Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Bill the Bubble Guy

Written by Ryan Dosier.

BILL THE BUBBLE GUY

Performed by...
Dave Goelz

First appearance...
Muppets Tonight Episode 102: Garth Brooks (1996)

Most recent appearance...
Muppets Tonight Episode 212: Johnny Fiama Leaves Home (1997)

Best known role...
Performer whose head spurts out bubbles

WHO IS BILL THE BUBBLE GUY?

Bill the Bubble Guy is one of the many new original characters who debuted in Muppets Tonight's first season. Bill's schtick is simple: he can blow bubbles out of his head. There's no rhyme or reason as to why exactly Bill has this talent, but there you go. Bill first appeared as a needy performer in the second episode of Muppets Tonight, trying to convince Clifford to let him be on the show. Clifford refused, but when guest star Garth Brooks refused to perform one of his own songs, the Head of the Network threatened to cancel the show and give Bill the timeslot. Unfortunately for Bill, Garth Brooks finally sang one of his own songs and Bill was left without his own sitcom. (The Big Bubble Theory?)

As Muppets Tonight continued, Bill's simple (and seemingly only) talent was used as a running gag numerous times. One notable example was in Episode 201, guest starring the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, where Big Mean Carl introduced his new act: Carl the Big Mean Bubble Guy. Bill protests, and ends up getting eaten by Carl, who then belches out bubbles. (Ta-da!!)

In Episode 107, guest starring Sandra Bullock, Bill and his entire bubble family appeared in the sketch "While You Were Slapping," spoofing the film While You Were Sleeping. In the sketch, Bill is in a coma while his fiancee, Sandra Bullock, and his family slap each other around (I don't get it either). Bill later appeared in the sketch "Muppet Heights" with Heather Locklear in Episode 203, under the name William B. Guy.

Bill was one of the many Miss Piggy impersonators in Episode 109 guest starring Whoopi Goldberg. He would've gotten the part... if it weren't for the bubbles that come out of his head. In Episode 205, when Ernst Stavros Grouper buys the studio, he changed the names and identities of many of the Muppets. Bill remained Bill the Bubble Guy, only because he lied to Grouper and said his name was Bob and raisins came out of his head. Grouper changed it to Bill the Bubble Guy immediately--lucky for Bill.

Bill the Bubble Guy's most consistent role on Muppets Tonight was as one of the housemates on the recurring sketch "The Real World Muppets." Joined in the house by Clifford, Rizzo, Bobo, and Darci, Bill was one of the more calm housemates, never causing much drama. He definitely caused a lot of bubbles, however.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED BILL THE BUBBLE GUY?
Because bubbles come out of his head! Bill the Bubble Guy joins the long-lived pantheon of Muppets with one silly defining trait, such as Crazy Harry and Lew Zealand. Although Bill was nowhere near as successful as those characters, he's still a goofy, enjoyable presence throughout the run of Muppets Tonight. Though it's unlikely we'll see Bill on screen again, we'll always think of him anytime bubbles come out of someone's head.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 3

Ryan Dosier - Hi-ho, Muppet fans! Ready for more of my storied trip visiting the set of Muppets Most Wanted last May? If you're not, read Part 1 and Part 2 to catch up with what happened so far! To recap: I spent an amazing day on set at Los Angeles Union Station with ToughPigs' Matt Wilkie where we met Walter, watched the Muppet film, were treated to a private rehearsal of "We're Doing a Sequel," and spent the entire day with all of the Muppet performers. Yeah. All of that.

The day after my first day on set, I had lunch with huge Muppet fan and now great friend of mine Rachel Herrick. You know Rachel from her great Muppet movie video reviews that she did for The Muppet Mindset. This was my first time meeting Rachel and it was wonderful! After that, I went to Disneyland with my awesome, awesome friend Raymond Persi (story artist at Disney Animation Studios and voice artist in Wreck-It Ralph). Ray told me he was probably getting on set the next day as well through his Disney connections. I was excited.

The next day, Peter Linz texted me telling me Disney would be sending me a call sheet for filming that day with information about where to park, when to show up, etc. The call sheet is an amazing little souvenir and I'll always treasure it. This is the first time I found out that they would be shooting on Hollywood Boulevard with 200 extras. I was floored. Peter told me to show up around 7pm and prepare to be there all night for shooting if I wanted to stay. Obviously I did. Eventually I worked it out with Raymond to ride with him to set and I was on my way--again.

