Old School Jim Henson Fans!!!!!

[Robin]

He everybody!!! I want to see the Muppets continue to grow and prosper!!!!
I always get misty when I watch old Muppet clips pryor to Jim's Death... I like the magic and the heart of those days!!! It just seems to be so different now!!! At least to me! In my own opinion!!! I respect others who believe different!!!!

I'm especially sensitive to this because I have been an actor and a Second City Improvisor... but my true passion is to be a puppeteer with the Muppets (I do the Dave Goelz voices spot on and some of Jerry Nelson's).... I'm sensitive because thats all I ever wanted and I wished to be trained by Jim Henson!!! I always admired him!!! Well He died on my 15th Birthday on May 16th 1990!!!

I was beside myself!!! I still feel so sad!!! But I don't just think of that!!! I still wish to be part of the magic!!! The memory of Jim is always in my heart!!! So are the wonderful Muppets!!!! My Generation was so lucky!!!! to be a part of the early Muppets in their Prime!!!! This is the thread to discuss Old school Muppets!!!

I love and respect all the fans!!! But I hope some understand what I'm getting at here!!!

Robin... Kermits cute little Nephew!!

 

[Tim]

I've written WAY to much my feelings on Jim's Muppets vs. whatever they are putting out now, but it's nice to talk about what made the "old school" stuff better.

One of the many, many things that made the Muppets special was Jim's love of the little details. There are thousands of examples, but you reminded me of Robin. I always loved when he would use his arms to do do little funny movements, like waving them onstage as his Uncle would. Understatement is one of the things NOT in their current performance vocabulary.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Robin, I think you started the right forum, in the right place, at the right time.

 

[Robin]

Thanks! Gee, I feel like Disney really droped the ball on Kermits 50th Anniversary!!
Disney is a chash cow in place of the glory and magic it once was pryor to the 70's... Now they seem to be doing a lot of damage to the Muppet brand that Jim Henson built!!! There seamd to be NO LEADERSHIP!!!! NO DIRECTION... Sad thing too is all the people that made the Muppets Great have moved on... Turned them over to people who don't understand the "true Muppet Message" Crude humor on Jimmy Kimmle live seems like the direction they're comfortable with now... That works with some of the Muppest but not Kermit!!! Every time I here these magig words I get choked up... Because it reminds me of the real Muppets!!! The "Henson" Muppets!!!!! "Lifes like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending. We've done just what we've set out to do....."
You know that ship has sailed and seams I love to jump in the water and help bring it back into port!!!! I don't want to sound angry!!! Nevermind! Yes I do!!! LOL

 

[maniacal muppet]

Hey Robin, I'm no Muppet Central god, I'm not a moderator or anything special here, but I now dub you the Muppet Central Forum Guru. Just for showing your sensibility towards the whole Disney issue.

 

[Robin]

It is not me picking on the Muppets trust me!!! I know the performers have to do the best with what they have!!! This is all about the non existant core! Jim Henson would take chances... Studios may have gotten a little nervous but!!!! Between the faith in Jim and the obvious love of somthing every one stanted for the studio exects would put their faith in Jim Henson!!! Now its not about the beautiful message and the wonderful lessons my beloved Muppets taught with silly vaudvillian humor and family values... It is all about Disney thinking "Gee the Muppets!! What do we do with them? I know!!! Lets make them even more edgy and forget about the thing that made generation X who they are today... Frank Oz saying see ya later to the Muppets to go after a career in directing is great, I have no problem with that, but now The Muppets are like kids let loose on a play ground!!! without supervision!!!! Hey!!! Stay wacky!!! Swear!!! be raunchy!!! But keep Kermit away from that crap!!!! PLEASE!!!! The point is and has always been
The Suporting Muppets have no rules thats fun!!!! BUT!!!!!!!! Kermit keeps everything in check!!!! He is the parent figure.... He is the silly lover... Sadly and quite honestly!!! He is Jim Henson... Sorry Steve!!!!(Rizzo is one of my favorite Muppets by far!!!!) Dont feel bad you're a GREAT puppeteer!!! You just never understood Kermits position in the world of Muppets!!!! Hey has anyone scene how great the last "Henson" Christmas special was? Know why?
Everyone knows!!!! The Muppets are not toys!!!! they are Magic!!! This is why Jim would never aprove of any distribution of Authentic Muppet Replicas!!! Know why? figure it out!!!! You all want one so bad!!! Why? because you were never going to get one on Jim Hensons watch!!! Not because he was a square!!! But because Kermit is Kermit!!! A very real American Icon that Jim breathed life into!!! Not to be mass produced!!!! He knew what he was doing because Kermit was real!!! It was him!!! and only one of one can exist!!!! If every muppet fan has to have a Kermit!!! Make your own!! I know for a fact Jim's eyebroughs would raise and he would be very impressed!!! Disney just can't figure out what to do with em!!! So... Lets just make money!!!!! Please!!!! Someone step up to the plate and fix this Muppet free for alll!!!!!!!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I was watching that thing he did on Johnny Carson with the mouth describing what was going through his head, and it was saying how money and greed were some of the most worst, darkest, parts to of him. It was sort of a commentary on all the different sides of people, and how there just human.

Now mind you, I am a fan of Disney, but is this what they are trying to do with the Muppet's? It just does not sound like Jim's intention at all.

 

[Robin]

I don't think Disney really wants to ruin the Muppets.... Disney is a big corperation and The Muppets don't seem to be their focus... Jim Henson wanted disney to own the muppets so that the characters could continue and the Muppet legacy would live on (that is a good thing)... It bet it had little to do with money... The rest is just my personal frustration about how it seems the Muppet heart stoped beating a few years after Jim's did... I just hope that they get this back on track... We all know it could never be Old school again.. But thats why I'm glad we can watch the Old DVD's and relive that amazing Muppet magic with Henson in the drivers seat...

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Well, Jim had so much success, that his company became the corporate model. One of the reasons Jim sold the Muppet's was so he could go back to being a mom and pop store type of business and he could focus on directing and creating again.

 

[Robin]

That would have been great!!! Sadly Jim soon there after died and the Disney deal fell through... The Muppets kept changing hands and so on and so on....
Jim had the best of intentions... Unfortunately Disney needs to prove to all the Muppet fans that they are commited to the brand... The blow off of Kermits 50th has me very angry!!! It would have been nice to do a grand Muppet special dedicated in Jim Hensons Memory to honor the coolest frog in the world!!! he he besides me! LOL Disney was working on something... later they pulled the plug on it!!! It is a very sad scene!!!! It should not be this way!