Thursday, a newborn, and Etsy


This Thursday and Etsy post is all about the creature who seems to be popping up everywhere- the newborn. I feel as though I always know someone who is pregnant or who just welcomed a little one.

I don't think I could ever tire of looking for new baby gifts. All that sweetness and cozy...and although I am certainly no stranger to Target or Gymboree, there is something extra special about the handmade baby options on Etsy.

If I had my druthers, I would get all the newborns in my life a giant box filled with goodies like these....

The perfect blanket:

And some receiving blankets for swaddling and making any surface more snuggly:


A personalized burpcloth set- a snazzy little welcome to the world:


A set of beautiful bibs, because even constant drooling can be fashionable:


The perfect diaper caddy to hold changing essentials and make life easier for everyone:


Say "no" to harsh winds, beating sun and germy looky-loos....in the prettiest possible way:


Anything knit or crochet makes for a classic new baby gift. I am partial to something with ears....


Awwwww.....baby booties:


Sometimes moving away from the "supplies" is the way to go- a first toy, unique teether or some correspondence papers that are just for the new Mr./Miss...


 

Often you can come across that perfect thing for the nursery. I loved these vintage children's silhouette prints:


I love the idea of these pop art boy/girl face pillows for any nursery. A very cool addition to any style baby room:



Of course this round up of new baby gifts is only the beginning- Etsy has unlimited ideas and options for the little ones in your life, so you have start early!

Your Most Prized Muppet Possession

Ryan Dosier - Greetings Muppet fans! Today we have a mission for you. Our friend Ivan Guerrero submitted a great idea for an article to me: Your Most Prized Muppet Possession. He described it to me as sort of a condensed version of our popular Muppet Fan's Muppet Collection Chronicle series. What is the article, you ask? Well, it's simple. It's a spotlight of numerous Muppet fans with pictures and descriptions of their very favorite piece of Muppety memorabilia. This doesn't have to be an item that is ridiculously expensive, it just has to be something meaningful and special to you. Here, let me give you an example from my collection:

Palisades Toys Series 5 Gonzo the Great Action Figure
This figure is nothing extraordinary in the sense of rarity or spectacularity (peculiarly not a word) or anything like that... but it is ridiculously special to me. This action figure of Gonzo in his classic purple tuxedo, with Camilla included, holds the biggest place in my heart for being the very first piece of Muppet merchandise I purchased with my own money when I was 14. It was also what kicked off my Muppet fandom oh those many years ago. I can tell you exactly where I bought Gonzo, and exactly how it was the turning point that changed my life into the Muppety wonderment it has become. I take Gonzo with me whenever I travel alone as my personal good luck charm and to remind me of my humble beginnings, no matter where I find myself.

See? Wasn't that simple and a nice read? That's seriously all you have to do. Type up a paragraph about Your Most Prized Muppet Possession and take a picture of it, send it to us via email to ryguy102390@gmail.com and then we'll collect them all and post them into one big article of prized Muppet awesome!

So email your stuff and we hope to feature you and your prized Muppet possessions on The Muppet Mindset very soon!





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Pepe the King Prawn

PEPE THE KING PRAWN

Performed by...
Bill Barretta

First appearance...
Muppets Tonight Episode 102: Garth Brooks (1996)

Most recent appearance...
The Muppets (2011)

Best known role(s)...
Spicy, Spanish king prawn with a penchant for women (of the hot and sexy variety), tutus, popsicle stick puppets, and money. Previously seen as an elevator operator, chef, one-time partner of Seymour, spokesprawn for Long John Silvers, Toto, assistant to Rachel Bitterman, and non-believer of Santa Claus.

Full name...
Pepino Rodrigo Serrano Gonzalez

Well known quotes...
"I am not a shrimp--I am a king prawn, okay!" (Muppets From Space, 1999)

"You tell him... and I will smack you. I will smack you like a bad, bad donkey, okay!" (Muppets From Space, 1999)

"I like my coffee like I like my womens--a latte." (It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, 2002)

"Si, and I'm so gosh darn sexy, it hurts." (The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, 2005)

WHO IS PEPE THE KING PRAWN?
Pepe the King Prawn is not a shrimp--and don't ever try to tell him otherwise, okay? He is the only one of the new Muppet characters introduced in the short-lived television series Muppets Tonight to break the mold and become a part of the main cast of Muppets alongside the likes of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

Pepe was not always a star, however. When he first arrived on the scene in 1996, Pepe was no more than a background, one-note character. In his first appearance in the second episode of Muppets Tonight, Pepe merely hung around in the background. It wasn't until Episode 107: Sandra Bullock where he was fully introduced as one half of a singing/dancing/comedy act with Seymour the Elephant. After Pepe's infamous "El-if-ino" joke bombed with the studio audience, he and Seymour were yanked off stage by a cane and a star was born.

