Few would question the skills of Fox News to uncover left-wing agendas in the most ridiculous of scenarios, but it's unlikely anyone thought a group of colourful furry puppets would be their next target. However, in a story that might easily have surfaced on the pages of the satirical newspaper The Onion, the US news network accused The Muppets of pushing a liberal bias and attempting to brainwash our innocent children.
Fox's quickly viral argument centred around the new Muppets musical - the first big-screen outing for Jim Henson's fuzzy creations in 12 years - in which Kermit and company must save their forgotten studios from the clutches of evil industrialist Tex Richman, who wants to turn it into an oilfield.
"Liberal Hollywood depicting a successful businessman as evil - that's not new," claimed Fox host Eric Bolling in a segment two weeks ago, kick-starting the near-farcical conversation, before later wondering out loud why the Muppets couldn't for once give the role of baddie to someone in the Obama administration.
"It's amazing how far the left will go just to manipulate your kids," remarked a guest on the show, adding that oil could also be used to "light a hospital" or "fuel an ambulance".
Sadly, for any anti-capitalist groups who might be looking to Kermit, Fozzie Bear or even Beaker as their new poster boys, the film's plotline is - according to the director - simply in the interests of fun.
"Tex Richman is a ridiculous name, it's a joke, so I can't believe anyone takes it seriously," says The Muppets director James Bobin. "He's a bad guy because he's evil, not because he works for an oil company."
Rather than recruiting a new generation of leftist activists, Bobin says his real intention in The Muppets film was to return to a more traditional form of comedy. "We've had a lot of observational, cynical humour for a long time," he says. "Like everything, comedy is cyclical and I feel we're coming back to puns, fourth-wall-breaking jokes, essentially comedy with heart. And I think there's no better proponent of comedy with heart than the Muppets."
And the new film is filled with heart, with a new unashamedly positive Muppet - Walter - helping reunite the old gang, who were spread far and wide, for a fund-raising concert to keep hold of the studio that has fallen into disrepair. Among the group is Gonzo, now running his own successful toilet company, and Animal, undergoing anger-management treatment.
"I wanted them all to be in different places and at different levels," says Bobin. "For Fozzie Bear, who's such an endearing, sweet guy, I thought he would be the one who ended up in a tribute band somewhere."
Fozzie rejoins the Muppets after a miserable stint fronting Muppets covers band The Moopets. "There's nothing sadder than being in a tribute band - especially a tribute band for your own thing you did originally."
The last one to come on board is the preening frog-loving princess herself, Miss Piggy, who is enticed from her role as editor of Plus-Size Vogue in Paris. "Piggy is terrible at her job, but I can kind of see that she would have lucked her way into it somehow just through sheer bravado," says Bobin.
Working with Muppets was no different from working with human actors, claims the director, who said he learnt to talk to the puppeteers rather than the puppets. But there were some who failed to notice the human hands involved.
"My four-year-old daughter would come on set and see Steve [Whitmere], who does Kermit, wearing a half body puppet, with the sticks into Kermit's arms. And she would never ever look at Steve. She'd come on and hug Kermit and it'd be the sweetest thing you'd have ever seen. And this is the secret of their success. Whether you're four or 40, you want to believe that they're real."
While The Muppets may be Bobin's first full-length feature, his credentials make him the ideal man to carry on such an established entertainment institution. His previous directing role was for the TV series Flight of the Conchords, another musical comedy, while before this he worked with Sacha Baron Cohen to help devise the initial Ali G show, followed by his later incarnations, Borat and Bruno.
The intended audiences may differ (although there's enough in The Muppets to keep most grown-ups amused), but there are clear similarities between the styles. The beauty of both Ali G and Flight of the Conchords lay in characters who were blissfully unaware of their absurd nature, and it's the same with The Muppets, a collection of hilariously colourful characters going about their ridiculous business while the 21st century rolls behind them.
"It's a beacon of hope in a dark world," Bobin says with a laugh. "You watch The Muppets and you're smiling for an hour and a half, and then you go outside and the economy is in crisis."
Or so we've been led to believe - isn't that right, Fox?
aritman@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Race%20card
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
%3Cp%3E1.%20Singapore%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Switzerland%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Denmark%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Ireland%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Hong%20Kong%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Sweden%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Taiwan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Netherlands%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Norway%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh132,000 (Countryman)
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Spider-Man%202
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
If%20you%20go
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