Puppets are generally not as distinctive as a Muppet.
Although all Muppets are puppets, not all puppets are Muppets. Both are operated by hand or through strings, and both are used for entertainment and educational purposes. Despite the similarities, there are some differences. If nothing else, the Muppets have produced individual stars like Kermit the Frog and Elmo. Few other puppets can be identified by name.
History
Puppets have been around for thousands of years. There are stick puppets that date from 1,000 B.C. Muppets, on the other hand, are a line of puppets created by Jim Henson. Henson chose the name by combining the words "marionette" and "puppet." They were first used in 1955 on the five minute show "Sam and Friends," and were prominently featured in the 1970s TV show "Sesame Street." Kermit the Frog was introduced on "Sam and Friends." Other famous Muppets like Cookie Monster, Miss Piggy and Fozzy developed in the 1970s.
Appearance
Most of the Muppets are fuzzy and furry. They usually have bulging eyes, wide mouths and are very colorful to enhance their appeal to children. It is rare to see the strings that operate a Muppet. Puppets are not always colorful, and many "serious" puppet productions use wooden or stick puppets to convey a dramatic message. Marionettes are a form of puppet where the puppeteer and strings can clearly be seen. Muppet puppeteers are never seen by the audience.
Trademark
While anyone can put on a puppet show, only the owners of the Muppet trademark can legally put on a Muppet show. As of 2011, Disney owns most of the Muppets. The only Muppets not owned by Disney as of 2011 were those still licensed by the Sesame Workshop, including Elmo and Big Bird.
Message Control
The first season of "Saturday Night Live" featured regular skits with puppets called "The Land of Gorch." It was developed by Henson, so the puppets got tagged as "Muppets" even though no actual Muppet ever appeared in a "Gorch" sketch. By then, the Muppets were connected to "Sesame Street" and needed to maintain a kid-friendly image. The "Gorch" puppets did humor aimed at "SNL's" adult audience. As of 2011, the real Muppets don't curse or speak about adult-themed issues in anything less than educational terms. Puppets have no such restrictions. Some shows, such as the Broadway hit musical "Avenue Q," use puppets to express political ideas or raunchy humor.
