The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Happy Halloween, Muppet Fans!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
almost halloween
Pumpkin Man Portrait 2 courtesy of CuriousPortraits via etsyAfter a couple of weeks of my entire household being exhausted by a certain 4-year-old's nightmares, I am kind of ready for this Halloween to be over......of course I'll probably be singing a different tune when my little trick-or treaters share their delicious loot.
A happy and safe Halloween to all!
Muppet Halloween Costume Spooktacular 2010, Part 2
Today we return with another review of some more hideous Muppet-related costumes! This time we look at the new Fraggle Rock costumes that were, shockingly, approved and released by The Jim Henson Company. I'm sure the suspense is killing you... which is awesome, because I could use an army of zombies for Halloween this year.
Anyway... here are the "Fraggle" (you'll see why I used the parentheses in a second) costumes.
GOBO FRAGGLE COSTUME - $110
LIKENESS - It's everyone's favorite Fraggle: Hobo! (Not a typo.) Good grief, what the WHAT?! I don't even know where to begin... for starters, $110 for this? Really? Really? I'd be extremely interested to know how many of these get sold. What is that hair made of? Cheerleader pom-poms? Did Gobo mug a cheerleader when he entered male pattern baldness--which he obviously inherited from Uncle Traveling Matt? Hmm... I smell a fan-fic! 2 STARS
FUN FACTOR - At this point I'd like to measure Fun Factor against Price... just to make it clear that it's highly difficult to have enough fun with this costume to make it worth $110. In fact, I would argue that staging a live-action remake of a Fraggle Rock episode would be one of the only ways to have $110 worth of fun with this costume. 2 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - Well... I'm certainly freaked out. No amount of dancing my cares away could save this worry for another day. This looks like something that would be hanging in the Gorgs' pantry in the Henson Haunted House. I really think it's the head that scares the most on this thing... there's just so much wrong with it. 4 STARS
RED FRAGGLE COSTUME - $110 (now $59.99)
LIKENESS - Yay! It's everybody's favorite Fraggle Rock character, Red Platypus! Don't you just loved her webbed feet and her off-colored skin-tight legging legs? My favorite Red Platypus aspect is the bulky orange short shorts. Remember her trademark purple hair ribbons and her "AHHHH!!! A dingo!!" facial and body expression? Ah, such fond memories... (By the way, who knew Red had such a curvaceous mid-section?) 2 STARS
FUN FACTOR - No one who shows up to a highly populated Halloween party wearing this is going to have fun. Imagine everyone tugging your tail and your pigtails and laughing at your horribly disfigured head and pointing out that your wearing this is probably single-handedly delaying production on the Fraggle Rock Movie. (Kudos to said makers of fun if they've actually heard of the Fraggle Rock Movie.) 2 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - If this doesn't say "run and hide," I don't know what would. Well... maybe ToughPigs' Joe Hennes wearing this--that would certainly say "run and hide." (Woot! I've made fun of Joe twice this week. Three more times and I get a free sub-sandwich at any participating Quiznos.) 4 STARS
WEMBLEY FRAGGLE COSTUME - $110 (now $59.99)
LIKENESS - Oh no!! Oh no, no, no! It's happened! Someone has poisoned the Fraggle Rock water supply! Look what they've done to poor, poor Wembley!! Oh gosh, it's gotten so bad that his brains have literally exploded out of his head. Worst. Halloween. Special. EVER. I like the banana tree shirt though--I'd like to just own that. 1 STAR
FUN FACTOR - Not even Wembley would wemble about whether or not this thing is fun to wear. What on earth might compel someone to put this on and go out in public? Certainly not a fan of Wembley--because they'd be disgracing themselves. I'm trying to come up with some sort of creature to compare this heap to... but I've got absolutely nothing. It's a brand new homunculus mass of bad designing. 2 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - Fraggle Zombies are always scary--and Wembley Fraggle Zombie is the scariest of them all. This wins the Scare Factor award for the 2010 Muppet Halloween Costume season... Poor Wembley. The one time he wins... 5 STARS
MOKEY FRAGGLE COSTUME - $110 (now $59.99)
LIKENESS - This must be Mokey... the only time she gets merchandise is when it's absolutely hideous. Mokey looks like that blue haired great aunt that your parents always invite to your birthdays that gives you a check for ten dollars then steals all of your Fig Newtons and smells like cats. ...Psychotherapy, here I come! What on earth were they thinking when they saw this costume's head? "Oh, yes, delightful. My favorite character from Farggle Lock, Monkey!" 1 STAR
