Thursday, July 6, 2023

Muppets Mayhem Easter Eggs: Track 7!

The Muppets Mayhem is filled with many hidden and not so hidden Easter eggs for fans to discover. 

There are so many in fact that we're going track by track (episode by episode) to help you spot them.

Track 7: “Eight Days a Week”

This the only episode without a cold open. 

The episode is a parody of Peter Jackson's rock documentary Get Back about The Beatles.

The episode's title references The Beatles song "Eight Days a Week."



The Calendar is not only another reference to Get Backbut is filled with Easter eggs, including:


A sketch of a cloud and lighting bolt similar to Sesame Street's Muppet News Flash segments.

A sketch of The Electric Mayhem's waveform 
and Mouth logos

April 1: Tell Lips's he's adopted - an April Fool's Day prank

April 4: Dentist 9AM 10AM 2PM


April 6: Sketch of Animal similar to
 original concept sketches by Bonnie Erickson and Jim Henson

April 10: Zoot Haircut!!

April 15: TAXES!!  and who collects taxes .. the "Tax Man" of course, another Beatles song reference!


April 16: Kermit sketch by Jim Henson

April 19: Yesterday (Beatles Lyric Reference)

X on April 20: Otherwise known as 4/20, an unofficial holiday for Marijuana.

April 27: RANDON DEADLINE!!

April 29: JEFF'S MOM'S B-DAY!! (Presumably referring to Producer and Writer of the episode Jeff Yorke's own mom's birthday. 

UPDATE:
Jeff Yorkers’ doodled the entire calendar and, yes, he confirmed, it is his mom’s birthday!


And a post-it note reminding the band to CALL a PUMBER.



The amps used by the band go to 11.5. This is a nod to the classic mockumentarSpinal Tapwho's amps went to 11. 


Many Beatles' song titles and lyrics titles are used a dialoged through the episode including, "Get Back," Nora says audiences "Across the Universe," Kevin Smith telling the band to "Act Naturally," (which Floyd and Janice performed on The Muppets Go To The Movies), JJ Yelling "Help, I need Somebody," Lips mumbling "Love, Love Me Do" and Hannah telling Moog to "Let it Be."




Animal's wearing the same "I Love NY" shirt he wore in The Muppets Take Manhattan. 


Kevin Smith self-references many of his films including comedies Clerks, Clerks 2Clerks 3, Chasing Amyand "Whatever Yoga Hosers was."



Animal's love of bunnies first appeared in a Bonus clip for The Muppet Show Season 2 DVD, then grew into a series of viral videos. 


Floyd's guitar has a "Mr. Baseman" Sticker. Paul McCartney had a "BASSMAN" sticker on his bass. It also refers to Floyd signing Mr. Bassman on The Muppet Show


Floyd says “Just like the dark horse himself, George Harrison” Dark Horse was Harrison’s 1974 solo album.

Zoot has a running gag of wanting long-dead musicians to play him Elvis, James Brown, and Frank Sinatra.


Susanna Hoffs says Lip's taught her to "Walk Like an Egyptian," which was a major hit in the  80's.


Paula Abdul says Lips's introduced her to MC SKat Kat, a carton cat who appeared in her "Opposites Attract" music video.



Penny’s appearance at the recording sessions is a nod to Yoko Ono. Yoko was also seen wearing black and knitting in the documentary. 


The "Zootlicate" that speaks (other than Morgan Freeman) is performer and series creator, Bill Barretta's son, Jackson. 


Actual member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney calls Lips, but he doesn't answer. 


The band playing on the roof is a nod to The Beatles final performance highlighted in Get Back.

The band plays The Beatles "Love, Love, Love."


Floyd is wearing a brown jacket, similar to the one John Lennon wore during The Beatles rooftop concert



Zoot is wearing the jacket he wore in The Great Muppet Caper 



Animal calls Peter Jackson "Precious' in a nod to Gollum from Lord of The Rings which Jackson famously directed.


The band mentions Jackson’s previous work with The Feebles. Meet The Feebles was one of Jackson's first films and is an all puppet, extremely not family friendly, parody of The Muppet Show.

UPDATE: The mugs Moog totes around are exact replicas of the ones The Beatles used in Get Back. Recreated by the show’s prop designer Bethany Barton.


Cameos:

Kevin Smith as himself. 


Susanna Hoffs as herself.


Paula Abdul - who also guest starred on Muppets Tonight.


Morgan Freeman as himself.


Peter Jackson as himself.

New Character Info:

Janice doesn't like "bowl based cuisines"

New Characters Introduced:


Jimmy Shoe (Zoot's Talking shoe) - which is an homage to Jim Henson.

As Bill Baretta explaind in this interview with Collider:

"Dave Goelz (the puppeteer for Zoot) came to me one day and said, “I have this idea that Zoot has this little character with him.” I was like, “Dave, that might be hard to do, all the time. Is there something else that maybe he has on him?” And he came back with this idea of doing a shoe named Jimmy, and Jimmy is Jim Henson. Dave found photos of Jim’s teeth because he wanted the shoe to be able to smile. Those are Jim’s teeth and he carved them himself."


Did you skip a track? Check out the Easter Eggs in Tracks 12-3, 4-5, & 6.

The Muppets Mayhem is now streaming only on Disney+.

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