Just in time for spooky season, the Muppets are back for an all-new, original Disney+ Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion!
Out got the chance to speak to several of the special's star-studded cast members --including the diva herself Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Emmy-winning The Assassination of Gianni Versace and Glee star Darren Criss, and Community and Avengers: Endgame alum Yvette Nicole Brown -- about the continuing legacy of the Muppets, making young folks feel represented in the media they watch, and so much more!
"It's an honor to have so many fans across the spectrum, and I just adore all my fans," Miss Piggy said, reacting to a 2011 feature story she did with the Out and the reason for her enduring LGBTQ+ fanbase. "I think what it is is that I represent somebody who would not be put down, would not be put in her place. I'm not like everybody else. I'm not. You don't see too many fabulous pigs walking down the street every day. And so I think that's what it is. You gotta be who you are. You gotta be who you are and be proud. And that's what I am."
But Miss Piggy isn't the only Muppet star making waves in the community. Earlier this year, Baby Gonzo drew big headlines after he wore a princess-inspired gown to a royal ball in a July episode of the Muppet Babies entitled "Gonzo-rella," a big, bold, and inclusive move that sent out a special message of acceptance for gender-variant kids all over the world!
"I made that so long ago!" Gonzo said playfully when asked about wearing a dress and expressing himself as Gonzo-rella in Muppet Babies. "I was just many, many, many, many, many years ago. You can hardly even remember it. And I'm not one of these guys who watches his old stuff. You know, like, I think I'll watch myself on TV. No! I'm dating chickens."
"Well, the Muppets have always been about representation when you think about it," Yvette Nicole Brown added. "Everyone has always been welcome no matter who you are, as long as you come in love and even some that don't come in love."
"I was way ahead of my time," Gonzo concluded.
The Muppets Haunted Mansion special starts streaming October 8 on Disney+!
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