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I know this is posted in the Muppet Headlines part, but I actually thought that this is important, and other people should see this, in case others didn't see this. I got this idea this morning after I read the article below... I've elaborated on it and I'd like to also see what everyone here at MuppetCentral thinks.
Nobody is going to shed a tear for a bookcase full of obsolete pirates and forgotten wenches, but it is a sadder thing to watch the once universally beloved characters of your childhood—characters like, say, the Muppets—fading inexorably from the public imagination. It stings to realize that a lot of kids today have no idea who Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy is, but it’s far more depressing to witness a witless attempt at generating some new buzz for the characters by pairing Miss Piggy with Jessica Simpson in those commercials for the most hideous-looking pizza I have ever seen. (Seriously, it looks like every slice is topped off by somebody’s gangrenous toe.) Jim Henson was never reluctant to use his characters in commercials, but he got his start creating a series of revolutionary ads in the ’50s and ’60s, and he understood that there is a real art to making a good commercial. The new Muppet ads aren’t just missing Henson in the literal sense, they’re missing his spirit. I hesitate to speak for a dead man, but I can’t imagine Henson would have approved of invoking Kermit’s signature song “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” with its subtle but unmistakable message of racial tolerance, to pitch a car. The Muppets never really felt like puppets before, but man, they sure do now.
The Muppets have certainly hit an all-time low. Here's ten different instances that show that they have simply been embarrassing in the last few years:
1. Muppet Treasure Island (With Fozzie's finger as a person, and their second attempt on a movie adapted from a famous novel, I knew, even as a young teen, there was something going down and unmistakably wrong with what they were doing, even though MTI isn't as awful as some of the other things that are listed further down.)
2. Muppets Tonight (It was very hard for me to take the show seriously; the performances were weak, and it seems to me as if they were trying to be 'new age.' It was awful.)
3. Sesame Street (You know what I'm gonna say here. And that is, Elmo is now Ruler of the Street. And hardly anyone likes him who happens to be over the age of five. Big Bird and Snuffy were the top dogs of the show, along with Ernie, Bert, Oscar, Grover, Count, Cookie, and of course the human actors. Elmo (along with Telly) kind of fell in line with these other people toward the end. But don't forget, it took Jim and Co. a long time to establish who's who on the show. And after he died, they kind of all forgot about it, and let Kevin move in with Elmo, and now we got Zoey, Telly, Bear, and other characters who aren't even remotely interesting taking the key spots, with the old famous ones coming in from time to time. To me, when it comes to the characters of Sesame Street, it's a lot like the Muppets; it's about what you've earned. Elmo did not earn the key to the place.)
4. Muppets From Space (Kermit should always be the focus of the movies they make. Fozzie's not in much till halfway thru the show. And Gonzo and Rizzo should NOT be the new Kermit and Fozzie. This was definitely the key point (however sadly) in which we saw Gonzo step up and pretty much take Fozzie's place. Three lines from Scooter, and NO lines from Rowlf; just a disgruntled "augh" at the breakfast table.)
5. Kermit's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, etc. (Steve's Kermit, you ANNOY me to no end. You're overly cheery, a little squeaky, and act too much like a child. Please find someone new for this guy. It's Kermit the Frog, for goodness' sakes! We want a leader, not a whimp.)
6. Kermit's Swamp Years (This was primarily for pre-schoolers, but it was also supposed to be how Kermit grew up. They could have done a lot with this. Instead, they kept it geared towards kids. I think we could have even seen Kermit do some certain things that would have wowed us, like coming up with the lyrics for "Rainbow Connection." How neat would that have been? And if Henson thinks this was so great, then why did it get put in the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart so soon?)
7. Commercials (I think the article I put above explains that pretty well, along with why I'm making this list in the first place. Once again, try not making them seem so hip, and concentrate on making them likable.)
8. It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas (Okay, here's where the Muppets try to become TOO 'new-age' with the Rave scene, the inuendos by Pepe, and the fact that the Muppets, once again, stole someone else's idea to make another cheap film.)
