Crumpets, Kermit and A Christmas Carol

One day, a few short weeks ago – possibly because of the newly-fledged bite of the colder weather - visions of hot, buttered crumpets danced in my head. That night, to my delight, I witnessed an advertisement for Warburton’s version of the same, presented by the finest bunch of troupers that twentieth-century puppeteers ever spawned. Friend, I hesitate not to inform you that I LOVE the Muppets. I have always had a soft spot for Miss Piggy and Fozzy and above all, Kermit the frog – and there they were, my favourite puppets – Fuppets? – extolling the virtues of my bonne bouche of choice. Needless to say, I went out the next day and added liberally to the pensions of the Warburton shareholders, and have been doing so since. It is impossible to mention the Muppets at this time of year, of course, without throwing in a credit for their movie interpretation of that Christmas story by Charles Dickens. Ah, how the Inimitable would have approved of the Muppet's A Christmas Carol! How he would laughed at Gonzo masquerading as himself, the author of the tale, alongside of Rizzo Rat, and to see popular actors and cartoon characters bring home the story of redeemed greed to today’s audiences. And how he would have lauded the understated performance of the unassuming Kermit in the role of the beaten-down Bob Cratchit. And I’ve no doubt that Dickens would rage to discover that, 160 years following its publication, the message of A Christmas Carol is at least as relevant as in the Victorian environment of inequality and exploitation. On that note, I’ll finish this frog-blog and wish all readers a happy Christmas and in the words of the immortal Tiny Tim, say “bless us, everyone”.