mahna mahna

Byron had to use a Fandango credit before it expired tomorrow; since he was traveling with family, he sent the code to me. I rarely go to the theater anymore, but I figured there was no harm in entertaining myself on a holiday weekend, particularly since it was free. I bought a ticket for The Muppets and decided to go solo.

Having been a childhood fan, Jason Segel approached Disney for the opportunity to write a new Muppets script. The result is an unashamed homage to Gen X culture (references are made to Tab, dial-up internet, Molly Ringwald, and Nirvana), skillfully woven through the traditional Muppet plot device: throw together a show to save the day.

Segel and Amy Adams (our best modern day Julie Andrews) do a fine job of keeping the movie light and child friendly. Unlike other "family" PGs of this era, The Muppets doesn't backdoor crudeness to interest the adult. If anything, the sentimental nature of the film sends Gen Xers to a more innocent time when sex, alcohol, and vulgarity weren't required to make us laugh. In one scene, the movie takes a shot at what the networks pitch as entertainment today.

I find this intriguing. Segel casts other buddies that grew up with the Muppets (Jack Black, NPH, Zach Galifianakis, etc.) -- all of them are comical without the overdone schtick. The critics have praised the movie thus far, which has me wondering: if a script like this can be written, why do we settle for a tasteless diet of entertainment?

We're not going to change a culture through boycotting; I'm not one to suggest anything for political reasons. Rather, I think believers should choose to separate themselves from adult comedy because it is of poor taste, and our comical appetites reflect what we've been digesting. Drawing a specific line is tough, but I'm tired of promoting movies for my friends with the accpeted asterisk: "You know, except there's one part in the movie where they [have sex, get wasted, go on a profanity rant]. Watch out for that."

I'm pleased to promote The Muppets without an asterisk, and I'm sorry that this is an exception.