History YMMV / EmmetOttersJugBandChristmas

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: The ''entire special'', especially if you grew up on it.

* HarsherInHindsight: "When The River Meets The Sea" becomes even more achingly beautiful when you realize how many people who were associated with the special have died over the years. It's frequently played at several Muppet peoples' funerals as a result.
** Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold performed the song together at Jim Henson's memorial service in 1990.
** At least a couple of [=YouTube=] videos have this song as the underscore for tributes to Jerry Nelson, who performed Emmet Otter in the special. According to Dave Goelz, at Nelson's memorial, 30 puppeteers performed the song.

* RootingForTheEmpire: {{Invoked|Trope}} with Riverbottom Nightmare Band. Obviously, the viewer is supposed to want Emmet and Alice to with the talent competition, but they're no match for an awesome rock 'n roll act like the Nightmare Band. Our heroes know that they're getting schooled, and [[OhCrap expressions]] on their faces during the band's number make it clear: The River Bottom gang may be a bunch of jerks, but they're ''talented'' jerks, and absolutely deserve to win.

** At least a couple of [=YouTube=] videos have this song as the underscore for tributes to Jerry Nelson, who performed Emmet Otter in the special.

** At least a couple of YouTube videos have this song as the underscore for tributes to Jerry Nelson, who performed Emmet Otter in the special.

* HarsherInHindsight: "When The River Meets The Sea" becomes even more achingly beautiful when you realize how many people who were associated with the special have died over the years. As stated below, it's frequently played at several Muppet peoples' funerals.

* TearJerker:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KRHRfx7nI0 "When The River Meets The Sea"]] is ''beautiful'', especially for a children's puppet ChristmasSpecial - there's a reason it's been covered by Music/JohnDenver and Rose Polenzani.
** It certainly becomes more poignant with the numerous deaths of Muppet people associated with the special, notably Creator/JimHenson (for which Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold sang the song at his memorial service), Richard Hunt, Jerry Juhl, Nelson himself, and Jim's widow Jane.
** [[http://forums.delphiforums.com/toughpigs/messages/?msg=14837.15 Dave Goelz]] [[WordOfGod revealed at a public event]] shortly after Jerry Nelson died that whenever a Muppet-related person dies, the song is played at their memorial. He then mentioned that 30 puppeteers sang it at Jerry's memorial.
** In a similar spirit, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LLrRMw2fm8 Our World]]. A simple little ballad of peace and love, again coming from a children's Christmas special. Music/PaulWilliams, ladies and gentlemen. It is also the only other song in the special to receive a cover, this time by ''My Morning Jacket'' on a compilation CD called ''The Green Album''.
** "Alice Keep Dreaming" from the ScreenToStageAdaptation.

* RootingForTheEmpire: {{Invoked|Trope}} with Riverbottom Nightmare Band. Obviously, the viewer is supposed to want Emmet and Alice to with the talent competition, but they're no match for an awesome rock 'n roll act like the Nightmare Band. The [[OhCrap expressions]] on the rest of our heroes' faces make it clear that that they know they're getting schooled: The River Bottom gang may be a bunch of jerks, but they're ''talented'' jerks, and absolutely deserve to win.

* BrokenBase: When HBO announced that they are remaking the special in October 2019, with ''Flight of The Conchords''' Bret [=McKenzie=] helming the music, script and possibly direction. Half of the fans think the movie could use a fresh coat of paint and a redo. The other half argue that Paul Williams' score is perfection and does not want the movie remade, claiming that the remake will destroy their childhood.

* RootingForTheEmpire: Of course everyone loves Emmet and Alice, but some viewers just can't help liking the Riverbottom Nightmare Band's song more.
** That's [[FridgeBrilliance probably intentional.]] When the Nightmare starts up, Wendell gets into their song, and the [[OhCrap expressions]] on the rest of our heroes' faces makes it clear, they know they're getting schooled. The River Bottom gang may be a bunch of jerks, but they're ''talented'' jerks, and they deserved to win.

** In a similar spirit, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LLrRMw2fm8 Our World]]. A simple little ballad of peace and love, again coming from a children's Christmas special. Music/PaulWilliams, ladies and gentlemen.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** The first song about "the one bathing suit that your Grandma Otter wore".
** The performers in the horse suit.
** The HilariousOuttakes (included on the 2005 and 2017 DVD) deserve a mention as well. Especially the drum one -- Jim wanted it to roll a certain way, but it rolled perfectly ''once'', when the cameras weren't rolling, and they all lost it trying to recreate it. They're particularly funny as Frank Oz is doing the temp voice for Ma. ("He likes 'em all. He just likes to see the drum roll out the door.")
*** Ma's various reactions:
--->'''Emmet''': Who are they, Ma?\\
'''Ma''': Beats me. Hooligans is what they are! Probably some of those Riverbottom boys. ''*drum rolls out*''\\
'''Ma''': What the hell was that?
*** And
--->'''Ma''': Sweet Jesus! Did you see that? Did you--did you see that?
*** Or
--->'''Ma''': Run! Get the drum! It's worth about ten bucks!\\
'''Emmet''': I can't! My feet are stapled!
*** Jerry Nelson gets in on it as well
--->'''Emmet''': Do we get hazard pay for this? I thought I was gonna get hit that time.
*** It's also hilarious how they sometimes treat the drum as another muppet instead of a prop:
--->'''Ma''': (to drum) Well, win a few, lost a few, right drum?
*** And that's not considering the one punny joke Jerry unleashed in one of the takes, with both Jerry and Frank channeling their inner gangsters
--->'''Emmet''': (to drum) I'm gonna have you ''drummed'' out of this business!\\
'''Ma''': Well? '''Well?''' Get up! Kick him, Emmet!
*** And this particular goof of Emmet's:
--->'''Emmet''': Who are we Ma?\\
'''Ma''': I ''*begins corpsing*'' couldn't care less!
*** After they finally succeed, Emmet and his mom bow, then flop over.
--->'''Emmet''': Can't we do it again, Ma?\\
'''Ma''': Shut up, Emmet.

** The HilariousOuttakes (included on the 2005 DVD) deserve a mention as well. Especially the drum one -- Jim wanted it to roll a certain way, but it rolled perfectly ''once'', when the cameras weren't rolling, and they all lost it trying to recreate it. They're particularly funny as Frank Oz is doing the temp voice for Ma. ("He likes 'em all. He just likes to see the drum roll out the door.")

*** It's also hilarious how they sometimes treat the drum as another muppet instead of an object:
--->'''Ma''': Well, win a few, lost a few, right drum?

--->'''Emmet''': I'm gonna have you ''drummed'' out of this business!\\

*** It's also hilarious how they treat sometimes the drum as another muppet instead of an object:

--->'''Emmet''': I'm gonna have you ''drummed'' out of this business!
--->'''Ma''': Well? '''Well?''' Get up! Kick him, Emmet!

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic / EarWorm: ''All'' of the music. That's what you get when Music/PaulWilliams is writing the songs.

* AwesomeMusic / EarWorm: ''All'' of the music. That's what you get when Music/PaulWilliams is writing the songs.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Jim Henson always tried to have some new kind of puppet effect in his work that would make everyone say "How did they do that?" In this case, it was the shot of Emmet in the rowboat, achieved with a mechanical, remote-controlled puppet.