Where is Steve Whitmire Petition

[SarahOnBway]

Um...excuse me?

Cowardly?

Semi - literate?

Troublemaker?

Okay, I had refused to get involved in this whole thing, but this comment just did it. How in the heck are you going to call someone a troublemaker? Have you even looked at the guy's other posts? He only posts when there's actually SOMETHING to be said. It's not like he's trolling around here like certain members .

And most of you sound childish. How can you all of a sudden gang up on Starr when you've all made assumptions yourself? ("Steve is sick", "Steve is busy working on whatever project"). Yet when something like this comes up you all want to jump the gun. And even if you don't agree with the post, there was a MUCH more MATURE way of posting a response, instead of firing bullets at the guy & calling him out of his name.

Personally, I am sick of this whole situation. And I'm willing to believe Starrfilter since he's never lied before.

Not to start anything, but I think you just misread the sarcasm in Kynan's post. He was sarcastically saying that he'd "heard" all those things about Starrfilter so they must be true. Basically just calling out a rumor for a rumor. I don't think he was actually saying those things.

Emotions are running really high on these threads. It's been a full week since the last Kermit appearance without any news. We need to all take a step back and breathe before none of us ever want to come to this forum again.

 

[frogboy4]

This StarrFilter's post was horrible, inflammatory and IS one of the few examples of a violation in MC Forums policy. However, I hope it's not edited because it exposes more about that particular member than it does about Steve, Sesame Workshop, Disney or the Muppets.

Muppeting isn't easy work and with the level of appearances involved in Disney's push I'd expect for all the Muppeteers to receive handsome raises. No Muppet is more visible than Kermit the Frog so I'd expect Disney should pay the frog top dollar. Kermit deserves the green. But that really is nobody's business except Bernie the Agent's.

In the end *nobody* here really knows what's going on but Steve and the Disney execs. His absence could be due to anything. And all performers have a bit of diva in them at times. It's what drives them to be successful in their chosen craft. But Steve has always come across as a really good guy and it's not cool for members here to talk smack about a classic Muppet performer. <--- angry Piggy face.

 

[Kynan Barker]

How in the heck are you going to call someone a troublemaker? Have you even looked at the guy's other posts?

StarrFilter's post was unverifiable, inflammatory, and -- even if it had some basis in fact, clearly biased against Steve. ("X's contract was terminated," for example, would be a factual statement. "X was fired for being a diva" is an opinion.)

I post under my own name and I take responsibility for my own comments. StarrFilter's other posts don't change the fact that this message constitutes unsubstantiated rumor-mongering. (And even if they did, being an authority on Sesame Street Live, which is produced independently from Sesame Workshop, hardly lends credence to his source, if indeed he has one.)

How can you all of a sudden gang up on Starr when you've all made assumptions yourself? ("Steve is sick", "Steve is busy working on whatever project"). Yet when something like this comes up you all want to jump the gun.

Since you called me out by name, it's worth pointing out that I'm not one of the people who've made those assumptions. And again, since I'm the only member you mentioned in your post, I'm not sure how I could be "ganging up" on anyone.

And even if you don't agree with the post, there was a MUCH more MATURE way of posting a response, instead of firing bullets at the guy & calling him out of his name.

What I think is really fascinating is how you feel the need to defend a pseudonymous forum user for propagating negative gossip about a Muppeteer, but don't care at all about the Muppeteer whose reputation is being defamed.

I can defend every word of my 'immature' post, including the incendiary words which you take such great offense to. But the larger point my post made is that StarrFilter has no right to smear the reputation of a Muppet performer simply because he claims to have what is clearly one-sided information from some anonymous snitch.

And I'm willing to believe Starrfilter since he's never lied before.

The truth isn't a democracy. It's not OK to drag this man's reputation through the mud.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I shouldn't even contribute since this is all rumor and speculation, lol. But you know even if this rumor was somewhat accurate, there's nothing wrong with someone asking for more money. I mean these are hard economic times. I wouldn't call someone a "diva" for it. But I can see it happening.

Now that said, it may not have happened at all. So I'll stop now.

 

[Kynan Barker]

(T)here's nothing wrong with someone asking for more money...I wouldn't call someone a "diva" for it.

Exactly. Some people don't seem to understand that there's a difference between a fact (or an alleged fact) and an opinion. And there's a big and important difference between speculation and slander.

Apparently you can say anything you like about the Muppet performers as long as you claim to have a secret source. But if you criticize forum members for reporting personal attacks as facts, that's "trolling."

 

[frogboy4]

I shouldn't even contribute since this is all rumor and speculation, lol. But you know even if this rumor was somewhat accurate, there's nothing wrong with someone asking for more money. I mean these are hard economic times. I wouldn't call someone a "diva" for it. But I can see it happening.

Now that said, it may not have happened at all. So I'll stop now.

I agree. I hope all the Muppet performers are getting handsomely compensated. It's nobody's business so I won't go too far down this road. Disney has decades of profits ahead of them while many of the classic Muppet performers are planning for future retirement. They deserve a healthy chunk of Disney's cheese. Why is it when an artist wants compensation for services they are considered a "diva" but when an employee in any other industry wants a raise it's business as usual? Work is work.

I just hope that Disney recognizes that it does matter whose hand fills these beloved icons.

 

[theprawncracker]

And with the greatest respect in the world for Steve, it's not about him either. I can't speak for Ryan, who started this thread. But the "where is Steve" question only came up because of what Disney chose to do in Steve's absence.

Just wanted to pop in and say that Kynan is right. The petition, and in turn this thread, were started because of what Disney did without Steve. Not because I'm trying to save his job or anything (which may not even be at stake), just because I was appalled by the performances I saw without Steve.

 

[Oscarfan]

So is Frank Oz, but that doesn't mean he filmed anything this season.

Actually, he did film stuff for the new season.

 

[Kynan Barker]

Actually, he did film stuff for the new season.

That is great news.

 

[Beauregard]

Just wanted to pop in and say that Kynan is right. The petition, and in turn this thread, were started because of what Disney did without Steve. Not because I'm trying to save his job or anything (which may not even be at stake), just because I was appalled by the performances I saw without Steve.

Agreed, 100%. Dependable Quality, and Sustainability across all performances. (Not 70% synthetic with 30% Cashmere guarantee).