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Lisa Kaas Boyle

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Muppets Discover It's Not Easy Being Green in a Fossil Fueled World

Posted: 12/06/11 03:39 PM ET

Dear Kermit: When I was an odd little girl who liked to wear sparkly gold dresses to school, I loved you and your song about being different,"It's not easy being green." My favorite part is the end when you sing:"I am green, and it'll do fine; It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be." You and the other muppets helped me feel proud to be the unique little person I was. You also helped teach me to be kind, to share, to tell the truth and many other helpful life skills.

I became "green" myself, as that word is used today to identify environmentalists, on the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. As part of that great event, my first grade class crossed the street from Spring Harbor Elementary in Madison, Wisconsin, to take a "nature walk" in a small wooded area. During this welcome escape from the classroom, wearing the green and white ecology button passed out by my teacher, I learned to look at the world around me with heightened appreciation. I began to love nature.

Soon I fell in love with another small fuzzy fellow, not a muppet, but a character from a Dr. Seuss book who shared my concern for the environment. Kermit, if you could meet the Lorax and hear his sad story, I know you would understand each other so well. It wasn't easy for him being green, trying to speak for the Truffula trees to all those thoughtless factory builders who just wanted to get bigger and bigger profits and to make the Lorax go away. No, it isn't easy being different or speaking up against powerful interests with deep pockets.

I hear Fox News is blaming you and the other muppets for brainwashing children in your new movie by vilifying that horrible, selfish oil barron Tex Richman. Why are they so upset? He is a perfectly horrid villain. It's clear from his song, that all he cares about is making money and NOT the environment or the people and muppets who need clean resources. He must be hitting too close to home if he is upsetting Fox and their sponsors. They call this brainwashing? They are pretty much experts on brain washing as they continue to deny the impacts of fossil fuels on our environment and climate.

I just wanted you to know that I still love you Kermit and I love your new movie too. Glad you are back on the big screen and Keep Being Green! I hear the Lorax has a movie coming out too. You should screen it at your theater! I'm sure Fox news will be all over that movie for being green also. Kermit, It's not easy being green, but it's beautiful, and it's what I want to be. Thanks for keeping it real.

Love, Your Biggest Fan.

 
Dear Kermit: When I was an odd little girl who liked to wear sparkly gold dresses to school, I loved you and your song about being different,"It's not easy being green." My favorite part is the end...
Dear Kermit: When I was an odd little girl who liked to wear sparkly gold dresses to school, I loved you and your song about being different,"It's not easy being green." My favorite part is the end...
 
 
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08:42 PM on 12/06/2011
Why are there so many
songs about gasoline rainbows?
06:19 PM on 12/06/2011
Before we vilify the Oil industry, should we not recognize that 6 million Americans are employed directly or indirectly by the oil and natural gas industry. If all of a sudden we were to eradicate this entire industry we would increase the unemployment rate by 50% and so instead of an unemployment rate of 8.6% we would be at over 12% unemployment. It is so easy for the mob to make a villain of such a media target. Profits are what make the American economy go... without profits all we would have is a lot of bankrupt companies and a lot of unemployed people.
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dvsinla
08:41 PM on 12/06/2011
its a muppet movie loo zer
05:57 PM on 12/06/2011
I said it once, and I'll say it again. This is all a product of the free market - the same free market Republicans have a near-sacred reverence for. People want movies and media with pro-environmental messages, and Hollywood supplies them. This is what people want...this is the free market in action.

Republicans only support the free market if it supports their agenda. They forget it works both ways.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
dvncmdy
Perhaps they'll listen now Vincent
05:01 PM on 12/06/2011
Very touching piece. I saw the movie with my 10year old daughter...brought back such great memories....and we both same the "Ma Na Ma Na" song together.....

I love me some Kermit too!
04:44 PM on 12/06/2011
Wonderfully whimsical and so to the point! I'm green with envy that both Kermit and Lorax can command such attention from Fox News; can a Murdoch production of Truax be far behind?
Knock on wood!
03:49 PM on 12/06/2011
Jim Henson would be proud of the Muppets and you, Lisa. If Fox News hates Kermit he must be doing something right.