This year will not see any overlong, overwrought, overly earnest Best Original Song performances, as there were only two songs nominated. Though a performance of The Muppets’ “Man or Muppet” — featuring the puppets and adorable man-puppet hybrid Jason Segel — would have been certainly a nice way to break up the show, we’re happy to not have to sit through yet another interpretative dance routine (Note: This may not be entirely true; see No. 6).
Director Judd Apatow tweeted out the Academy’s Twitter handle, encouraging fans to “tell the Oscars to let The Muppets sing” during the telecast, but to little avail. Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes — one of three writers who penned the other nominated song, “Real in Rio,” from the animated feature Rio — is also more than a little upset with this oversight. “I am very frustrated, kind of sad that we will not be able to perform such a lively song,” he told the Associated Press.