Dear Internet,
I do
not know what it is about "The Muppet Show" that wants to make me
take back the good things I say about it.
I am talking specifically about the unique episodes that I spent the whole
of my last entry describing why I liked them.
With today's batch of episodes, I have to say that those episodes can be
just the same, if not worse in some cases, than the normal format ones. I say this after having viewed half of season
five's episodes. Specifically, I am
talking about the Brooke Shields and Glenda Jackson episodes. The two episodes feature an "Alice in
Wonderland" and pirate themed episodes, respectively.
These
episodes did not amuse me or entertain me.
I found myself just wanting them to be over. The comedy fell flat, and the jokes could not
put me in a good mood. Was it because I
have finally had my fill of puns, bad jokes, and slapstick comedy? It could not have been this because the
episodes after were able to get me to laugh and got me to smile. I especially like the Paul Simon and Senor
Wences episodes. Yet, there is something
about those two episodes I mentioned that irked me something fierce. Maybe it was because I found Brooke Shields's
to be horrible or in the very least so laced with sugar that it was nauseating. Maybe it was because of the fact that Jackson
stayed in character as a pirate for nearly the entire episode that I was put
off. Maybe it was the fact that both
episodes made liberal use of computer graphics that made the show seem cheap by
today's standards. Maybe it was because
those special effects had glaring problems like ropes disappearing into thin
air, blue/green tints around people, and obvious other hints that showed the visual
tricks occurring.
These computer
tricks definitely felt like a cheapening of the show. There was not much point of even implementing
them other than to get an effect that in my opinion fell flat. "The Muppet Show" relies completely
on camera tricks. The fact that the
puppeteers are never seen proves that a specific camera angle is being used
constantly. Everything from Muppets that
require three or more people to operate to breakaway shots that allow an
explosion to occur is a special effect.
But they are analog effects rather than digital. These effects have been refines over years of
training and skillfully making them better than before. Digital effects for quite some time, and even
now in some cases, can leave holes in production value. They are often used as a quick fix or meat to
wow the audience. If the effects have
holes, they become obvious to the audience and lose the suspension of
disbelief.
This is
not the same as when I talk about miniature sets for Kaiju films. Those effects are just as easy to notice for
what they are as the poorly made digital effects. When it comes to analog effects, there is a
emotion that comes forth when they are presented to the audience. They say to the audience, "Just go with
it and use your imagination." It is
like when a parent takes a toy and plays along with a child, adding a funny
voice and making it come alive. Digital
effects have nearly none of that, especially when the effects have no starting
point. They tell the audience to stop
using imagination and accept what is being displayed as the starting point and
ending point, which is partially why digital effects are always dated when
viewed in retrospect.
When
"The Muppet Show" relies more on the analog effects rather than the
computer aided ones, the show does well.
When it tries to implement those digital effects, it shows its age and
just makes me wonder if the show could have pulled off the effect just as well
in another manner.
I'll
stop here tonight so that I can finish "The Muppet Show" tomorrow and
give my final verdict. It has been two weeks'
worth of puppets, bad jokes, singing, dancing, heckling, and all around
confusion. I am ready to move on. I am ready to move on, very much.
Yours in digital,
BeepBoop
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