Humans and Fraggles...

You know the more I think about it the more I think that Uncle Matt must have not been the first fraggle ever to be in outer space since all the people he meet seem to think of him as perfectly normal...Of course, they do live in the same universe as the main muppets where some of the frogs look like Kermit, so I guess fraggles would not be that much of a shock even if they were brand new...

Well, actually I could see a blend of different rationales. Doc wasn't able to see Gobo, and lots of people do seem to ignore Matt. However, Matt is able to order food, "steal" from grocers ... Also, people seem to come to his aid when he falls and such. Children also seem to accept his presence moreso than the adults. By the looks of that one episode where Matt mentions Halloween costumes, the Muppets are indeed popular enough to warrant Kermit/Piggy costumes. So, I would guess that some people are okay with Matt if they accept Muppet neighbors and such, while some people are "blind" to the non-humans around them. Even in the Muppet movies (the classic ones, anyway), Muppets are kind of ignored. Why that is, I can't guess. I usually interpret it in a Roger-Rabbit-kinda way, where Muppets, like Toons, represent any random ignored minority (it would also explain Kermit's constant Theater problems). In fact, (and this is just in general) humans only really seem to interact with Muppets if there are already some around (for example, Pete's already had talking rats before the Muppets showed up).

...

Now I'm confused ... I think I was getting to a point but my brain forgot what it was.

I always found it amusing that humans were perfectly accepting of Uncle Matt, walking past him and giving him things without a second thought. Even when he was doing something strange like making his food race against each other, or talking to the parking coin machines, they didn't even stare XD I assume it's all part of the humor, I mean, the muppets weren't stared at when they were walking down the streets of New York that I remember. They're just "part" of that universe I guess.

That's what I was thinking, not only are they use to the muppets being around they are use to muppet craziest, so Uncle Matt doing weird things might be like "Oh, Kermit is making another movie..."
Also, FR is suppose to take place over many years, so maybe word got around the world about 'if you see this muppet be nice to him'. I wonder if that dear humans of the world sort of postcard got out everywhere to

*bump* Because this topic is interesting to talk about with more members

I would love to get postcards from Matt. He never ceases to provide an enlightening perspective on things.

This is indeed an interesting conversation. I think that The Muppets have been absorbed so much into Pop culture that people have to treat Uncle Traveling Matt like one of their own, or risk embarrassing themselves in front of a piece of entertainment history, or on TV.

I just wonder in the FR version of the human world if Uncle Matt did become a little of a star? Or is just one of those things where they are so use to Kermit and his friends and Big Bird (who all live in the same world) that they think 'oh just another muppet, golly he's cute/odd/okay looking'

I can imagine his popularity got a boost when he attended Manhattan Melodies.

Didnt Doc get a letter from Kermit in one episode? If so, maybe it's just one universe that all muppets exist in alongside humans (talking hypothetically that is).

Yes, I remember that. Sprocket is also friends with Rowlf (as mentioned, I believe, in Red's Club).

Here's some insight I had about Traveling Matt a while back. It might help with the topic.

Convincing John

I think maybe the best explanation exists within Muppet Family Christmas, where Doc comes to stay in a farm house, finds it owned by Mrs Bear and isn't to worried by it, but is somewhat surprised to see all the Muppets arriving, "Could these be those Fraggles you're always talking about Sproket?"

However, he just accepts them.

I think, certainly here in the UK, there's a certain Britishness which means you don't comment, or even look, at something weird going on. I've always wanted to do something of an experiment by getting some aliens on the street just to see if anyone even looks at them.

Bea{Not that I believe in aliens...of course...*ahem*}regard

I remember reading somewhere that someone dressed as a Neanderthal just to see if one would blend in with modern humans (he supposedly ended up looking like the Geico Cavemen). No one batted an eye.

edit: Also, Doc asks if these are "like" the Fraggles Sprocket keeps talking about (and shouldn't he have met Gobo by then?).

Ahh...Hmmm...I always figured it took place somewhere in the middle of the series, before Doc had met Gobo.

End of FR: March of 1987
MFC: December of 1987
Even if we don't take the dates into consideration, at least Doc has heard of Fraggles, which has to be in "somewhere in the middle" at least, if not towards the end of S3 or 4. My fanfic-verse used the dates, explaining that Ned had died in Arizona and that was why Doc just wanted to be alone on Christmas.

All very stimulating. I tend to think of fraggles as more of a spiritual creature, like the muppets, that humans coexist with because our minds are full of similar denizens.

I consider all of them to be "real", but they are also, like you said, "spiritual" creatures ... just as we all are (Marjory's point). And my mind is definitely filled to the brim (or overflowing point ) with lots of denizens.

(shh. don't talk about us.)

Shut up!

If it did happen in the middle, then I would find it strange that Doc would be hugging Matt and singing Christmas carols and then be shocked when he saw Gobo. It had to happen afterward, right?

Well, if Doc had only been TOLD about the Fraggles by Sprocket (how, I don't know, since that dog can't talk to make out the word Fraggle), it would mean he'd never actually seen them. If he had, wouldn't he say something like, "Are these anything like the Fraggles back home?". And I'm not sure, I think the Fraggles only appear behind him for that one song, but he never turns around.

Maybe they didn't want the two things to mix like that, though. I don't know, I'm all confused.