Nancy Beiman's illustration of "The Perils of Piggy"
Tom as a melodrama villain in Episode 0318
Evil McBad on The Jim Henson Hour
Melodrama is a form of stage drama known for its use of sensationalized action, exaggerated gestures and speech, stock characters, and basic (often sentimental) morality. Derived from the French word "mélodrame" and the works which developed during the French Revolution, the form fully developed in the Victorian era. Music provided accompaniment and emphasized the action. Standard melodrama characters included the chaste heroine, brave hero (sometimes a sailor or mountie), the victimized parent, and particularly the villain.
The melodramatic villain, with opera cape, top hat, and waxed moustache, reflected the fashions of the day and the fact that he was usually a wealthy landowner or member of the nobility (often a baronet). The accessories would come to instantly signify villainy in themselves, particularly through parody characters such as Jay Ward's Snidely Whiplash. Melodramas often had gothic overtones or depicted sensationalized figures such as Sweeney Todd. Devices such as the cavalry riding to the rescue also originated in melodrama, while the 1890 play Blue Jeans gave the world the first "tied to a buzzsaw" death trap.
Silent films revived melodrama, with piano or organ accompaniment serving the same purpose, particularly The Perils of Pauline serial, and added more cinematic perils such as tying the heroine to railroad tracks. The form also influenced soap operas, particularly on radio (complete with dramatic organ stings).
References[]
- In Big Bird's nightmare in Sesame Street Episode 0318, Tom appears as a melodrama villain to lock him in a cage.
- The "Teeth" pageant has Prairie Dawn providing melodramatic piano music to accompany the villainous Tooth Decay, played by Herry Monster.
- The book The Perils of Penelope, a Perils of Pauline spoof, stars Bert as the heroine in distress and Ernie as the various heroes who rescue Penelope from danger.
- The third season of The Muppet Show featured two Muppet Melodrama sketches, while a third appeared years later in The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson #3. All cast Miss Piggy as the heroine in distress, Uncle Deadly as the villain, and Wayne as the hero.
- The Muppet Show on Tour: 2nd Edition again spoofed The Perils of Pauline, but more broadly melodrama cliches in general. Miss Piggy played the heroine, Statler and Waldorf the villains (both in top hat and cape), and Kermit the mountie hero. Rowlf the Dog narrated.
- Evil McBad, in the Bean Bunny and the Cuteness Thief promo from The Jim Henson Hour episode 104, is the typical sneering melodrama villain, moustache and top hat included.