10 Hilariously Meta Moments From The Muppets Franchise

The next trope the Muppets play around with is the idea of having to limit content because of their audience, keeping everything light and happy. In Muppet Treasure Island, there's a surprisingly dark moment early on in the film, and of course, the characters are surprised they got away with it. 

In the opening scenes, Gonzo and Rizzo basically serve as the audience surrogate, reacting in horror to everything that's happening. Billy Bones is confronted by Blind Pew in a sequence that might be tense and frightening for young viewers, and at the end of it, Billy suddenly has a heart attack and dies. Yeah, one of the main characters dies right there on screen in a Muppet movie. Rizzo is shocked, saying, "He died? And this is supposed to be a kids movie!" 

A similar comment is made during The Muppet Christmas Carol when the film gets into the segment with the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, which is honestly terrifying for a Muppet movie. Gonzo and Rizzo feel the same way: Rizzo complains that it's too scary and Gonzo looks at the camera and says, "You're on your own folks. We'll meet you at the finale." Aside from being meta, having the characters make jokes about the dark and disturbing moments makes them easier for children to handle without getting too scared.