The Muppets are a staple of American pop culture and also of British pop culture ever since that one with Ricky Gervais got made. But enjoying the mind of Jim Henson isn't as easy as enjoying a Fast and Furious movie. You can't just jump in whenever and automatically understand why Ludacris is here. The best, possibly even the only way to enjoy The Muppets is to watch the movies in order, or suffer the consequences. Below are less than 13 reasons why.
1. The Muppet Movie Is Essential
"Learn to crawl, then to walk, Fozzie." That is not an iconic quote from The Muppet Movie. It's not even a quote. However, you wouldn't know this unless you have seen the cinematic debut of the beloved puppet community. Make sure you start with the first film if you want to delve into The Muppets filmography. As much as we all want to jump right into The Muppets Take Manhattan, we need to be realistic and start with a strong foundation. And besides, The Muppet Movie is the best! It's chock-full of quotes and chock-empty of Steve Martin.
2. People Will Judge You, But Mainly I Will
What's the worst thing that could happen if I judge you? I'm honestly not sure, but I'll warn you that my judgement holds immense cosmic power and I'm still not sure if it's a gift or curse. For example, my old basset hound Guinness used to snatch bags of hot dog buns and bury them in the insides of our furniture. "That's cruddy," I would say to the slobbering dummy, proud he had delayed dinner for 30 minutes. Guinness is no longer with us. He's alive, but no longer with us, meaning my judgement can move tall mountains and short hounds. If you watch the Muppet movies out of order, know I will judge you for it, and it's best not to take any chances based on precedent.
3. There Is No Known Cure For The Rumored "Muppet Fever"
No one could ever get sick of The Muppets, but that doesn't mean no one could get sick from The Muppets. "Muppet Fever" is a malady that occurs when one watches The Muppets movies out of chronological order. It's very serious and can be very deadly, as there is no known cure. Symptoms of Muppet Fever include involuntary speech and movement, delusions of grandeur such as thinking that dubbing over The Muppets movies yourself will be funnier than the original voicework, and uncontrollable shaking when excited. Studies have shown that Muppet Fever can be halted by immediately popping in the The Muppet Movie on VHS and watching it at least until Kermit The Frog and Fozzie Bear hit the fork in the road. Although this shock therapy works, skeptics are still hesitant to call it a cure, so better to be safe than sorry and just watch the movies in order.
Heed my advice: Watch The Muppets movies in chronological order first, then you can re-watch in whatever order you please. And don't forget to watch any new Muppets flicks that come out to keep up appearnaces.
