Look at the expression in his eyes!!! And his tufts of hair on the sides of his head! But mainly the flat humorless eyes.
Hey look what I found: Sam morphs through the years.
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I can’t remember which album it was (maybe you’ve heard or remember it?) where he just goes off on this “discourse on nudity” rant. Like, “did you know, there are people all over the world walking around completely naked under their clothes? Isn’t that disgusting!?!?!?” It was hilarious.
I totally remember that. Doesn’t he say: “And even animals are naked!”
it’s like: why are you so sternly obsessing on this, sam?? is this supposed to be a revelation?
Everyone else just accepts that we are all naked under our clothes and we move on. But he just can’t. He’s too serious.
Yeah, he went off about the animals. Birds too, if I recall right. Hahaha.
The thing about him that makes him a brilliant character is he’s such a great pisstake on the stereotypical humorless conservative American. I love how Henson decided to mock that type of person with a bald eagle. It’s the perfect symbol of that type of American who not only can’t laugh at themselves, but can’t laugh at anything. Look at him, with that brow in a permanent furrow of disaproval. Noone is as moral and correct and good inside as he is. He is in a constant state of judgement. Absolute genius.
(And I think it would be a riot if some American conservative showed up here and proved my point by saying “that’s not funny!”)
You put a smile on my face today. :)
Emily – I was thinking that – wouldn’t it be hilarious if some conservative showed up and made some humorless comment. Ha! Now they never will because they know we’re onto them!!
But yes – he is in “a constant state of judgment” and it is just hilarious!!!
He’s like the Muppet Show’s very own branch of the FCC
RTG -hahahaha I know – isn’t he just hysterical??
BTW, do you know “Animal” was modeled after Keith Moon?
I had heard that. Its brilliant.
You know, I can even see a resemblance.
Yay for the Eagle! Thanks for the laugh, Red… after that final I needed it. Guffaw.
It’s so funny because you can take one look at him and you just KNOW he is indignant about something.
i love in that muppet family xmas (that i have on tape from like 1989 that was on t.v. once–which is shocking, b/c it’s so good and funny!) , the gang from sesame street put on ’twas the night before xmas’ (poor bert is mama) and the camera just cuts to sam who goes, “is nothing sacred?” sooo funny.
If I remember correctly, the “everyone is naked under their clothes bit” degenerates until Sam realizes that HE is, in fact, naked and he is horrified by the revelation and covers himself with his wings/hands as he shuffles off-stage.
Does anyone else remember that? I’m pretty sure that’s how it ended.
I always loved Sam. As a child I really liked him because even though he was so uptight, it didn’t bother anyone else really – he just made himself miserable. I thought he was so funny but I also felt sorry for him. I love things that remind me of the way I saw something when I was a child.
Marisa – that is so true. He was merely a torment to himself. He CHOSE to hang out with the wacky band of vaudevillians (and not a bunch of other disapproving bald eagles who might be as stern and judgmental as he is) … and so he is constantly horrified at what goes on around him.
I do remember him shuffling off stage, totally embarrassed because he realized he, too, was naked.
HA!!!
siobhan – “is nothing sacred” hahahahahahahaha He’s such a curmudgeon!
And you’re right – I love that special. I don’t remember seeing it originally but it was so fun watching it with you last Christmas.
That’s the one where everybody trips over the door stoop, right?
hahaha Such a good bit.
Yeah, there was ice in the doorway.
And the Christmas turkey tries to get the Swedish Chef to cook Big Bird, but BB is so nice to him (being so far from home at Christmas and all) that he cries and makes friends with him.
I think the thing about Sam is that if he just hung out with his peers, he wouldn’t be able to feel like he was better than everyone else all the time. He’d actually just have to live and compete instead of being smug and judgemental.
I put The Muppet Movie and Muppet Show (one season, I’m no greedhead) DVDs on my Christmas list.
Hahaha! Great post. My favorite Sam sighting is him walking into the scene, saying “It is times like this… that I am PROUD to be an American.” And then walking right back out. I think it must have been from Muppet Movie, though I can’t remember on the spot. Everyone just STARES at him as he strolls on, has his line, and strolls back out – 115% dignified. And then they go on like it never happened.
hahahahahaha
Yeah – it’s those random one-liners he does – the ones thrown into a larger scene – that are so so so funny to me.
He’s never in sync with the rest of them. And he’s just so DOUR. it’s hysterical.