When we arrived on set, we found that the entire block in front of the El Capitan Theater was shut down for filming. The crew was setting up huge shots, there was a crane, tons of lighting, and a whole lot of union workers. It was amazing. When we got there, we were greeted by Tracy Gilbert, who works at the Muppets Studio. Tracy led us into the El Capitan, through the main lobby, into the basement, into a room they use for kid's birthday parties. Tracy told us there would be press interviews with some of the cast and crew, but we were absolutely not there as press--which is a round about way of saying, "If you tweet about this, you die." We had no idea what to expect, but we were thrilled. Eventually, Matt Wilkie and Rachel joined us in the basement. I'm still not positive how Rachel got on set, but I'm still impressed.

Anyway! The press interviews got underway, and we saw the costume designer, producer Todd Lieberman, and Peter Linz and Walter answer questions from the crowd. I was just so blown away, I really don't remember asking any questions. I don't think I did. But it was crazy awesome. Afterwards, Peter and Walter took pictures with everyone again. Matt and I got in line for pictures, but the Disney people who were there when we took pictures with Walter the other day glared at us, so we stepped out. Here's Rachel's awesome picture with Walter, though!

After the interviews, the press (and all of us) were led outside to watch some filming. The scene we saw is actually the very first scene of Muppets Most Wanted, with Kermit, Piggy, and Walter standing in front of Jason Segel and Amy Adams lookalikes. It was really weird to see two unknown actors that vaguely look like Jason and Amy wearing their exact costumes from the end of The Muppets. But, it was amazing to see Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, and Peter Linz work. They were ad-libbing quite a lot, since the scene didn't really have any specific dialogue. It was awesome.

While we were watching them film, I ran into one of my favorite people: Cristina Barretta. Cristina is Bill's wife and we've been friends since 2010. Anyone who has read any of my stories about getting to do awesome stuff with the Muppets knows that 90% of the time, it's because of Cristina Barretta that I have such an unbelievably great time. Cristina had brought her son Jackson, her dad, and some friends to the filming and introduced me around to everybody. Then she wrangled Bill and Peter to take a picture with me (that she insisted she take). That picture is at right. Once again, I owe Cristina the world.

After that, we were brought back inside for more interviews. This one was with Kermit the Frog. After the interview, they announced Kermit would take pictures with us, and I nearly passed out. I was the last one in line, so when it was my turn to go up to Kermit for my picture, I was the only one. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, but before I knew it, Kermit the Frog was looking at me, smiling, and waving. Kermit said, "Hey, Ryan!" and I floated over. Kermit saw my t-shirt and said, "Wow, I love that shirt." He pointed at himself on the shirt and I felt Kermit touching me. Again, nearly passed out. All this time I completely forgot that Steve Whitmire was literally right there. It didn't even register with me, because KERMIT THE FROG was right there taking a picture with me. Here is that picture.

I really can't describe that feeling of meeting Kermit the Frog. So I won't even try, just know it happened and it was perhaps the highlight of my career. After our froggy photos, they brought us back outside again to watch more filming. But this didn't last long before we were taken back inside again, this time for Miss Piggy's interview. Again, they allowed us all to get pictures taken, and again I was the last one in line. What happened when I met Miss Piggy is still my favorite thing. I walked up to her, waved briefly to Eric, and I said, "Hello, Miss Piggy." Miss Piggy rolled her eyes and grumbled "Hello, Ryan..." I had no idea what to do, so I laughed and said, "Did I do something wrong?" At this point I should mention that the entire Los Angeles press corp was standing there watching this interaction. Miss Piggy looked at me, then looked at the press corp and said, "No, no. This is Ryan, one of moi's many stalkers!" I was literally stunned silent and that's when they took the picture. Sheesh.

So after Miss Piggy nearly killed me, we went back outside for even more filming. It was around this time that the press members started to leave, so the whole shoot became a lot more informal. We got to talk to Eric Jacobson for a long, long time. The lot of us stood in a circle, in the middle of the road on Hollywood Boulevard, and just talked and talked to Eric for at least half an hour. He is the nicest, funniest, most intelligent guy and I really can't get over that fact. He's such a delight and I love every second I get to spend hanging out with him. After we talked, we took a picture.

By this time it was at least midnight and the production showed no signs of slowing down. Rob Corddry came in and filmed his cameo. David Rudman performed Scooter. Thog walked down Hollywood Boulevard. It was amazing. At about 1:00 am, the production paused for dinner (at least I think it was dinner) and everyone walked over to the adjacent Hollywood High School to have craft services in their cafeteria. I think it was probably Matt Vogel or Bill Barretta that invited me, Matt, and Rachel to come eat (Raymond had already left at this point), so obviously we did. Once again, the food was amazing, but the company was even better. Dave Goelz invited Matt and I to sit at his table with him, so we talked to Dave for quite a bit. Later I got to talk for awhile with Debbie McClellan, which is always wonderful, and John Bernstein, who works on DVD/Blu-ray content for Disney and who oddly enough went to my college. We bonded over pizza places and crappy dorm rooms.

