Kermit Culture

[zns]

Let's hope that it isn't postponed. I can't wait to see how it is set up.

 

[Vic Romano]

Well, I guess there are different opinions.To me, the ideas of essays doesnt excite me.
I would of prefered a photo reference type book.

I'm a little reserved on the idea too, but I'll definitely give it a good chance. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I don't really understand the concept completely either.

Still, it does sound like it will be a good resource for those "why-do-you-like-the-Muppets?" based arguments we fans face.

 

[Kermieuk]

Hi Guys,

The cover Artwork is now up?

It looks like the season 1 DVD release?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078644259X/ref=nosim/muppetcentral

Chris

 

[frogboy4]

Hi Guys,

The cover Artwork is now up?

It looks like the season 1 DVD release?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078644259X/ref=nosim/muppetcentral

Chris

It looks like a design to help skirt legal issues. Also the font choice reminds me of the recent Emmet Otter signage. I haven't been keen on most of the Henson graphic designers these days, but this is simple enough looking. I predict little to no images inside. I will probably hold off on this release until the reviews. Essays seem fun, but are they any good and do I need to own them? We'll see. This book is a good thing. Can't judge it by its cover.

 

[zns]

Well they've got the cover. Let's just hope that it makes good reading as well.

 

[Nick22]

oh wondeful. another thing to add to my long list of wanted items

 

[Aleal]

I predict little to no images inside.

And you would be correct, sir (says someone who contributed to the book)! For the reasons you indicated, since in academic publishing, one's limited to what one can include; unless one, for example, has been loaned images from an authorized person's collection (i.e. old-time radio books with pictures given to the author by surviving cast and crew), one has to go with what rights can be cleared to or with suggestion (thus a Kermit skin but not the actual Kermit). Someone mentioned a coffee-table book of photos. I'd love to see that myself, but the problem is, the impetus for that would *have* to come from Disney. And they've shown no inclination in that direction (heck, outside of the usual promotional "Art of," there've been fewer books published by Disney about their own film or park history).

As D. W. McKim indicated, this kind of book is in fact not uncommon; there was "Reading the Rabbit" (scholarly take on Looney Tunes), several books on Star Wars or Buffy, Philosophy of the Simpsons, books of essays applying both science and psychiatry to superheroes, and on and on, part of the general trend in the past, say, 26 years towards a gradually increasing academic acceptance that pop culture can be a legitimate field of study and examined with the same tools and theories applied to literature. As such, will it be any good? Well, I'm proud of my own chapter of course ("Muppets and Money," looking at commercialism [from Henson's commercials to marketing], capitalism [Doc Hopper and other narrative threads], even communism, and the general relationship between Muppets and financial matters, both within their narrative world and in the real world). But I can almost guarantee no reader will like every essay or agree with every interpretation, but that's the point. The book's organized in three sections, so the approach is already defined in each section (examinations of characters, adaptation, and then general theoretical approaches as applied to the Muppets). The titles and topics in most cases give you a strong hint (though I still have no idea "What the Muppets Tell Us About Our Furry Selves" is actually about, especially since it was shorn of a longer and more confusing prefix title). In general, rather than waiting for reviews (I'm not sure how many there will be anyway), I'd suggest checking your college library. See, this kind of book, and a publisher like McFarland, has as their main target university and public libraries, who buy their books for reference (this is acually unusually cheap, though it is softcover, for a McFarland, just 35 bucks; their hardbacks go into three digits at times), as well as professors, students, film scholars, and anyone with an interest in the subject *and* scholarly approaches to the material (obviously, that's not everyone).

The book just officially went into print today (I don't have a copy yet, or I'd give my objective take on the final product!) but chances are a college library (or possibly public library) may well have already ordered a copy, or else it's easy to obtain through interlibrary loan. That way you get to read the book and decide if it's something you need, something you'd either re-read or return to for future reference (my computer room is cluttered with books of that nature, some falling apart from so much use, where even if I never read them cover to cover, I'm constantly checking facts or credits or biographical information and so on). Basically, this was a book by geeky academic Muppet fans for anyone who wants to read geeky academic Muppet essays! A labor of love (since "academic publishing" is also shorthand for "no money"!) but we knew going in not everyone will want it, and that's okay.

 

[zns]

The Muppet Wiki says that it already came out yesterday. Is this true because it seems pretty early yet.

 

[Aleal]

Yes, it's true. I added it myself as soon as my editors informed me, and McFarland updated their website later that day to indicate immediate shipping (as did Barnes & Noble). It may take a little longer for some stores to get it on the shelf, if they stock at all (i.e. it's more likely something you'd want to special order) but pre-orders were already sent out. So March 21st was officially the first day in print.

 

[ploobis]

Today I went to B&N to pick up a copy of Kermit Culture and the man working there told me that they pushed back the release date!

He did not know when the new release date was.