The Muppets are having a moment -- just when we need them most

The recent Muppet resurgence has been powered by our need for comfort and a hefty dose of positivity. Adults find their way back to the Muppets when they need their favorite frog or pig or monster most.

Elmo, that lovable, occasionally grating Muppet and "Sesame Street" stalwart since 1984, kept Gillespie company for much of his early childhood from a TV inside his hospital room. He'd watch the same tapes -- the "Best of Elmo" compilation, usually -- so often that his nurses had chosen their own favorite parts.

Gillespie has loved the Muppets ever since he watched in awe as Elmo tap danced down a staircase like a regular Fred Astaire. So seeing the preschool-aged monster get his due among other adults who grew up with him -- this time for his feud with a rock -- has been extremely gratifying, he said.