After the food, everybody returned for more filming. We saw Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Walter, Rowlf, and Scooter shooting the opening group scene from Muppets Most Wanted ("Those were paid dancers"). During this scene, Dave Goelz was dismissed and went out of his way to come say goodbye to us--insane. The scene was so funny, and went over so well. The best part was Fozzie/Eric never being able to nail his line when the tumbleweed blows through the background. Every time he would flub it, the tumbleweed wrangler would have to run across the street, grab the tumbleweed, and run back. Movie making at its finest.

They shot different coverage for each character, so during some shots Matt Vogel wasn't needed and he came over to talk to us. Again, I can't reiterate how freaking cool Matt Vogel is. He treated me like family and was always so interested in talking to me. He's really the best. We took a picture in front of the Disney Soda Fountain store, so it looks like we're cross-promoting Iron Man 3.

Not too much more happened between then and the end of filming. But when they were finally ready to rap, James Bobin called out, "Martini shot!" and we realized that we were watching them film the final shot of Muppets Most Wanted. It was incredible. They shot it, got it in that one take, and Bobin yelled cut. The entire street started applauding and cheering and hugging each other and we got to be there in the middle of it all. Truly magical and a moment I'll never forget. Eventually everyone started leaving, so I said my goodbyes to the performers. Bill, Matt, and Peter all hugged me and Steve, Eric, and David were so happy to have me there. Me. I still can't get over it.

By the time I got back to my hotel, it was 4:30 am. I had spent literally all night with the Muppets and I could not have been happier. And that's my story, Muppet fans. The story of how I met Walter, Kermit, and Miss Piggy, hung out with the Muppet performers, ate lots of craft services, and saw the final shot of Muppets Most Wanted filmed. Thanks for reading, believing, and supporting. I couldn't have done any of it without your support! I also have to say an endless amount of thank yous to Peter Linz, Debbie McClellan, Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, and everyone who was so freaking kind to me.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 2

Ryan Dosier - Greetings, Muppet fans! When we last spoke about my journey to the set of Muppets Most Wanted last May, I had just gotten my picture taken with Walter and I had just watched a dozen Muppets shoot a scene in front of an Amtrak train. (To recap fully, just read Part 1.)

So! Where could we possibly go from there? Well, after getting our pictures with Walter, Matt Wilkie and I returned to the main hub where all the cast, crew, and extras were having lunch. It was a fully catered craft services lunch that you hear about. Honestly there was everything. Pasta, chicken, fish, cookies (more on those later), ice cream... everything. It was awesome. And Matt and I got to eat it for free and no one said anything to us. Very strange, wonderful times.

And yet the times got even stranger and wonderfuller. Matt and I sat down at one of the few empty tables and started eating. We were only a few bites in when Peter Linz and Matt Vogel came to sit with us. I don't know if this was because there was nowhere else to sit... but I doubt it. Almost immediately after sitting down, Peter and Matt whipped out their iPhones and started showing us pictures on-set pictures they had taken. I distinctly remember shots of Louise Gold and Annie Sue, Walter and Ricky Gervais in their trench coats, Peter and Bill Barretta performing the flamingos, the Muppet performers freezing at the gulag set, and so much more. It was unreal.

And yet it got more unreal. After lunch, the producers dismissed all of the extras, background puppeteers, and 90% of the crew, but somehow Matt and I got to stick around. At that point, things got crazy, as all of the Muppet performers--Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and David Rudman--came to sit at our table. There we were, me and Matt, just casually hanging out with our heroes. No one questioned it, no one asked why we were still there... everyone was just so happy to sit and talk to us. Unbelievable.

Honestly, I can't think of any words to describe that moment. It completely blew me away to be in the presence of these people that I adore--and to be with them all at one time? I was stunned. I can't recall what we talked about, but I do remember lots and lots of laughter. I know that I was a part of something special there and I'm thankful for every single thing that led to that moment. Out of everything I've gotten to do because of The Muppet Mindset, I think that one moment, sitting with seven of my heroes as just one of the guys, is the culmination of it all.

And yet, it didn't stop there. While we were waiting (and at that point I wasn't even sure what we were waiting for), I asked to take a picture with Peter. Of course he said yes, so we posed for the picture... and then Dave Goelz wanders in because he was jealous he wasn't in the picture. Ridiculous. Here's that glorious picture:

After that, I noticed David Rudman was eating a cookie... and obviously I had to get a picture of that. The performer of Cookie Monster eating a cookie? Come on. Anyway, here's that picture:

At one point after that, the Union Station crew was putting away the tables, so we had to get up. I grabbed my backpack to move it out of the way. Dave Goelz saw me do this and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you leaving?! You can't leave!" I said, "No, no I'm just grabbing my backpack." He was relieved. I was confused. And enthralled. The day just kept getting better.

