Top 5: Muppets

     In honor of the new Muppet movie (which I hope to have a review of up soon) I thought it would be fitting to do a Muppet themed Top 5.  I've been a huge Muppet fan for as long as I can remember.  I would get beyond excited every time I saw the spinning ITC Entertainment logo pop up on the television screen.  Much like the CBS "Special Presentation" logo, I knew what was about to follow was going to be pure awesome.  The genius of the Muppets is that they have kept me entertained over the years.  As I have grown, so has my appreciation for the Muppet humor;  The Muppets are able to entertain people of any age.  So, without any further ado, here is my Top 5 Favorite Muppets...

5) Pepe The King Prawn
          I am probably more forgiving then most when it comes to the Muppets.  I can't think of a project of theirs that I didn't enjoy.  Most people panned their last movie, Muppets In Space, which even though flawed, I loved for one major reason, Pepe.  The movie's main character may have been Gonzo, but for me it was all about the hilarious king prawn.  Every scene he was in had me in stitches.  I was more then a little disappointed he didn't have bigger role in The Muppets, but there's always the next movie.

4)  Rizzo The Rat
          Rizzo was another bright spot in Muppets In Space.  The way he and Pepe played off each other was comedic brilliance.  Although around since the days of The Muppet Show, Rizzo first came to prominence during The Muppets Take Manhattan.  I love his bitter sarcasm and ability to seem above his fellow Muppets shenanigans.  One of his best roles was as fellow narrator with Gonzo in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

3)  The Swedish Chief
          This character is pure silly and draws from the most base humor possible, but he make me laugh.  There is nothing high brow or subtle about his gibberish he speaks or the kitchen disasters he causes, but I love it none the less.  One f my favorite moments of his was in The Muppets Take Manhattan when he was working in the movie theater.  He was wearing 3D glasses and singing, "Popcorn popping in your face.  3D!"  as he threw popcorn at himself.  For whatever reason it's always stuck with me.

2)  Animal
          One of the best cameo's in The Muppets was Dave Grohl dressed up like Animal in a Muppet cover band called The Moppets.  I know a lot of drummers and almost all of them site Animal as a reason they started to play.  I can't imagine it was much different for Grohl, so it must have been a joy to play that role in the movie.  Animal is easily one of the most iconic Muppets after Kermit.  Henson obviously patterned him after drummers he knew, because his frantic energy and crazed persona fits the psyche of every drummer I've known.  It's this energy that makes Animal a favorite and one of the funniest Muppets around.

1)  Statler and Waldorf
          If Animal is the Muppet most like my drummer friends, then these two jokers are probably the closest to me.  I couldn't even quantify the amount of time I've spent in my life sitting with a friend on the fringes of things commenting and heckling everyone and everything that passes by.  I'm sure most of my friends would add crotchety to the list of adjectives that would describe both me and this pair.  The original Beavis and Butt-head, these two's ruthless attacks on their fellow Muppets have always left me in stitches.

Honorable Mentions:  Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Crazy Harry, Lew Zealand