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The term "Muppet" (capitalized), coined in 1954 by Jim Henson for his puppet act, has unofficially become a slang term (lowercase) with different meanings in various regions. The term is currently owned by the Walt Disney Company's subsidiary, Muppets Holding Company.
Outside of its regional usage -- in the United States for example -- calling an individual a "muppet" has caused some confusion for some, misinterpreting it as a compliment.[1][dubious ] These cases have assumed a literal interpretation of the Muppet characters, the property for which the term is trademarked.
Regional usage
In Great Britain and in Ireland the word muppet has come to be used as a mild term of abuse, meaning a stupid, incompetent, or moronic person, or the obvious interpretation of someone who is inanimated or somehow not there. In a physical context alluding to the tendency for Muppets to wave their arms around or otherwise move clumsily on-screen.[citation needed] It is often used mildly affectionately. It can also be applied (in the United Kingdom but not in the Republic of Ireland) to an aesthetically displeasing individual.[citation needed]
In the video game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Captain Price, the squadron leader of the player's SAS unit refers to the player's character as a "muppet." "What the hell kind of name is 'Soap'? How'd a muppet like you pass Selection, eh?"
The term is frequently used by English football fans to describe an inept performance by an individual player, or a player or manager perceived to be lacking in skill.
The film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, penned by British writer/director Guy Ritchie, features an example of the regional usage of the term in pop culture. The character "Hatchet" Harry Lonsdale (played by P.H. Moriarty) remarks, "I don't want to know who you use, as long as they're not complete muppets."[citation needed]
The term muppetry is also rapidly gaining popularity as a description for an individual, or group of people collectively behaving in a muppet-like fashion. The origins are believed to have come from workers in large organisations, who were unhappy with the low to non-existent level of thought or application, that other colleagues put into their work. For example - "I'm sorry the figures will be late this quarter, due to the high amount of muppetry going on in the accounts department", or "Gregory's muppetry appears to have been infectious."[2]