And then the day turned into the best. We finally found out what we were waiting around for when some of the performers went into a back room to do some on-set ADR (automated dialogue replacement, aka dubbing). Steve, Eric, Bill, and Dave stayed behind for a rehearsal with James Bobin. There, in the grand hall of Union Station, Steve Whitmire pulled out Kermit, Eric Jacobson pulled out Fozzie, Bill took Statler, and Dave took Waldorf, and the four of them rehearsed the lines leading up to "We're Doing a Sequel" and the first few bars of the song.

So Matt and I sat there, watching our own private Muppet rehearsal and hearing the start of "We're Doing a Sequel" nearly a year before the film's release. I'm not kidding when I say that those lines of the song did not leave my head for 10 months until I heard the whole thing. I knew then and there that Muppets Most Wanted would be a hysterical, incredible experience. They must've rehearsed that opening a dozen times, because the lyrics were ingrained in my brain. Again, I could not believe I was there experiencing this.

After the rehearsal wrapped, everyone was finished and the day was over. At this point it was probably about 5 in the evening, making for a long, hugely fulfilling day. As we were leaving, Peter and Debbie McClellan told Matt and I that they would be filming another scene--this one on Hollywood Boulevard--two days from then. They said we could come and they would be in touch... so my trip was clearly just beginning. Hard to believe that after the day I had just had, there would be another day on set with the Muppets. But... more on that later.





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - Isn't life funny? One minute, it's 2013, the next, it's 2014, then it's May 2014 and you realize it's been literally an entire year since you had one of the greatest experiences of your life. What's worse, you realize it's been a year and you haven't written anything about one of the greatest experiences of your life. I can attribute this to many things... lack of approval from Disney, not wanting to spread spoilers--but mostly it's just me forgetting to sit down and write. But that's being fixed right now!

One year ago today, May 6, 2013, I was on a a bus headed for Los Angeles Union Station. I had been invited by my amazing friend Peter Linz to be his guest on the set of Muppets Most Wanted while they filmed a few scenes in LA after months of filming in London. It was (and still is) an unbelievable gift for Peter to invite me and a really, truly can never thank him enough or repay him for what I got to experience over the few days I was there.

I arrived at Union Station around 9:00am. Peter had told me to get there at 10, but I wanted to make sure I was there early enough. Getting there at 9 happened to work out extremely well, because as I was walking through the station trying to get my bearings, I just happened to run into Bill Barretta. Bill and I go back almost five years. He was the first Muppet performer I ever interviewed and met in person so it's oddly fitting that he became my guide through my first on-set Muppet experience. Bill swept me up and walked me around, showing me the train platform where they would be filming.

As we were walking out onto the platform, a security guard stopped us (obviously, since he was guarding a big-budget film set) and Bill simply told him, "We're with the Muppets" and we got through. Me. I was with the Muppets. It was unbelievable just to hear those words... and then we went out to the train platform. There were large black crates, obviously holding the Muppets themselves. There were animatronic rats sitting on boxes that Bill was delighted to show off. Thog's head was sitting on the ground and Bill said, "Go ahead and touch him. Take a picture if you want." So obviously I did. Then I nearly fainted.

Somewhere in here, I ran into my buddy Matt Wilkie, who was on set as a correspondent for ToughPigs. I can't express how glad I was to have Matt on set with me. Not only is he a fantastic person to have around anytime, anywhere, but he was just as geeked out and freaked out as me. The number of times Matt and I turned to each other and mouthed "Oh. My. God." or audibly gasped together is too many for me to count. We had a blast and there's no one I would've rather had alongside me on set that day.

After Bill walked us around the set, he took Matt and I to the main hub where the extras, puppeteers, and crew would wait in-between and after takes. The first person we ran into was Steve Whitmire. Steve, who I had met a handful of times before, lit up immediately when he saw us. We talked for a little bit about the movie, he signed a photo of Kermit I brought, and took photos with Matt and I. Then I believe he said, "I've gotta go out front and film something. Will you guys be around later?" Matt and I, stars in our eyes, nodded, and Steve said, "Great! We'll talk more" and went off to be Kermit the Frog. Nuts.

After our Steve encounter, Matt and I discovered the bounties of craft services (thanks to Muppets Studio chief Debbie McClellan, who assured us it was fine that we eat something) and had some coffee (bad idea, considering how jittery I already was) and breakfast. We sat down with the group of extra hands--the background Muppet performers. It was such a treat to talk with hugely fun and talented folks like Nathan Danforth (my awesome friend), Michael Oosterom, Bruce Lanoil, and Mike Quinn. Mike, especially, was incredible to talk to, with more than 30 years of history with the Muppets, plus credits in Star Wars (he's Nien Nunb!!) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Mike and all of the puppeteers treated us so well and I'm so glad to call them friends.

