brainSILT


Linking Star Wars &
The Muppet Show







What, or rather who, does Star Wars and the Muppet Show have in common? That sounds like apples and oranges, really. Two huge franchises that have touched so many lives certainly do have one thing in common and I found it out just the other day! It blew my mind - but once I thought about it I realised it was actually pretty obvious really.


The common link is the man, the legend, the genius himself. A certain Mr. Frank Oz. He provided the voices to two of the most iconic characters in the movies/show.





None other than the Master Jedi Yoda and the Queen of the Muppet Show Miss Piggy. Ok, you can hear it now, can't you? But did you know as well as these two characters he voiced plenty of others such as Fozzie Bear also from the Muppets, even Bert, Grover and The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street? Go on do the voices in your head - so obvious!


But who exactly is Frank Oz? He is a veteran Hollywood actor and performer who has worked as puppeteer or ventriloquist for most of his life, his parents, who were Holocaust survivors of Polish origin, were also puppeteers.



For those of you out there who do not have The Force with them, Star Wars has a total franchise worth around $65 billion. It chronicles intergalactic warfare between forces of good and evil, represented by the Jedis and the Empire respectively.


Yoda, the sage Jedi Master, seen as the epitome of wisdom in the Star Wars universe, is a character that Frank Oz made his very own.





The character of Yoda is perhaps best known for his distinctive style of speech, which was also apparently a masterstroke introduced by Frank Oz himself. “Yodish” language uses verb-subject-object (VSO) construction. This, along with his wisdom, has allowed Yoda to endure as a character for the ages.



The other memorable character, from another awesome franchise, was also created and voiced by Frank Oz. That is Miss Piggy from the Muppet Show. Her long-standing relationship with fellow Muppet Kermit been a major pull factor for those who adore the Muppets franchise.


At the very same time, Miss Piggy represents the shift in trends related to how animated characters are portrayed on the small screen. Frank Oz must be given credit for transforming Miss Piggy into a trailblazing celebrity and a true feminist icon.





The lovable character has been bestowed with the 2015 Brooklyn Museum Sackler Center First Award. This represents how animated characters are being used to encourage virtues of learning and debate among very young audiences. It has allowed children to absorb information about key ideas such as feminism and independence, at a very young age.



Frank Oz has given us these two excellent characters, belonging to different timelines, different franchises, and different storylines. Even though Miss Piggy and Yoda might be meant for different audiences of different age groups, they still provide plenty of food for thought.





They show us how truly powerful wisdom can be and how being an inspiration to someone, it does not need to have flesh and bone. It shows, through Yoda, how patience and selflessness are some of the biggest virtues someone can have.


In Miss Piggy, we may find the strength that comes from being unapologetic. Being blunt and straightforward are usually seen as a weakness in a person’s character but examples like Miss Piggy show us the opposite can also be true.