As you may know, August 26th marks the 5th anniversary of The Muppet Mindset, and since the Mindset and Muppet Hub have been friends for quite a while, I thought it would be nice to bring you some of the best things to check out when you visit the Muppet Mindset. So, here are 15 of them:
- Welcome to the Muppet Mindset! – I think Ryan just might hate me for including this one, but I find it interesting to look back at what Ryan originally proposed that the Mindset would be, and then compare that to what it has become. One could also do this with the Muppet Mindset’s first full article, but if I include a link to that, Ryan will kill me.
- 120 Muppet Songs – This is a list of 120 of Ryan Dosier’s favorite Muppet songs, or songs that he thinks are the best, in a completely random order. It’s fun to compare the different songs and try to figure out why certain songs stand out more than others. Plus, it gives one the chance to learn about new Muppet music that he/she has never heard before. Click here to go to Part 8, which has links to the first 7 parts of the series.
- Crossovers in the Muppet World – Muppet crossovers have always been really special in Muppet fandom, and many of the Muppets’ crossovers are considered to be some of the best productions that they have ever done. This article lets readers know what is so great about the significant crossovers they have done, and even covers more recent crossovers. Sadly, crossovers do not happen very often anymore due to the Muppets’ Three-Way Split, but understanding that requires an article of its own.
- Advanced Property Ownership – The Muppets’ Three-Way Split is complicated, and perhaps it is better suited for an advanced Muppetology class than for Muppetology 101. Still, this somewhat recent article from this past March helps readers understand the complicated situation that the Muppets are in right now regarding their ownership. This is the type of thing that every true Muppetologist is expected to know about, so do read this if the Split is confusing to you.
- Dave Hulteen’s Muppet Fan Collection Chronicle – While all of the Muppet Fan Collection Chronicles are really cool, this one stands out to me as it is a video, rather than an article. Original videos are rare with the Muppet Mindset, but this is a rare instance in which a video was submitted, and the Muppet Mindset included it in their great series on Muppet fans’ Muppet stuff. Dave Hulteen is known for his memorable Muppet artwork, and in this video, his collection becomes just as memorable, because it is really a special one.
- Muppet Movies Video Reviews – This is a pretty recent video series that the Muppet Mindset was involved in, in which each Muppet movie was reviewed in order, one movie a month, leading up to the release of Muppets Most Wanted. Click here to go to the YouTube channel (HowAdorkableTV) which features all of the reviews.
- Muppet Quotes – Back in 2010, the Muppet Mindset’s “intern,” Lisa, started a (kind of) weekly series on Fraggle Rock quotes. This daily series went on for a while, and eventually inspired a (kind of) weekly series on Muppet quotes that continued into 2012. While I cannot seem to find a way to link to either of these series, they can be found in this page on the Mindset’s miscellaneous posts.
- Why Oscar Wears a Hat in Illustrations – For Muppet fans who have seen a lot of Sesame Street books or clip art, it may seem odd that Oscar always wore the lid of his trash can as a hat when in cartoon form, since he did not do that on the show. In this article, the question is asked and discussed in depth, and then in this article, the question is answered!
- The World of Oscar’s Trash Can – Just like ToughPigs is the website that questions Grover’s Mom, the Muppet Mindset is the website that questions Oscar the Grouch. This article explores the strange mysteries of his trash can, which seems to be portable, yet somehow contains elephants, and leads to Grouchland.
- What Was Going on with the Fraggle Rock Movie – This article tries to answer questions about the Fraggle movie that the Henson Company tried to make happen, but eventually fell through. This comes from late 2010, and at that time, the plans with Cory Edwards and the Weinstein Company were slowly falling apart. This may not answer current questions about the Fraggle movie, but this time period in the history of Muppet fandom is an interesting thing to learn about, and so it is fascinating to look back at a time when Muppet fans’ hopes were high for Fraggles on the big screen.
- How to Be a Fraggle – In this “How to” article, Ryan writes some of the funniest and silliest stuff that can be found on the Muppet Mindset. Just read it; that is all I can say without giving too much away. All of the “How To” articles are really fun, so be sure to check out all of them.
- Peter Linz/Walter Interview – When a Muppeteer is interviewed, that is a special occasion. When a Muppet also gets interviewed, it makes everything twice as fun. In this two-part audio interview, Ryan talks with both Peter Linz and Walter, and while their voices are similar, each interview is unique.
- Dave Goelz Interview – A personal favorite of Ryan Dosier’s, this four part interview covers a lot of Dave’s life, and many of the highlights of his career. It also features some of the Muppets answering Ryan’s questions. Dave is very funny and delightful throughout, so be sure to check out parts one, two, three, and four!
- We Need More Female Muppets – A personal favorite of both Ryan’s and mine, this article from just a few months ago addresses this issue very well. Hopefully, the folks at Muppets Studio have a story involving adult puppet Skeeter in the works because of this article! They probably do not, but hey, a guy can dream.
- Jerry Nelson Interview – This is the one quoted in Jim Henson: The Biography, and stands out as one of the Mindset’s best interviews. According to Ryan, Jerry answered the questions in groups via email over a very long period of time because he did not want to answer them all at once. Jerry answers each question thoughtfully, and says what may be my favorite Jerry Nelson quote, “You have my permission to applaud me any time you see me.”
There are many other great things that have come from the Muppet Mindset, so I highly recommend exploring their archives for more Muppetational fun. Start with 2010 though, for Ryan’s sake.
– J. D. Hansel
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