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Classical music performed by the Muppets: Ode to Beeker and the Blue Gonzo Chicken Waltz

Cory Doctorow at 10:05 pm Mon, Dec 15, 2008

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The Muppets/YouTube partnership is bearing sweet, musical fruit. Here are two fantastic musical clips to help familiarize your kids with the cultural significance of the great works of classical music: first, Beeker and his many clones perform Ode to Joy (viddy it, oh my brothers, just viddy it), then Gonzo the Great and his chicken orchestra cluck out The Blue Danube Waltz (by Strauss, the louse, he lives in a house, with Mick-ey Mouse).

(via Kottke)

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I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE:  Funny • Happy Mutants • Holiday • Kids • music

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  • Anonymous

    2001 with chickens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psa_qLohuns

  • Anonymous

    I love Beeker

  • Daemon

    Ah, the awsomeness that was the classic Muppet Show, reinvented in a new age. Most excellent.

  • Anonymous

    Now I want someone to mash up the Classical Chicken audio with footage from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

  • deweyeyed

    Another gem in this series is this version of Bizet’s Habanera:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFgtFXfnv0

    My daughter, nearly two, sings along to the Meeps Meeps quite well.

  • Oskar

    The muppets are officially the most awesome things produced by man. Bar none.

  • jtegnell

    He’s not paying attention to the metronome at all.

  • justONEguy

    I love Disney’s new re-branding of the Muppets too! Whoo-hoo! I am but a corporate pawn and thank you BB for being a shill.

    Disney is orchestrating the Muppets’s return on several fronts: TV specials, Web videos, a feature film, theme-park attractions and a whole lot of merchandising.

  • cowboy_k

    Not classical, but classic:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMy-5J0OHT4

    Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy…

  • airshowfan

    You forgot… oh, wait. #5 beat me to it.

    Bork-bork BORK BORK!

    I have to admit that unfortunately I was only really exposed to the awesomeness of Cesame Street and the Muppets when I first moved to the US, at 11 years old, by which point I was a little over the target age. Oh well. Then again, most American kids miss out on Asterix (which is a real shame) and I did have plenty of fun kids’ shows in Brazil.

    I did develop a taste for classical music as a little kid, though, not just from many relatives who also love it, but from cartoons:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqxZ3AYjuJo

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVq_gxl3Cdc&

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD34_K1SgIQ

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekDzLEkjhtU

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPqS-vYWYNA

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjhm-8kMtzg

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6wPkgwmG_M

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikKJ-uQ4UUc

  • Anonymous

    You’re all missing the muppet’s #1 hit…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymg8IumVtVU

  • eeyore

    Okay, call it shameless self promotion, but it’s actually topical in this case.

    I gotta show off my halloween costume from this year. He’s completely hand made – courtesy my insane/brilliant roomie. Thank you Michael, you’re the bomb!!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/67212010@N00/

  • noetma

    I SO needed that pick me up. Nothing better than muppets at 6am. Ah, childhood.

  • lukus

    I love it – it’s made me feel happy on a pretty gloomy day. Thank you.

  • Stuart Ellis

    The Beeker one reminds me of the classic film short “Multiple Sidosis”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swupyqbi5ks

  • gramiq

    Huh. First time I’ve seen Strauss done by ‘Bach.’

    Ahem.

  • A Nonny Moose

    Thanks for the smile first thing this morning. Beaker and Gonzo are two of my favorite Muppets. The Statler and Waldorf bit at the end of each vid is the perfect finishing touch.

  • Cassandra

    For those in the USA, there’s a new Muppet holiday special on at 8/7c on NBC on 12/17.

  • igpajo

    A true Muppet classic right here.
    (And no I’m not RickRolling you.)

  • neffle

    Love these new Muppet videos, particularly Beaker’s “Ode To Joy” . . . everything old seems new again . . . also, love their new “Skateboarding Dog” videos starring ROWLF . . . if you’re a Muppet nerd like me, it’s pretty awesome to see these guys back in action.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCgujnQsOsQ
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QGNvjyPntY

  • franko

    truly made me LOL. where’s doctor bunson honeydew when you need him?

  • Anonymous

    Anyone notice that the Mouse that Statler and Waldorf use is one of the *very* old original Microsoft Mice? circa 1985…

    http://www.egermuzeum.hu/microsoft/126-microsoft-mouse-50.html

  • zuzu

    Kubrick and Henson, together at last.

  • igpajo

    Beaker is the freakin best!! Him and Animal are my favorites.