As a lifelong Muppet enthusiast who has spent countless hours poring over biographies, documentaries, and fan forums dedicated to these beloved creatures, I find myself utterly dismayed by the portrayal of Jim Henson in the new film, Saturday Night.
No more Mr. Nice Frog.
Fans of the Muppets, both casual and dedicated, are fiercely criticizing the new movie titled “Saturday Night“, which depicts events leading up to the 1975 premiere of SNL. The main point of contention is the film’s portrayal of Jim Henson, who is portrayed by Nicholas Braun as a rather naive and clueless character who seems oblivious to the humor around him. The criticism started when an article titled, “What Does the SNL Biopic Have Against the Muppets?” published on September 12 in Slate was shared in the r/Muppets sub-Reddit, drawing fans’ attention to the film’s allegedly dismissive treatment of Henson as an awkward interloper. However, it wasn’t until Cracked covered the growing discussion in the sub-Reddit on September 17 that the conversation escalated into a full-blown Muppet uprising.
In an article from Cracked, the author expresses their criticism of the film, highlighting that the portrayal of Jim Henson in the movie was particularly bothersome for them. They found that Henson’s character was reduced to a joke in the film, with his squareness contrasted humorously against the cool and carefree cast of Saturday Night Live. After the article was published, the Twitter account for “Kermitment – A Muppets Podcast” shared this section of the piece, which led to a wave of criticism.
Originally, during SNL’s inaugural season, while the show was still finding its rhythm, Jim Henson and his Muppets team (which included Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Fran Brill, and Alice Tweedie) frequently appeared in a segment called “The Land of Gorch.” This segment featured a fresh cast of somewhat unappealing Muppet characters engaging in more mature content. According to SNL folklore, the writers believed they were superior to the Muppets (quite bold!) and weren’t keen on writing for them. The material written for “Gorch” led to creative disagreements between SNL and Henson.
Since September 18, the snippet from the Cracked piece has been quote-tweeted to hell and back by Muppet-heads who are furious at the reported portrayal of one of American history’s greatest popular artists. They are firing shots at the film, at Braun, and at SNL itself. Many are coming for Lorne Michaels himself, comparing Michaels’s legacy to Henson’s, and ominously cursing director Jason Reitman.
And some Lew Zealand–level threats have been called in.
A handful of courageous individuals are staunchly supporting the movie, adopting a casual stance by saying something like, “I’m not sure what else one might have expected from this film.
As someone who appreciates the Muppets and has watched the movie, I’m here to tell you that Jim Henson is depicted as a character seemingly out of touch and failing, resembling more the network censor figure than any other creative involved in the show. He appears sporadically throughout the film, timidly informing Michaels (played by Gabriel LaBelle) about how the writers are mistreating him, placing his Muppets in sexually suggestive and violent positions, and refusing to write his script. What’s particularly disappointing is that Frank Oz, who often shares screen space with Henson in various scenes, remains silent throughout the film without a single line of dialogue.
Despite differing opinions, Henson’s representation can be seen as subjective. In a bold move inside an elevator at 30 Rock, Henson assertively expresses his thoughts to Michaels about the potential for mature Muppet-inspired humor on TV. With such sincerity and determination, some viewers might have dismissed it as humorous, aligning more with Chevy Chase and Michael O’Donoghue’s cynical humor. However, I saw it as a powerful moment symbolizing Henson’s heroism. Although Saturday Night Live was portrayed as an unprecedented revolution in 1975, the truth is that televised sketch comedy and edgy humor were already established. What wasn’t present on late-night television in 1975 was regular, adult Muppet-themed content. And guess what debuted its pilot episode, titled “Sex and Violence,” in 1975? The groundbreaking Muppet Show.
Forty-nine years after Saturday Night Live (SNL) reached a significant milestone, many cast members from the first season are no longer active in showbiz, have moved on to distilling spirits or are like Chevy Chase in terms of their current status. Lorne Michaels seems out of touch, while Jim Henson is almost revered. It’s amazing how those “furry fabric faces” haven’t aged a bit! #TeamJim.
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2024-09-20 23:53