Very Merry Muppet DVD Observations

[CousinLuke]

Anyway, my point is that the critics are masking blatant sexism and ignorance in Biblical text. I'm not saying I agree with the writings, but if these people are going to preach it they ought to know it. It's a shame that so many people use God as an excuse for prejudice.

I'm not sure this is a topic we want to get into. All this will cause is bitterness on both sides and some unfriendly argument. I am a christian and I was not offended, even though God is always referenced as a man. In the end, I realize this film was not religious in nature so I don't think a biblicly accurate God would have fit and would have the possibility to be truly offensive to Christians. In the end, God can take whatever form HE wants to.

PS: According to the Bible, which you claim to know so much about, Man was created out of Gods immage, Eve was made from Adam's rib.

 

[dbarrie]

Yesterday I bought the Muppet Christmas DVD, and judging from the limited time I spent looking at it yesterday it seems OK to me. I did look at the so-called butchered cutaway to the credits at the end, and while this is unfortunate it's not nearly as bad as the cuts made to the Family Christmas video. I haven't watched the movie yet though; I'm going to wait until the end of November to see it.

The extras I've seen so far are cool. The making-of special is a parody of Inside the Actors Studio with Pepe playing the James Lipton role, and it's hilarious! There are Easter eggs on the disc. My favourite one is of Kermit getting his star on the Walk of Fame (it's in the Muppet Profiles page). If any of you get to watch it this week, can you please let me know who the guy in the green jacket is? I know it's not Brian Henson or Steve Whitmire. Whoever that person is, he sure builds himself up as the world's biggest Kermit fan. JH would've loved Kermit's speech and star.

I also like the menus on the DVD. It's neat to see that more DVDs have menus that are just as entertaining to view as the feature.

The only other downside is that it's rated PG here too. Canada has its own video rating system.

It's going to be quite the Muppety Christmas this year.

I just got the DVD and the first thing I noticed was the muppets were rated PG ! for mild thematic elements Being one who hates Sams new voice, I have too say it is okay in the deleted Moulin Scrooge scene . You get more Buff Beaker I have not seen all of the features but what I have seen are hillarious. Anyone else have something to say?

 

[CousinLuke]

The only other downside is that it's rated PG here too. Canada has its own video rating system.

On the DVD in America, it says it is G in Canada.

 

[beaker]

For some reason Best Buy didnt get it, so I will have to pay a little higher somewhere else. They had it at Blockbuster...is this the first Muppet film to get a PG? lol

 

[frogboy4]

In the end, God can take whatever form HE wants to.

God was never referred to as a man. That was typically Jesus' role in the Bible. I already mentioned that the entity is referred to as He in the text, but the intention was not to assign a sexual role to God. "He" *has no need to reproduce.* That means there is no gender assignment. There is no gender-neutral term aside from the impersonal "It" so "He" was used. The term Father could be just as easily been Mother, but Jewish culture (as well as all of society) at the time was male dominated so the masculine term made more sense. It's a simple and one of the most basic conclusions you should reach from the text. Assigning a specific gender to God is simply ignorance and sexism from a male dominated culture. In the end, it doesn't matter who represents "the Boss." Male, female or light in the sky. Man is not permitted to see the face of God.

Of course, there are other religions out there that do not follow Judeo Christian teachings and their idea of God is quite different. My personal beliefs are quite another issue entirely so these remarkes are made without bias. Just speaking for the text, and not supporting any religion. Thus ends any theological comments from me. I am just bewildered about how many reported Christians make this misunderstanding.

 

[dbarrie]

I must've bought an American copy of the DVD because it's got the PG rating. It's strange because I bought it in a Toronto video store! I bought it the same time as the Special Edition of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (it's got the Canadian PG rating btw).

N.B. The fan wearing the green jacket is David Arquette, sans Courtney Cox. I was slow in catching on.

On the DVD in America, it says it is G in Canada.

 

[WiGgY]

PS: According to the Bible, which you claim to know so much about, Man was created out of Gods immage, Eve was made from Adam's rib.

Do you REALLY take this literally?

 

[dwmckim]

There's three Easter Eggs. Two extra deleted scenes and Kermit's induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first deleted scene (which i think is a "faux" scene actually done for the dvd) can be accessed from the main menu by highlighting the mistletoe in the VMX logo. Do the same mistletoe highlighting in the first screen of the special features menu for the next one. To access the Walk of Fame, highlight the button in the picture of Kermit and Miss Piggy in their Moulin Scrooge outfits (i think this is the deleted scenes menu if i remember)...or if you're able to directly access titles, the easter eggs are titles 24, 25, and 26.

Don't know what everyone's talking about when they refer to the "cut ending". The ending on the dvd is the same as the VHS from last year...the credits go to just black and white titles after awhile into the song (as the music continues). Not aware of anywhere else this was different...the network airing would have been "cut" in that they do what's pretty commonplace where they mush all the credits to the side of the screen while airing a commerical for some other NBC show or news info.

 

[CousinLuke]

Do you REALLY take this literally?

Yes I do.

Of course, there are other religions out there that do not follow Judeo Christian teachings and their idea of God is quite different.

You were not dicussing other religions in your post. The only religion that I have heard about this being offensive to is Christianity. Also, The new testament does give "God the father" male characteristics. Some claim that the Holy Spirit has female characteristics though. However, most likely this discussion will not change either of our oppinions so I say that we not discuss this subject anymore.

 

[Super Scooter]

Jesus was God's son, Jesus refered to God as "Father". It cannot be concluded that God is a man, because mankind is stupid anyway, but God would resemble a man. I have no problem if he were female, but there is a scripture that refers to God's "woman".

I'd explain further, but I know I'm just going to get hit with remarks against me and against what the bible actually states, so I'm going to stop.

Me, I don't have a problem with "God" being represented by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie. It is, after all, only a movie. I really dout if Whoopi Goldberg is God in real life.