A Muppet Family Christmas is a variety show at its purest. Jim Henson strives to portray a parallel world where all its occupants can exist and work together harmoniously. He creates a world where a conservative archetype character like Sam Eagle could coexist with a mischievous filthy long-haired Dr. Teeth. In the parallel universe, Kermit the Frog is in a friendship which could lead to a relationship with a pig. The show seems to be on a mission to destroy class stratification in our societies. It strives to prove that it is possible for all members of a community to live together.
Christmas is about spending time with your loved ones and meeting new friends. A Muppet Family Christmas proves this in the most creative yet informative way. At the beginning of the play, Fozzie Bear drives the Muppets to his mother’s farmhouse to spend Christmas. He does not call to inform his mother but instead decides to make it a surprise visit. The mother, however, had packed and was ready to go to Malibu where she had planned to spend her holiday. She had rented the house out to Doc and Sprocket, who had hoped to spend a quiet Christmas holiday at the farmhouse.
All these plans were ruined by the arrival of Fozzie and his Muppet friends. Upon the arrival of Fozzie and his friends, his mum, Doc, and Sprocket felt that their Christmas plans had been ruined. However, since Christmas is a season of love, they soon get rid of their disappointment and bond with their unexpected visitors. A good example is the new friendship between Doc and Kermit that results in Doc offering to go out into the chilling snow to look for Kermit’s friend, Miss Piggy.
Even with its attempt to promote social unity, the film does not fail to recognize that it is not possible to have an ideal situation. Amidst all the happiness in the farmhouse, there is still some malice. Gonzo, as a good member of the society, warns the turkey that its life could be at risk as the cook in the kitchen was planning to prepare a turkey for Christmas. Upon this realization, the turkey plots a scheme to have Big Bird slaughtered by the chef for Christmas. This is an accurate representation of our modern societies where people are willing to sacrifice their counterparts for their selfish reasons. In the spirit of Christmas, the turkey could have tried to convince the chef to prepare a different meal that would not involve slaughtering one of them.
The turkey seems to be the villain of the film as in yet another scene; it tries to take away little chicken, which was Gonzo’s girlfriend. This deed is betrayal in its highest form as it was Gonzo who had informed the turkey of the chef’s plan to slaughter it for dinner. This is a representation of the foxy members of society who are cunning regardless of the situation.
The late arrival of Miss Piggy serves as an emphasis on the importance of spending Christmas with your family. Even in the face of a snowing stormy night, Miss Piggy is determined to make it “home” for Christmas. Even with her appetite for a celebrity-like lifestyle, she is willing to push the limousine she was riding out of the mud. When she finally arrives at the farmhouse, she is engulfed in emotion at the realization that she would spend Christmas with her friends.
A Muppet Family Christmas show is successful at capturing the attention of its viewers for the entire forty-seven minutes as it is an accurate representation of what Christmas should be. Even with Fozzie being the only character that spends Christmas with his blood family, the title does not lose its meaning that Christmas is about spending time with those you love, who could be friends or blood.