Pepe would appear alongside Seymour throughout the run of Muppets Tonight where they would work as the KMUP Studio cooks, host their own cooking show, "Hey, What Smells (So Good? It's Time to Cook With Seymour and Pepe)," and act as Jason Alexander's dual-conscience.

It wasn't until Muppets From Space (1999) that Pepe first started appearing as a solo. In the film, he lives in the Muppet Boarding House with the rest of the Muppets, but Seymour is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Pepe developed a cheeky friendship with Rizzo the Rat, scamming Gonzo into building a jacuzzi (so they will come, okay?) and joining Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and Animal in rescuing Gonzo and Rizzo from C.O.V.N.E.T.

Muppets From Space was a huge turning point for Pepe's career. From then out, he was no longer a cheap act with an elephant; he was now an ad-libbing, extremely funny, somewhat racy, almost anti-Muppet who could hold his own alongside established characters like Gonzo and Kermit. In the early 2000's, Pepe would become one of the main Muppet characters. In fact, from about 2000 to 2002, Pepe appeared more often than Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and other popular characters. He became so well-loved that in 2002 Pepe became the official spokes-prawn for Long John Silver's restaurants, appearing in national commercials and on their website.

In It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), Pepe was a featured player once again, becoming seduced by the villain, Rachel Bitterman (Joan Cusack), into working for her as an assistant. It was Pepe who saved the Muppet Theater at the end of the telefilm, securing the paperwork to make it an historical landmark. This was Pepe's largest role at that point, practically solidifying himself as one of the main six Muppet characters: Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, and Pepe. On the DVD for the TV special, Pepe hosted all of the bonus features with a new segment titled "Inside Pepe's Studio."

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) saw Pepe's return to stardom and his acting abilities tested as he played Toto, usually a non-speaking part, which he fully made his own, stealing every scene he was in and, according to most fans, becoming the best part of the television movie. To promote the film, Pepe appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson where he got to be racy and raunchy, talking about various women, engagements, and more. Pepe would once again appear on the show in 2008.

In the 2005 Disney DVD re-releases of The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island, Pepe hosted a new special feature segment called "Pepe Profiles" where, on the respective DVDs, he interviewed and profiled the four main Muppets: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and Fozzie Bear.

When Disney launched its new Muppets.com in 2008, Pepe was one of the six Muppet characters given his own "room" on the site, where new videos of Pepe were showcased. In the videos, Pepe was seen pogo-sticking with Rizzo, riding in the elevator, going to a drive-thru, interviewing celebrities at the Grammys, teaching Tae Prawn Do, developing a new, ultra-popular act: Topo Sticky, and hosting Elevator Bingo, the biggest game show craze since nothing.

2008 was a banner year for Pepe, as he wrote his first book, It's Hard Out Here for a Shrimp: Life, Love, and Living Large offering his special take on women, money, friends, family, and numerous other subjects delivered in humorous quips as dictated to Jim Lewis.

Studio DC: Almost Live! (2008) also featured Pepe fairly prominently, where we saw he and Rizzo acting as managers to Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, conning Miley Cyrus into performing with them. Normally one to scrap at any form of cash, Pepe and Rizzo stated that they could be paid in "Cash." "All credit cards accepted." "Personal check." "Belgian waffles..." In the second installment of Studio DC, Pepe and Rizzo attempted to sell their new act: "Polka Rap" which combines the two musical styles for an... interesting outcome.

Pepe closed out the year with a major role in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) where he traveled alongside Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Rizzo to reach the North Pole and find Santa Claus--even though he spent most of the special arguing the existence of the jolly fat man. In the special he fell for Joy the Flight Attendant (Uma Thurman) and Claire's Mom (Jane Krakowski), tried to get a favor from the mafia, and wound up becoming a fabulous opera singer thanks to a little Christmas magic.

Since then, Pepe has appeared in the Muppet group whenever a large group was shown, including the "Bohemian Rhapsody" viral video (2009), singing "Jingle Bells" with Andrea Bocelli (2009), crooning about the nine ladies dancing in "The 12 Days of Christmas" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009), offering "mini-apple-juice" and "mini-soda" on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2010), freaking out about a prawn being eaten on America's Funniest Home Videos, and volunteering in most of the promotion for Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" campaign (2009/2010).

Pepe's most recent role was alongside Cat Cora and Angelo in The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora (2010). At the end of every installment, Pepe reminded the viewers where they could find the recipes and more Muppety fun. He also acted as a co-host in the short-form series "Hasty Tasty Cooking Tips."

