Muppet viral videos

virmup is a phrase used to tag a series of original viral videos starring the Muppets and posted to several online video sharing websites. The series includes videos posted by Sam the Eagle, Gonzo, Beaker, the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat, and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew followed.

The newest video, "Bohemian Rhapsody", launched on YouTube on November 23rd.

Video gallery
Video:Stars & Stripes FOREVER!|Stars & Stripes FOREVER! Video:Ode To Joy|Ode To Joy Video:Classical Chicken|Classical Chicken Video:Habanera|Habanera Video:Hrmph|Hrmph Video:Mmph|Mmph Video:Blech|Blech Video:Meh|Meh Video:Rolling with the Skateboarding Dog|Rolling with the Skateboarding Dog Video:The Skateboarding Dog Gets Served|The Skateboarding Dog Gets Served Video:Muppet Labs Experiment 2Q975: Carve-O-Matic|Muppet Labs Experiment 2Q975: Carve-O-Matic Video:Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt|Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt Video:Cårven Der Pümpkîn|Cårven Der Pümpkîn

Releases
The series launched on June 27, 2008 with Sam the Eagle's "Stars & Stripes FOREVER!" posted to YouTube, MySpace and Vimeo. Three abstract music videos followed on July 16 posted by Gonzo, Beaker and the Swedish Chef.

Fozzie Bear added a video on October 20, 2008 of the Muppets' visting Tyson the skateboarding bulldog at Huntington Beach. Rizzo the Rat launched a profile on October 20th as well; and posted a video response to Fozzie's video featuring Rowlf the Dog on October 23rd.

On October 26, 2009 three new Halloween videos were posted on YouTube. The Swedish Chef's pumpkin carving video, and two Muppet Lab sketches posted by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew ("Carve-o-matic" and "Ghost Hunter").

Each video closes with critical comments by Statler and Waldorf, who also posted four independent heckling shorts under their own account in July 2008.

Muppet Studios head Lylle Breier stated at a 2009 D23 presentation that more viral videos were planned for 2010 - including such titles as "Dust in the Wind," "Bohemian Rhapsody," American Woman," "Popcorn," "Carol of the Bells," and "Stand By Me".

In fall 2009 the first four shorts were made available for download at The iTunes Store.

Beaker's "Ode to Joy" was also posted on Muppets.com and the three Halloween videos from October 2009 were also showcased on Disney's Haunted Holidays website.

Development & production
Steve Whitmire spoke of the development of the project in a 2008 interview, stating: "The idea for that came from the whole department at Disney. Actually it was Dave Cook who decided we should originally be involved in that. So kudos to the executive force, you know? I had a lot to do with putting it together, making it work, along with the guys from a company called Soap Box, which I think is an outside production company that was brought in to produce the pieces. Great group of guys."

The initial set of videos were directed by Kirk Thatcher.

Awards & recognition
Beaker's "Ode to Joy" video was nominated for a People's Voice Webby Award in April 2009. (A previous Muppet video series, From the Balcony, won a Webby in 2007.) The public was invited to vote in the Webbys' "People's Voice." Two campaign videos were posted on several of the Muppets' accounts in to support the effort. It was announced in May that "Ode to Joy" won the People's Voice award.