9. Fraggle Rock (Granted, they are bringing them back to the spotlight. Or so they're trying. But when they released Fraggle Rock in a 15-volume set, they didn't just keep using the same pictures of the Fraggle Five for all 15 volumes. They actually went out and did different poses. Also, Mokey is now seen these days as the least popular character, which really bugs me. She's only on one of the DVD covers, and she's had the least episodes covered over her, aside from the season 1 release. And if they're going to bring back Fraggle Rock, they need to take into account why Fraggles were loved in the first place, and not mess this all up and make it only enjoyable to only young kids. There's a huge sense of importance that the Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs and Doc and Sprcket had on people. I consider what they did with Fraggle Rock truly magic. Granted, I'd want my kids to love them too, but some of us in our 20's still enjoy the old episodes, and there's a reason for that.)
10. The Muppets' Wizard Of Oz (Here, we see the final straw that broke the camel's back. It was humiliating to watch. Just sad. Jim would be very dissappointed in his siblings, as well as Steve, Dave, and the others. He would have never hired Eric; I think Frank would still help some if Jim was around. The Muppets are either trying too hard, or not at all, to make the Muppets work. They need to go back and keep things simple. Did they ever even read "It's Not Easy Bein' Green"? Simple is good. I may sound like Cantus when I say this, but there's a difference between simple and easy. I see this film as though they took the easy route.)
If you want to start making the Muppets good, here's a checklist you could go over to see if you're giving some effort into the film you're planning to produce:
1. Calm the characters down! Everyone on the Muppets is too jumpy, and try to be too crazy. Writers of the Muppets know that this is not how they've always acted. This is one of the reasons why I don't watch the new Muppet productions after the first time. I know it's an attempt to be funny, but it's not. If you guys have EVER watched some of the old episodes of The Muppet Show (I don't think Brian Henson has; he's screwed up a couple of those Time/Life interviews) you'll see that the Muppets are a lot like people. They can be calm and have serious conversations. Not everything has to lead up to a joke. I know times have changed, but the Muppets didn't have to.
2. Don't take certain movies and try making them your own! It's getting really old; heck, you guys have done Wizard of Oz on Muppet Babies, The Muppet Show, and on Muppets Go To The Movies. Jim was good at creating new ideas and new ground for the Muppets to cover. I know you guys aren't Jim, but he did leave you with something that was supposed to be taken seriously. Not just do whatever you please. Speaking of doing as you please- and this somewhat ties into my third point here- don't take certain characters and try making them your own! Even though there may be a different performer for a certain character, do what cartoonists do and find someone who is best suited for the character provided. I know the same person hasn't done Mikey's voice throughout all time, and same with Buggs Bunny. But the people doing their voices are still very good, and enjoyable. You should be doing the same. Believe it or not, Muppets are something that people believe in. Or at least, they did once.
3. Core characters should stay as core characters! That means, Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and Rowlf. I guess Rizzo can stay in the mix; it's kinda late to make him a background character anyways. But the Electric Mayhem should have more spots instead of Pepe, Clifford, and others. I'd much rather see Floyd talk than to have to put up with Johnny Fiama's ego. And when I mean put the cores back in, don't just put them back in and find performers who are as horrible as Eric Jacobson; get REAL performers. Get people who can do their personalities, not just their voices. If that means replacing a few puppeters, that'd be okay. I'd hate to see just anyone off the street get Fozzie Bear. If you ask me, in order to be a Muppeteer, you don't have to fill out an application and really audition for them; it seems as if you have to be in some inner circle to get that great of a job. That should stop as well. If you do that, other people with real talents may never get to be seen.
I doubt anyone from the core Henson group reads this, but if they do, don't see this as an insult; see it as constructive criticism and guidelines that you could use for improvement. So Brian, next time you have this urge to re-create some already-famous film and completely ruin it with your dads' creations, go back to this list. Because if you do, you'll think "Oh, right... people DON'T like that!" and you'll help us all out. Granted, kids under 10 may, but you have to think of your WHOLE audience. And I'm quite sure that you could use this as guidelines for correcting problems with Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the new Dark Crystal coming out later on.Sorry if this seems as if it's a little too strong for anyone to take, but I believe in what I'm saying. And the reason why I wrote this in the first place is because I miss the Muppets.
