I'm Gonna Talk About the Muppets and You Just Have to Deal With It
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, is a 2001 campy, punk rock musical film based on the off-broadway musical. The film follows Hedwig and their band as they attempt to gain recognition for the songs stolen by their former, albeit too young, lover. When you think of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, you think punk, camp, queer and... Muppets? Although arguably a wild comparison, Hedwig and the Muppets do have a great deal in common. First off, Hedwig is set in the 70s/80s, a time when the Muppets were taking the world by storm. It's no wonder there are visual similarities between the two when they share that time period and most likely draw from the same inspirations of the time. I mean, Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, is also well known for his musical film with a queer, blonde, extravagant wig-wearing character. Starting to see possible connections?
But back to the Muppets. First off, there is the most obvious similarity, one that I'm sure we were all thinking of when we watched the film...Wait...you mean to tell me you weren't thinking of well know Muppet rock band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem? Beloved band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, first introduced in the 1975 Muppet pilot The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence? Really? Hmm, I guess I could go over the similarities for the rare few who do not know about adored Muppet band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Both bands are influenced by rock, although Electric Mayhem draws from jazz influence as well. Both bands also have blonde singers with signature looks; Hedwig with their drag look and Janice (lead/backup singer of Electric Mayhem) with her 70s hippie look. Janice is also often seen as a character that queers the binary much like Hedwig. Richard Hunt often played Janice, giving her character an inherently queer, “gender-bendy aspect.” (Pearlman)
The concept of identity is another connection between Hedwig and the Muppets. In the 2011 musical comedy film The Muppets, one of the most popular songs "Man or Muppet" is a power ballad contemplating identities. The two characters, one man and one Muppet, question their identities through the song. Ultimately the two become acceptant of who they are, declaring they are "a Muppet of a man" and " a very manly Muppet." This questioning and ultimate acceptance of identity is paralleled in Hedwig, where Hedwig must go through a hero's journey of self-acceptance, accepting whoever that self may be.
Identity can also be seen through the Muppet's arguably queerest character, Gonzo. Gonzo. Gonzo is repeatedly labeled as "whatever," a label he once dismissed but eventually began to reclaim. This ambiguous label is something that Hedwig also adheres to. Within the film, Hedwig goes through many different forms of self-expression, but never adheres to one specific label like “nonbinary” or “transgender.” Instead, like Gonzo, they’re “whatever.”
Gonzo's origins and identity were of great discussion in many Muppet films, culminating in Muppets from Space, where we learn his origins. Through the film, we learn that Gonzo is an alien; the film ends with his family coming down from space in glam-rock gear to take him away to his home. However, Gonzo decides to stay on Earth with the Muppets, staying with his found family (a trope that is often used in queer films). Gonzo’s acceptance of his weirdness/otherness is paralleled by Hedwig's acceptance seen at the end of the film. Also, Hedwig is described by the film's composer as a film that is for those that are “other,” similar to how Muppets from Space and many Muppet films are made for those who may feel outside the norm. The Muppets as creatures are inherently “other” and are often mislabeled within their films, with people viewing them as animals.
It could be argued that Hedwig and the Muppets share so many similarities because they both draw inspiration from the same person: David Bowie. In the film, Hedwig’s glam rock look is a style shared by and most famously represented by Bowie. (Hsu) The director and star of the film has even discussed how the entirety of Hedwig and the Angry Inch is inspired by Bowie, not just the main characters' glam rock style. Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, was also inspired by Bowie, admiring his “other-worldliness and energy.” This familiarity with Bowie even led Henson to reach out to Bowie inquiring about him playing a role in one of Henson's films (that musical film with a queer, blonde, extravagant wig-wearing character I had mentioned earlier).
Is this comparison out of left field? Yes. Is this blog post 80% Muppet content? Also yes. Am I considering continuing this line of scholarly thinking and doing an entire essay on the queerness of the Muppets just for fun? It’s entirely possible. But I think we can all agree the true point of this post is…I really like the Muppets.
Citations:
- Hsu, Wendy. “Reading and Queering Plato in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”, 2011
- Pearlman, Louie. “Pride Month: Richard Hunt and the Queer Muppets Hiding in Plain Sight.” ToughPigs, 20 June 2022, toughpigs.com/pride-richard-hunt/.
