Save the Muppets

[Philip Kippel]

The reality of multiple performers per character is very real. It's been talked about at Disney since the purchase. This has nothing to do with bruised egos, but with factual information as to the future of the Muppets. Decisions being made by the penny-pinchers who say what happens with the characters.

Please stop referring to Disney as penny-pinchers all the time! It's gotten old...especially because Eisner the Miser is now out of the picture.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Unfortunately, the idiots at ToughPigs.com still don't get it!

I don't go to the ToughPigs forum anymore because of most of the members' illogical and imbecillic behaviors.

Don't talk rude about people who are also fellow Muppets fans. If you don't like it there, just don't go; but, don't bring negativity into Muppet Central. I've been fighting the negativity around here for a while now and I want it to stay OUT of these message boards.

Talking rude to and about other people is against the messages that Jim tried to express, ultimately, and I intend to uphold his teachings.

As religious as that might sound.

Kev, Mod

 

[Philip Kippel]

Don't talk rude about people who are also fellow Muppets fans. If you don't like it there, just don't go; but, don't bring negativity into Muppet Central. I've been fighting the negativity around here for a while now and I want it to stay OUT of these message boards.

Talking rude to and about other people is against the messages that Jim tried to express, ultimately, and I intend to uphold his teachings.

As religious as that might sound.

Kev, Mod

I'm sorry about that.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Thanks.

 

[Kynan Barker]

A response from Save The Muppets

It's been pointed out that I’ve been absent from this thread for a while. It can be hard work slogging through all these posts and sorting the real stuff from the craziness.

In response to Marky, Mickey Muppet and others: As Over Under Around has pointed out, no, I’m not a kid. And I’m confused as to why so many people are assuming I’m a bitter rejected auditionee: I’ve made it very clear that I chose not to audition. I have nothing to hide; my arguments are all based on logic and real information, and I’m much more interested in debating the issues than I am in refuting unfounded accusations about my motivations.

I’m sure I’d have a lot more to say to Marky, Mickey Muppet et al if their arguments were less personally insulting, and a lot less badly written.

Kevin made reference to Sesame Workshop’s Carol-Lynn Parente’s statement in apparent support of the One Muppet, One Voice concept, but dismissed it because of Sesame Workshop’s presence at the auditions.

Carol-Lynn is the current Executive Producer and show-runner of Sesame Street; she’s in no way misinformed about the Workshop’s policy. Sesame Workshop was present at Disney’s casting calls, but they weren’t looking for substitute performers. They were just saving themselves a bunch of money by taking a free peek at auditions that someone else had paid for.

That’s why our campaign was never worried about Sesame Workshop -- their attitude is reflected accurately by Carol Lynn’s quote: “One performer, one Muppet. Performers bring the characters to life, and they must be respected.”

Over Under Around started strong by pointing out correctly that I’m not a kid, but then went and ruined everything with this stuff:

“Kynan...is either a friend of Muppet writer Jim Lewis or Steve or Dave or Bill [Barretta].”

As it happens, I have had some personal contact with Jim Lewis, who’s a great guy, but I can assure all you folks here that Jim Lewis is not behind Save The Muppets.

As for Steve, Dave and Bill, I’ve met each of them once, at MuppetFest, under the same circumstances that a lot of other fans did. I lined up, got some stuff signed, and shook them firmly by the hand. I did the same with Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, Karen Prell and a nice young man named Josh Cohen, who happened to be performing Bear that day.

None of them is behind Save The Muppets either.

Now this is the part which is not only flat-out wrong, but also perilously close to libellous:

“...through Kynan at least one of them is voicing their anger not that they are being replaced, but that they have to share the spotlight with someone else performing their character around the country. That's all it comes down to. It seems like Steve, Dave and Bill have had their egos bruised.”

Wow. I mean, it’s one thing to accuse me of being someone’s puppet (see what I did there?). But to assign questionable motivations to people for something they didn’t do, well, that’s just cuckoo. Steve, Dave and Bill are not connected to Save The Muppets. Which makes your speculation that their non-existent involvement stems from anger, ego or bitterness not just wrong, but really incredibly offensive.

I find it extremely disappointing that Kevin reprimanded Philip Kippel for saying rude things about Muppet fans, while Over Under Around’s outrageous slander of the Muppet performers has gone unchecked.

“Why don’t Steve, Dave and Bill want to be a part of [Disney’s plans]?”

Why, probably for the same reason I’ve been saying all along -- because having multiple performers operating the Muppet characters is bad for the brand. If they sign up -- for example -- for a three-month Disney cruise, that’s three months worth of substitute performers working the mainland. Doesn’t matter who those performers are, doesn’t matter they’re paid, it’s the fact that there’s more than one of them per character.

