humanities – aesthetics of the muppets

 
1. Throughout this course, we have examined various ways in which the Muppets attempted to engage and capture the spirit of American life in the postwar age. As we have seen, the Muppet aesthetic is one that encompasses all of the artforms, of dance, of drama, of music, of stagecraft, of poetry, of literature, and of culture. As we  have explored the various artforms on which the Muppets have touched, which aesthetic (i.e., Dada, Pop Art, Bauhaus, zany, vaudeville, etc.) that we have studied this semester would you consider the quintessential definition of the Muppet aesthetic? What are its characteristics? What are its styles? Why would you consider that aesthetic the definitive example of the aesthetics in a postwar age? What do you think the aesthetic says about the overall genre and about the culture that produced it? Your answer should be an extended, coherent discussion of the genre; in order to receive full credit, you should reference at least one text AND one film we studied this semester.