After awhile, Bill came back and assigned each of the puppeteers a character to perform. He sat down and rattled off names such as Wayne, Lips, Lew Zealand, Janice... I'm pretty sure I sat slack-jawed just hearing the Muppets I'd get to see in person. After he was done, Bill told Matt and I we could follow him out onto the platform. When we got there, we saw Kermit the Frog and I had to stop for a second. I had seen Kermit in person a few other times before, but I was never this close. I was six feet from the frog and he was on camera working his magic. The scene he was filming was unfortunately cut from the final film, but every take there was a line that required Kermit to turn and point. Each time he did, he looked directly at me and pointed, and each time my heart skipped a beat.

The scene they were filming also featured lines from Scooter and Beauregard, so David Rudman and Dave Goelz were standing off camera feeding the lines to Kermit. In between takes they both came over to talk to me and Matt. They were incredible as always (duh). During one conversation with David, he was so into our talk that he actually missed his cue. It was hilarious and probably my fault entirely... but everyone got a good laugh out of it. Eventually we were found by Matt Vogel and Peter Linz, who are two of the greatest people I know. They took us to more craft services and then talked to us for what felt like an hour chatting about the movie. Matt said, "Your the fans, ask us anything!" and they answered. It was crazy. It was here I first found out Matt was performing Constantine, found about about a helicopter scene, Walter jumping from a moving train, and more.

While we were talking with Matt and Peter, one of the puppet wranglers walked by carrying no fewer than six Muppets--including Dr. Teeth and Janice--and asked Peter if he wanted to take Walter now. He gave Matt and I a sly grin and said yes. Then he put on Walter and he came to life. Walter talked to Matt and I for a little bit and I seriously felt like a kid in a candy store. It was one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do. It was my own private little moment with Walter and it doesn't get better than that.

And then they called for the puppeteers to get in place and true Muppet magic was turned on. There, directly in front of me, maybe four feet away, was Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Walter, Scooter, Rowlf, Swedish Chef, Floyd, Animal, Dr. Teeth, Janice, Zoot, Lips, Bunsen, Beaker, Wayne, Lew Zealand, Sweetums, and Thog. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and honestly I still don't believe it. It was truly breathtaking and like a dream to see all of these Muppets alive right in front of me. It was fascinating to see James Bobin direct them (and boy is he brilliant at it). I honestly don't know if I'll ever see anything quite like that again. I have no words to explain how utterly amazing it was.

After they wrapped the scene, the Muppets were whisked away (I'm still miffed I didn't get a picture with Lew Zealand) and Matt and I finally got to talk to Eric Jacobson. Eric is really the nicest guy around and one of the easiest people to talk to. He signed a picture of Fozzie I brought and then asked Matt and I if we were sticking around for lunch. I believe we said, "If we're allowed to" and he said, "Of course you are! Come on with me." So Matt and I started to follow Eric... but then we had to stop because we saw Peter and Walter chatting with the members of the press that were on set that day. Eric went on to lunch and we told him we'd catch up with him later.

Thank goodness we stuck around, because, thanks to Debbie McClellan, Matt and I got to sneak into the back of the line of press people getting their photos with Walter. When I got to Walter he said, "Hey, hey, Ryan! What pose should we do? Ooooh! I got it!" Walter then jumped on my shoulder and grinned wildly... and so did I, because how can you not? Then this picture happened:

And I think that's where I'll stop the story for today. What happened the rest of that day is more than enough to fill another article, and then there's a whole other day on set as well! There's still lots more story to come, Muppet fans, so be on the lookout for Part 2 and Part 3 of my incredible visit to the set of Muppets Most Wanted--a year later!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppet Performer Interviews from the Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere

As you know, (and if you don't, check it) your pals at The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs attended the World Premiere of Muppets Most Wanted as members of the venerable press line. The popularity of our initial video was so huge that Muppet fans demanded more--and obviously we live to please. So we're thrilled to showcase the full interviews we conducted with the Muppet Performers. We interviewed Steve Whitmire, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta (and his awesome son Jackson), David Rudman, and Eric Jacobson--plus we talked to Dave Goelz, but not on camera. We sincerely hope you enjoy!









The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere Exclusive Coverage

Ryan Dosier - In celebration of Muppets Most Wanted's North American release, I am thrilled and proud and honored and so lucky to present our exclusive coverage of The World Premiere in Hollywood. Our coverage is a joint effort between The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs.com and we couldn't be happier to share it with our great friends. Huge thanks to Joe Hennes, Matt Wilkie, Daniel Shick, Lindsay Kwek, and Cristina Barretta. Enjoy!!








