Cynical Kermit-Miss Piggy Divorce - end of abuse or marketing ploy?

Tonguez · Aug 7, 2015

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/kermit-frog-breaks-silence-following-6205503
http://adage.com/article/area17/abc-jumps-divorce-bandwagon-market-tv-show/299833/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/kermit-frog-breaks-silence-following-6205503

fans are devastated at the announcement that celebrity couple Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are breaking up after almost 40 years together.

Miss Piggy made the statement via Twitter:

After careful thought, thoughtful consideration and considerable squabbling, Kermit the Frog and moi have made the difficult decision to terminate our romantic relationship. We will continue to work together on television...and in all media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, throughout the universe. However, our personal lives are now distinct and separate, and we will be seeing other people, pigs, frogs, et al. This is our only comment on this private matter… unless we get the right offer. Thank you for your understanding.

in subsequent interviews Kermit confirmed that the pair had gone their separate ways and that he had also started a new relationship with a pig named Denise who works in marketing. (seems he likes his pork)

although I am a fan of the original show, I was never a fan of Miss Piggy nor the relationship she had with Kermit. It was quite frankly abusive and both Piggy as perpetrator and frog as compliant victim are in sore need of counselling, so I am hoping that this break up announcement is a prelude to that. Perhaps the upcoming show could explore their therapy in order to make up for the years they spent showcasing domestic violence for the entertainment of the masses.

On a different not I'm also somewhat agog are the cynicism of the announcement which is clearly orchestrated to promote the upcoming return of the Muppets to Television.

I acknowledge that even in the 80's the Muppets would at times push the limits of good taste but using this "celebrity gossip' shtick to present the new version of "The Muppets" as modern and 'adult' is I think too much. While ending the abusive relationship is probabaly the best thing for the pair and the show, I'm not sure that the trashy celebrity gossip approach was necessary. May be I've just outgrown the Muppets but I really wouldn't want my children watching it (the tie to Sesame Street is what makes that problematic)

So what do you think is it a cynical marketing ploy?
would you watch a new version of The Muppets with more 'adult/gossip' themes?

Kramodlog · Aug 7, 2015

Seems Kermit likes to stick his porker in some ham.

Morrus · Aug 7, 2015

Of course it's marketing. It's an ad for the new show. Marketing isn't a bad thing; it's how you find out about new stuff.

Crothian · Aug 7, 2015

I think it is also parody on celebrity gossip. It says something about us that a story about two puppets ending their imaginary relationship becomes news.

Umbran · Aug 7, 2015

Crothian said:
I think it is also parody on celebrity gossip.

Agreed. That is something we need to keep in mind - much of what the Muppets do is parody/satire. That includes the Piggy/Kermit romance. It is not intended to be a good relationship, it is intended to be a mirror of an aspect of society. So, the abusive relationship was intended to reflect how abusive relationships were accepted in our real world.

That also goes for the structure of the show. We don't do variety shows any more, so the format of the original Muppet Show is no longer relevant. They tried to change the formula somewhat for Muppets Tonight, but, frankly, held on a bit too much to the variety show, and didn't go quite far enough into the night-talk-show genre to make it hold up. Their new format is, again intended to reflect where media today is.

It says something about us that a story about two puppets ending their imaginary relationship becomes news.

Not really. Aren't people always looking for spoilers or hints about what's going to happen in the next season of Doctor Who, or Walking Dead, or the next big upcoming movie, or whatever? All they're doing is giving a hint as to one of the plotlines for the new series. It is news in the same way those hints are news.

It just happens to be that, deep down, a lot of people are really fond of the Muppets, and their conceit that these characters continue to exist outside the show is pretty unique allows them to present this in ways other shows cannot.

And, by the way, just to be clear about the thread title - they didn't get divorced, as they weren't married.

megamania · Aug 7, 2015

Divorced?!? I didn't aware they were married.

Hope Fuzzy didn't make jokes on the subject.

Legatus Legionis · Aug 7, 2015

Tonguez · Aug 7, 2015

Legatus_Legionis said:
In order for Fuzzy Bear to make a joke on Kermit's/Piggy's relationship, Fuzzy has to first make... A JOKE! LOL

And yay, it is all PR/marketing.

Hey, are we not talking about it?

is it good marketing if it discourages part of the potential audience from watching the show?

there is a degree of audience fatigue regarding the gossip TV format