Save the Muppets

[Kynan Barker]

Craig Crane asked

about the Muppeteers.... do you think THEY would allow this to happen? You think Goelz and co would sit quiet...?

None of us can speak for them, obviously, but at an educated guess, I think Craig's right -- I don't think the Muppeteers would want to see their characters farmed out. But I also don't think they'd necessarily speak out.

These are guys with more invested in the characters than any of us, and yet they never commented when JHC was sold to the crazy Germans, or when a cheap Kermit replacement showed up on German TV, or when Ernie was recast for Play With Me Sesame. They're all things that each of us had strong views on, but the performers, who had more at stake than any of us, remained silent.

Part of that is just good business sense -- you can't run a company when your employees are running complaining to the media -- but I'd hazard a guess that it's also just not in their nature. Even under Jim's leadership, people had differing views, but a performer's job is to make the best of the situation and put everything they've got into the performance.

Consider also -- these guys are freelancers with families to feed and mortgages to pay. As far as I understand it, there's nothing contractually obliging Disney to keep the key Muppeteers on board period. So let's say Disney launched a plan to find understudies -- cheap, eager understudies -- I can think of a bunch of reasons why a freelancer with a lot to lose might not want to make a big song and dance.

Like I said, I can't speak for anyone but myself. My opinion is, Disney's plan stinks. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Dave Goelz is hanging out for a suitable understudy to show up so he can finally let the blood flow back into his right hand. But I'm not going to take his, or anybody's, silence as a sign that everything's gonna be A-OK.

[Edited for mild language.]

 

[Kynan Barker]

Yeah I dont know about anyone else here but I'm kindda gettin offended by this Kynan kid. Telling us that One Voice stuff this and that and to the ones who wana audition, like me, he's practickly saying "dont audition", wich kinda gets me steamed ... I'm NOT saying I hate tha kid but this "One Voice" stuff is just gettin to me and I know some ones gonna say "well dont read it", but ya really cant help it... its ALL OVER most of the threads! sorry to vent like this but its just getting.......... old. 1 hes HAS NO idea what Disney plans on doing and 2nd He (by the looks of his post) is from the other side of the world, so he wont be seeing these "wana be" Muppets.

Hey Mickey Muppet. If you've got any questions about the campaign, you should feel free to address me personally. I'm really sorry you've been bothered by the two threads this discussion has come up in. I'm really not trying to discourage anybody from auditioning, I'm just encouraging everybody to let Disney know how they feel about these plans.

All I know is what I see, and even from the other side of the world, I can see Disney taking away the thing that makes the Muppets special. That gets me steamed, and that's why I've helped start the One Muppet, One Voice campaign. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm just after some reassurance from Disney that the characters I love will stay true to themselves, in spirit and in voice.

-- the Kynan kid
www.SaveTheMuppets.com

 

[OverUnderAround]

I would be very interested to see if Muppeteers will be evaluating those auditioning for these Disney jobs.

If they are, then it seems obvious they are not against it.

We will find out pretty soon...


Kynan, just had a thought. Shouldn’t your website be called 'Save the Muppeteers' instead of 'Save the Muppets'? The Muppets will always be around in one form or another, they aren't going anyplace. So what you're trying to save is really the Muppeteers. I think that "Save the Muppeteers' would have been a more accurate dot.com description for your cause.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Muppets are muppets you see like people are people

 

[Craig Crane]

well....

A: I dont think the key muppeteers need saving......

B: ...and after all these years of Muppeteering, if they still have mortgages, they need to seek decent financial advice

C: If anyone wants to audition, they should... because if the worse comes to the worse then at least you know that someone with a passion for the characters is there, as oppossed to someone who was making Whopper Meals two weeks ago and now has a super cool Kermit the frog name badge to add to his rather extensive name badge collection.

Bottom line, I dont think Martin B is going to pimp out the characters for a saved buck, and I dont think he will see the main performers shafted as new blood makes a mockery of what has come to pass....

If he does, you'll need more than a savethemuppets.com, and as passionate as some of you are, he may be needing a restraining order.


"Under MHC's plan, a large roster of anonymous puppeteers would be interchangeable with the established Muppet performers, whose careers and lives are so closely linked with their characters, and who represent a direct link between Jim Henson and the legacy he left behind."

Where is this plan?
Well, where is the manifesto that sets all of this out?
Where is written confirmation that Martin is doing this?
Where are the audition notifications in the trade press or the notices to agencies?


In order for your campaign to be valid, you first need to put some hard evidence on the table and then make a valid case... otherwise every letter received at those three address's will just be treated with the same contempt as junk mail, because its baseless. Find some cold hard facts, make contact with the Holding company (they are human at the end of the day, and depending onyour phone manner, may even answer some questions for you)...

Then, and only then will you know how much energy you need to invest in the campaign, and what form it should take.... but at the moment, there are no cold hard facts on your table, and as such I cant see myself writing to MHC....

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Kynan are you just upset because the aditons are only stateside and we won't see "Muppets Down Under" anytime soon...... It's Funny that twwo new people are the ones arguing this thread up

I f i had the Talent i would love to be a muppeter for 50 years people have understuded and moved up into other characters all they are looking to do is make the Muppets stronmg for years to come


and to use another 80's refence "Where's the Beef" like he said show proof that this is a cheaping of the muppets

 

[Whatever]

Kynan are you just upset because the aditons are only stateside and we won't see "Muppets Down Under" anytime soon...... It's Funny that twwo new people are the ones arguing this thread up

Kynan may be new to MC, but he's been at Tough Pigs forever and probably a lot of people know him from lurking there.

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

Kynan may be new to MC, but he's been at Tough Pigs forever and probably a lot of people know him from lurking there.

Kynan is also a well known muppet fan here in Australia! Although I dont know him personally. He's been in newspapers and he is writer for a very popular TV show here in Australia so he's certainly no newbie.

 

[Camellia]

Interesting website, this savethemuppets.com place... don't think I'll be participating though. I'll put in my vote by buying any cute toys that are produced

Let's just hope someday Kermit doesn't become a robotic corporate icon,

like this!!!

http://www.camelliasoftware.com/gina/paintff5.jpg

 

[muppetsforever]

I’m not saying there aren’t people out there who can do a killer Gonzo impression, and can give that character as much of a soul as Dave Goelz ever will – but you can’t have multiple Muppets at once (just like there can’t be two copies of you at the same time) - which Gonzo is the real Gonzo (even if one is restricted to showing up in Disneyland only). There have been multiple performers for many of the characters – but none of the characters were truly successful if there were more than one performer at the same time. Most fans would not say the handing-off of Kermit from Jim to Steve was the death of the character, and Eric Jacobson has not killed Fozzie or Piggy. However when there are multiple characters in existence all evolving and claiming to be the “real” character the whole Muppet universe collapses on itself.

I find this to be like a child seeing santa at the mall only to see him again 5 mins later at the gas station. when you loose the reality of a character, you loose everything