One way to head off big emotion is to replace it with another big emotion—in this case, replacing anger with a love of music, or at least a love of watching other people act goofy. In The Muppet Movie, Kermit and Fozzie do a little vaudevillian dance as a forestalling tactic when Fozzie’s ugly crowd gets uglier, and when violence breaks out anyway, Fozzie deflects it with a quick disguise and a terrible pun. Rapunzel and Flynn don’t start the “I’ve Got A Dream” sing-along that breaks up a mob scene in , but participating in it and sharing their dreams through song and dance gets them out of a tight spot, and gets a bar full of vengeful toughs on their side. And in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Pee-Wee escapes forced tattooing, hanging, and worst of all, possible sex with a lady biker, all by hopping onto the bar, wiggling his negligible assets, and smashing glassware until his would-be murderers are more amused than furious. It’s the “Nobody gets out of here unless they sing the blues” rule from Adventures In Babysitting: The best way to deal with people who might engage in mayhem when they’re bored is to make them a little less bored. [Tasha Robinson]
