ESFJ: Fozzie Bear, “The Muppet Show”

ESFJ, the Provider, the Harmonizer, the Caretaker

So here’s what I was talking about when I said we were going to come across unhealthy behavior in the Muppets. Don’t get mad, I love Fozzie too. You can’t help it. But his Fe is so fragile, you want to love him just so he won’t crumble in front of you. Fozzie gets stronger when he’s allied with a good friend like Kermit, and his Fe-dom can come out as loyalty, love, and support. When he takes the stage on his own, though, the poor bear’s a nervous wreck.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Feeling (Fe), “Relate to the Experience”

Fozzie Bear desires nothing more in life than to make people laugh and to be loved by his audience. He exudes enthusiasm for his work, and wants everyone to love his jokes as much as he does. He’s lovably insecure, takes criticism hard, and feels crushed when he gets heckled.

When the audience is happy, Fozzie’s overjoyed, and when they’re not, he can sense it immediately. In The Muppet Movie, he starts out telling a fat joke—“There was this sailor who was so fat…”—only to backpedal when a fat sailor in the crowd gives him the stink eye—“…he was so fat that everybody liked him and there was nothing funny about him at all.”

Fozzie can be easily swayed by the right influence—he almost offers himself to Doc Hopper when Kermit turns down the gig—and gets swept up in others’ excitement—he loves the rainbow paint job the Electric Mayhem Band gives his car, while Kermit remains dubious. He looks to his best friend Kermit for leadership, sticks to him loyally, and defers to his opinion in most matters (he calls him “sir” through most of The Muppet Movie). Kermit’s approval or disapproval of his act can make or break his day.

In The Great Muppet Caper, the Muppets are each making excuses for why they can’t join the climactic rescue mission, and Fozzie speaks up to motivate them: “Shame on you! I thought we were in this together! I’m just as scared as you are, but this has to be done!” It’s such an inspiring speech, it’s even included in this famous viral Most Inspiring Movie Speeches video.

Of course, once he makes the speech, Fozzie admits, “That took a lot out of me.”

ENTJ: Miss Piggy, “The Muppet Show”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshall, the Trailblazer

Miss Piggy was first performed by Richard Hunt (of Scooter fame) in the first season of The Muppet Show, before he and Frank Oz began switching duties. Then Frank Oz broke out with that voice and that attitude, and the rest is history. Miss Piggy is often held up as a positive, strong female character, but sometimes I wonder if she’s a dude’s caricatured idea of a strong woman—melodramatic, flamboyant, yet butt-kicking.

I say this, and yet my first public performance was with Miss Piggy and Snoopy puppets, when I made my kindergarten class sit and watch a show I’d made up. They were unimpressed.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Even with her typical Muppet-style dysfunctions, Piggy’s a fine example of an ENTJ, and the first lady ENTJ I’ve had the pleasure to profile for Heroes and Villains. She’s kind of a big deal, is what I’m saying.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Miss Piggy is a woman who knows what she wants. She won’t let anything or anyone (or any weirdo-whatever-he-is) deter her from her goals, and she works hard to get there. She demands to be heard, and she often demands stage time from her reluctant boyfriend/producer, Kermit.

Time and again, Piggy rescues herself from whatever predicament she’s gotten into by the end of the movie (any Muppet movie, just pick one) when the others prove themselves to be useless at helping her. She often takes charge of situations, especially when Kermit’s not around to focus everyone. In The Muppets (2011), she organizes the kidnapping of Jack Black, which she admits is not an action Kermit would approve of, but it gets the job done.

Miss Piggy’s intense drive to succeed has the unfortunate side effect of distracting her from her personal commitments. After fawning all over him, she abandons Kermit twice in The Muppet Movie to follow a job lead. She’s not afraid to literally walk all over her amour when her career goals demand it.

Without Miss Piggy’s star power, however, The Muppet Show wouldn’t be the success that it is. She throws herself into every pursuit with full commitment, whether it’s singing, acting, modeling, or—as any good Muppet does—laughing her head off at her own dumb jokes (Piggy cracking herself up is my favorite Piggy; just watch an episode of Dr. Bob). And when it comes down to it, she’ll stand up for her frog and her friends, and woe to anyone who picks the other side.