In honor of the seventh anniversary of Jim Henson’s death, the long-forgotten Meat Puppets have decided to reform. The American populace had their first taste of The Meat Puppets in 1976 during The Muppet Show. Originally billed as the local butchers, their airtime was significantly cut when Henson started targeting a more youthful audience and needed more positive and less brutal characters.
The brothers, as they were deemed to be, had little qualms about the lack of airtime, but egos stared to flair when Miss Piggy was introduced to the cast. It was understood amongst the puppet world that Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog were romantically linked, but the crude Meat Puppets didn’t care so much for societal norms. Rumors started that Miss Piggy was having a fling with both brothers, and from 1975-1977, the three faced a limited suspension. Things culminated, finally, on April 2, 1979, when Kermit guest-hosted The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Miss Piggy was in attendance to watch her frog do his shtick, but after the show, The Meat Puppets showed up completely drunk and offered her a gram of coke if she would perform several sexual acts on them. It was the late '70s, and Miss Piggy was notorious for her coke habit, so she submitted quite easily. Kermit walked in while the three were heavily involved in acts not suitable for this publication. The police were called, but matters were settled out of court. The Meat Puppets agreed to leave the Muppet family for good, and Miss Piggy checked herself into rehab.
Now, almost 30 years since they left the Muppet family, the brothers are back, and this time they are making music. They have a brand new album, Rise To Your Knees, which is chock full of 12 songs in the vain of their old, off-the-cuff lifestyle. Yet, at the same time, it is a rebirth from their clouded past of drug abuse, jail time, and other legal problems. The album is due July 17.
Look for them on tour this spring, hitting mostly West Coast venues. No word if Kermit or Miss Piggy will be making any appearances alongside the brothers, but word is they’ve squashed any problems from the past.
UPDATE: As of April 10 of 2007, the year of our lord, Miss Piggy has announced she is completely clean and has also become the latest spokespig for PETA. Congratulations!
* fans-only event, tickets not for sale