Nobody is going to shed a tear for a bookcase full of obsolete pirates and forgotten wenches, but it is a sadder thing to watch the once universally beloved characters of your childhood—characters like, say, the Muppets—fading inexorably from the public imagination. It stings to realize that a lot of kids today have no idea who Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy is, but it’s far more depressing to witness a witless attempt at generating some new buzz for the characters by pairing Miss Piggy with Jessica Simpson in those commercials for the most hideous-looking pizza I have ever seen. (Seriously, it looks like every slice is topped off by somebody’s gangrenous toe.) Jim Henson was never reluctant to use his characters in commercials, but he got his start creating a series of revolutionary ads in the ’50s and ’60s, and he understood that there is a real art to making a good commercial. The new Muppet ads aren’t just missing Henson in the literal sense, they’re missing his spirit. I hesitate to speak for a dead man, but I can’t imagine Henson would have approved of invoking Kermit’s signature song “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” with its subtle but unmistakable message of racial tolerance, to pitch a car. The Muppets never really felt like puppets before, but man, they sure do now.
The Muppets have certainly hit an all-time low. Here's ten different instances that show that they have simply been embarrassing in the last few years:
1. Muppet Treasure Island (With Fozzie's finger as a person, and their second attempt on a movie adapted from a famous novel, I knew, even as a young teen, there was something going down and unmistakably wrong with what they were doing, even though MTI isn't as awful as some of the other things that are listed further down.)
2. Muppets Tonight (It was very hard for me to take the show seriously; the performances were weak, and it seems to me as if they were trying to be 'new age.' It was awful.)
3. Sesame Street (You know what I'm gonna say here. And that is, Elmo is now Ruler of the Street. And hardly anyone likes him who happens to be over the age of five. Big Bird and Snuffy were the top dogs of the show, along with Ernie, Bert, Oscar, Grover, Count, Cookie, and of course the human actors. Elmo (along with Telly) kind of fell in line with these other people toward the end. But don't forget, it took Jim and Co. a long time to establish who's who on the show. And after he died, they kind of all forgot about it, and let Kevin move in with Elmo, and now we got Zoey, Telly, Bear, and other characters who aren't even remotely interesting taking the key spots, with the old famous ones coming in from time to time. To me, when it comes to the characters of Sesame Street, it's a lot like the Muppets; it's about what you've earned. Elmo did not earn the key to the place.)
4. Muppets From Space (Kermit should always be the focus of the movies they make. Fozzie's not in much till halfway thru the show. And Gonzo and Rizzo should NOT be the new Kermit and Fozzie. This was definitely the key point (however sadly) in which we saw Gonzo step up and pretty much take Fozzie's place. Three lines from Scooter, and NO lines from Rowlf; just a disgruntled "augh" at the breakfast table.)
5. Kermit's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, etc. (Steve's Kermit, you ANNOY me to no end. You're overly cheery, a little squeaky, and act too much like a child. Please find someone new for this guy. It's Kermit the Frog, for goodness' sakes! We want a leader, not a whimp.)
6. Kermit's Swamp Years (This was primarily for pre-schoolers, but it was also supposed to be how Kermit grew up. They could have done a lot with this. Instead, they kept it geared towards kids. I think we could have even seen Kermit do some certain things that would have wowed us, like coming up with the lyrics for "Rainbow Connection." How neat would that have been? And if Henson thinks this was so great, then why did it get put in the $5.50 bin at Wal-Mart so soon?)
7. Commercials (I think the article I put above explains that pretty well, along with why I'm making this list in the first place. Once again, try not making them seem so hip, and concentrate on making them likable.)
8. It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas (Okay, here's where the Muppets try to become TOO 'new-age' with the Rave scene, the inuendos by Pepe, and the fact that the Muppets, once again, stole someone else's idea to make another cheap film.)
