Disney Channel Preps for Muppet "Mini Movies"

[frogboy4]

I just really don't like Howie or find him funny. It's kinda like the Tyler Perry thing. I don't get it. However Perry's humor tends to be lazy and depends broad stereotypes that frequently demean minorities and races other than his own. Howie just tries my patience for some reason. I think it's that he tries a little too hard. But hey, just my opinions here. But you are right, he does have a cartoon Muppet Baby history. I never he did Baby Bunsen. I just hope the Muppets don't take a downward spiral into bad comedians. Only room for one.

I guess why the Disney Channel stars don't bother me (as much) is because they're just starting out. No has-beens in the bunch, but hey...wait a year or two. Kidding! I do think that some of the Disney Channel actors could someday break into bigger things and leave their Diz-beginnings behind. And the Muppets would have been there first. Trying for a positive.

I still can't get one particular annoying girl out of my mind. She sat next to me on a plane years ago and didn't know who Kermit was. She was also a big Nine Inch Nails fan (filling me in on trivia I never asked about) but didn't know who David Bowie (or Labyrinth) was - even after attending a joint concert of theirs years before. So maybe these Muppetmercials will help, maybe they won't.

It's not the Muppets' fault who's popular in the tween crowd. But as far as grown-up stars - I feel the Muppets still deserve better than Howie. I guess that's what this long, rambling post is about. I do feel better now. He he.

 

[Ruahnna]

Well, I might as well confess my secret identity as a tween Mom and not-so-closet Disney Channel watcher. It's the only place I can go for decent programming for MYSELF, much less for my kids. I know some of you are terribly young and hip and cool and wouldn't admit for a moment that you know who Hannah Montana is, or what the name of that hotel where the twins live is (Hint: It's not the Statler OR the Waldorf.) but I watch the Disney Channel, well, daily--mostly because I can.
I have to keep a very close eye on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon--the first because cartoon does not equal child, and "Adult" seems to mean something different to them than it does to me, the second because a lot of humor on Nick's kid shows comes from being required to find the behavior of despicable youngsters cute and charming. My values may seem hokey but I'm raising some great kids.
And you know what else? I listen to Radio Disney in my car--sometimes when I'm BY MYSELF! Hahahahahaha!
But seriously, folks. What's not to like? I'm sick of being requied to keep up with the sexual histories of ALL the main characters on all the mainstream shows to even comprehend what passes for a plot, and I'm tired of these no-script reality shows (except the dance ones--those are okay) which I never watched anyway. Not a whole lot left, and I'm watching for three.
Also, the physical humor that is frequently featured is not so very different from what I grew up on--Laverne and Shirley have only been reincarnated, and I find crushing about a first kiss a lot more palatable (pun intended) than the icky intimate details prime-time shows keep pushing.
Yes, Disney has changed since the days that most kids came home from Sunday night church to watch Tinkerbell christen in the weekly movie on "The Wonderful World of Disney," but so has the rest of the world.

Do I love everything that Disney has done with the muppets? Well--I'm loving my new Kermit and Piggy mug, t-shirt and pillow. And I know I'm getting a Kermit fleece blankie and a Piggy fleece blankie for Christmas. There's a Muppet Christmas village available and a new Christmas ornament, and I can't WAIT until it's time to play last year's Christmas album again. And you know what? I'm pretty pumped by my daughter's new High School Musical album too--beats the heck out of a lot of other stuff out there--and I'm pretty sure that the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana will be coming down the chimney, too.
I have two real points here: Disney (as a whole) might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they aren't making drivel like most of the other networks. Name some other network where getting hired requires that you can sing, dance AND act?
And second, my anxiety for The Muppets--for the legacy that Jim left--is the same anxiety that I would feel no matter who was in charge. I will never stop wanting to know that Kermit and his friends are going to be okay--and are going to be around for my kid's kids when the time comes. All I know is I'm hanging in there for all I'm worth, voting with my pocketbook and making my voice heard because it's an INFORMED voice. If Kermit chooses to introduce himself to the younger generation through Miley Cyrus, then I'll consider her one lucky girl. And me, too.

