Editorial: Coming to Terms with Life after Jim

[Chilly Down]

Wow! Fantastic article, Annika! Nicely balances the other article on the page. I totally sympathize with the fears Phil expressed, but this article comes closer to explaining about how I feel about the whole situation.

Scary Larry, I'm not sure Annika was trying to say that Jim's vision is completely 100% gone. I think what she's trying to say is that we (and I have to include myself in this) have to finally accept that everything isn't going to be exactly the same as it was when Jim was alive. He was a one-of-a-kind unduplicated genius. Because he died so young, a lot of us (again, myself included) weren't ready to move on just yet. We (or at least I)watched every new Muppet production nervously, saying, "Have they recaptured the magic?" And on some subconscious level, I think what I meant was, "Are things exactly the same way they were before Jim died?"

And the fact is, no, things aren't the same. Even if Richard was still around, even if Frank and Jerry were still available full-time, even if Jerry Juhl was still writing and Peter Harris and Phillip Casson were still directing. Jim passed away, and nothing will ever change that. Things will always be slightly different, and we have to finally acknowledge that to ourselves.

Of course, "different" doesn't mean "bad" necessarily. It just means "different," and if we can adjust, we might find some of the new productions rewarding. (And again, I'm speaking to myself more than anyone here.)

A final, only slightly related thought here: Phil, that's a fabulous photo underneath the title "Why Disney?" Where did you get that from? It looks like a JHH promotional picture, but the picture file name has "MT" in it, which would seem to suggest Muppets Tonight. But isn't that Waldo coming out of the monitor?

 

[blancalion]

Thoughts on "Coming to Terms. . ."

Just read the article, and it really hit home. My dad died in the summer of 1990. As we know, that was also the year that Jim passed away. I was 12 and its safe to say that my childhood ended that year. Having the Muppets still around here and there kinda makes me feel like a kid again. In a really wierd way they kinda made me feel like my dad is still around.

Yes, Jim shared his vision with quite a few people, and it is not absolutley neccesary that he be here for the Muppets to continue. But some "recent" Muppet outings just weren't the same (Muppet Fairy Tales and Muppet Treasure Island come to my mind). Yet something simple and goofy (like "I am not a shrimp I am a King Prawn!") simply reeks (in a good way) of what made me love the Muppets as a kid.

We no doubt will see the Muppets in various venues now they are under the direction of the Mouse. If anyone knows how to market, its Disney (what, are there like 7 Lion Kings now???). But what will these new Muppets look like? I doubt they will be the Muppets we grew up with and love.

No. "Our" muppets are gone. We can only hope that some of the spark and life of Jim "and his friends" will remain in this new breed of Muppets.