20 and Still Counting montage
A familiar comedy gag has a character reacting to a statement or circumstance by fainting, typically from shock, but occasionally from sheer weariness of dealing with the situation. The early comic strip Jerry on the Job (1913-1930) used it in nearly every strip, with characters' reactions in the final panel indicated by their feet rising in the air as they collapse on the ground. The convention was also used on stage, film and TV, and radio (with a sound effects thud).
The Muppets, being characters who rely heavily on visual gags, have proudly carried on the comedy tradition. The following representative examples only include fainting as a comedic reaction, not as the result of impact, explosions, falling, or anything else. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
When used in response to a baffling revelation or generally frustrating/bizarre situation, the reaction usually comes from the straight man in the scene. In Muppet terms, this means Bert and Mr. Johnson are most frequently overcome.
As for over exhaustion, the ever eager to help Grover is the primary exemplar.
For amplified effect, the exhaustion can strike multiple characters simultaneously, as with Animal and Harry Belafonte after their drum battle on The Muppet Show episode 314.
In real life, dizziness from watching spinning objects usually only prompts an individual to sit down or feel woozy. In the comedy realm, it can induce fainting.
A fainting gag with one of the most easily trackable histories involves fans swooning as the result of a pop singer. The gag began in the 1940s in the heyday of Frank Sinatra and his legions of bobby soxer fans, parodied in Looney Tunes (notably 1944's Swooner Crooner), Tex Avery, and Paramount cartoons, among others. The Muppets have used the gag for impersonations of past crooners, such as Garth Brooks' Tom Jones performance in Muppets Tonight episode 102 and Miles playing Gordon's dad as a flashback 1950s pop singer in Sesame Street Episode 4067.
Comedy characters also faint as an overly dramatized reaction to a fairly mundane situation or piece of news. Big Bird demonstrates in Episode 3397, collapsing on Gina's shoulder upon learning she won't be working at Hooper's Store anymore.
Echoing the shock reactions in horror films, all the pigs present save Miss Piggy faint simultaneously at the sight of the giant chicken in The Muppet Show episode 419.
An even less horror inducing sight is a kitten brought to the Sally Messy Yuckyael show in Episode 3120, causing the Grouch audience (including Grundgetta and Fluffy) to faint one by one.
