In the midseventies to 1981 I made movies with a big ape, King Kong, a shrinking woman, Lily Tomlin (The Incredible Shrinking Woman), and Miss Piggy (The Great Muppet Caper).
Ironically, around that same time I became friends with Donald Kendall, who was the CEO of Pepsico as well as the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, a conservative group that was formed to help business corporations. The two of us flew in his private plane to Washington.
At that time, I was appearing regularly on television, mostly comedically but sometimes as a serious guest, and Don Kendall wanted me to meet members of the incoming Reagan administration and hopefully help get their points of view out there on television. I had a lot of meetings with different groups, and as they explained to me why they wanted to have fewer government programs, I cautioned them on the need for a safety net for the truly needy. I said that the first time someone committed suicide because they had nowhere to turn, it would be a real blow to their policies.
I particularly remember a one-on-one meeting with a very bright young congressman named Newt Gingrich. I remember a phone conversation with Jack Kemp, who later ran for vice president. Congressman Kemp said to me, “I’m aware of what you’re doing, and keep it up.” I thanked him, even though I had no idea what he meant.
More than one person followed me to the elevator after different meetings, saying no one is talking to us the way you are, and we appreciate the cautionary warnings.
As Don Kendall and I were preparing to leave the capital, a man from one of the meetings came over to me and said, “I’d like to ask you a question.” I never wanted to run for office, but I felt I was about to be asked. The man said, “What’s it like to work with Miss Piggy?”
The lesson? Watch out for delusions of grandeur.
On the other hand, it’s actually been suggested by many people that I run for office. The problem is I refuse to ask people for money, and I don’t really travel. I want to help mankind as much as I can from home, or at least within the New York–Connecticut area.