Beaker, the first “meeper” in my life
I was looking for a “meep” reference for someone yesterday and stumbled across the video below. Who knew Sesame Street had the perfect metaphor for writing back in 1969? Do you remember Mahna Mahna and the Snowths?
Sometimes you self-censor from fear of others’ reactions.
Sometimes you can be silenced by the authority of feathers and a choreographed headshake.
And sometimes, despite the Pink Interlocking Horns of Disapproval, you gotta do what you gotta do.
No guarantee of a recording deal after your display of courage, though. 😉
OMG THIS IS MY LIFE! Seriously, I feel like the Mahna Mahna guy all the time. I also remember laughing my pants off to this when I was a kid. Thank you for the trip down memory lane, Jan!
Loved this, Jan! (And, no, I don’t remember it.) You’re right — this is exactly how writing feels sometimes. And it really is a GOOD feeling when you work up to a glorious show-stopping “Mahna Mahna” at the end. Thanks for sharing this~
Elizabeth, hee. My pleasure. Nice to feet a fellow perpetual ten-year-old. 😉 If you follow that link in, it references the other versions of this: the Tom Jones one cracks me up.
See? Like I said. Ten.
Amanda, yes. May we all have those show-stoppers. 🙂
I love it! From now on, I will refer to outside opinions as “The Pink Interlocking Horns of Disapproval.”
No book is universally loved. Once we let that hope go, we’re able to write our story without fearing what others will think.
Love the original version! I’ve been watching and “Oxhorn” version for the past 3 yrs and even have it as my ringtone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWgs6YQR9A
I just gotta do what I gotta do. Thanks Jan for the laugh and the muppet inspiriation.
“Why do we always come here
I guess we’ll never know
It’s like some kind of torture
To have to watch the show!”
Totally agree with Nancy – There’s now a name for it, Jan! Down with the Pink Interlocking Horns of Disapproval!
Nancy, hee. Don’t know where that came from, but it made me laugh, too. 🙂
Shanna, LOL, do you have the Muppet or the Oxhorn version for your ringtones? I have never heard of these people.
Rebecca, I was thinking “Death to the Pink Interlocking Horns of Disapproval”, myself. 😉
Jan,
This was awesome! I love the Muppets, that’s all there is to it. And, I love how you link the song to writing. So true. Those pink critters are members of that committee in my head, I believe. Now that they have a face, they aren’t quite as scary 🙂
Hee. Thanks, Christi. No one should be intimidated by Snowths, either of the Muppet or literary variety. 😉
My best friend and I used to do this together all the time–part of my tween and teen soundtrack. *giggles* I’m totally a muppe-hearted writer, if what you mean is am I fairly fearless about looking silly and somehow making it work.
Hart, I think I was pre-tween, but we used to do it, too. 🙂 Good times.