The Muppets, Communist? Director James Bobin Says No

In the biggest red trial since Joseph McCarthy scared the nation, "The Muppets" director James Bobin insists that the titular iconic puppet gang are not communists.

"It's a very strange turn of events to hear a question like that," Bobin told The Hollywood Reporter, responding to charges from Fox Business Network host Eric Bolling that the new Muppets film sent an anti-capitalist message. "Cable news is 24 hours long so you have to fill it up with something. No, the Muppets are not communist. And the character of Tex Richman is not an allegory for capitalism in any way. The character is called Tex Richman."

Richman, the Chris Cooper-portrayed villain in the film, is an oil baron who is intent on buying the Muppet Theater and then destroying it.

"It's a joke. Clearly he is a classic, old school bad guy. He's bad not because he works for an oil company but because he's evil," Bobin said. "No, it's not a communist movie in any way."

Earlier this week, Bolling challenged the Muppets to a debate on economic issues.

For more, click over to The Hollywood Reporter.

Comments

[bynddrvn5]

08:02 AM on 12/12/2011

What in the world are the clowns over at Fox thinking? You would think they would LOVE the Muppets!

Muppets Christmas is Coming (love this one, hilarious and sweet): http://youtu.be/xVuV_jB30Fg
John Denver and the Muppets sing - Peace Carol: http://youtu.be/-Bw_GAriD3Q

[Syrlinus]

06:12 AM on 12/12/2011

And people wonder why the US has such a poor image internationally?

Sheesh! I told my relatives in Canada about this story and they thought I was joking.

[Brak55]

11:37 PM on 12/11/2011

The only mistake made by Bobin is to think anyone cares what Fox Jazeera has to say.

[hoagie76]

11:16 PM on 12/11/2011

watch it eric....your strings are showing.....

[hoagie76]

11:14 PM on 12/11/2011

eric bolling is a do che'

[nsmavrik]

06:58 PM on 12/11/2011

Oh c'mon Bobin!! Why go through the trap that FOX is throwing at you. Just go ahead and say it:

The Muppets ARE HAND PUPPETS!!!!! They are NOT REAL PEOPLE!!!

[panichead]

08:40 PM on 12/11/2011

Thats funny, just like all of the fools over there at FOX, performing with Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdocks fist up in em'.

[jerryz7936]

05:40 PM on 12/11/2011

Sadly they are highly paid idiots.A poll recently stated Fox viewers are uninformed. They just proved the poll.

[RickM1969]

03:13 PM on 12/11/2011

I understand that Fox's numbers are down a bit, are they just trying to create controversy to excite their viewers and bring their numbers back up?

[ikereeves]

01:25 PM on 12/11/2011

And I had just recovered from finding out that Tinky-Winky is the gay Teletubby.

[oldflamepi]

11:29 AM on 12/11/2011

This is such an insane debate. The stereotypical villain used to be the railroad company because as a monopoly they walked all over the little guy. The villain has now been upgraded to the oil companies. Could that have something to do with gas prices at the pumps and the huge profits these monopolies are turning at the expense of the little guy? And by the way, monopolies are the antithesis of capitalism not an example of it.

[safarigary]

10:32 AM on 12/11/2011

You libs always miss the most important points and focus on the inane. The muppets are senseless sock toys, the people behind them are the socialists sympathizers. The producers, directors, etc. are just like the elitist, self righteous actors/actresses that think they know better than the majority of centrist right Americans, yet in real life, they can't manage their personal affairs much less anything else. All they do is read scripts, act and then continue acting by telling others how the country should be a socialist nation..., and of course, live in their mansions with their millions earned in a capitalist state.

[2bad]

11:07 AM on 12/11/2011

"self righteous actors/act­resses that think they know better than the majority of centrist right Americans"

The only one acting self rightious, believing they have the right to admonish others, telling them how they should think is YOU! Never met a rightie, obviously suffering from Murdoch/Limbaugh Teet Lock Syndrome, that wasn't also oblivious to their own laughable hypocrisy.

[bbursky]

12:56 PM on 12/11/2011

Cant you bags come up with somthing thats not a replay of the 50-60ths.It seems to me that the only thing you conserve is the old stupidity

[safarigary]

01:00 PM on 12/11/2011

Verses old continuous old stupidity.., and your comment is fresh and new, NOT.

[tjb429]

10:26 AM on 12/11/2011

Eric Bolling is married to someone I was VERY good friends with in high school. I'm so glad we are not friends now. I couldn't bear to be friends with someone who is married to the man who called Kermit the Frog a Communist. Challenge them to a debate on economic issues? Kermit was reporting the news before Eric was potty trained!

[HC says]

10:40 AM on 12/11/2011

He didn't call Kermit a Communist. He called the writer of the movie a Communist for trying to make kids hate oil company executives.

[witchywoo]

10:21 AM on 12/11/2011

BTW.......For those that are new....if you post your emil address.you will recrive 100's of messages from the opposing side telling you how wrong you are !
be careful !!

[witchywoo]

10:16 AM on 12/11/2011

Why oh WHY would anyone with a brain watch fox ?!

[butchbuss00]

10:21 AM on 12/11/2011

BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE LIKE YOU HAS THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND

[2bad]

11:08 AM on 12/11/2011

Only the terminally insecure post in caps.

[JazzSax UT]

12:08 PM on 12/11/2011

I'm guessing there isn't a Nascar race on right now, right?

[HC says]

10:40 AM on 12/11/2011

Because they know Al Sharpton is a race baiter.

[clabberty]

10:04 AM on 12/11/2011

Why dignify anything Faux News says with a reply. They wouldn't be complaining if Tex Richman was portrayed in a positive light. Faux worships the 1% and should change it's name to Toady News. Muppets Communist - yeah, right.

[HC says]

10:41 AM on 12/11/2011

If Tex Richman were portrayed in a positive light, MSNBC would be complaining. Imagine Lawrence O'Donnell screaming "DIRTY LIAR" at a muppet.