Henson sells Muppets to Disney

[Fozzie Bear]

Oh, I'm still a huge Muppets fan; fell off the Disney bandwagon years ago, though (however, I still like some of their productions and parks, and I love the classic characters, just they don't do anything with them).

By saying that a person isn't a true fan if they are disgusted by this idea isn't a good observation regardless of opinion. It is my own opinion that I'm disgusted by this deal due to the fact that Jim Henson created the Muppets, and now the Jim Henson Company no longer owns what created their company (see?).

This is all at the hands of the Henson 5, who preferred to keep the Creature Shop and probably were unable to unload the other productions (Fraggles and Hoobs) to Disney.

Now, without the extra company income of having Kermit doing Hollywood Squares or other shows, and without the merchandising money on The Muppets, the JHC will have to solely depend on the productions that came from the Creature Shop years ago (Dark Crystal and Labyrinth) and any future programs/movies. Selling those items to fans will be hard to do, because the familiarity isn't there--not the same as it is with Kermit and Co.

Now, Disney will take The Muppets and do them like they did after purchasing Doug: Slap Disney's name on it (Disney's Jim Henson's Muppets), a quick TV series with all new 'heads of state' ruling and writing and likely acting, a movie or two, crappy merchandise, and then they'll start to ween us off the Muppets and then we're back where we were from 1990-2000 and from 2001-2002.

You all know how much I love my Muppets, but when I heard this deal went through I got sick because, just like when I heard Charles Schulz was retiring meant nothing new from Peanuts, I know that Disney acquiring Muppets means they'll end up in the same state as Pluto and Goofy and nobody really knowing which is which.

Disney's Classic Characters are obsolete except as merchandise which parents introduce their kids to. Put a video of Donald Duck next to a video of Barney and see which the kid picks up. It's all about familiarity, and just when the Muppets were becoming familiar to us again (being back to their old selves in VMX), the Henson 5 up and sells the beloved characters to Disney, with a "3 year deal" to "advise" Disney how to use the Muppets.

BAH!

I hope they prove me wrong, but I have a baaaaad feeling about this. Maybe nobody will see it for now, but give it a few years and watch what Dizzy does with them.

 

[MuppetNewsFlash]

Another IMPORTANT thing....

to remember, is with the inclusion of the Muppets back into programming, a new generation of fans will emerge. Not just the younguns either but their families who see it and remember just how much they loved them when they were younger.

 

[ekuska]

not one bit!

Its too bad 'Eisner' is the key word here. I personally think its an effort to win back some shareholder support. This courting is not out of love, its just a lousy boyfriend scratching at the door again.

It doesnt seem like Henson's is in the financial place to create their own projects without a big backer like Disney. So Im sure it makes for an interesting proposition, but lets face it,, Eisner's Disney is parisitic, and not a partner. They have lost Pixar, who was always way way WAY out of their league, and I think Henson has that potential as well..

I mean, a Pixar/Henson combo completely opens the imagination, we would all be staying awake at night thinking of the possibilities. A Disney/Henson also induces loss of sleep, but in a painful, cringeing, nightmarish sort of way.

I've watched the cashing in of theatrical animation by Disney execs and now that the industry is on its deathbed, they are looking for a new 'host' to exploit. Im sure these were all part of Jim's original hesitations to signing with the mouse,, I only hope for the best for the muppets, I really do.

Muppets are 'great' because of their originality. Right now, Disney is 'great' only in financial obesity. And I dont see the mouse getting fit any time soon, and I hate to see the muppets go down with it.

good luck guys.

 

[King Prawn]

Finally read through the whole thread. The two or three hours i've spend reading my thoughts on this have jumped back and forth. I started against this whole thing but then warmed up to it, really warmed up to it but now I think that once again I hate the idea. Not just because it's Disney but becaus ethe Muppets won't be part of Henson, they could have at least kept 20% or something. This is just too depressing.

How about a petition? there's still two months before Disney actually gets the Muppets, maybe we could have the petition run for a month and then send it over to them. Maybe a petition telling Henson how much we hate the idea and how we want the Muppets to remain under the name of Henson.

I have no idea how to go about it but if anyone wants to start one I will gladly be the first to sign.

Henson's Muppets Not Disney.
They probably won't listen but we here at MC are great with petitons

 

[AruggeRadio]

Guys I hate to be a stick in the mud. But don’t you see the bigger picture, although I’m still perplexed by how the Henson Company will exist without the Muppets to me it looks as thought the company is in some bad shape. It appears to be a fire sale and everything must go. The Henson’s will still have input, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if they still do all the production for the Muppet Brand. What it seems to me is Disney will be the money and Henson will get to play with the concepts. Is this as good as a full sale, no but as much as I hate to say it but it appears that the company may not be to long form shutting down completely. This way Disney will be the money backer that allows the characters to live on forever. Its better then the Henson’s Shutting down the company fully.

 

[beaker]

Let me ask ya guys a question....or pose this to ya:

the % of people in america and the world who can recognize Pooh: 85%
the % of people who have heard of A A Milne: almost non existent


see my point? there may come a day when JH name is not even remembered by ppl at large, and all they know of is 'disney'.

JHC had an abortion of their soul to the mouse...and I hope were all wrong about grave outcomes...and I wish for the best.

Headline!

The Passion of the Kermit: Kermit crucified for the almighty dollar by Pontious Eisner and the spear of longimouse.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

see my point? there may come a day when JH name is not even remembered by ppl at large, and all they know of is 'disney'.

True, but there may be a day when the name Disney is not remembered at large either, and all they know is "Andy Clinton" (that's me). Seriously, no person or name is ever permanent or immortal, (regardless of how much they should be), but maybe the characters themselves have a better chance at living on for future generations. I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but I think there is potential for it to be a good thing. Of course, there's potential for it to be bad as well, but I'll just have to see what happens.

 

[scarylarrywolf]

Disney's Classic Characters are obsolete except as merchandise which parents introduce their kids to. Put a video of Donald Duck next to a video of Barney and see which the kid picks up.

Bingo! THAT is one of the foremost of MANY reasons I hate the Disney company like sin. People always refer to Disney as "The Mouse" -- but how many kids today have even seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon? They have become so un-original and so un-self-sufficient (if that's a word) that they don't even use their trade mark characters for entertainment purposes anymore. So they go around sucking up everyone else's characters because they're the ones with the money bags, suck the life out of the characters, and look for more.

But I think that if the same creative people from Henson can stay behind the Muppets they'll stay alive for quite some time. Those Disney chumps had better at the least surround themselves in the Muppet arena with quotes of Jim's Vision -- keep the Muppets searching for their purpose in life and encouraging that in the audience -- to make the world a better place. Cause gosh knows sucking the life out of the Muppets so a few filthy executives can add some cash to their back pockets won't accomplish that. Keep Jim's vision going!!!!!! That IS the Muppets.

 

[muppetmaniac]

I agree

I think the henson kids don't understand what they are getting themselves into, the muppets are what define jim henson to me and having todays disney own them is like sending them to an eternity in **** (but with lots of advertising on the way down) If jim henson were alive today i highly doubt he would have made this deal. do they not know what just happened with pixar? are they stupid its like throwing the mona lisa in the garbage...

 

[SarahHIYE]

Hehe, um.... don't take this the wrong way but I hope they still throw penguins. hehe. Just a little something to lighten the mood