FUN FACTOR - Mokey's idea of fun is writing bad poetry... imagine all the awful poetry you could write about this thing. Here's a sample--run with it. "There once was a costume of Mokey/That made me want to choke-y/Her head gave me nightmares/I want to maul it with bears/And put it out of its misery." 1 STAR
SCARE FACTOR - The aunt image I put in my head in the Likeness section has freaked me out enough already. But I dare you to try to go to sleep while thinking about this costume's head portion. And you thought Freddy Krueger was scary! 4 STARS
Well... there you have it, Muppet fans. Sorry to spoil any ideas you ever had about how awesome Fraggle costumes could be... because as these have certainly proved, it's a lot easier to imagine than to actually create. Yeesh. Until next year... this has been The Muppet Mindset's Muppet Halloween Costume Spooktacular!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
Muppet Halloween Costume Spooktacular 2010, Part 1
But what is an adult Muppet fan like you (or I) to do at this festive time of year when everywhere we see Darth Vader costumes or his-and-her electrical outlet and plug costumes? How do we, the Muppet fans, show our love for Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock on Halloween? Well, lucky for you, we here at The Muppet Mindset have a look into some of the new, official Muppet costumes available through Sesame Workshop and The Jim Henson Company this year.
As you surely recall, last year we featured a similar two-part series of articles looking at the Muppet costumes from The Muppets Studio and the Sesame Street costumes from Sesame Workshop. These costumes were ranked in three categories: Character Likeness, Fun Factor, and Scare Factor. Each factor will receive a rating of up to five stars to help you determine whether it's worth your purchasing.Today we're looking at costumes from Sesame Workshop as we see their attempts to appeal to college-aged girls (which is exactly who I'm trying to appeal to). Let's get started, shall we?
SEXY COOKIE MONSTER COSTUME - $50.00
LIKENESS - Ah, yes, everyone's favorite Sesame Street character: Sexy Cookie Monster. Riddle me this, Sesame Workshop, what on earth makes a preschool character with googly eyes who spends all of his time eating sexy? I mean, besides the girl in the costume... But honestly, is it really a good idea to produce costumes of your characters that encourage girls to dress like this? Isn't that kind of the opposite of your curriculum? Just wondering. Get back to me on that. The worst part is, it looks nothing like Cookie Monster! Kudos on the cookie-shaped belt buckle, though. 1 STAR
FUN FACTOR - I guess this depends on what sort of fun you want to have. 3 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - The only thing scary about this costume, to me, is the fact that someone at Sesame Workshop approved this and thought it was a good idea. "Yes, yes! Let's whore out our beloved children's characters for 'sexy' costumes. What could parent groups possibly have against that?" However, there is nothing scary about the girl within the costume. Call me, Sexy Cookie Monster girl! 3 STARS
SEXY ELMO COSTUME - $39.99
LIKENESS - Umm... likeness of what? Elmo? A girl wrapped in a red towel and wearing red stockings? Someone with an Elmo-looking alien eating through their skull from the inside out? Honestly... with the right amount of orange ribbon and a fluffy enough red towel, you could probably make this costume for about $10. Incidentally, about $10 is probably all this girl plans to spend on Halloween--guys like me will be buying her all the drinks she wants. 1 STAR
FUN FACTOR - Who wouldn't want to tickle that Elmo? 3 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - Once again... frightening that this was allowed to happen, but I certainly wouldn't mind being in Elmo's World for awhile. And really, there are so many other sexy Sesame costumes they would be much scarier to parental groups... 2 STARS
SEXY BIG BIRD COSTUME - $39.99
LIKENESS - Well... it is feathery... sort of. And I rather like what they did with the legs--they should've done that for the adult Big Bird Costume from last year! I cant' see the weird Big Bird thing on her head... but I just have to assume that it doesn't look anything like Big Bird. However... it's a cute blonde in a Big Bird costume. Isn't that the dream, fellas? 2 STARS
