeks later than intended.

Call me a woman on the verge. Of what? Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine.

Comments closed

February 19: The Muppets ~ Beaker’s Ballad

Getting close to taking a major Facebook break. Speaking to people who think they can be rational and still say the things they do has me questioning the rationality of the entire world. Today I need to get stuff done and I’m wasting valuable and increasingly limited energy beating my head against walls. I can’t afford the resulting headaches and I’m too stupid to say “why bother?”

Beaker is my hero.

But wait, there’s more! The Muppets ~ Ode To Joy: 

Comments closed