Why Isn't The Forum More Hoppin?(pun intended)

[D'Snowth]

The main site's been needing some updating, but nothing gets done, especially as far as fan-input is concerned, which is one of the reasons why Prawnie started the Mindset in the first place, to at least bring back that aspect of the Muppet community.

As far as the forum is concerned, I think part of the problem is that the Muppets simply aren't part of mainstream media anymore. Ever since MFS, the Muppets slowly faded into obscurity, especially with how Disney kept shelving numerous projects ever since they bought the Muppets... heck, most Muppet Freaks like to pretend that certain movies like KSY, and MWoO don't even exist (yet, they praise IAVMMCM, which was the worst). It took Jason Segel basically badgering Disney with his script for THE MUPPETS (2011) to bring them back to people's attention, but I think by that time, the general public kind of lost interest... and in this day and age where remakes of older franchises pretty much just tarnish the credibility of the original work, I think perhaps many people just dismissed the movie altogether. Naturally, we as Muppet Freaks LOVED the movie, however, critics and other moviergoers weren't exactly kind in their reviews of it, saying the movie spent too much time showering the Muppets with "hero worship" and not enough development on the actual plot and character development.

I know Disney is at least FINALLY trying to keep the Muppets in the mainstream again, but it's just hard to keep the flame burning after all this time without Jim's mastermind in the captain's chair, and I just don't know if it's enough to spark interest again.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

I think it might have brought most fans back to their fandom (at least it did for me).
I sorta lost interest in the Muppets years ago, when their only new stuff were some Pepe Profiles and Studio DC.

But as soon as it became the marketing season for The Muppets, it drew me right back in and re-started my fandom again. The rest is history.

 

[D'Snowth]

Sure, that works for any fandom really, I admit that the 2007 CGI/live-action movie of Alvin and The Chipmunks brought me back to that fandom, but I'm not speaking so much of fandoms, I'm speaking moreso of the general public, and I just kind of get the feeling the general public (outside Muppet Freaks) has just kind of lost interest, because it's been so long since the Muppets were really a part of mainstream media, and they're finally making a really significant comeback during a time where so many older media franchises are being brought back and modernized for today's audiences and people have kind of gotten jaded and dillusional about it, considering very rarely do these modern remakes ever do any kind of justice to the original work. And again, sure, we as Muppet Freaks loved THE MUPPETS (2011), but the general public didn't seem too awfully favorable of it.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Of course it was! It brought the Muppets back in the public, and suddenly, everyone was a Muppet fan those days (honestly, those days were the best). Lots of people were saying "Wow, I remember these guys on TV when I was a kid" and I have a feeling that's what bought most tickets.

That's why I think in the future, they should also try to aim at those groups of people, which is exactly what The Muppets All-Star Comedy Gala was all about.

 

[dwayne1115]

The main site's been needing some updating, but nothing gets done, especially as far as fan-input is concerned, which is one of the reasons why Prawnie started the Mindset in the first place, to at least bring back that aspect of the Muppet community.

As far as the forum is concerned, I think part of the problem is that the Muppets simply aren't part of mainstream media anymore. Ever since MFS, the Muppets slowly faded into obscurity, especially with how Disney kept shelving numerous projects ever since they bought the Muppets... heck, most Muppet Freaks like to pretend that certain movies like KSY, and MWoO don't even exist (yet, they praise IAVMMCM, which was the worst). It took Jason Segel basically badgering Disney with his script for THE MUPPETS (2011) to bring them back to people's attention, but I think by that time, the general public kind of lost interest... and in this day and age where remakes of older franchises pretty much just tarnish the credibility of the original work, I think perhaps many people just dismissed the movie altogether. Naturally, we as Muppet Freaks LOVED the movie, however, critics and other moviergoers weren't exactly kind in their reviews of it, saying the movie spent too much time showering the Muppets with "hero worship" and not enough development on the actual plot and character development.

I know Disney is at least FINALLY trying to keep the Muppets in the mainstream again, but it's just hard to keep the flame burning after all this time without Jim's mastermind in the captain's chair, and I just don't know if it's enough to spark interest again.

Just my thoughts.

