Muppets.com relaunches with Disney XD

[Luke]

See that's the thing, I don't like it when the Jim-era material is called things like "the same old cliches." The new material should compliment the classic material, not force it out of the way.

What i mean by it is that the same old lines were being used over and over when asked about their relationship. While Jim and Frank carried it off very well there's only so many times you can be asked about Kermit and Piggys relationship in an interview and come out with a different answer (usually something about baby figs, lol) - especially in the 80's. I think Eric and Steve have the advantage of the times changing, the characters have now got a little looser and celebrity relationships are a lot more exposed in the media - so they can go a bit further with the jokes and theres similar things in the celebrity world they can poke fun at. I think the new stuff does compliment the old stuff in that they still do the relationship thing but times have changed and the Muppets can't really just stop still, real people dont.

I think Piggy was actually a lot more Muppety in that breakfast TV interview where they had her with Gonzo and Rizzo. It wasn't the same old lines and they were all having fun. I actualy find all the "classic personalities" of the characters come out way better when they are in groups and usually when adlibbing.

I do agree there have been a few problems with Kermit - the "bad self" line in MFS, a few lines in VMX and to a lesser extent the Hip Hop comment - Kermit can be funny and zany without having to try to be cool.

The other thing about the character development is that i think there are people high up who see the Muppets as a puppet version of The Simpsons, see their success and try to simpsonize them a bit. I don't think it comes from our Muppeteers or our Muppet writers (like Jim or Craig who i have mass respect for) as it seems on things like XD (the office or lift skits) or adlibed appearances they are being more classic Muppety than they have ever been since Jim Henson's death but in any of the TV movies which i guess are way more tightly controlled and go through so many approvals the Simpsons writing seems to creep in. In a way it isnt a bad comparison because there is some similarity and people today are obviously fans of that style of writing, and used to it as Simpsons is so popular but i think there are also subtle differences in the way the characters act and the levels they go to.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

I really loved the grammy clips Pepe and Kermit are so cute in it and it really seems like people love Kermit.
Shame Kermin' sounds a bit horse though.

 

[CensoredAlso]

What i mean by it is that the same old lines were being used over and over when asked about their relationship. While Jim and Frank carried it off very well there's only so many times you can be asked about Kermit and Piggys relationship in an interview and come out with a different answer (usually something about baby figs, lol) - especially in the 80's. I think Eric and Steve have the advantage of the times changing, the characters have now got a little looser and celebrity relationships are a lot more exposed in the media - so they can go a bit further with the jokes and theres similar things in the celebrity world they can poke fun at. I think the new stuff does compliment the old stuff in that they still do the relationship thing but times have changed and the Muppets can't really just stop still, real people dont.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here. I just don't agree that it's been going further with the jokes. The original jokes were more sophisticated. And again, I find it strange that in order for the new stuff to be liked, the Jim-era stuff has to be put down. But as I said, agree to disagree.

But on the other hand, yeah I honestly don't blame anyone. I think there's a lot of pressure for them to be a certain way.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

I love the new Kermit videos, they are just fantastic!

Just wanted to comment about someone who said that they didn't like how the Muppets are doing hip-hop... during the TMS era, they did alot of old music but they had tons of hippie, revolutionary guest stars! I can guarantee you that they weren't exactly orthodox, and they communicated with the audience. I think that using modern music to connect with the audience is a great idea, as long as it doesn't seem greatly out of character for the muppets to do so. And what I've seen, I don't think it is out of character.

Why chello yes chello I have a name you know
And I know what the Muppets did...they did good music..Rap has ruined music, and has it in a strangle hold and wont let go.
I'd maybe not hate Rap so much if it wasn't the only thing out there for the last 8 or so years now.
And it just gets worse and worse as the years go by in the 80's it used to be so good and promissing and now Rap is just Crap without a C.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

It's not the genre I disagree with, (although I think hip-hop has overstayed its welcome in popular culture) it's the way that it is done. It looks like Kermit is trying to be trendy. Even the way he says the term "hip-hop" is akin to the cringeworthy moment in Muppets From Space when he said, "Way to get down with your bad selves!" It makes the frog look like a dorky out-of-touch artifact that is trying too hard than the relevant and comfortable-in-his-own-skin amphibian we all know him to be.

Kermit's little hip-hop aside is the only sore thumb on the site (and not a very big deal). But when people point to issues with Steve's Kermit, mark this as the sort of thing they're likely talking about. I like the Whitmire Kermit, but sometimes his signature teacup appears to be spiked with more caffeine than usual.

Give the man a gold star he gets it!

 

[CensoredAlso]

It's not the genre I disagree with, (although I think hip-hop has overstayed its welcome in popular culture) it's the way that it is done. It looks like Kermit is trying to be trendy. Even the way he says the term "hip-hop" is akin to the cringeworthy moment in Muppets From Space when he said, "Way to get down with your bad selves!" It makes the frog look like a dorky out-of-touch artifact that is trying too hard than the relevant and comfortable-in-his-own-skin amphibian we all know him to be.

Kermit's little hip-hop aside is the only sore thumb on the site (and not a very big deal). But when people point to issues with Steve's Kermit, mark this as the sort of thing they're likely talking about. I like the Whitmire Kermit, but sometimes his signature teacup appears to be spiked with more caffeine than usual.

Yeah, it used to be the Muppets were about being weird and outside the norm. They took pop culture and molded it into their style (like Staying Alive being performed by pigs in powereded wigs). Nowadays, the emphasis is suddenly on being hip and cool. They are letting pop culture define them. If I wanted to feel better about myself for being different and outside the norm (or teach it to my kids), the new projects are not the first place I would go.

And the idea that they need to change to attract audiences just does not conform with what I've seen of reality. People are not black and white and they don't go around saying "Old, bad. New, good." I saw some kids today fawning over Peanuts (more of an older franchise at this point), and they clearly knew everything about them.

I just don't understand why liking the new projects seems to mean being critical of the old ones, I do see that a lot.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

Yeah, it used to be the Muppets were about being weird and outside the norm. They took pop culture and molded it into their style (like Staying Alive being performed by pigs in powereded wigs). Nowadays, the emphasis is suddenly on being hip and cool. They are letting pop culture define them. If I wanted to feel better about myself for being different and outside the norm, the new projects are not the first place I would go. The classic projects are a different matter. And the idea that they need to change to attract audiences does not conform with reality.

I just don't understand why liking the new projects seems to mean being critical of the old ones, I do see that a lot.

*gives you gold star to*

 

[frogboy4]

I just don't understand why liking the new projects seems to mean being critical of the old ones, I do see that a lot.

There seems to be more division in general these days. Ficticous sides are created and extremist personalities pressure others to choose one. My mind isn't wired that way. I can appreciate many things on many levels - not everthing needs a thumbs-up or down.

 

[CensoredAlso]

There seems to be more division in general these days. Ficticous sides are created and extremist personalities pressure others to choose one. My mind isn't wired that way. I can appreciate many things on many levels - not everthing needs a thumbs-up or down.

Yeah kind of a Purist and New-ist split, hehe. I guess for the most part I'm a purist, but also capable of acknowledging when something new is good. Parts of VMC and MWO were actually nice; it's just that they're not the same as the original three.

 

[dwayne1115]

I can't find the new videos where are they?