Ethel Merman

As you may have heard, there’s no business like show business. Kermit and Fozzie lean into the business side with some intense contract negotiations, while the legendary Ethel Merman brings the show. It’s a surprisingly sweet episode for a guest star known for being so brassy, and the Muppets petty starstruck by the living legend in their presence. Are we starstruck by our guest, award-winning actor/singer/writer/comedian Larry Owens? Listen and find out!

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With Our Very Special Guest Star…Larry Owens!

Larry Owens is an actor singer writer and comedian who was most recently seen in the Pulitzer Prize Winning musical A Strange Loop for which he received a Drama League Nomination and the Obie, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards. The cast album is available on Broadway Records. His television credits include “High Maintenance” (HBO), “Betty” (HBO), “Dash and Lily” (Netflix) , “Helpsters” (Apple) and the upcoming seasons of “Modern Love” (Amazon), “Life and Beth” (Hulu) and season 5 of Search Party. And if you’re in New York, you should catch his cabaret show Sondheimia at Feinstein’s/54 Below on July 31.

Larry’s episode of Helpsters on AppleTV+.

Larry Owens: Sunday In The Park 6 Feet Away From George (NPR)

Bouncing Baby GIFs

We understand why there are dead Muppets but why right in the middle?

When you know the joke you just told is bad pt. 3

When you know the joke you just told is bad pt. 4

"A Slinky with bedroom eyes."

This raises a good question: Do they have paramedics on hand?

It's a nice through-line that all the guests love Fozzie even though he's bad at his job

Did David Lynch direct this episode?

We continue to stan.

Merman barely has to even move to put Piggy in her place.

It's not NOT creepy...

We would not be this calm

He deserved this.

And he deserved this.

We miss Broadway.

With Our Very Special Guest Star…Ethel Merman!

We cut our discussion of this poster from the episode because we got some facts wrong, but Merman and Durante fought over billing so writing their names this way was the solution. Graphic design for the…win?

At The Dance

Miscellaneous Muppeturgy

Jim’s Red Book: Ethel Merman

Irving Paul “Swifty” Lazar

“Swifty” Lazar’s Legacy

Max Baer Jr.

We wondered on the episode about how some of the Java puppetry was done and in this video (from Brian Henson’s touring puppet improv show) you can see it!