One Million Moms exposes itself as one of the greatest advertising tools any marketer could have.
Finally, after nearly four decades, “The Muppets” is returning to network TV tonight. The show will be aimed at a more mature audience, even those who enjoyed the original show as children, and since the nation has grown up a bit since it premiered in 1976, it likely will include some more mature humor. After all, Kermit and Miss Piggy have split, there’s a new woman in Kermit’s life, and Miss Piggy has shed a few pounds. Things change over the course of 39 years.
Well, most things.
One Million Moms is throwing another of their typical temper tantrums.
“1MM suspects there are going to be a lot of shocked moms and dads when they discover that the family-friendly Muppets of the 1970s are no more. It appears that no subject is off limits,” the low-budget email address collecting fundraising arm of the anti-gay hate group American Family Association warns parents.
“The new show is aimed at a mature, modern audience and addresses subjects not suitable for family viewing,” the group, which has less than 80,000 fans on Facebook claims – despite having never seen it.
“It’s sort of an adult Muppet show,” Kermit the Frog said during a promotional video for the show. One ad read, “Finally, a network TV show with full frontal nudity.”
“Technically, the advertisement is correct, seeing how Kermit doesn’t wear pants,” One Million Moms actually states, presumably with a straight face.
UPDATE –
Franklin Graham: The Muppets ‘Promote Sin’
“The mature version of ‘The Muppets’ will cover a range of topics from sex to drugs,” OMM states. In a promotional clip (below) Kermit does reference marijuana legalization, but hardly directly. Besides, shouldn’t kids be aware of current events? Perhaps OMM believes parents shouldn’t talk with their children?
“Miss Piggy came out as a pro-choice feminist during an MSNBC interview. The puppet characters loved by kids in the 1970s and 1980s and beyond are now weighing in on abortion and promiscuity,” OMM insists, again, presumably with a straight face.
The call to action: OMM asks parents “to contact ABC (owned by Disney) and strongly encourage the network to drop all plans to air the program” is written like a parody.
Which it very well may be.
TIME even notes, “with their petition, which helpfully tells people what time and channel the show will air, the One Million Moms could well be inadvertently bringing publicity to a show ABC has a lot riding on.”