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What The Muppets Take Manhattan Has Taught Me About NYC
Lesson Learned: Beware of pigs on roller skates in Central Park.
I have an immoderate amount of love for this movie, and I care not who knows it. This was a childhood favorite of mine, and I've just about worn the old VHS tape out.
Funny story - well, maybe only to me. When I was in high school, there was a group of guys who were the coolest of the cool. When they spoke, everyone listened, because whatever they said was bound to be a comedic/sarcastic gem. Our band took a trip to NYC because we were marching in the Macy's parade. We did a lot of touristy stuff during the week, and one stop on our tour was Central Park. One of the Cool Guys noticed something familiar about the landscape and arrangement of park benches and nudged one of his buddies, saying "The Muppets Take Manhattan." I was in earshot, and decided to add to the joke (a move that almost always backfires humiliatingly upon me), recreating the moment that I knew they were referencing - Miss Piggy's cry of "MY PURSE!" just before she commandeers Gregory Hines' roller skates and gives chase. Everyone laughed appreciatively, and my imitation was repeated by the Cool Guys so that others could share the joke. One of the highlights of my life, that was - I said something that the Cool Guys thought was cool.
The Muppets Take Manhattan is probably my favorite of all the Muppet movies. And it's part of my own personal mythology about New York.
No really, here's the real lesson: Whatever it is that you want, it's going to be harder to get than you ever thought.
A fairly obvious message, and one that's pretty universal for anywhere. But something tells me that it's especially true for a place where so many people go to find a dream and make it come true.
There are lots of obvious digs at New York stereotypes in this movie. Kermit and the gang live in lockers the first few days they're there, which is a not so subtle reference to the size of apartments. And every time something strange happens or there's some odd noise, the characters shrug it off and say "Eh, it's New York." There are lots of movie cliches as well, like the Busby Berkley pull-off-an-elaborate-musical-at-the-last-minute sequence.
But the most meaningful one to me, despite it's being a uniquely New York-ish movie cliché, is when Kermit stands at the top of the Empire State Building and shouts that the city hasn't beaten him yet and he's staying. As ridiculous as it might sound, I think the movie is strangely realistic in a way. The muppets get on a bus, like loads of people do every day, to make their dream happen in New York, and then reality hits - it's not going to be easy, and it's going to take a lot of "no"s and humiliations before things start to happen. What gets Kermit through it all is staying in touch with his friends who are in other places, and it helps him a lot to have new friends right there in the city who care about him and are willing to help. And in the end, it's not the disguises or the backhanded campaigning that gets him his break - it's a chance meeting with a flunky who turns out to be a producer's son. He lucks out, just like almost every other person who works their biscuits off and finally gets what they want.
Here's to the kid getting take-out for all the Important People and who just might be my big break.
Funny story - well, maybe only to me. When I was in high school, there was a group of guys who were the coolest of the cool. When they spoke, everyone listened, because whatever they said was bound to be a comedic/sarcastic gem. Our band took a trip to NYC because we were marching in the Macy's parade. We did a lot of touristy stuff during the week, and one stop on our tour was Central Park. One of the Cool Guys noticed something familiar about the landscape and arrangement of park benches and nudged one of his buddies, saying "The Muppets Take Manhattan." I was in earshot, and decided to add to the joke (a move that almost always backfires humiliatingly upon me), recreating the moment that I knew they were referencing - Miss Piggy's cry of "MY PURSE!" just before she commandeers Gregory Hines' roller skates and gives chase. Everyone laughed appreciatively, and my imitation was repeated by the Cool Guys so that others could share the joke. One of the highlights of my life, that was - I said something that the Cool Guys thought was cool.
The Muppets Take Manhattan is probably my favorite of all the Muppet movies. And it's part of my own personal mythology about New York.
No really, here's the real lesson: Whatever it is that you want, it's going to be harder to get than you ever thought.
A fairly obvious message, and one that's pretty universal for anywhere. But something tells me that it's especially true for a place where so many people go to find a dream and make it come true.
There are lots of obvious digs at New York stereotypes in this movie. Kermit and the gang live in lockers the first few days they're there, which is a not so subtle reference to the size of apartments. And every time something strange happens or there's some odd noise, the characters shrug it off and say "Eh, it's New York." There are lots of movie cliches as well, like the Busby Berkley pull-off-an-elaborate-musical-at-the-last-minute sequence.
But the most meaningful one to me, despite it's being a uniquely New York-ish movie cliché, is when Kermit stands at the top of the Empire State Building and shouts that the city hasn't beaten him yet and he's staying. As ridiculous as it might sound, I think the movie is strangely realistic in a way. The muppets get on a bus, like loads of people do every day, to make their dream happen in New York, and then reality hits - it's not going to be easy, and it's going to take a lot of "no"s and humiliations before things start to happen. What gets Kermit through it all is staying in touch with his friends who are in other places, and it helps him a lot to have new friends right there in the city who care about him and are willing to help. And in the end, it's not the disguises or the backhanded campaigning that gets him his break - it's a chance meeting with a flunky who turns out to be a producer's son. He lucks out, just like almost every other person who works their biscuits off and finally gets what they want.
Here's to the kid getting take-out for all the Important People and who just might be my big break.
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