After more than a decade of absence, the Muppets will make their return to the big screen this week. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy have been visiting talk shows and newscasts as they talk up “The Muppets” and answer questions about possibly hosting the Academy Awards.
Emily Rice, a junior from Seattle studying special education, plans to see the upcoming movie and recognizes the bar has been set high for quality Muppet movies.
“‘A Muppet Christmas Carol’ is a classic,” Rice said. “But I still get cabin fever from time to time which can only be cured with ‘Muppet Treasure Island.'”
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“The Muppets were a big part of my childhood and seeing them being revitalized is like a dream come true,” Miller said. “My family had a CD of different songs and skits from the Muppet show that we listened to almost every car trip we took together. We would sing the songs and quote the skits to each other all the time.”
Earlier this month after Eddie Murphy stepped down as the host for the upcoming Academy Awards, an online campaign promoting the Muppets to take his place quickly gained support and went viral.
In only a few days, tens of thousands supported the campaign by liking their Facebook page, titled The Muppets Should Host the 2012 Oscars, and following the movement on Twitter, @MuppetOscars.
“I think the Muppets would be perfect to host the Academy Awards,” Miller said. “‘The Muppet Show’ format already lends itself so well to that kind of setting — there would be interruptions, mayhem and general hilariousness through the whole thing. It would be the most entertaining awards show ever.”
It’s not just 20-something students who are supporting the idea of a Muppet-hosted Oscars. Celebrities like Kristen Schaal (“Flight of the Conchords”), Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother”), Jimmy Fallon (“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and even Disney CEO Bob Iger have vocalized their support of the campaign.
“I hear there’s a big Facebook push for the Muppets,” Fallon said in an interview with zap2it.com. “I’m sure they have ideas of people who would do it. … I’d put money on the Muppets.”
Billy Crystal was officially announced as the host for the upcoming Academy Awards, but that doesn’t rule out the Muppets from possibly assisting Crystal with the hosting responsibilities. ABC, the channel broadcasting the Oscars this year, is owned by Disney, which also owns the Muppets.
Additionally, Crystal has a history with the Muppets, appearing on “Sesame Street” and hosting “Muppets Tonight.” Crystal also has a cameo in their new movie, making him a potential advocate for the Muppets’ participation.
While there are many who are quick to support the Muppets, there are those who can’t seem to appreciate the humor and antics of the quirky felt puppets. Casmin Giles, an advertising major from Atlanta, has had issues with the Muppets since her childhood.
“They’re not even cute,” Giles said. “They creep me out and they always have. They are funny, I just can’t get past the puppet aspect of it. If their new movie goes to the dollar theater I might think about seeing it — only because Amy Adams is in it.”
