Deep Dive Disney: Wes's Top 10 Favorite Muppets

This article is dedicated to all of the Muppet Performers Past and Present, but specifically to the legendary genius who was Jim Henson. Thank you for giving us all hope that someday we'll find that Rainbow Connection.

I think I’ve made it very clear at this point that we love the Muppets here on this blog. And why not? The Muppets have introduced some of the most beloved characters of all time into popular culture and those characters have been consistently making us all laugh since the 50’s. As for me, I can’t remember a time in my life where I haven’t been aware of the Muppets in one form or another. But lately I’ve been thinking, out of all these timeless characters brought to life by the Jim Henson company, which are the best? Which have left the biggest impact, both on pop culture as a whole and on yours truly. Well, since we love Top 10 lists here on Deep Dive Disney, I’ve decided that today, we’re going to answer that question once and for all. Welcome to Wes’s Top 10 Favorite Muppets. Before we begin, a couple rules to get out of the way. First, this list is for Muppets only. I know Muppet has become something of a catch all term for puppets associated with the Jim Henson Company, but in this article, we’re specifically discussing characters associated with The Muppet Show or other projects under the Muppet brand. That means no Sesame Street characters, no Fraggles, no Gelflings, Goblins, Skeksis or Yodas. On this list, it’s Muppets or nothing. However, if you’d like to know my favorite Sesame Street Character… it’s Cookie Monster. Another rule, certain Muppets who are closely associated with one another will count as one. Some Muppets can be funny on their own, but they work best as part of a team and counting them separately would be doing them a disservice. And finally, keep in mind, this is my opinion. Your list probably will look quite different and honestly, I hope it does because we're all different and like different things, and Jim Henson taught us that there's nothing wrong with that. Anyway, with all that out of the way, let’s count down Wes’s Top 10 Favorite Muppets.

10. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker

Performed By

Bunsen: Dave Goelz (1976 - Present)

Beaker: Richard Hunt (1977 - 1991), Steve Whitmire (1992 - 2016), Dave Rudman (2017 - Present)

Welcome everyone to Muppet Labs where the Future is being made today. There is no way I could ever have separated these two. They are a package deal and the Muppet Labs segments are some of the funniest in any episode of the Muppet show. The sketches are simple. Bunsen invents some crazy new device, Beaker tests the device and the result is usually Beaker in horrible pain. Beaker also has a hilarious design. His long neck that he can retract into his body like a turtle, a wide mouth and the ability to only communicate with “Meep Meep,” makes him pretty funny on his own. When such a comical character is always in pain courtesy of his ignorant lab partner, it makes it even funnier. However, there’s never any malice in Bunsen always putting Beaker in harm’s way. In fact, over the years there have been many instances that point to Bunsen and Beaker being not just lab partners, but lovers. While there has yet to be any official confirmation, there have been many moments that heavily imply their relationship, ranging from comedic to surprisingly sweet. These two love one another, even if one is always in pain. Also, fun fact, Beaker is apparently related to Three Time WWE Champion, Sheamus.

9. Uncle Deadly

Performed By

Jerry Nelson (1976 - 1979), Matt Vogel (2011 - Present)

Uncle Deadly is a Muppet that a lot of people probably don’t know about. He was primarily a background player on the early seasons of The Muppet show for most of his Muppet Tenure before being seemingly retired for over thirty years. It wasn’t until the 2011 Muppets Movie that this weird blue dragon thing made a surprising comeback as one of the henchmen of the villainous Tex Richman. In that film, the character got plenty of laughs. However, the character really didn’t come into his own until the 2015 Muppets sitcom on ABC, a show that desperately needed a second season and a serious reevaluation. There, Deadly was reimagined as Piggy’s personal assistant and stylist and he was hilarious. Always ready to sass back at his fellow Muppets with a witty one-liner, but at the end of the day, proving he still was a Muppet at heart. One of my favorite episodes to give Deadly the spotlight saw him going out of his way to keep Piggy from certain hard truths, namely, the fact that she doesn’t really have a lot of friends. In the end, Piggy recognizes that Deadly has been her one true friend all along and to make him feel appreciated, she talks all of the Muppets into attending his one man show. Great stuff.

