The Muppets are celebrating their beloved variety show arriving in full on Disney+ by parodying the streamer’s modern greats in a series of posters. The beloved puppets truly need no introduction, having graced television sets around the world since the 1950s. Jim Henson’s beloved characters were purchased by Disney in 2004 and have since been featured in a few feature films and short series. The Muppets bring their unique flair to whatever they’re doing, frequently offering meta performances parodying the chaos of show business.
Under the Disney umbrella, the Muppets haven’t quite attained the status as a cultural phenomenon that they inarguably boasted in their heyday. Their most famous outing was The Muppet Show, a variety sketch program featuring the Muppets in recurring segments showing off their unique personalities and frequently parodying pop culture of the 70s. The Muppet Show lasted for 5 seasons, all of which are now available on Disney+. Finally, fans can stream Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and their friends anytime, anywhere.
Disney+ shared clever cross-promotional posters to Twitter featuring the Muppets doing what they do best. The iconic Muppets feature in clear parodies of the streaming platform’s other popular series. Kermit’s nephew, Robin, apes Baby Yoda in The Frogdalorian, Gonzo and Camilla the Chicken star as an odd couple in CamillaGonzo, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem rock out in High School Mayhem: The Series: The Musical: The Parody: The Podcast: The T-Shirt, the Swedish Chef unintelligibly philosophizes in The Vurld Äccording to Chef GuldBluöm, and Pepe the King Prawn dreams of greatness in Diary of a Future Prawnsident. Check out the posters below:
Whatever the situation, the Muppets bring a universal sense of lighthearted fun, and this wacky cross-promotion feels perfectly in the spirit of the characters. If only Disney’s other applications of the Muppets were quite as charming. After two critically favorable films in 2011 and 2014, the Muppets have mostly starred in middling series that fail to get off the ground. Fans were quick to hone in on a production error in Muppets Now as emblematic of the lack of care Disney has had for the beloved characters, who form a small part of their media juggernaut. The Muppet Show’s return to the public eye via Disney+ will hopefully herald a revival.
Fans of the Muppets are always revisiting the classics and have the kooky felt performers on the mind. The Great Gatsby recently entered public domain, and eager fans were quick to call for the Muppets to parody F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary classic. The Muppets remain popular for a reason – they are instantly recognizable, bursting with personality, and form a diverse fictional troupe that can fit into many situations and stories. With the right amount of humor and heart behind the scenes, their next big break could be just behind the curtain.
