The Jim Henson Company Puppets to perform at the 2011 Grammys

[dollywaggler]

Thanks!

 

[Quesal]

just watched the clip again...I do quite enjoy it...I do wonder waht may be going through the heads of the audience...like "who are these guys?" "Where's kermit?" and such

 

[MelissaY1]

I don't agree and I think this is part of the problem. The Muppets have continually pushed aside their best work, assuming it was "too old" for today's audiences. It's not that today's audiences don't like it or have forgotten it. They barely get a chance to see it! Instead the Muppets try to be hip and trendy, and not matching the quality of their earlier work. Then when no one pays attention, they fall back on "oh well the Muppets are too retro, we have to reinvent again!" And again reinventing doesn't work.

I don't think I've ever seen a franchise that has so irrationally distanced itself so far from its best work and so stubbornly insisted their new plan was working when it isn't! I love the Muppets, but they have no one to blame but themselves for the state that they're in.



You definitely have a good point. Though I'm concerned that the trend is still going to be Reality TV simply because it's cheaper to make.

I don't know, before I got to my job now and I was going on interviews, they saw I had interned at Henson and the employer actually had not remembered who Jim Henson was. You'd be surprised how many children I've come across who don't know who Kermit is.

I agree they have pushed aside what was their best quality work, but I think it's also because they feel their audiences have changed and need to reinvent themselves. I'm not saying I necessarily AGREE with it, but if that's going to help them get back in the minds of the public again, that's what they gotta do.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I agree they have pushed aside what was their best quality work, but I think it's also because they feel their audiences have changed and need to reinvent themselves. I'm not saying I necessarily AGREE with it, but if that's going to help them get back in the minds of the public again, that's what they gotta do.

We all have our opinions on the state of things of course.

I honestly don't think it's the audience that has changed. Kids have no reason to know who Kermit is. The Muppets projects made in their lifetime have not been up to par to say the least, or particularly successful. And the original projects that were successes are not being shown to them. How many more times will the Muppets try to reinvent themselves only to get ignored yet again before those in charge (whoever they are at the moment) finally admit they are in part creating their own problem? Again, I've never witnessed a franchise that so stubbornly sticks with a plan that's clearly not working.

 

[D'Snowth]

I don't know, before I got to my job now and I was going on interviews, they saw I had interned at Henson and the employer actually had not remembered who Jim Henson was. You'd be surprised how many children I've come across who don't know who Kermit is.

We all know who to thank for that, don't we?

 

[CensoredAlso]

We all know who to thank for that, don't we?

A mixture of Disney and Henson itself.

 

[MelissaY1]

We all have our opinions on the state of things of course.

I honestly don't think it's the audience that has changed. Kids have no reason to know who Kermit is. The Muppets projects made in their lifetime have not been up to par to say the least, or particularly successful. And the original projects that were successes are not being shown to them. How many more times will the Muppets try to reinvent themselves only to get ignored yet again before those in charge (whoever they are at the moment) finally admit they are in part creating their own problem? Again, I've never witnessed a franchise that so stubbornly sticks with a plan that's clearly not working.

I think the audience has changed. I honestly don't think people appreciate old fashioned humor anymore. If it's not "hip" in today's eyes, it's considered lame. I don't think that way, but I have become very disenchanted with recent Muppet projects and I'm probably in the minority that I don't have very high hopes for the upcoming film and am not excited about it. I'd rather watch old stuff than new.

However, people like different stuff now, so to me, that's who they're going after. I guess I'd rather see the Muppets in not so interesting stuff than not at all....

 

[Puckrox]

I think the audience has changed. I honestly don't think people appreciate old fashioned humor anymore. If it's not "hip" in today's eyes, it's considered lame.

I feel like I always make this same statement, but I guess I'll have to make it again.

I feel like we're generalizing here. Yes, it's fair to say, the greater majority of people my age or younger don't understand, appreciate, or like old fashioned humor. However, there are still younger generations that love old fashioned humor. I have plenty of friends that love the classic Muppets, the original SNL cast, I Love Lucy, The Three Stooges, and such, and I know there are kids out there that feel the same way. Yeah, the younger generations nowadays tend to suck, but I feel that their bad rep isn't totally well deserved.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I have plenty of friends that love the classic Muppets, the original SNL cast, I Love Lucy, The Three Stooges, and such, and I know there are kids out there that feel the same way. Yeah, the younger generations nowadays tend to suck, but I feel that their bad rep isn't totally well deserved.

It's always the same bit, the kids who are into the newer stuff are simply louder and more assertive because they have popularity on their side. It's safe to like what they like. While the kids who like older entertainment don't have that safety net and so they appear to be in a small minority.

In middle school I was always given the impression I was only person in the world who liked the Beatles. But it turned out some of the kids in my class actually did like them, but they just kep it to themselves, heh.

 

[MelissaY1]

I feel like I always make this same statement, but I guess I'll have to make it again.

I feel like we're generalizing here. Yes, it's fair to say, the greater majority of people my age or younger don't understand, appreciate, or like old fashioned humor. However, there are still younger generations that love old fashioned humor. I have plenty of friends that love the classic Muppets, the original SNL cast, I Love Lucy, The Three Stooges, and such, and I know there are kids out there that feel the same way. Yeah, the younger generations nowadays tend to suck, but I feel that their bad rep isn't totally well deserved.

I'm not saying younger generations suck, and you're right plenty of younger people like older stuff, but I think the general public doesn't, or they think it's corny. And Disney/Henson nowadays seem to think so and that's why they're trying to steer the Muppets in a different direction.