Either the Grammy folks have seen fit to keep the full performances off of YouTube or I’m just that bad at searching/finding them. In any case, here’s an excerpt of Cee Lo Green performing “Forget You” along with Muppets and Gwyneth Paltrow.
At the time of our time-shifted viewing it was agreed that Gwyneth’s shoes were a bit out of place amongst the Elton John-esque outfit Cee Lo was sporting and the Muppets. She was a tad bit under-dressed, don’t you think?
Another important point is that the backing band were Muppets and not The Muppets. Better discussion of the distinction (or nitpickery) is here.
From the Henson Company via MTV News:
MTV News got some inside information about the performance just days before Cee Lo, Paltrow and their puppet posse worked the stage. Jim Henson Company CEO Brian Henson said the set was inspired by the marionette mob’s recent theater turn.
“We have a live theater show in New York called ‘Stuffed and Unstrung,’ and we’ve taken a bunch of the characters from that cast and made them into a band and backup singers for Cee Lo,” Henson said of the fuzzy puppets from the made-for-grown-ups improv show. “He’ll be backed by puppets who will make up a very weird and cool band.”
Henson said the idea to sing with the puppets came from Cee Lo, who approached the Henson Company with a concept of what he wanted to do. “We had never worked with him before, and he’s just a fabulous guy,” Henson said. “I think he’s a lifelong fan of the Muppets, and he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted.”
Some of the Muppets looked like those used in the Puppet Up! improv shows that eventually became ‘Stuffed and Unstrung’, so it’s nice to see that fact confirmed.
Related: Know Your Meme
Anyhow, whether you’d describe them as The Muppets or merely just plain ole Muppets, the performance was a ton of fun. Cee Lo and Gwyneth were good too, though I’d rank Gwyneth’s Glee performance and Cee Lo’s explicit version higher up, it was still a ton of fun.
Gwyneth on Glee:
Cee Lo Explicit:
Happy Valentine’s Day!
UPDATE: Here’s video of Elton John’s appearance on The Muppet Show singing Crocodile Rock:
