As I’ve previously mentioned, I normally will not tolerate any kind of Muppet mockery (stoned Kermit, for example).  However, this protection over the brand also extends to employ of the actual Muppets themselves.  It’s been almost 20 years since Jim Henson left us prematurely, and then ownership of our puppet friends has changed hands twice, first to a German company and then finally to Disney, so there’s cause for concern that the Muppets might be whored out for commercials not worthy of the Muppet name (and, no, I am not including the Pizza Hut spots.  Those combine two things I love), or forced into new, edgy personas in an attempt to be more relevant; less Sesame Street and more Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.  It was then with great trepidation that I watched a video posted by Gawker TV entitled, “Kermit is a Giant Slut on the Today Show.”

Fortunately, it was not as bad as the title indicated.  The “lewd pop-culture reference” teased by Gawker seemed to me more like just a pop-culture reference, perhaps a biting one, kicking a tiger while he’s down, but not quite lewd.

In fact, I kind of prefer this segment to an earlier one in the show when Ms. Piggy made a rather obvious (and perhaps cruder) Swine Flu quip.

I’ll take relevant feline humor over lame porcine jokes any day of the week.

Good work, Muppets!  Way to not debase yourselves to meet the normal Today Show level of discourse.