State of the Muppets - An Opinion

[Vic Romano]

I feel as a fan, I should be doing more myself personally to help promote the Muppets, especially with all the new stuff coming about. I wish I could be more a part of it, you know?

 

[wwfpooh]

I feel as a fan, I should be doing more myself personally to help promote the Muppets, especially with all the new stuff coming about. I wish I could be more a part of it, you know?

I know what you mean. We all probably wish we could do our part.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'll be happy to help them out! Hopefully, they need to hire some more puppeteers for something. Anything.

Seriously, though, if they make it I'll buy it. If they produce it, I'll read/watch/listen. I love The Muppets and want to see more of them everywhere!

 

[wwfpooh]

I'll be happy to help them out! Hopefully, they need to hire some more puppeteers for something. Anything.

Seriously, though, if they make it I'll buy it. If they produce it, I'll read/watch/listen. I love The Muppets and want to see more of them everywhere!

Don't we all? XD

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Don't we all? XD

Yes!

 

[frogboy4]

I think now is the best time to be a Muppet fan.

Disney's efforts have been half-hearted at best in the past. They barely promoted Muppet Treasure Island when that came out. Muppets Tonight got buried beneath the kiddie TGIF Urkel fodder on ABC. Many fans didn't even know it was ever on until they burned off remaining episodes on the Disney Channel. Some still aren't aware it ever existed. Then after buying the Muppets from Henson Co, Disney reportedly cut the budget and tinkered with the Muppets Wizard of Oz and launched a website that stuck the characters in a vacant theme park. They launched then cut Kermit's world tour. They also released crummier DVDs of preexisting Muppet films under the "anniversary" guise.

But all that has changed.

Disney is now invested in the Muppets' success. Studio DC wasn't my taste, but it was in no way embarrassing like what happened to (the non-Disney) Muppets From Space. I remember Eisner remarking on Larry King many years ago that the Muppets were a still viable, but mismanaged property. Yes, in many ways that man was awful, but in that instance he was correct. The Muppets haven't had a real solid plan that made any business sense. This does.

This new effort isn't a rehash, a make-over, exploitation or half-hearted attempt. We are witnessing a layered foundation being built for the Muppets. Everyone can enjoy the web antics of the Muppets. It relies on the classic tradition of the Muppets. They showed up to greet tweens on the Disney Channel and had a few good moments (Kermit's dancing, Piggy's hotel diva scene etc). They're getting new specials, books, comics and likely more fantastic Muppet Show DVD sets - all leading to the film firmly slated for 2010.

Disney is not only allowing the Muppets to be the Muppets, they are trying to get all eyes on them! That's big. I might not be completely pleased with the look of some of the puppets or products, but I am thrilled with Disney at the moment.

 

[wwfpooh]

One can only hope this all works, frogboy.

 

[Redsonga]

*seems to be the only one in the world that didn't hate Muppets in Space or Swamp Years and thought they were ten times better than OZ*

 

[Super Scooter]

*seems to be the only one in the world that didn't hate Muppets in Space or Swamp Years and thought they were ten times better than OZ*

Well, I thought Muppets from Space was ok (I liked it a lot more before I heard how they changed it from Jerry Juhl's original script... which would have been so much better), and I liked Kermit's Swamp Years, with the exception of the bad guy, who was just too over-the-top. I liked Muppets Wizard of Oz, too... it had it's problems, but it wasn't bad.

 

[wwfpooh]

*seems to be the only one in the world that didn't hate Muppets in Space*

Well, it seems people were upset to know that Gonzo was an weird alien whatever that's part of an entire race of beings instead of being one-of-a-kind. The thing is...to fans, Gonzo still is one-of-a-kind, because he's the only alien whatever in his entire family to be a daredevil stuntman, and on top of that, The Muppet Movie--that started it all--alluded to Gonzo's spacey & out-there origin (see "I'm Going to Go Back There Sunday").