Well after a two year wait (thanks to the bane of the entertainment business, music clearance) the second season of 'The Muppet Show' is finally out on DVD.

If you know me or if you've read my blog then you know how I'm spending my weekend...........and loving it.

'The Muppet Show' was great on so many levels and got better with each successive season. And it still holds up, even during the dated moments. The artistry and voice acting is incredible, the guest stars are all truly great stars and it also happens to be rioutously funny.

Not into puppets? Get over it or you'll miss one of the best variety shows ever produced.

But I noticed something while watching this set that gave me pause.

If you remember the show, it always opened with emcee Kermit The Frog sticking his upper body out of the hole in the 'O' in the setpiece that spelled 'Muppet Show'. He'd then announce, 'It's The Muppet Show with our very special guest star Mr. (Ms.) Insert Guest Star Name Here', then he'd wave his arms around and in that distinctive falsetto of his he'd yell 'yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!'.

The yay was always the best part of that introduction. His unbridled and unapologetic joy over being able to bring such stellar talent to you and me was just infectious and always primed you for a good time.

So I watch episode after epsiode and see him introduce guest star after guest star, always punctuating it with the 'yaaaaaaaay'.

'Mr. Steve Martin, yaaaaaaaaay'

'Mr. Elton John, yaaaaaaaaaay'

Mr. Bob Hope, yaaaaaaaaaay'

'Ms. Julie Andrews, yaaaaaaay'

Star after star was followed by yay after yay.

That is until the episode with Lou Rawls as the guest star came on.

The intro from that episode went like this..........

'It's the Muppet Show with our very special guest star, Mr. Lou Rawls'.

No, yay.

NO YAY.

Just a polite nod of the head, that's it.

Why I thought, did Kermit, always good for a yay, fail to give us one for this particular guest? What happened?

As I went over the liner notes in the cover I noticed something which I can't get out of my head.

All the other guest stars from that season were white.

It seems incredulous to wonder this about the guy who sang 'It's Not Easy Being Green', the manifesto for being proud of whatever color you are, and also is famous for an interspecies romance but.................

does Kermit have a problem with the brothers?

Does he?


DOES HE??????