Saturday Morning - Miss Piggy

I have to admit that I was a bit torn in choosing Miss Piggy as the subject for the Saturday blog.  For one, the Muppet Show wasn't really a weekend show that one would watch while chomping on chocolate milk and Golden Grahams, so how could I bring her up in a note about Saturday morning cartoons?

If you're still trying to figure out the answer, let me jump-start your memory here.

Yes, the Muppet Babies.  One of the many juniorizations of the 1980's right ahead of the Flintstones Kids and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.  The Muppet Show, which debuted in the late 1970's proved to be so popular that in 1984, the cartoon series started airing on CBS.

It managed to last seven seasons, finally ending in 1991, along with the majority of Saturday morning cartoons, sadly enough.  It certainly lasted longer than the other two series I mentioned, which I believe only lasted a year at the most, maybe two.  I guess there was something special about the Muppets that had millions of kids born between 1971 and 1987 tuning in to watch them every Saturday.

I know I liked Muppet Babies when it first aired.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the original Muppet Show as well, as it used to air in reruns on YTV back in the early 1990's.  As a kid though, watching the Muppet Show (which I assume was mostly targeted towards older kids and adults), sometimes I couldn't quite understand some of the jokes, or know who some of the guest stars were, because many times they were from shows that I didn't like, or had never seen before.

Whereas the Muppet Babies were catered more to my level.  The pop culture references were watered down a bit, and focused on things that I had actually heard of, and because the Muppets were toddler aged, I probably had a better chance of understanding them more.

I mean, when Gonzo lost his stuffed chicken in Muppet Babies, I could relate to that more than Gonzo getting shot out of a cannon by some guy from Doctor Who, or what have you.

(I honestly don't even think such a Muppet Show episode exists, but it'd be cool if it did.)

I liked most of the characters that both the Muppet Show and the Muppet Babies featured.  Kermit was the star of both, and how could anyone dislike Kermit?  Gonzo and Animal were probably my two favourites.  Scooter wasn't too bad.  Skeeter didn't even appear in the Muppet show, so who knows how she nabbed a spot on Muppet Babies.  And I don't care what anyone says.  Nanny had the coolest socks.

There was one character who stood out more than anyone though, and that of course is Miss Piggy.

Miss Piggy is probably one of the biggest divas in the world of puppetry.  Bigger than Lamb Chop, Muffy from Today's Special, and Prairie Dawn from Sesame Street combined.  There's lots of examples of this on the Muppet Show...

...the Muppet Babies...

...even a commercial for potato chips.

All right, I think that's enough.

To tell you the truth, the reason why I chose Miss Piggy as the subject of this blog isn't because she and I are at all alike.  I mean, let's face it, I'm not a diva, I don't practice my autograph, and I certainly don't beat anyone up if they try to take my potato chips away.

But she was someone who seemed to have it all.

Yes, granted, she was a pig on the outside, but she knew what she wanted.  She knew how to dress to impress, and she knew how to attract the attention of the opposite sex almost flawlessly.  And really, don't we all want to be like that?

Well, okay, you can substitute the feather boas for a nice suit, and Kylie Minogue in place of Antonio Sabato Jr in my case.  Still the same thing.

At the same time though, I don't know if I could ever be friends, or even date someone who was like Miss Piggy.

Okay, let's scratch off the obvious reason right off the bat.  I am a man, while Miss Piggy is a pig puppet with some guy's arm up her...well...you know.  It would never work.

But even if Miss Piggy was more like a Miss...um...Peggy.  If she were 20-something, long blonde hair, dressed to the nines, and had a nose that didn't resemble a snout, I still probably wouldn't be interested in her.

How come?

Because Miss Piggy is a jealousy driven crazy woman!

Bet you never thought you would read that in a million years, huh?

Seriously, just think about this for a second.  Miss Piggy has always been in love with Kermit the Frog, right?  Has been going after him for years, maybe even since the Muppet Babies years, who can say?

It's funny then that she pretty much abuses him at every given opportunity.  She yells at him constantly, and she isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with if you take her diva demands and her short temper into account.

Now, granted...sometimes the frog had it coming.

But, I ask myself...would I want to be friends with or even date someone who knocks me out cold every time I tell a joke?  Definitely not.

The more I look at it, the more I think Miss Piggy has insecurity issues.  She's literally someone who has it all, but doesn't think that's enough for her.  So, she sort of acts out of character when she feels it suits her, and tries to hide her insecurities behind a face full of make-up and a Bob Mackie glitter gown, made especially for the figure of a full-grown sow. 

I sort of can see where Miss Piggy is coming from, because I used to be incredibly insecure about myself.  I'm at the point in my life where it's almost all gone, but there's still work that I can do.  I'll get through it.

Truth is, I knew quite a lot of people who were like Miss Piggy.  On the outside, they appeared to have it all.  They had the great upbringing.  They had the expensive clothes.  They had guys falling at their feet or girls swooning over them, depending on what gender they happen to be.  They had everything money could buy.  They seemed to be absolutely perfect on the outside.

Peel back the layers of the Guess jeans and Calvin Klein shirts however, and you might find that like Miss Piggy, they may have their flaws that make one think that maybe things aren't so good for them after all.  That maybe compared to them, you're better off than you think.

Wow...how's that for overanalysis, eh?

Truth be told, I still adore Miss Piggy, despite all her flaws.  If she could find a way to not be as jealous of anyone who gets in between her and Kermit and channel her kung-fu skills for good, she literally would be one unstoppable pig.

If only...