This week, our two former puppeteers revisit the delightfully bizarre—and terribly provocative—Peter Sellers episode of The Muppet Show. Sellers arrives not as himself, but as every outrageously caricatured persona you can imagine: a fiddle-playing Romani, an overbearing German masseuse channeling Dr. Strangelove, a regal (and bearded) Queen Victoria, and a cryptic cameo as Inspector Clouseau himself.

We celebrate Sellers’ chameleon-like genius—but we also confront the problematic stereotypes. Many sketches now come with legitimate cultural baggage. The torqued-up massage gag, for example, walks a fine line between homage and grotesque parody. All the while, Sellers’ famous existential quip—"There is no me… I had it surgically removed"—adds an unsettling and surreal layer to the slapstick.

Making this episode even more a mixed bag, we find a legendary performance from Kermit that is equal parts beautiful and empowering. Join us as we unpack the comedy, the controversy, and the poetry of this episode; and why revisiting it forces us to laugh, cringe, and reflect—all at once.

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro https://www.taetro.com/

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