 

[CBPuppets]

Hope they still got the funny stuff. I love the muppets no matter what happens.

 

[Drtooth]

Well, I might as well confess my secret identity as a tween Mom and not-so-closet Disney Channel watcher. It's the only place I can go for decent programming for MYSELF, much less for my kids. I know some of you are terribly young and hip and cool and wouldn't admit for a moment that you know who Hannah Montana is, or what the name of that hotel where the twins live is (Hint: It's not the Statler OR the Waldorf.) but I watch the Disney Channel, well, daily--mostly because I can.
I have to keep a very close eye on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon--the first because cartoon does not equal child, and "Adult" seems to mean something different to them than it does to me, the second because a lot of humor on Nick's kid shows comes from being required to find the behavior of despicable youngsters cute and charming.

Well, first let me just say that it's great to know that someone thinks that cartoons doesn't mean children. Unlike the owners of CN, who seem to only care about the 6-11 demographic, and want to soley cater to them, disipte the fact that the network was designed to have cartoons 24/7 for all toon fans of any age.

But I will say, I'm glad you and your family enjoy Disney's programming. Just want everyone to know, that I enjoy kids programs myself (I'm shopping around how to design my series) and think the recent crop of these programs just...well... I'll be polite and say I don't like them.

I recall the glory days of children's TV, when syndicated stations still ran programming, PBS having shows like Mr. Rogers and Squar one Math for the older kids, and the like. Now kids shows fall into three categories. A cartoon handpicked by an out of touch industry exec, shallow live action programming, and educational shows where the characters all talk slow and loudly and expect the home audience to respond (in a pathetic attempt to make TV interactive).

I really wish Disney knew that it didn't just have to appeal to tweenagers and their parents. They have a rich history of great stuff, and it seems that only some of it surfaces. I'm still mad that they can't work a deal out with Marvel and return the Saban shows they got back to them. They would have made a killing in Spiderman cartoon DVD's.

I think it was a fluke they even decided to release their wonderful Disney Afternoon cartoons like Ducktales and Darkwing Duck in full box sets. But luckily they did. I just want to see them work that aspect. And to not add these future hasbeens' music videos to timeless works like The Jungle Book DVD.

Which to bring us back to the point at hand, I don't know how to feel about their treatment of the muppets in these films. They will be shoehorned into playing off people that just don't care or have bad chemestry (Muppet OZ could have benefitted from a better actress as Dorothy, the chemestry was one of a hundred problems with that one). I really want to see them do something like "Muppet Movie Madness" or Muppetisms.

 

[Luke]

So have these aired yet, and were they actually filmed for Disney Channel? As i heard a bunch of new Muppet stuff was filmed for Disney XD and was wondering if this was it or we have something else to look forward to.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Aw, I love Fairly Odd Parents, lol. Timmy is a snot but he always learns his lesson by the end (which is a good example to a lot of kids who don't understand empathy and morality). I like it when kids shows have a bit more edge, as oppose to being an unrealistic fairy tale.

But you know, we all have different opinions and that's fine. There are all different types of kids. No one show or network can protray "what kids are like." Nick and Disney shows just different sides of children that's all (though in my opinion, both networks used to be a lot better).

From my point of view, I know I would not have enjoyed Disney the way it is now when I was a kid. A lot of the kid actors on their shows just remind me of the glamorous popular kids who used to pick on everyone in school. To me they're the classic "If you don't look and act like these kids, you're not cool." A lot of kid's shows (on both Disney and Nick) tend to represent conformity, even when preaching individuality. That's Television in general, and kid's entertainment is no exception.