8. Miss Piggy

Performed By

Frank Oz (1976 - 2001), Eric Jacobson (2002 - Present)

I seriously hope that the real Miss Piggy never reads this, otherwise there may be a painful karate chop to the stomach in my future for ranking her this low. That having been said, how could I ever have left Miss Piggy off this list. She is truly the ultimate diva. Completely self-absorbed, borderline insane, hopelessly in love with our favorite amphibious emcee and all the while, utterly hilarious. Piggy is absolutely fabulous in every sense of the word, covering up the fact that she’s an animal typically known for rolling around in its own filth by wearing expensive designer clothes and speaking French. However, underneath it all, she’s a madwoman with serious anger issues and anyone who pisses her off gets a bit of the old HIYA! Still, there is plenty to love about Miss Piggy. Who doesn’t dream of living the glamorous highlife that Miss Piggy does. And if a mere pig can make it big, maybe there’s hope for all of us.

7. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem

Performed By

Dr. Teeth: Jim Henson (1975 – 1990), Bill Baretta (2005 – Present)

Floyd Pepper: Jerry Nelson (1975 – 2003), Matt Vogel (2008 – Present)

Zoot: Dave Goelz (1975 – Present)

Janice: Richard Hunt (1975 – 1991), David Rudman (2008 – Present)

One of the quintessential aspects of the Muppets is music, so it’s only fitting that the resident rock stars of the Muppet gang would merit a spot on the list. These guys are awesome. They are just the chilliest guys you ever did meet. The Electric Mayhem was put on this earth for one reason and one reason alone, to rock out! And rock out they have for almost five decades. On keyboard is the band’s leader, Dr. Teeth, one of Jim Henson’s most outrageous characters. On bass guitar and on lead vocals is Floyd Pepper and his legendary mustache. Fun fact, Floyd was almost one of the original hosts of The Muppet Show before the job went to you know who. On lead guitar is Janice, who also can be seen telling dad jokes with Rowlf and Piggy in the awesome Veterinarians Hospital sketches. And last but not least, on saxophone is my man, the cool as hell Zoot, who has often been the subject of many a stoner joke. Zoot actually has a special place in my heart as my late uncle had a graphic of Zoot on his motorcycle. As for the drums well… join me in our next entry.

6. Animal

Performed By

Frank Oz (1975 - 2000), Eric Jacobson (2002 - Present)

If any one member of The Electric Mayhem deserves his own entry, it is, of course, their borderline feral drummer, the wild man himself, Animal. Animal may be a rabid beast with limited communication skills, but he is a demon on those drums, putting anyone who challenges his skills, from Harry Belafonte to Dave Grohl, to shame. You may try to contain the wild man’s manic energy, but it cannot be done. Still, despite what you may think, Animal has a sensitive side. He has an appreciation for the art of Renoir, he loves cookies, he is a passionate lover and he even once attempted anger management at the behest of his good friend, Jack Black. However, when it comes time to rock, Animal rocks harder than the best of them. On top of all that, he’s absolutely hilarious. Any given moment animal is ready to pop out and cause chaos, making life difficult for both his fellow Muppets and the guest stars. In that regard, Animal may very well be the most Muppety Muppet there is. I think the main reason animal fits right in with the Electric Mayhem is because they’re the only ones chill enough to be able to deal with his particular brand of chaos. At the end of the day, how can you not love Animal.

5. Fozzie Bear

Performed By

Frank Oz (1976 - 2000), Eric Jacobson (2002 - Present)

Wocka Wocka! You gotta love Fozzie. There’s just something wonderfully sincere about the Muppet’s resident comedian. Night after night he puts himself out there despite an overwhelming lack of stage presence, no sense of comedic timing and a very thin skin when it comes to a certain pair of hecklers (We’ll get to them, don’t worry). All he wants out of life is to be a great comedian, but he tries too hard and ends up dying on stage. Ordinarily this would deter any performer, but not Fozzie. He just keeps trying and trying. And that’s what’s truly inspiring about this lovable bear, he never gives up. No matter what insults are hurled his way, Fozzie keeps going, because he loves what he does. The real irony of Fozzie though, is when he’s not trying to be so funny, he’s actually hilarious. Seriously, some of the best one liners in Muppet History come from Fozzie, including an extremely funny joke about dating apps from the first episode of the 2015 Muppets sitcom. There’s a lesson there. Sometimes we find what we really want when we stop trying so hard to find it. I’ll end with one more little anecdote. In 1996, I almost gave up on Muppets Tonight completely because Fozzie wasn’t in an episode. Fozzy is just that integral to the Muppets that any Muppet production just feels empty without him.