FUN FACTOR - Just tune me out for a minute here, ladies... Think of the possibilities, guys! She goes as Big Bird, you go as Snuffy--"Don't worry baby, I'm not imaginary." So many great pick up lines too... "Hey, can I buy you a bird seed milkshake?" "What say you and me go say the Alphabet later? Maybe we can put U and I together." ...And I wonder why I can't pick up girls. Okay girls, you're welcome to tune in again. 4 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - Big Bird... the face of Sesame Street for 41 years... reduced to a cute blonde girl in a frilly yellow towel with orange and pink striped leggings. Well... if she's giving me her phone number I guess that's okay. 2 STARS
BIG BIRD TODDLER COSTUME - $39.99
LIKENESS - See! SEE?! Now THIS is a costume! Adorable, acceptable, and well done. Some great Big Bird-like pants--even better with the orange sneakers--a fantastic Big Bird hat... now see, this is a costume I can support. I guess it just shows that Sesame Street costumes always work better on kids. Even the likeness of Big Bird is good enough that I can't really even complain! 4 STARS
FUN FACTOR - What kid doesn't want to be Big Bird for a day? Bonus points for parents who put their kids on stilts to make them as tall as Big Bird. Less bonus points if said parents end up with kids in the hospital on Halloween due to falling from stilts. 3 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - There is absolutely nothing scary about this costume. Wait... I take that back. It's scary to think that one day this little girl might wear the Sexy Big Bird costume. *shudder* 1 STAR
ABBY CADABBY DELUXE COSTUME - $44.99
LIKENESS - Everybody say it with me now... "Awww!!!" Alright, now that we have that out of our systems... How great is this costume? It even comes with Abby hair! This is adorable and I can't imagine any little girl not wanting to be Abby Cadabby for Halloween. They get to carry a wand, they get to have wings, they get to have awesome Abby hair, they get to turn things into pumpkins... Win! 5 STARS
FUN FACTOR - To quote Abby... "[This costume] is so magic!" Look at that! The girl in the picture is already having fun--and she's not even trick or treating yet (presumably)! If you can figure out a way to rig your little fairy-godchild on some sort of rope or other hanging object so that she could actually fly like Abby, more power to you! (Please don't do that.) 4 STARS
SCARE FACTOR - The only way for this Abby costume to be scary is if someone other than a little girl was wearing it. Yes, I'm looking at you Joe Hennes from ToughPigs! Don't get any ideas! 1 STAR
And with that, I bid you farewell until Part 2 of our Muppet costume spotlight. Next time we'll look at too-hideous-to-be-real Fraggle costumes. Trust me... you won't want to miss this. Look for it on Tuesday!
To see all of the Sesame Street costumes and merchandise available for Halloween this year, be sure to check out the online Sesame Street store!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
Pumpkin Books
Starting October 1st, in every library, there is a run on pumpkin books. This is understandable given the curriculum of most preschool and elementary schools touches upon the pumpkin life cycle at some point- plus they are a key component in Halloween celebrations and , of course, visits to the pumpkin patch.
Over the years I have compiled a list of the selections and these are my five "go to" choices for pumpkin books....The Pumpkin Book - Gail Gibbons, Pumpkin Heads!- Wendell Minor, Pumpkins- Ken Robbins, Pumpkin, Pumpkin- Jeanne Titherington, and Pumpkin Jack- Will Hubbell. Take a visit to your local book store and check them out - plus you can read what School Library Journal has to say about these titles below (so you don't just have to take my word for it)!
Bold, clear watercolor illustrations and a concise text work together to explain the planting, cultivating, and harvesting of pumpkins. Gibbons includes a description of their traditional use by the Pilgrims and at Halloween. Directions for carving are provided with cautionary reminders about knives and candle safety along with alternate ways to decorate a pumpkin using a variety of materials found in most homes. A page of interesting facts about the history of pumpkins, their nutritional value, pollination, and instructions for drying seeds to eat is appended. Gibbons succeeds once again at covering a topic in a useful way at just the right level for beginning readers.
Image courtesy of googleMinor illustrates this simple text with lush, rich paintings that portray resplendent autumn scenes. Jack-o'-lanterns, small and large, are found on a bench, floating in the air in the form of a hot-air balloon, and on hayrides. Some look like cowboys, snowmen, or a witch; all wish readers a "Happy Halloween." Very large print on creamy ivory pages on the left side stands in contrast to the realistic scenes on the right. This visually stunning book is sure to be a favorite autumn read-aloud.