The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

Today's article was written by Michael Baldasare with edits and additions by Ryan Dosier. Although we have featured Dr. Bunsen Honeydew on Weekly Muppet Wednesdays before, that article was more of a joke, so Michael has rewritten the article to take a serious look at Bunsen.

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW

Performed by...
Dave Goelz

First appearance...
The Muppet Show Episode 108: Paul Williams (1976)

Most recent appearance...
Just for Laughs (2012)
Will appear in Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Best known role...
Scientist, inventor, founder of Muppet Labs, punisher of Beaker

Best friend and assistant...
Beaker

WHO IS DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW?
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is The Muppet Show's resident scientist and the host, founder, and lead scientist of Muppet Labs--where the future is being made today. In season one of The Muppet Show, Bunsen worked alone. But it was in season two when the sketches really took off as Beaker was added to the show as Bunsen's hapless assistant. Bunsen is usually giddy with excitement when showing off his latest scientific discovery or invention, but his excitement about progress usually blinds him to the fact that his invention either doesn't work or is insanely dangerous.

Dr. Honeydew has come up with a score of outrageous inventions in over 30 episodes of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, and episodes of Muppets Tonight. Dr. Honeydew's many, many ridiculous inventions have included a robotic replica of Abraham Lincoln, a gorilla detector, his own element "Bunsonium," a teleportation device, fireproof paper, a germ enlarger, an electric nose warmer, exploding clothes, edible paper clips, a banana sharpener, hair-growing tonic, and a machine that can turn gold into cottage cheese.

Bunsen has had a large role in nearly every Muppet movie. In The Muppet Movie, Kermit met Bunsen and Beaker in an old ghost town, where they showed off their latest invention, "Insta-Grow Pills," which made things bigger--however the effect was sadly temporary. In The Great Muppet Caper, Dr. Honeydew assisted in the break-in at the Mallory Gallery and volunteered Beaker to crack the high voltage security installation. In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Bunsen joins in on the "Manhattan Melodies" finale.

In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Bunsen and Bekaer play well-meaning charity workers who try to get Ebenezer Scrooge to donate to help the homeless. Originally they had a song, "Room in Your Heart," but it was cut from the film. In Muppet Treasure Island, Bunsen played Dr. Livesey while Beaker played himself. In Muppets from Space, Bunsen invented invisible spray (inside a rubber duckie), mind mist, and Door In a Jar, to help rescue Gonzo and Rizzo from C.O.V.N.E.T. Unfortunately, he and Beaker got left at a gas station with Cheese Twiddles before they could see the inventions used.

In It's a Very, Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Bunsen and Beaker invent a device for the Muppets to earn money for the "Moulin Scrooge" Christmas show. We get a look of what Bunsen might have been in the world in which Kermit was never born--Dr. Bunsen Honeydew would be a hip, aggressive doorman at Club Dot. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Bunsen and Beaker had crucial roles as the technicians of Emerald City, setting up Dorothy and her Muppet cohorts with their emerald-tinted glasses. In A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Dr. Honeydew created the Wish Granter 3000, which Beaker demonstrated by wishing for a "meeping" gorgeous woman and wishing himself away from Bunsen.

In his most recent big screen role in The Muppets, Bunsen, along with Beaker, reunited with the Muppets after working at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. In an unfortunately deleted scene, Bunsen was revealed as an accomplice to Gonzo's bowling ball throwing stunt. The bowling ball, built by Bunsen, was a highly advanced, hyper-intelligent remote control contraption. While demonstrating the device, the bowling ball developed a mind of its own and terrorized Beaker around the theater.

Dr. Honeydew also had a crucial role in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland attraction Muppet*Vision 3-D. Bunsen and Beaker were the inventors of the Muppet*Vision 3-D technology and hosted a live demonstration of the power of 3-D. Dr. Honeydew developed a machine that created a living spirit of 3-D, Waldo C. Graphic. Waldo ended up getting Muppet Labs sucked up by Bunsen's Vacu-Muppet, and Bunsen and Beaker disappeared from the show after that.

Pre-doctorate Bunsen Honeydew appeared as a toddler in animated form in Muppet Babies. Young Bunsen still displayed a talent for scientific work and was already quite brilliant--and already quite good at injuring baby Beaker. Dr. Honeydew was a significant part of Muppets Tonight as well, developing a number of inventions and most notably going through a midlife crisis which involved crashing a speedboat and dating Andie MacDowell.

