Muppet calendars used to be among the finest merchandise.
Key Word is USED to. They also USED to be an effort. This is lazy. I think the last really good one was the circus side show one from a few years back. And quite frankly, I think that would have been better if it was just the posters without the posers pasted on them.
Uch...! I cannot BELIEVE that after all the amazing parody trailers, they could not find the budget to put out an amazing new Miss Piggy Parody Calender. When I saw the thread here, I was saying over and over "Please be new pictures, please be new pictures..."
I didn't mind the last parody calendar being recycled material at all, even though the parody trailers were amazing little viral films. But it's so disappointing we can't have a parody of something from the past 2 decades. Not even one new one. But at least those were visually stunning.
Now I know full well calendars are usually stock photos and old artwork... but I've seen GREAT calenders that use those old things. A Flintstones calendar with rare artwork, like the gang at an F.A.O. Quartz toy store (I think Fred or Barney was doing a reference to Big and dancing on a giant keyboard)... A Classic Transformers calendar that uses stock footage of anniversary merchandise character designs with computer looking back drops. A Mr. Men calendar with colorful psychedelic backgrounds.... They could have at LEAST did something better with backdrops here. Plain white highlights the lameness of the old stock photos.
Uch...those pictures are just the worst. I've always hated that Jacket on Piggy (its not chic at all!), I despise that Gonzo/Glasses picture (has he ever been defined as "cool"?) and that Scooter one is so old that it may as well be a gif. Surely the whole purpose of Muppets is humour. So how they couldn't make a genuinely FUN calender is quite beyond me...especially as Jamie could design one in his sleep.
Those early 90's slightly taking off sunglasses are so lame and dated now... they might as well have put in a soundchip that plays the theme to Fresh Prince of Bel Air when you change to that month. And that Air kiss "Magnifico" Chef? UGH! When
haven't we seen that one in the last decade? And to correct you... the Scooter picture is so old, it might as well be part of a Kinetoscope.
If they were going to go the retread route, I would have rather seen a calendar with stills from the latest movie or something like that.
I don't see why they can't get screenshots of
any Muppet project. Muppet movie, Muppet TV shows... If they had a calender of screen shots, like the South Park Calendars usually are, that would be a stronger concept and more visually appealing.