After three teaser trailers and lots of concern about his absence, Pepe finally made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the full-length trailer for The Muppets (2011), looking on as Kermit addressed a huge crowd of Muppets. Pepe's role in the film is uncertain at this point, but based on his popularity and huge body of work in the past decade, it seems highly unlikely that Pepe will only be making a cameo in the new film. Only time will tell.

PEPE THE KING PRAWN AND BILL BARRETTA
Bill Barretta has been the sole performer of Pepe since his very first appearance fifteen years ago. Barretta was instrumental in developing not only Pepe's personality, but his mannerisms as well. Pepe's trademark "okay" which comes at the end of many of his sentences comes from Barretta's wife's aunt, who would always tack "okay" on to her sentences even when it wasn't needed. When asked why he thought Pepe rose to the popularity that he has, Barretta answered, "I don’t know exactly. Maybe timing? Or maybe he’s just a little bit more naughty than most of the Muppets and people like naughty puppets?"

So yes, even Pepe's performer can't figure out why he became a star... but I'm sure Pepe could answer that if asked.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED PEPE THE KING PRAWN?
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little biased when it comes to Pepe--I've had the huge honor of meeting Bill Barretta--but even years before that Pepe was one of my very favorite characters. I just find his mannerisms and ad-libs and interactions so ridiculously funny. He's clueless, but he's conniving. He's menacing, but he has a heart of gold. He's raunchy, but he's naive. He's not your typical Muppet, but he totally is. Where else but a Muppet can you find the same mixture of humor, heart, and cheekiness? Pepe can be placed anywhere--Oz, a bank, a drive-thru, a campfire--and make the situation funny just with a look or a sentence.

I think what I love most about Pepe is that he is so unscripted and wacky all the time. He doesn't stop firing off jokes, or quips, or comments. Pepe really is the uninhibited (okay, not completely uninhibited) showcase of Bill Barretta's comedic and performing talents--talents that I think rival that of any and all Muppeteers. Bill and Pepe's way of delivering a line or interacting with Rizzo, or Kermit, or Seymour, or Gonzo is always hilarious, and all of these things combine to make Pepe one of the great Muppet characters. I dare you to watch the Elevator Bingo sketch on Muppets.com and not agree with me.

Over the past decade or longer, the Muppets haven't exactly been in their prime, and no one would dispute that. But with the inclusion of Pepe, they found a new voice for a new age. It really is a wonder to see how far Pepe has come--and to think that he has been around for 15 years and can still be considered a new character. Hopefully Pepe will steal a few scenes in The Muppets this fall and cement himself as a favorite Muppet character with any and all fans--where he absolutely deserves to be.







The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Cathy Cullis


I am massively in love with the mixed media/embroidery/book collage work of Cathy Cullis. There is something both incredibly Victorian about her work as well as undeniably modern. She's just so creative and inventive - I can't handle all the loveliness... 

Also see Cathy Cullis's flickr, blog, and etsy shop.


Muppet Maestros - Carmen



Muppet Maestros Part IV: Carmen

As heard on...
Sesame Street ("Operatic Orange," "Toreador Lullaby," various Placido Flamingo moments)
The Muppet Show featuring Beverly Sills
"Habanera" Muppet Viral Video

Hilarie Mukavitz - How many of you out there hear "The William Tell Overture" and think of the Lone Ranger? Anybody here the overture from "The Barber of Seville" and instantly picture Bugs Bunny? When you hear parts of Wagner's Ring Cycle, do you have the overwhelming urge to sing "Kill the wabbit?"  Cartoons and children's programs have introduced many of us to the classics.

For this reason, some day I will go to the opera to see "Carmen." When "La Habanera" comes will I be thinking "Wow that's a great soprano"? No... I'll be picturing an animated orange from Sesame Street

"La Habanera" has been a popular song in the Muppet universe over the years.  The animated orange version was first aired on Sesame Street in 1971. In 2004, opera singer Denyce Graves sang a version of it to Elmo as a lullaby. Miss Piggy sang it in the "Pigoletto" part of the Beverly Sills episode of The Muppet Show in Season 4. Then of course there was the marvelous viral video of "La Habanera" featuring Beaker, Animal, and the Swedish Chef.

"The Toreador Song" from "Carmen" has made a few appearances in Muppetland as well. It was another song in "Pigoletto," Fozzie sang it in the Christopher Reeve episode in the 4th season, and finally Placido Flamingo sang it with a chorus of honkers plus Olivia on Sesame Street.

Now if you'll excuse me... I feel an overwhelming urge to watch "What's Opera Doc?", some "Habanera," and maybe listen to the Weird Al version of "Peter and the Wolf."

Watch all of the sketches and songs mentioned in today's article on Hilarie's custom Muppet-Carmen YouTube playlist!







The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

good grief....

....these arrangements are gorgeous.