Sunday, September 13, 2009

Where's Miss Piggy?!

Over Shabbos, I was annoyed by the following in the Jewish Week:

Where’s Miss Piggy? Oops, It’s Israel.


The article goes on to describe Shalom Sesame, starring Grover, which is filming in Israel. What is annoying is that Miss Piggy should feel safer in Israel because no one would try to eat her. And which pigs are non-kosher, that doesn't mean that seeing a puppet pig is somehow objectionable.

But more than that. Why should we think Miss Piggy would appear in this? She is a Muppet! The muppets and the cast of Sesame Street are entirely different, with only occasional crossovers, such as Kermit The Frog, who appeared for Sesame Street News. The premise of the joke is thus flawed.

3 comments:

Rabbi Joshua Maroof said...

It is funny how we tend to conflate muppets and Sesame Street characters. Good call.

Lurker said...

The muppets and the cast of Sesame Street are entirely different, with only occasional crossovers...

It would be more correct to say that the puppets on the Muppet Show and the those on Sesame Street are different. All of them, however, are "Muppets", as created and named by Jim Henson. I.e., Grover, who didn't appear on the Muppet Show (except for once, as a guest host) is also a Muppet.

...such as Kermit The Frog, who appeared for Sesame Street News.

Kermit T. Frog appeared in far more than just that on Sesame Street. E.g., his famous Sesame Street musical number, "It's Not Easy Being Green"...

Ariel Segal said...

Good call, R' Waxman! I have always been a "Chasid" of the Muppets, and I think more of us absorbing Jim Henson a"h's ethos of love and joy would help us in the direction of Ahavat Chinam :)

You may enjoy Steve Swanson's MuppetCast.

http://muppetcast.com/WordPress/

Thanks as always for a wonderful blog.

Shana Tova U'Metukah!

KT, Ariel Segal

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