Bunsen has appeared many times with the Muppets outside of their own shows, specials, or movies. Dr. Honeydew appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, America's Funniest Home Videos, WWE Raw, Dancing with the Stars, and other exploits. Bunsen was also the star of two Muppet viral videos: "Ghost Hunt" and "Carve-O-Matic." He also appeared in "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Muppet Show Theme" music videos. Bunsen also appeared at the 2009 appearance at D23 Expo, Jim Henson's Musical World, and the Muppets Comedy Gala at Just For Laughs 2012.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are two of the most popular Muppet characters. These are just some of Bunsen's many, many onscreen, in-print, and online appearances. Dr. Honeydew has appeared in comic books, phone applications, interactive cruise ship games, awards shows, music videos, live theme park experiences, and commercials during his long career--and he doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon! Bunsen and Beaker will appear in Muppets Most Wanted next year as well.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW?
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is another example of the great Muppet character trope of thinking you're a genius but really just being bad at what you do--and even destructive. Even though Bunsen's inventions are harmful and fail more often than not, Dr. Honeydew never gives up on his dream of being a great scientist. The Muppets need Bunsen because he continues the Muppet dream of perseverance no matter the cost (although Beaker pays most of the cost). Besides all that, Dr. Honeydew is simply hysterical. The Muppet Labs sketches were some of the most popular on The Muppet Show for good reason.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Sidebottom

Today's article is written by Ryan Dosier. 

SIDEBOTTOM

Performed by...
Dave Goelz

First appearance...
Fraggle Rock Episode 206: "Boober's Dream" (1984)

Most recent appearance...
Fraggle Rock Episode 403: "Sidebottom Blues" (1986)

Best known role...
Boober Fraggle's fun-loving, partying alter-ego; see also: the exact opposite of Boober

WHO IS SIDEBOTTOM?
Sidebottom is a psychological manifestation or personality quirk of constantly morose Boober Fraggle. Boober seemingly has little to no control over his alter ego for the most part, as Sidebottom has run amok in Boober's head and outside of it in three different episodes of Fraggle Rock. Sidebottom's existence is rather ambiguous--is he a projection of Boober's brain? Is he part of Boober's split personality? It's hard to say. What we do know is that Sidebottom is Boober's fun side that he keeps on the bottom--hence the name Sidebottom.

Sidebottom first appeared in the Season 2 episode "Boober's Dream." In the episode, Sidebottom is part of Boober's dreams (but for Boober they're more like nightmares). His fun-loving, party all the time attitude keeps Boober awake and plagues him for days. Boober decides to bring his friends Wembley, Gobo, Mokey, and Red into his dream to help. Sidebottom tries to sway the others to convince Boober that he should become a permanent part of Boober's personality. After realizing that Sidebottom is dangerous, the other Fraggles realize their friend Boober is wonderful just the way he is.

The first time Sidebottom came out of Boober to play and cause mischief was later in Season 2 in the episode "Boober's Quiet Day." In this episode, Sidebottom disrupts Boober's planned quiet day by convincing him to lie to the other Fraggles to avoid responsibilities and have his quiet day. Of course, this backfires and Boober ends up having to impersonate the Old Gypsy Lady because of his lies. With some coaching from Sidebottom, Boober does a fantastic song as the Gypsy Lady, but is caught in his lies when the actual Old Gypsy Lady appears. In the end, Boober realized that he had to integrate his two personalities and let himself have fun once in awhile.

Sidebottom's final appearance was in Season 4 in the episode "Sidebottom Blues." In this episode, Boober is worried that his friends think he's a bore (he just now worries about this?) and decides to let Sidebottom take over to show them a good time. Sidebottom takes on the role of Dr. Fun and leads Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, and Red into the Gorg's garden where he hypnotizes Junior Gorg, jeopardizes Wembley's life thanks to a bonkleberry allergy, and makes Boober realize that his friends think he's fun when he's himself. This episode also features a wonderful Sidebottom song "Fun is Here to Stay."

WHY DOES FRAGGLE ROCK NEED SIDEBOTTOM?
Sidebottom represents a wonderful, wacky, and zany side of Boober, showing that he isn't just a laundry-loving stick in the mud. However, what Sidebottom really does for Boober is allow him to recognize that he can let loose and have fun and still love laundry and fear germs and all of the things he usually does. Sidebottom gives Boober an excuse to have fun but keeps him grounded and reminds him that too much fun is just as bad as too much tedium and drudgery.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Interview with Legendary Muppet Performer DAVE GOELZ, Part 4

I'm both sad and thrilled to present the fourth and final installment of our interview with my hero Dave Goelz. Dave has been kind, enlightening, hysterical, and magnificent to me for almost three years now and I can never thank him enough for his friendship and generosity. There are very few people who have affected me as constantly, consistently, and deeply as Dave Goelz and it has been a thrill to interview him and showcase his answers on The Muppet Mindset. Enjoy the final part of our interview below...