9. Fraggle Rock (Granted, they are bringing them back to the spotlight. Or so they're trying. But when they released Fraggle Rock in a 15-volume set, they didn't just keep using the same pictures of the Fraggle Five for all 15 volumes. They actually went out and did different poses. Also, Mokey is now seen these days as the least popular character, which really bugs me. She's only on one of the DVD covers, and she's had the least episodes covered over her, aside from the season 1 release. And if they're going to bring back Fraggle Rock, they need to take into account why Fraggles were loved in the first place, and not mess this all up and make it only enjoyable to only young kids. There's a huge sense of importance that the Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs and Doc and Sprcket had on people. I consider what they did with Fraggle Rock truly magic. Granted, I'd want my kids to love them too, but some of us in our 20's still enjoy the old episodes, and there's a reason for that.)
10. The Muppets' Wizard Of Oz (Here, we see the final straw that broke the camel's back. It was humiliating to watch. Just sad. Jim would be very dissappointed in his siblings, as well as Steve, Dave, and the others. He would have never hired Eric; I think Frank would still help some if Jim was around. The Muppets are either trying too hard, or not at all, to make the Muppets work. They need to go back and keep things simple. Did they ever even read "It's Not Easy Bein' Green"? Simple is good. I may sound like Cantus when I say this, but there's a difference between simple and easy. I see this film as though they took the easy route.)
If you want to start making the Muppets good, here's a checklist you could go over to see if you're giving some effort into the film you're planning to produce:
1. Calm the characters down! Everyone on the Muppets is too jumpy, and try to be too crazy. Writers of the Muppets know that this is not how they've always acted. This is one of the reasons why I don't watch the new Muppet productions after the first time. I know it's an attempt to be funny, but it's not. If you guys have EVER watched some of the old episodes of The Muppet Show (I don't think Brian Henson has; he's screwed up a couple of those Time/Life interviews) you'll see that the Muppets are a lot like people. They can be calm and have serious conversations. Not everything has to lead up to a joke. I know times have changed, but the Muppets didn't have to.
2. Don't take certain movies and try making them your own! It's getting really old; heck, you guys have done Wizard of Oz on Muppet Babies, The Muppet Show, and on Muppets Go To The Movies. Jim was good at creating new ideas and new ground for the Muppets to cover. I know you guys aren't Jim, but he did leave you with something that was supposed to be taken seriously. Not just do whatever you please. Speaking of doing as you please- and this somewhat ties into my third point here- don't take certain characters and try making them your own! Even though there may be a different performer for a certain character, do what cartoonists do and find someone who is best suited for the character provided. I know the same person hasn't done Mikey's voice throughout all time, and same with Buggs Bunny. But the people doing their voices are still very good, and enjoyable. You should be doing the same. Believe it or not, Muppets are something that people believe in. Or at least, they did once.
3. Core characters should stay as core characters! That means, Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and Rowlf. I guess Rizzo can stay in the mix; it's kinda late to make him a background character anyways. But the Electric Mayhem should have more spots instead of Pepe, Clifford, and others. I'd much rather see Floyd talk than to have to put up with Johnny Fiama's ego. And when I mean put the cores back in, don't just put them back in and find performers who are as horrible as Eric Jacobson; get REAL performers. Get people who can do their personalities, not just their voices. If that means replacing a few puppeters, that'd be okay. I'd hate to see just anyone off the street get Fozzie Bear. If you ask me, in order to be a Muppeteer, you don't have to fill out an application and really audition for them; it seems as if you have to be in some inner circle to get that great of a job. That should stop as well. If you do that, other people with real talents may never get to be seen.
I doubt anyone from the core Henson group reads this, but if they do, don't see this as an insult; see it as constructive criticism and guidelines that you could use for improvement. So Brian, next time you have this urge to re-create some already-famous film and completely ruin it with your dads' creations, go back to this list. Because if you do, you'll think "Oh, right... people DON'T like that!" and you'll help us all out. Granted, kids under 10 may, but you have to think of your WHOLE audience. And I'm quite sure that you could use this as guidelines for correcting problems with Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the new Dark Crystal coming out later on.Sorry if this seems as if it's a little too strong for anyone to take, but I believe in what I'm saying. And the reason why I wrote this in the first place is because I miss the Muppets.
