I Appreciate The Muppets On A Much Deeper Level Than You
The other day I listened to Marc Maron’s interview with Jason Segal (Writer of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “How I Met Your Mother”) on the WTF podcast. I am a regular listener of this podcast and while Maron has become less of a curmudgeon-y caustic interviewer that I, selfishly, prefer, I still enjoy his ability to draw guests out who might otherwise hide behind their professional success. (For example, his interview with Terry Gross was great).
However, I had forgotten that Jason Segal wrote and starred in the last Muppet Movie, The Muppets (great name…*sarcasm*). This fact struck me as one of the most horrible things I had ever heard of in show business. When the movie came out I could hardly contain my disgust and anger at what, to me, looked like pure appropriation of an misunderstood genius on the part of many (Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Jerry Juhl…). Any Muppet creation not led by any and all surviving members of this team (Frank Oz) struck me as pure appropriation and a fundamental lack of respect or understanding of the show.
In case you can’t tell, I am a Muppet Snob. I put everything that came after “The Muppets Take Manhattan” in a different category of Muppet Work. I own the DVDs for the entire television series and a shirt that say, “I appreciate the Muppets on a much deeper level than you.” (Which is true). (Both were gifts, appropriately chosen based on my obsessive and evident fandom). When “The Muppets” (even the name creeps me out) came out I attempted to watch it with my mom and sister, but I only lasted a few minutes until I left in disgust…the horror…
So maybe Jason could shed some reasonable light on his decision to essentially rape the muppets. Here’s what he had to say about his inspiration for writing: “The Muppets never made fun of people. They never got laughs at other people’s expense…”
HAVE YOU HEARD OF STATLER AND WALDORF?
The Muppets insulted each other constantly. Any research on the creators will state that “upstaging each other” was the ethos of the show. If anything, the Muppets get irritated, angry, annoyed, they can be self-absorbed, violent, or a Republicans or a psycho who blow things up or capable of domestic violence. If anything, they are very, very, human.
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I kept listening.
This is what I learned about Jason Segal: he grew up in the Palisades, attended Harvard Westlake (prestigious high school) and, on a whim in high school, decided to act in a play (Edward Albee’s The Zoo). It just so happens that the President of Casting of Something saw him and contacted his parents (or something like that) who sat him down and said something to the effect of, “You have a future in show business.” Who says that? Does life really work that way for anyone? I have friends who explode with talent (literally, it gets all over you) who have stood in front of producers and casting people time and time again.
Ok, so he lucked out and won the socioeconomic and genetic lottery. You can’t blame someone for being born white, male and rich. It’s what you do after you’re 18 that matters. He got cast in “Freaks and Geeks,” a cultural hit. But after four years he no longer had a job. Also, fine. I’ve been unemployed about a thousand times and it’s pretty scary.
But then he tells Marc:
“I thought either I make it in show business or I move in with my parents. I never thought of getting a real job.”
This made me nauseous. Not as nauseous as cultural appropriation of The Muppets, but almost. “A real job..?” I’m not sure he realizes that “a real job” keeps most Americans from the street or homelessness. At least have the sense not to say that out loud. How can someone who has never had a “real job” make entertainment that resonates with 99% of us?
I stopped listening there.