That’s the fundamental issue, and that’s what it’s been all along.

Kynan
www.savethemuppets.com

 

[Craig Crane]

Kynan,

I think you are missing the point here, or making one **** of a mountain out of a mole hill.

A: They're not yours to save. At the end of the day, they are a business asset. A consumable product, no different from a Big Mac or the Golden Arches.... what they do with them is up to them, and I very much doubt they wouyld venture into such an operation without due care and consideration for both the brand and its core performers. If you really want to save something, put all your energies towards helping the poor kids in Africa get clean water. Every little bit helps. I think at present, your energies are misplaced.

B: As I already stated in a previous post earlier on, I dont think any of your fears will ever become a reality. If you have any doubts about this, see point A.

and finally

C: There is nothing even remotely libellous in the 2nd quotation your post.

 

[Kynan Barker]

Thanks for your response Craig. Unfortunately, I don't buy it. The argument that Disney is a big company and big companies don't make mistakes holds very little water with me. The fact that MHC has thought a great deal about their plan doesn't mean I agree with their decision and there's a whole lot of other Muppet supporters who feel the same way as me. Yes, the Muppets are consumer products, and we're just exercising our rights as consumers.

And sure, of course there are bigger causes and more important issues. Billions of people are facing life and death decisions every day. But since this is the Muppet Central Forum, maybe we can take it as read that folks here do care about the Muppets, just a little bit, at least for the brief time that they actually spend here.

We could add a disclaimer to every thread here, pointing out that the color of Floyd's jacket in Palisades' sixth wave or the availability of Antron Fleece in Wisconsin aren't, in fact, issues of major import on a wider global scale. Or we could just accept the fact that we're all free to choose what we want to care about at any given moment.

For me, while I'm here, I choose to care about Save the Muppets. And in my spare time, I've got some other stuff going on.

"There is nothing even remotely libellous in the 2nd quotation your post."

Over Under Around was not only falsely accusing the Muppet performers of orchestrating a worldwide fan campaign against their employer, he was also accusing them of doing it because of a grudge. I'm just pointing out that anonymously making unfounded accusations about real people like that isn't necessarily a good idea. And the dangerous thing about libel is, it's not up to you or me to define it. That's up to, you know, lawyers.

So, to be very clear: This isn't a vast Muppet performer conspiracy. It's a fan campaign. And we're running it because we care about the future of the Muppet characters.

It's really that simple.

Kynan
www.savethemuppets.com

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

Kynan,

why dont u JUST give up dude! this has ALMOST been goin on for 1 year now! Disney IS BIG and you ARE SMALL.... it doesnt matter if 1, 4 or 100 are behind you... Disney STILL gonna do what they want. I say IF YOU REALLY wana do somthin, move down there and get a job at Disney/MHC. other wise, JUST STOP/GIVE IT UP. my thing is with you is DO you have any PROOF what so ever as to what Disney/MCH plans? ha.. i mean so far you havnt proved any-thing to make me (or other MC members) think that Disney plans on re-casting Kermit, Piggy, Pepe, etc. un-til i see (or hear and I'm a Disney stock holder, and i hear things ALL THE time) that you or Disney puts somthin "offical" on paper or the net, then thats when i'll belive you! as fans we can say and DO what we want... but in the REAL WORLD, NOT everything happens/ or works.

 

[OverUnderAround]

Hi Kynan, nice to see your name pop up at MC again.

Now this is the part which is not only flat-out wrong, but also perilously close to libellous:

Quote:
"...not that they are being replaced, but that they have to share the spotlight with someone else performing their character around the country. That's all it comes down to. It seems like Steve, Dave and Bill have had their egos bruised.”

Wow. I mean, it’s one thing to accuse me of being someone’s puppet (see what I did there?). But to assign questionable motivations to people for something they didn’t do, well, that’s just cuckoo.

I'll stick to my quote, this was told to me by someone who knows them and this was their feelings at the time (months ago), and not from a personal opinion of mine.

Kevin Carol-Lynn is the current Executive Producer and show-runner of Sesame Street; she’s in no way misinformed about the Workshop’s policy. Sesame Workshop was present at Disney’s casting calls, but they weren’t looking for substitute performers.

Ah, Kynan, I don't know how to word this without giving anything away, but don't believe every press release you read. It's actually the opposite, you'll see in time.

 

[ILuVERNIE]

don't even believe in gossip either... they are full of LIES!