The Muppet Invasion of WWE Raw Signals the End of Western Civilization

Great, more comedy.

The Muppets are coming to Monday Night Raw on Halloween night and that was likely the first thought that many WWE fans had when they heard the news.

It’s understandable that some fans are shaking their heads in disgust as Monday fast approaches. After all, this is WWE, not PBS. We’re used to seeing Hell in a Cell, backstage brawls and hard-fought cage matches.

For the next two plus hours of Raw, we have Fozzie Bear jokes, Great Gonzo stunts and Beaker incoherently rambling about who knows what.

Much like Alberto Del Rio.  Wait, maybe there’s not that much of a difference after all.

Sarcasm aside, the fact is we just witnessed Triple H being viciously attacked by a sledgehammer wielding Kevin Nash.  How exactly will that be followed up this week amidst the Muppet invasion?  

Does WWE expect us to take that spot seriously, given those circumstances?  Triple H is the Chief Operating Officer of the company, and he is now likely on the shelf for a while, the victim of a brutal assault and the company chooses to follow up with Kermit and Miss Piggy?

Speaking of vicious attacks, what about The Miz and R-Truth?  They have spent the past several weeks doing everything in their power to tear WWE apart from the inside out, and now they’re going to yuck it up backstage with Scooter and Rowlf?

Then there’s John Cena.  Well, no, he should fit right in.

Here’s the deal.  Whenever WWE goes this route, with comedians or actors that are just there to have a good time, they tend to always throw their comedy relief at them.  I suppose they feel that it livens up the show and makes for some good laughs.  

So, expect to see Santino Marella, Zack Ryder and Hornswoggle. 

Lots of Hornswoggle.

The biggest issue that most wrestling fans have with WWE is the fact that the focus is continuously being taken off the ring and off the actual wrestling.  The backstage spots, the in ring spots, the video packages, the promos, all of that combined with hyping the next pay per view, does not exactly leave a lot of time for some good old-fashioned action.

So, the Muppets are just another example of WWE blatantly disregarding what keeps them at the top of the business, in favor of catering to the kids and soccer parents watching that night.

WWE, once again, is not taking us seriously and is talking down to us—it’s what they do.  You would be hard pressed to find another company who thrives on the money its consumers give them and then maliciously throw it back in their faces more than Vince McMahon’s billion dollar corporation.

Does that about sum it up?  Everyone seem to be in agreement on all of that?

Well, not me.  I, for one, say get over it.

It’s one night, people.  One night.  We’re not talking about making Kermit the Frog the Raw General Manager, though he would do a much better job and be a lot more entertaining, than John Laurinaitis.  

Now, we can all agree on that one, right?

And, we’re not talking about something that’s going to happen every week, either.  The Muppets have a movie to sell, just like many other guest hosts that have ever appeared on Monday Night Raw and they’re going to do that on the worldwide stage of WWE.

That’s it—that’s all.  Stop crying.

Are they going to have some fun while doing it?  Of course they are.  Will the jokes that we get be silly and watered down at times?  You'd better believe it.

Can’t we take a break, at least one night, from the drama, from all of our endless arguments over who the better wrestler is, or who deserves a bigger push?  For once, can we just let that rest and have some fun?

The fact is that there are kids in the audience.  I know a lot fans don’t care about that and I know that fact alone has become the main point in the pros and cons of WWE going PG discussion. We have all talked it to death and the debate will likely never end.

And, yes I know, if you don’t like what your kids are watching, then change the channel.  Why should WWE or any other entertainment company have to tone down its product because parents won‘t control what their kids are watching?  I get that, I have heard it 1,000 times before.

But, unless no one out there has realized this yet, let me be the one to break it to you.  This is Vince McMahon.  This is WWE.  Since when has that company done anything the way the fans want on a consistent basis?  

Since when has WWE actually listened to the fans on every point, or even changed direction because of an uproar in its fan base?

No, they’re not deaf and yes they actually do throw us a bone occasionally, but when it comes to booking?  The fact is Vince McMahon would book a bag of Oreos as the Raw guest host if it had a new movie to promote, or could bring ratings.

So, I will be watching on Monday—as I always do.  My three-year-old will likely be sitting in the floor with his bucket of Halloween candy and I will probably be sitting there with him.  When the Muppets appear on Raw, he will get a kick out of it.  So will his old man.

Wocka wocka.