Do you like Disney owning the Muppets?

[ravagefrackle]

Actually he did most of the 25th anniversary stuff, re-launched the merchandising side of the brand so we have things like the action figures and other specialist products. He played a major part in the organisation of Muppetfest which sealed the deal for the VMX movie and kept the Muppets visible when there were no productions by finding ways for them to do advertising and TV spots. I would guess at various points he had something to do with the Disney negotiations over all the years. He did a heck of a lot when he had an incredibly hard job given the circumstances.

yeah well he also shut dowen the NEW YORK muppet workshop, got rid of talent that had been there far longer than he or any of his overpaid cronies, he soured realationships with people who truly new what they were doing and made them no longer wantto be a part of the company, and to top it all off when presented with a portrait puppet of himself he decided he didnt like the one the LA shop built and asked to have someone from New York rebuild it, ,"hey stupid you just fired everyone there,now you decide you need them because it suits you"

i stand by my belief that he is worthless, just because he put togother some merchidising deals , and 1 muppet fest which was organized to spark intrest in the company from potential buyers not the general public. does not a great leader make.

 

[Disneys Muppets]

They could call the MHC Muppets or Disney's Muppets Created by Jim Henson.

Note: MHC Means Muppets Holding Company.

 

[beaker]

They could call the MHC Muppets or Disney's Muppets Created by Jim Henson.

Note: MHC Means Muppets Holding Company.

Yes, but that is still Disney in the title. Look, Disney didnt put "Disney's Bear in the Big Blue House" on Bear merch...even tho that was a Disney thing. They did with Dinosaurs, as it was kind of a co production and not really Muppets. No JH signature, fine...but no Disney's Muppets either. The fact they have this holding company means they are trying to figure out what the right thign to do is.

For a lot of us, well I can only speak for myself...the Muppets are more than just some kids nostalgia as a lot of people see it these days. Its a legacy, and symbolic of something wonderful and inspiring to an almost religious standpoint(well for me) If there is such a thing as a devout Muslim or Catholic, than I am a lifelong devout Muppet/Jim Henson follower.

Actually he did most of the 25th anniversary stuff, re-launched the merchandising side of the brand so we have things like the action figures and other specialist products. He played a major part in the organisation of Muppetfest which sealed the deal for the VMX movie and kept the Muppets visible when there were no productions by finding ways for them to do advertising and TV spots. I would guess at various points he had something to do with the Disney negotiations over all the years. He did a heck of a lot when he had an incredibly hard job given the circumstances.

Exactly, and I recognize all these points...plus he had his own viison for the Mupepts' future which matched a lot of my wishes.

RIVKIN in charge? Why would you want that. He was nothing more than dead weight, and a prime example of what was wrong with the company, ie, a over developed corporate structure, with lots of overpaid pencil pushers who couldnt even imagine their way out of a paper bag. He did nothing except cut the most valuble parts and assets of the company. He is also the one resposible for brokering that deal with those corporate nazis at EMTV!

Boy yeah we sure need him back. Oh by the way im being sarcastic.

I see what you're saying...but he would have never sold JHC to Disney, that was all the Henson kids doing. Even at Muppefest he was very vocally opposed to avoiding a Disney buyout...and that was a company buyout, not a Muppet brand buyout.

**This Disney stuff, man. They didnt even buy Fraggle Rock.**


Yeah know even myself being a BOTH hard core Disney & Muppets fan i must really say this... Even IF Disney did buy Fraggle Rock too, people on here would STILL mone and groon right? or not? ...just my 2 cents tho!

I realize and respect that you are a devout Disney fan...but it would be the same if JHC bought Mickey and Donald, and the Disney catalog...but not Disney.
A lot of us were expecting JHC to be beought up, not the very thing that makes them the JHC. My grievences would be slightly lessoned had they bought the Fraggle Rock rights...however, maybe HIT will be able to go farther with them...heck, maybe JHC can focus on bringing back FR since that's all they got left.

 

[Disneys Muppets]

Well I hope it says Disney's Muppets the name sounds like gold to me.

 

[Luke]

yeah well he also shut dowen the NEW YORK muppet workshop, got rid of talent that had been there far longer than he or any of his overpaid cronies, he soured realationships with people who truly new what they were doing and made them no longer wantto be a part of the company

I agree he had good and bad points, wouldn't be as anti him as you are but i can certainly understand what you are saying. I think the shutting down of the NY workshop and some of the later staff cuts were influenced by the Henson kids because it happened so close to the buyout but yeah he still played a big part. I think the company really changed, and had to for fear of it going bust. It does seem like he was put there to make the unpopular business decisions while the Henson's have always been more creatively minded. The question is how much of the bad stuff was him and how much was he being used as a scapegoat by others like EMTV and the Henson kids?

 

[Phillip]

Like I've said before, Disney's Muppets inherently refers to something new, different and branded whereas Jim Henson's Muppets refers to a fifty year character legacy. Which you prefer is a matter of your perspective.

Obviously I'm in the Jim Henson's Muppets camp because of tradition and the love that Jim, Jane, Jerry (Juhl), Frank, Jerry (Nelson) and Don Sahlin put into them from the beginning. With the name Disney's Muppets, you lose much of that tradition and heritage.

Having said that though, I'm sure Disney has info and stats on whether or not Disney's name will result in more sales. There are some parents that will buy and go see anything that has Disney's name on it. Sadly, they let the Disney name be the filter for their kids instead of making viewing decisions for themselves.

 

[Aaron]

phill did you get my email

 

[Phillip]

Yes I did Aaron. Will write you back in a few minutes.

 

[King Jim]

Like I've said before, Disney's Muppets inherently refers to something new, different and branded whereas Jim Henson's Muppets refers to a fifty year character legacy. Which you prefer is a matter of your perspective.

Obviously I'm in the Jim Henson's Muppets camp because of tradition and the love that Jim, Jane, Jerry (Juhl), Frank, Jerry (Nelson) and Don Sahlin put into them from the beginning. With the name Disney's Muppets, you lose much of that tradition and heritage.

Having said that though, I'm sure Disney has info and stats on whether or not Disney's name will result in more sales. There are some parents that will buy and go see anything that has Disney's name on it. Sadly, they let the Disney name be the filter for their kids instead of making viewing decisions for themselves.

I agree Phillip, Jim Henson's name is like gold.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

Well I hope it says Disney's Muppets the name sounds like gold to me.

i dont know...but is it me or is this kid tryin to get us ???