You may have heard about this new stage production called “Avenue Q,” now playing at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.  Penny Parker’s column in the Rocky Mountain News describes it as “Naughty Muppets…REALLLLY Naughty Muppets.”  I’ve read about it elsewhere, and just got done seeing a huge segment about it on one of the morning TV news shows.  I might be alone on this, but I find the whole thing to be rather unseemly.

It’s bad enough that we enjoy getting our jollies with off-color humor.  But when you take something innocent like Sesame Street and make it “naughty,” it’s even worse.  I read where part of the show involved “Muppet Sex”–with the muppet characters have sex with each other as part of the show.  Ha ha ha.

I’ve done some study on the art/science of comedy, so I understand that part of the comedic formula is the element of surprise–the unexpected juxtaposition of two unrelated or incongruent elements.  But I also understand that associating vulgar behavior to innocent sources is a “cheap” way to get a laugh.  It truly is the lowest form of humor, done over and over and over.  The cable cartoon “South Park” is one recent [tasteless] example.  Back in the 70s it was “Howard The Duck.”

I guess I’m not saying that a show like ”Avenue Q” ought to be “boycotted” or “censored.”  It’s more like–let’s not pour down accolades on a production like this, as if it were something brilliant.  Because it’s not.