I'm definitely not saying all kids who like these shows are mean. I'm just saying there's a hierarchy in kid's entertainment. And if you don't like certain shows, your classmates will show you no mercy. That's what some Disney shows (and Nick shows again) often represent to me.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I do partially agree, I do think FOP occasionally takes it all too far, especially with Cosmo's treatment of Wanda. On the other hand, I think Wanda's not always a great role model for girls. She, like many female character on TV, represents that in order to be smart, you must be boring and no fun. I've rarely if ever identified with any female characters on TV. (Some of the few good ones for me were on the Muppets hehe).

In general though, I think it depends on what you think is helpful or unhelpful to children. Nick has its problems, but in my opinion, so does Disney. Just in an opposite way.

We may not want to expose our kids to troublesome marriages and divorces. And for the most part, I do think TV should show examples of positive loving marriages.

But I worked at summer camps for a few years, and so many kids had parents who were divorced. And these kids were 8 or 9 years old and very troubled in many cases. And they sometimes need to see shows that represent their own lives. Not shows that are all happy and great and indirectly say "We're perfect and you're not because you're not like us." That is how kids often think. If they don't seem themselves on TV, they start thinking something's wrong with them.

Heh, I used to think I was uncool because I wasn't blond and obsessed with popularity like the kids on Full House occasionally were. And that show was always considered clean cut and wonderful family entertainment. I'm not sure anyone realized the damage it could do. (not that I hate the show, it had its pluses too).

The original point of FOP, as it seems to me, was that Timmy's parents are always busy and never have time for him. That may seem horrible and harsh. But it is realistic, unfortunately. Again, kids do need to know that they're not alone. And also that's there hope.

But we all have our opinions, and that's great. I think what's ultimately needed on TV is balance. It used to be there, but somehow it got incredibly polarized. On the other hand, we shouldn't take TV too seriously. lol

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yeah again, you'll get no argument from me as far as how Wanda's treated, lol. Though, look at it this way, your daughter did recognize that Cosmo's behavior was bad. I think FOP's problem is that they're trying to combine humor with morality and sometimes one get sacrificed for the other. But I do think they're trying.

I just think appearances can often be deceiving. A clean cut show does not always guarantee morality and helpfulness. And an edgy show doesn't always guarantee disaster. And vice versa. And we all have to be careful when analyzing our kid's shows. Again, everyone said Full House was a nice wholesome show. But for me, it was a sign that I was flawed...

And I assure you, hehe, I was pretty, got good grades, had good friends, and eventually went on to a successful life. But at the time, I felt like something must be wrong with me. Thankfully, I recognized that you can't let a TV show affect your self image. Your parents ultimately should help shape that. And again, it sounds like you daughter has a good one.

And again, I'm not saying all the Disney shows are bad and all the Nick shows are good. Sometimes clean cut is good and sometimes edgy is bad. All I'm saying is, we need to analyzing these shows carefully.

And yeah, Spongebob rocks! Lol

 

[Luke]

I think most of the kids channels do a good job. CN seems to be more for adult boys (i'm impressed with the concept and style of Ben 10), with Disney more for the older girls and Nick with stuff that seems aimed at both. I think Boomerang should really be doing a better job on the classic toon front, they used to have a better variety of shows.

 

[frogboy4]

From my point of view, I know I would not have enjoyed Disney the way it is now when I was a kid. A lot of the kid actors on their shows just remind me of the glamorous popular kids who used to pick on everyone in school. To me they're the classic "If you don't look and act like these kids, you're not cool." A lot of kid's shows (on both Disney and Nick) tend to represent conformity, even when preaching individuality. That's Television in general, and kid's entertainment is no exception.

I'm definitely not saying all kids who like these shows are mean. I'm just saying there's a hierarchy in kid's entertainment. And if you don't like certain shows, your classmates will show you no mercy. That's what some Disney shows (and Nick shows again) often represent to me.

I feel the same way, but my taste has never been much of a guidepost for others. I never cared for kids my own age anyway. I didn't much like kids in a show anyway. If a show didn't have a Muppet in it, I tended to go for shows with adults like Murder She Wrote. I am unable to understand a young person looking at entertainment icons on television and want to emulate them. However, I always wanted to be a Muppet!