- “2/15/1985 – ‘Bowie’s Deal Is Set. Muppet Show on Tour Opens at Felt Forum – Madison Square Garden.’” Jim Hensons Red Book, www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2014/02/2151985/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
- Bromfield, Daniel. “John Cameron Mitchell and the Oregon Symphony Team for a Daring Take on David Bowie’s Final Album.” Willamette Week, 30 Jan. 2024, www.wweek.com/music/2024/01/30/john-cameron-mitchell-and-the-oregon-symphony-team-for-a-daring-take-on-david-bowies-final-album/.
I knew that as soon as you mentioned the muppets, your blog was going to be fantastic. I really enjoyed your comparison between Hedwig and Gonzo, and how both the muppets and Hedwig take inspiration from David Bowie.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really so important to look at media with other media from the same era, and I would have never put these together, but you are more than right! The sense of Identity and gender in both really come together to add a lot of meaning!
I am nothing if not delighted by your comparison of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the Muppets. And you’re so right! The parallels are there for those with eyes to see. I particularly appreciated your discussion on how both works pull a lot of inspiration from David Bowie – while I knew that Hedwig is largely based off Bowie’s general vibe/aesthetic, I had no idea that Henson was interested in the same things. Like Ellie, I agree that nothing exists in a vacuum, and it is always beneficial to observe things alongside contemporary works. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOne of the contemporary reviews of the film called it a David Bowie "Izzy Stardust" and a caberet show. Also, side note: Labyrinth was a staple film of my chidlhood. There was something so strange about Hedwig's world and the muppet-esque cinematography, but there's something so muppet-esque about gender, gender fluidity, genderqueerness, and lacking of gender. All of the muppets are inherently sex-less (as in, they're puppets), but they all perform gender to some extent (specifically Miss Piggy in her combination of hyperfmininity and masculine aggression) except for Gonzo and the shrimp thing (Pepe?) who both seem fluid or at least genderqueer. Maybe we're all just meat-puppets ourselves (muppet?) and the reproductive organs assigned to us at birth are less important than society thinks they are.
ReplyDeleteOn a hilariously relevant note, the internet has been begging for a "classic story" to be retold with the muppets again because the world's on fire. Most people are cheering for like Pride and Prejudice with a Human Adam Driver playing Mr. Darcy, but in light of your blog I'd love Hedwig and The Angry Inch but a muppets version. Consider this, though: which character would be human? Surely not Hedwig or Yitzak. Perhaps Tommy Gnosis could be played by one of those teen popstars from the Disney Channel. It'd be a real modern critique on gender.
Hello! I enjoyed reading your blog and found it incredibly interesting on your comparison of the Muppets and Hedwig. I remember the brief conversation we had in class over this topic, but you went more in depth and elaborated this concept even further than I believed the two movies/characters could be connected. You provided multiple similarities from the appearances to the music that most of us in the class recognized. The Gonzo reference is extremely well-done and the reconnecting of identity in this aspect was beyond what I expected. I truly enjoyed the 80% Muppet content you provided in your post. Great blog! -Lucia
ReplyDeleteBunch of folks have commented here already, but...despite our reads on the nature of Hansel/Hedwig's journey being really different, think your comparison to the muppets works great. Think it earns its stripes best in the Bowie connection & in the generalities of queeriness that the Muppets sort of embody. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to lie. I didn't feel super positively about the film. However, your blog post alone does make me enjoy the film a little more. I think, though, it mostly makes me appreciate The Muppets more than I did. I never thought much before about how much queerness was written into The Muppets. You're absolutely right though. There are a lot of similarities. And I think it's interesting how much they both deny the binaries of gender. Thanks for sharing this fun post.
ReplyDeleteI loved the analysis and connection to the Muppets. Both emulate a fun, campy tone, while handling trans issues. The "Man or a Muppet" link to the movie, and Hedwig's character as a whole would never have been one I made myself, so I am so glad that you did. Both Muppets and Hedwig drawing inspiration from Bowie creates a link that can't be unseen, since Bowie's influence on both is heavy. While Hedwig's story is obvious a bit deeper and more complex than that of the Muppets, their similar themes allow them to sit in the same ballpark.
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