With color photos that equal any painting for artistry of composition and sensitivity, Robbins has created a book that is certain to become an autumn favorite. Without naming the season, it launches into a description of autumn as …that time of year when…, clearly and poetically evoking the crisp, cooler days with the leaves …splashing their color on the ground…. The author documents the life cycle of the pumpkin with close-up, naturalistic photos and clear, simple text. He discusses the wide variety of pumpkin colors and sizes, from the palm-sized types to those weighing more than 1000 pounds. Basic instructions are included for carving a jack-o-lantern, with adult help suggested. The next year's crop, ensured by the pumpkins and their seeds left to rot in the field, is the focus of the last spread.
Softly colored pencil illustrations in a realistic style effectively communicate Jamie's pride as a very young gardener. He plants a seed, then grows and harvests a pumpkin from which he saves seeds for next year. The large, detailed drawings capture Jamie's anticipation and pleasure just right. The garden creatures appearing on every page and grandpa, whom we catch sight of now and then, are a delightful supporting cast. Nonreaders can easily follow the story in pictures alone. Very large, clear print on facing pages makes the simple narrative inviting for beginning readers, too.
A simple, appealing selection for storytimes. When Tim carves his first pumpkin, he names it Jack. When it finally begins to decay, he puts it in the garden rather than in the trash bin. As the months go by, Jack grows moldy, sinks into the leaves, hides in the snow, and finally sprouts a new plant. By the next fall, there are plenty of pumpkins for Tim to share at school. He keeps just one for himself and when he finishes carving it, he says "Welcome back, Jack!" The plant's cycle throughout the seasons is told in a satisfying, straightforward fashion. Hubbell uses colored pencils with solvent wash effects to create vibrant double-page spreads that bring the story to life. These pictures complement the text, which flows nicely with its own descriptive details. Readers can hear the crinkle of old leaves, smell the earthy odors of the garden, and breathe in the crisp air of the first frosty day of autumn. Any child who has had to throw away a beloved jack-o'-lantern will appreciate this fine offering.
Got a costume?
"There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask." ~ Colette
image by snailbooty
Since I'm invited to a "Mad Men" themed Halloween party - it looks like I've found myself a costume. I may, however, need to work the huge purple circles under my eyes into the look. A zombied Peggy Olson perhaps?
Well if you need help getting in the Halloween mood, check out the rest of snailbooty's startlingly beautiful and strange photography here. But don't blame me if his images sneak into your dreams...
Well if you need help getting in the Halloween mood, check out the rest of snailbooty's startlingly beautiful and strange photography here. But don't blame me if his images sneak into your dreams...
Have a great holiday!
"Can I bring the lovebirds, Mitch? They haven't harmed anyone."
This year's Halloween is a bit of a bust for me. I've been too distracted by work to come up with anything to wear. Last year I went as Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock's "The Birds" which was so much fun because all I had to do was wear a thrifted green wool suit and buy a couple of black birds on markdown at the local crafts store. I even got to work a pimple into a bird bite (of course one can't buy Hedren's movie star quality, but messy pulled back hair and black mascara likely to run? Check and check). Anyway, so here are some inspiring images of girl and/or swarm of birds for last year's look because I've got nothing but the tired grad. student look for this year...
"Vanity Fair" picture of Jodie Foster (via Chaos Theory)
ceiling design by Geremia Designs (via apartment therapy)
photo by Alex Prager (via BOOOOOOOOM!)
"rage in eden" by ~fernando (via inspiring creativity)
via SEBASTIAN
Pumpkins
A few more days until October and I have pumpkins on the brain. I love having carved pumpkins on the front porch before it gets too cold and the frost does them in , so that means pretty early on I need to start thinking about what sort of jack-o-lantern I'm going to create. This year I have an easily spooked toddler to consider and I imagine we will be going the happy, smiley route- that is more my style anyhow. These examples were seeming simple and cheery (even the mouse house pumpkin is fun).
If I thought I could pull it off (and it wouldn't terrify my three-year-old), it would be a major artistic challenge to try something like this- but what a cool result.
I also like the idea of stacking pumpkins and gourds. A tower of Halloween greetings for any style....
When the carving goes beyond goofy or scary faces it can result in really beautiful seasonal decoration- the second set of carved pumpkins are truly elegant.
Finally, how could anyone resist something like this sitting on the front porch?
{All images courtesy of Google images}
To get you started on your own jack-0-lantern, howstuffworks has a comprehensive pumpkin carving tutorial- everything from the very basic to the extremely ambitious.
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