4. Sam Eagle

Performed By

Frank Oz (1975 - 2000), Eric Jacobson (2005 - Present)

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Sam Eagle might very well be the funniest Muppet in the bunch, or at the very least the one who’s made me laugh the most consistently. As an American Eagle, Sam takes his role as a national symbol and the responsibilities he feels come with that distinction very seriously. The most curmudgeonly of curmudgeons, Sam feels it is his duty to reign in the chaos of the Muppet Show by making sure the show remains decent, cultured and educational, basically, everything the Muppet show is not. Seeing the other Muppets taking the piss out of this feathery blue busy body always gets a big laugh. He almost comes across as a parody of reactionary conservatives. Sam also gets a ton of laughs in the Muppet movies. Whether he’s forgetting that the story takes place in England in Muppet Christmas Carol, pretending to be a ghost in Muppet Treasure Island, trying to solve a crime with Ty Burrell in Muppets Most Wanted and let us not forget his immortal, meme worthy line from The Great Muppet Caper, “You Are All Weirdos.” Sam is a funny guy, even if he himself probably wouldn’t agree.

3. Statler & Waldorf

Performed By

Statler: Richard Hunt (1976 - 1991), Jerry Nelson (1992 - 2003), Steve Whitmire (2004 - 2016), Peter Linz (2017 - Present)

Waldorf: Jim Henson (1975 - 1990), Dave Goelz (1992 - Present)

It’s true what they say, everyone’s a critic, and in this day and age of social media where everyone is free to share their opinions, that statement has never been more accurate. Speaking as someone whose job it was for a number of years to monitor social media and watch for trends in a certain fandom, what I saw during that time reminded me a lot of our friends Statler and Waldorf. People watching the show with seemingly the sole intention of complaining, and yet coming back week after week to do it again. However, while these guys were usually just sad and pathetic, Statler and Waldorf managed to do the impossible and make this kind of thing hilarious. Call them hecklers, call them trolls, call them whatever you like, they don’t care, they’re going to insult you and they’re going to have the time of their lives doing it. In a way, Statler and Waldorf appeal to the cynical sides of all of us. Perhaps it is for this reason that many, myself included, consider the one liners of Statler and Waldorf to be the best part of the classic Muppet show. They act like they hate the Muppets, especially Fozzie, but you get the sense that heckling them is the only thing that brings them real joy. Still, there’s more to Statler and Waldorf than one may think. There’s one specific episode of the Muppet show I’d like to point out. For most of the show, Statler and Waldorf are missing from their usual spot in the balcony. While you’d think the Muppets would be happy to be rid of them, it turns out that even though they may heckle them frequently, Kermit and the gang think of the two elderly gents as part of the family. There’s something weirdly sweet about that. In any case, Statler and Waldorf have more than earned their spot on this list.

2. Kermit The Frog

Performed By

Jim Henson (1955 - 1990), Steve Whitmire (1990 - 2016), Matt Vogel (2017 - Present)

Well, what are you even expecting me to say, it’s Kermit the freaking Frog! Did you really think I was going to leave the one and only Kermit the Frog off this list? Come on, you know me better than that. Honestly, I really am not sure what I can say that can do justice to this timeless character. I remember years ago, a magazine named the Top 100 most iconic celebrities, and Kermit the Frog, a fictional character, was named as part of the list. However, I think Kermit landed that spot because more than any other Muppet he created, Kermit the Frog is an extension of Jim Henson. Much like Jim, Kermit often found himself reigning in the chaos of the Muppet show in his effort to bring the world joy and laughter. However, through it all, Kermit does his best to keep his composure and sense of optimism, because even though they drive him crazy, The Muppets are his family, and he’d do anything for them. One of the most powerful moments in any Muppets production is a song called Pictures in my Head. At this point, Kermit hasn’t seen the old gang for a very long time, and he talks about all the ways they annoyed him, but in a way that makes it clear that he misses them regardless. It really is hard not to love Kermit the Frog. I’ve known people who have condemned Mickey Mouse as a soulless corporate mascot who still love Kermit the Frog un-ironically. Having been around since the 50's with Sam and Friends, and then enduring through Sesame Street, the Muppet Show and finally the modern era, Kermit has always been there, making us laugh and making us cry. Seriously, every time I hear Kermit sing Rainbow Connection, I break down in tears, that's the power of a great timeless character like this. There’s a lesser known Muppet Christmas special out there in which Kermit wishes he was never born, which naturally leads to a parody of It’s a Wonderful Life. In this world, Kermit sees that all the people he cares about are lost without someone to keep them together. The lesson of course being that one person can make a huge difference in a lot of lives, something I think applies in equal measure to both Kermit and Jim Henson. Both have certainly made a difference in my life. So, the big question on your minds has to be, why isn’t Kermit number one? Well, we’ll answer that in just a bit, but first, here’s a few honorable mentions.

