Greg Whittle – What is it about a frog, a pig and a bear that is so captivating to us as a species?

Before Saturday night I believed myself to have been part of a niche and rapidly dwindling audience for these puppets. An audience largely fuelled by nostalgia. But sitting in that arena, surrounded by old timers singing the songs and little boys and girls laughing their heads off, I was comforted to realise that I was wrong.

So what is it about this group of weirdos and misfits that makes them so inherently watchable?

I believe it’s their humanity. Despite the fact that none of the core cast is actually human, they still represent the best we have to offer. Kermit just wants to make people happy, Fozzie to make people laugh. Piggy just wants to be loved while Gonzo just wants adventure and excitement. All of these are fundamentally human traits. They are the foundations and the building blocks for all of our greatest endeavours and I believe it is this that keeps people coming back. To be reminded that we are better than the news would have us believe. That love is not a fringe emotion. That a desire to make the world better is in no way futile.

I truly believe this world would be a significantly better place if we could learn to take off our mask every once in a while, accept the silliness of the world and just laugh at a frog doing his best.

I shed a tear as a felt puppet sang a song about rainbows. Because the song has been my shining light through many of my darkest days. I shed a tear because I realised I was not alone in this.

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