Video: Fox Calls The Muppets Communist Propaganda

Is Chris Cooper's character in The Muppets teaching your children to hate capitalism? No, seriously, is he?

Oh, Fox Business News, never change. In one of those 'if it weren't real we would think it were an Onion story' moments, Fox Business show Follow The Money recently had a segment in which they warn that the new Muppets movie is going to "brainwash" our children into socialist plushies. "The Muppets are back and being terrorized by an evil oil executive in their new movie," host Eric Bolling severely intones. "Liberal Hollywood depicting a successful businessman as 'evil,' that’s not new."

Gasp! Bolling honestly has a problem with the fact that the movie's rapping villain (Chris Cooper) is named Tex Richman (a character not dissimilar at all to Doc Hopper in the 1979 The Muppet Movie). And the complaints go on! "It’s amazing how far the left will go to manipulate your kids and give them the anti-corporate message," guest Dan Gainor of Media Research Center tells Bolling. Did he even see the movie? Because beyond being an adorable nostalgia-fest for Gen X-ers, it was also a highly effective giant commercial for the Disney-owned Jim Henson creations.

"Is liberal hollywood using class warfare to brainwash our kids?" Bolling asks, and according to Andrea Tantaros of The Five (who doesn't know the difference between Sesame Street and The Muppets) the answer is an emphatic yes. "It is, it is brainwashing in the most obvious form," she says. "I just wish liberals could leave little kids alone. Why does there have to be some political message? I thought Sesame Street was supposed to be 'sharing, being nice to people' but over the years they've gotten more liberal!"

We'll stop there, but you should sit back and enjoy the whole thing:

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By Garth Johnston in Arts & Entertainment on December 5, 2011 3:23 PM

Comments [rss]

Marc Schneider

Yeah, this would be insidious liberal brainwashing, except... Corporations are bad. The oil industry IS bad. And the average IQ of a Muppets fan is probably about 30 points higher than someone who watches FOXNews every night. So quit your whining, boys, and go back to bashing unions. You can't beat the Muppets.

Guest

This is more than ridiculous. Where's the Punisher when you need him?

Rob Cutts

Nevermind that in the actual movie, the Muppets go through all the correct corporate channels and show themselves as an American capitalist success story, no thats preposterous. The name Tex Richman is an OBVIOUS swipe at the right and the oil industry, and not a name parody whos bretherin are as old as media itself. INSANE. I suppose even regular FOX news thought this was a little too hairbrained and so relegated it to their backwater business channel which 8 people watch.

Ahim Anyd

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Life After Death

Dalia N'Shard

'I just wish Liberals would leave little kids alone.' Yup, Liberals. Right up there with pedophiles and kidnappers.

"Tim Osman"

Fox or Disney - which is worse?

bggb

They did the same thing to Wall-E. Claimed it was environment brainwashing.

I think they were mad because they saw the super-fat future Americans and were hoping we'd achieve that one day, rather than make fun of it in an animated movie.

thundarthelibrarian

While we're on the subject can we discuss how The Smufs are basically pushing the idea of a homosexual hippie communist collective? I mean they live in the forest inside of mushrooms, work for the communal good and there's a 600 to 1 male to female ratio? C'mon man.

Jenigma

The Muppets are anti-success? Really, Fox? That's all the Muppets want in this or any of their movies, to be successful performers! Way to sensationalize, s#!t-stirrers!

Matt Jones

Ms. Tantaros is behind the curve - conservatives have ALREADY done plenty of whining about how Sesame Street teaches communism...

Barbara Starkweather

Ridiculous. We all know that oil company executives are known for their warm fuzzy concern for our children's futures, and only want what's best for America.