Swedish Chef - Chef cracks me up, but just not enough to make the list.

Johnny Fiama & Sal - Something about pairing a suave Rat Pack type with a monkey creates comedy gold.

Robin the Frog - Robin is adorable, and if you disagree, you're wrong

Lew Zealand - He throws the Fish away, and they come back to him. What more do you need to know?

Sweetums - I feel for Sweetums. He's a big cuddly teddy bear trapped in the body of a terrifying ogre. I wonder if he in any way inspired Shrek

Rowlf the Dog - Classic Jim Henson character, chill piano playing pooch, doctor with a Penchant for bad puns, Rowlf has it all.

Wilkins & Wontkins - Apparently, back in the 50's, Jim used these characters in a series of coffee commercials that make Itchy and Scratchy look like Care Bears by comparison. Watch them and find out.

Walter - He's just a lovable Muppet fanboy, something I think a lot of us can relate to.

And now, on to number one, and by process of elimination, you probably already know who it is.

1. The Great Gonzo

Performed By

Dave Goelz (1976 - Present)

Once upon a time, a man named Dave Goelz was working as a puppet builder for the Jim Henson company. He had no prior experience as either an actor or a Puppeteer. Jim Henson saw something in this young man and let him play a few background characters, including Zoot of The Electric Mayhem. In 1976, Dave Goelz was promoted to Principal Muppet Performer with the creation of a new character called Gonzo. Despite a few understandable nerves, Dave accepted the challenge, slipped an old puppet from a Christmas special from years earlier onto his hand, christened the character Gonzo, and the rest is Muppet history. And forty-five years later, Dave is the last active Muppet performer who was part of Jim’s original Muppet show stable. There’s something wonderful about all that, but let’s talk about Gonzo himself. Starting out as a shy sad sack, Gonzo quickly evolved into an unapologetically eccentric dare devil stunt performer, always trying to find his next great daring feat. I think the thing about Gonzo that I love the most is that he doesn’t just let his freak flag fly, he uses it as a parachute as he dives off the top of the Empire State building into a vat of hot pudding while playing Ode to Joy on the violin with his feet. When it comes to our favorite long nosed, blue fuzzy whatever, there is no normal, there is only The Great Gonzo. Gonzo is not going to conform to society’s standards, he’s going to do whatever makes him happy. A nice microcosm of this was actually in an episode of the Muppet Babies reboot in which Gonzo revealed that he felt more comfortable wearing a dress, and didn’t want to be uncomfortable just to fit in. Naturally, this moment was seen as inspiring to many LGBTQ+ youths, and pissed off the Fox News crowd (who conveniently overlooked the fact that Gonzo has been dating a chicken for the past forty years) so I think we can call that one a win. One thing I appreciate is how Gonzo is always referred to as a “Whatever,” which I’ve always taken to mean that what Gonzo is matters far less than Who he is, and who Gonzo is, is one-of-a-kind. However, behind all the bravado, strangeness and crazy stunts there’s something all too human about Gonzo. In productions like the underrated Muppets from Space and the recent Muppets Haunted Mansion (which I covered for my Patreon), we learn that being one-of-a-kind can be very lonely, and while Gonzo is always surrounded by friends, he feels that he has to keep doing these crazy stunts in order to be accepted by his peers, always feeling that, as he is, he doesn’t belong. As someone who’s suffered from autism and ADHD all his life, I can relate to this. And I think ultimately, this is why Gonzo is number one. Because he’s the Muppet in whom I see myself the most.

And so, this article has come to a close. I had a lot of fun writing it and reliving the memories these Muppets have given me. If you want more Muppet content, sign up for my Patreon by clicking the link at the top of the page. Next time, I’ve decided to move some things around in the schedule to look at a Disney classic I’ve been wanting to take a look at since Deep Dive Disney started. So join me next time as we dive into Bedknobs and Broomsticks.