Interesting article on the current state of the Muppets

[ravagefrackle]

http://www.ocweekly.com/film/film/sometimes-dead-is-better/24718/

thought this was apretty intertesting artcile that sums up alot of whats happening with the characters we grew up with

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Hooray for pessimism!



(Sorry for the sarcasm--it's an interesting article, but mostly it's one person's pessimistic opinion).

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

yeah whitey

 

[spcglider]

Hooray for pessimism!



(Sorry for the sarcasm--it's an interesting article, but mostly it's one person's pessimistic opinion).

Make that two people's pessimistic opinion.

Stand up and be counted.

-Gordon

 

[CensoredAlso]

Not to sound pessimistic (heh), but I think the article perfectly described what was wrong with the Pizza Hut commercial.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

"kids today have no idea who Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy is" MY FOOT!(read that carefully or it will sound weird) I'm a kid (sorta) and I know EXACTLY who they are. My old neighboor who was 8 knew who they were, even kids at my school know who they are!

Although I do not feel the muppets are fading away, the article does have a good point about the pizza hut comercial...

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Well, on some level, I agree with the criticism of things like the recent Pizza Hut ad--it's just that when I clicked on it I was expecting a different kind of article. I thought it was going to be more of an informative thing, and then it was more of a personal reaction. I understand the opinion, I just don't share the general outlook.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

The Muppet Babies are the Key they brought love and fun of life and imagination, reading

 

[CensoredAlso]

"kids today have no idea who Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy is" MY FOOT!(read that carefully or it will sound weird) I'm a kid (sorta) and I know EXACTLY who they are. My old neighboor who was 8 knew who they were, even kids at my school know who they are!

Absolutely! I remember during the Muppet screenings at The Museum of TV and Radio, there was a little girl in the audience with her mother. When the mother asked if she wanted to leave, the girl responded, "No, I love The Muppets!"

Sometimes the media likes to make broad sweeping statements in order to have a story. Kermit is probably not as popular as he was a few years ago, but it's definitely inaccurate to say "kids have no idea."

 

[Gorgon Heap]

A hard-nosed opinion, and a very opinionated article, but it's point is no less true. The Muppets aren't doing very well, and in a sense are has-beens.

Look at how many celebs clamor to be on "Sesame Street"- despite the changes (I haven't watched the show for years so I only know of them secondhand), it's still a very lucrative property.

Now look at the Muppets' recent projects- David Arquette, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jeffrey Tambor are about all the star they can get. No knock against them (I'm a big "Arrested Development" fan btw), but back in the day they had A-listers clamoring to be on TMS, and they don't have that anymore. The Muppets aren't a lucrative property, mainly because they're not doing anything and a lot of what they are doing gets drubbed by critics and a number of fans.

Personally, the last Muppet project I loved was MCC, writted by Jerry Juhl, whose involvement was gradually phased out from that point on. MT involved notable behind-the-scenes talent from successful shows, but not necessarily the right people for the Muppets, and (if memory serves) none of them with a variety format background. Variety shows have been long gone, and it's to the point that there aren't any people around who know how to do them right. A similar argument can be made for film musicals, seeing as there are a lot of unsuccessful ones up there with the successful ones. It is as though executives don't think that doing a musical requires any special qualities- that anyone can do it. Perhaps the same mindset has gone into Muppet writing- that any seasoned writer can do it, which is not the case. They have a style all their own- silliness with sincerity, and a balanced, multi-leveled approach to humor. Their best projects following Juhl's retirement seem to be aiming at this and some come very close at times. But IMO nothing has fired on all cylinders of late.

The Muppets, despite how much we love them, have become has-beens, and they're going to stay that way until the powers that be shape up.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole