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Much to her ongoing mortification, I’m sure nobody will ever be allowed to forget Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show in which Justin Timberlake accidentally exposed her breast adorned in a nipple shield for about half a second. In a similar vein, Miss Piggy experiences her own wardrobe malfunction while walking the red carpet, wearing the new svelte design “Uncle” by Deadly (Uncle Deadly, that is). In tonight’s episode of The Muppets titled “A Tail of Two Piggies,” her curly tail pops out of the plunging backline of her slinky dress. Oh, the horror! Oh, the humanity!
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The faux pas becomes instant front-page news and Miss Piggy is humiliated, as the press shames and belittles her for being a pig, constantly badgering her for commentary on the subject. Miss Piggy is seen anguished and in disguise, while Sam the Eagle complains to Kermit, telling him the network is receiving numerous complaints from “concerned” viewers and advertisers alike – including the “uncomfortable” protesters seen walking with signs outside the studio. He advises that the always-joking Kermit isn’t taking the issue seriously enough. Although her supporters argue that what the world saw was perfectly natural, Miss Piggy is given an official apology written by the network that she must agree to read on air (and if she can also muster tears, that’d be great). [Insert eye rolling here.]
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Miss Piggy seems uncharacteristically acquiescent until she meets the daughter of a studio employee who tells her that she looks up to her for being an influential pig and lady. This inspires Miss Piggy to #unveilthetail live on the air. Take that, network censors! But if Miss Piggy exposes her tail, it could mean valuable network sponsors backing out, leading to budgetary cutbacks for “Up Late with Miss Piggy” and the firing of some of her furry coworkers. How will The Muppets avoid being fired while also avoiding compromising Miss Piggy’s important message of not being ashamed to be yourself? You’ll have to tune in for that answer!
The episode manages to make me feel sorry for Miss Piggy, which is not always an easy feat to accomplish with such a headstrong personality (yet it paves the way beautifully for making the public more sympathetic to the primary two characters). Imagine being asked by society to downplay the fact that you’re a pig. Mother Nature or the higher forces above (whatever you believe) made you a pig. Why should you be ashamed of being a pig? Wouldn’t you start to feel a little indignant about hiding the fact that you possess a curly pig’s tail just because it might offend someone who’s not a pig? There are so many conflicting messages it could make a pig’s head and tail spin. And yet, isn’t that what women are asked of every day by society?
If you’re a breastfeeding mother, you’re practically shamed into hiding that fact. You absolutely must keep your breasts covered up at all times, but it’s perfectly “natural” for a man to walk around topless with his breasts and nipples exposed. You’re also expected to remain forever youthful and sexy without dressing too much like a prude (“Don’t be afraid to flaunt it if you’ve got it!”) or too much like a slut (“Whoa, that was too much cleavage!”). And hey, you also shouldn’t expect equal pay in the workplace. The Muppets continues to remain as tongue-in-cheek with its social commentary as ever.
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Watch for the legendary chick-rocker-with-plenty-of-attitude-herself Joan Jett performing a rousing rendition of “Bad Reputation” with The Muppets. It was absolutely perfect, and such a thrill to see Jett still rocking it out as hard – and better – than many of her male musical counterparts. Also watch for guest star Ian Ziering in the subplot involving Gonzo, Pepe the King Prawn and Rizzo the Rat buying his house with a tree inside it. One of the most memorable lines of the episode: “It’s the house that 90210 built and Sharknado! did not redecorate.” I’ll still be chuckling over that one long into next week.
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