After the Mindset was started I always felt like there where three Muppet fan websites, and they pushed this website out of the spotlight. Whether they meant to or not they did not included the website, and forum in there own Muppet fan community that they where trying to start. Which is kind of upsetting because at least two of them got there start, or a lot of help from this site.
At one point Muppet Central as a whole was one of the only places fans could go to get the latest updates and information on all things Muppets/Jim Henson related news reviews, and interviews. Sadly that is not the case anymore, and I personally believe that hurts the forum.

Now as far as Muppet productions bringing in fans I think we can all agree that the 2011 movie was the best thing we have seen do that. A lot of the newer members I have talked to said they saw the movie, and that is what helped them find this forum. I even went to the theater and passed out little cards with the web address and the slogan "Are you a Muppet fan? Come join the fun at muppetcental.com"

I honestly believe that to have the forums hopping again it's going to have to be a combined effort. If we could somehow get enough people excited, then the excitement would start to spread like a wild fire. It would not be the same that it was 15 years ago, but the forums would be alive, and a very fun place to hang out once again!

 

[D'Snowth]

After the Mindset was started I always felt like there where three Muppet fan websites, and they pushed this website out of the spotlight. Whether they meant to or not they did not included the website, and forum in there own Muppet fan community that they where trying to start.

Well again, as I said, part of the problem was MC's own doing: for whatever reason (I don't remember now), but all fanbased input, such as reviews, writeups, interviews, articles, what have you, were no longer allowed, and that used to be a really big part of MC as a whole, which again, is pretty much why Prawnie started the Mindset in the first place, to offer those fan-written articles and reviews and such a new home on the web

 

[beaker]

It is surreal to think, despite the tidal wave of advertising and the wildly positive reviews of the 2011 film, that online Muppet fandom is as underground as ever. I mean The Muppets official facebook page has a zillion likes, and Im sure zillions of people post about the Muppets on facebook...but unlike Star Wars, Dr Who, etc there's no real organized Muppet fanbase. Heck I complained how JHC's Farscape in 2003 had a ton more organized online fans than the Muppets themselves.

It kind of depresses me as you all worked hard, and heck Disney finally got off their butts thanks to Segal to bring back the crew in full form...but it's kind of tumbleweeds Muppet fan wise.

As far as critical reception, I recall it got almost unanimous fan AND critical priase...heck I think I was(and still am) more harsh on the film than most people. I heard very few bad things said about it. I don't mean to live in the past, as much as there was a palpapble excitement regarding the 1998-2002 Muppet online period, even onto 2005...but I want to have hope for the future. I mean, I still hold firm Id never date let alone marry someone who wasnt a big Muppet fan

Also THANK GOODNESS for The Muppet Mindset. That site has not slacked once, and continually puts out positive content(sometimes ToughPigs gets a bit adult even for my weird tastes) But I do feel the problem is, that while I feel the Muppet Central forum is the best aggregated venue for everyone to post on, noone links to it. So I guess someone has to be really lucky to find it these days. Itd be cool if Muppet Mindset or somewhere could link to the forums.

I also wanted to mention how beneficial the BOOM! Muppets and the Fraggle comic series have been. Very happy to see Fraggle Rock back in some capacity.

 

[beaker]

haha, this is pretty awesome

 

[Beauregard]

Hey hey hey. I am still here literally every day, I just have a lot less funny things too say that I used to, and my rule is that if its not funny (or at the very least doesn't add something to the conversation) don't say anything.

The explosion of Facebook/Twitter/etc led to new ways for me to get my internal needs for an Audience to my comedy met, plus MC gave me the confidence to be a lot more funny/interesting/real outside of here too in #reallife. So, I guess that just meant that I could get my crazy out 24/7, and I didn't need such an amazing, safe place as MC to do it anymore.

I love everyone here! I'm sure we'll all be back together to review/nitpick/complainabout/LOVE the new movie.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

#WelcomeBack Beau! It's good to see you! I'm hoping #MuppetsMostWanted will bring back everyone so we can all talk about it/go crazy for a couple of months. Then we wait for some other news. Can't wait! #Impatient

#WhatsWithAllTheHashtags?