Interview with Dave Goelz

By Ryan Dosier

Dave Goelz’s Answers © Dave Goelz 2013

PART 4

RYAN:   Once again, we’re here with the magnificent Dave Goelz in the third and final part of our interview. Dave, how’ve you liked everything so far? I swear that monkey doesn’t always live here.

DAVE:   There you go again. I’m just sitting at my computer answering your questions. Going into my second winter on this interview.

RYAN:   There were so many, many wonderful projects that you worked on with Jim. Are there any specific moments or memories that you would like to recount that we haven’t gotten to already?

DAVE:   We did a project called “Dial-A-Muppet,” which consisted of many one-minute bits. The idea was you dialed in and heard a Muppet bit. One evening Frank, Jim and I were recording these at CTS Studio in Wembley. Our scripts were on music stands arranged in a circle around a timer that faced up, so we could glance past the script to see the timer and speed up or slow down as necessary to make the bit end on time. We had just spent a 12-hour day shooting a film, and by ten o’clock we were pretty tired. I fluffed a line and Jim started laughing uncontrollably, which started me laughing. I asked him to leave the studio, since I was the only character in that bit. He said “I’ll just crouch down behind my music stand.” That was ludicrous, as I could see the edges of his jacket shaking. Meanwhile, Frank had started to laugh, and moved to the drum room behind me. It didn’t help; I could hear his high-pitched laugh squeaking through the glass.

It took twenty minutes for the three of us to recover. This used to happen fairly often.

RYAN:   Who were some of Jim’s favorite characters to work with? Did he and Gonzo get along well?

DAVE:   Jim seemed to get along with every character, but he and Frank usually had the most fun working together. Whether it was Kermit and Fozzie or Ernie and Bert, they often wound up in hysterics. Their timing was perfect, and each seemed to sense where the other was going. They took such pleasure in making each other laugh. Frank and Jim were one of the greatest comedy teams ever.

RYAN:   What was the best thing Jim Henson ever taught you?

DAVE:   I can’t think of a time when Jim intentionally “taught,” but there were many things he demonstrated by being Jim.

He felt that life was to be enjoyed. He treated people with respect, believed there was enough for everyone, and celebrated diversity. He did not seek to “win” in a business deal––instead he wanted both parties to profit. While he was a functioning adult, he lived with the same sense of wonder and possibility that we all started out with as children.

RYAN:   If it’s alright now, Dave, I’d love to ask some of your characters a few questions if they’re around. Is Gonzo home from bog-snorkeling yet?

DAVE:   Okay, that’s one too many internal reality questions. Taxi!

RYAN:   Gonzo, which of the artistic feats and under-appreciated performances that your brilliant and unparalleled mind has graced us with over the years are you most proud of?

GONZO:   I thought you’d never ask. I’m most proud of the next one.

RYAN:   Dr. Honeydew, how do you feel your contributions to science will be remembered years and years from now? Is it premature to call you the next Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, or John W. Hammes (inventor of the garbage disposal)?

DR. BUNSEN HONEYDEW:   Oh… well uh, I don’t know. Say, is there a nearby place where I can buy dynamite squibs?

RYAN:   Boober, how do you recommend I increase my laundry proficiency? I constantly feel that my routine is missing something. Any tips you can share?

BOOBER:   Get a good fabric softener, fold neatly and don’t turn your back on the window.

RYAN:   Zoot, are you awake?

ZOOT:   Huh?

RYAN:   Any gigs comin’ up, man?

ZOOT:   Uhhhh… Floyd?

RYAN:   Traveling Matt, in your many travels in our world, what is the most important thing about Silly Creature life that you’ve learned?

TRAVELING MATT:   That you are a WONNNNNDERFULLL species that has found a meaningful way to survive in Outer Space!

RYAN:   And, finally, one last question for Gonzo… What would you like to be remembered for? If you could shape your legacy, what would it be?

GONZO:   I managed to have a career without even knowing what I am. Plus I only got about twelve thousand traffic tickets.

RYAN:   Dave, same question.

DAVE:   I’ll be fulfilled if I was a good dad.

RYAN:   One last question for you, Dave. If you had to pick one moment that defined your friendship and career with Jim Henson, what would it be?

DAVE:   I can’t pick one. Let me go now.

RYAN:   Dave, thank you so very much for doing this interview with me. You and your characters are truly inspirations to me, so this has been a real honor. Thank you for your work with Jim Henson and all your continued work at carrying on his legacy.

DAVE:   Thank you for your kindness.

So, are we finally finished? My son has grown up and left for college.

Huge thanks to Dave Goelz for agreeing to the interview--and yes, I promise I finally let him go.






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com