• Welcome to the Muppet Central Forum!
    You are viewing our forum as a guest. Join our free community to post topics and start private conversations. Please contact us if you need help.
  • Christmas Music
    Our 24th annual Christmas Music Merrython is underway on Muppet Central Radio. Listen to the best Muppet Christmas music of all-time through December 25.
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
    Let us know your thoughts on the Sesame Street appearance at the annual Macy's Parade.
  • Jim Henson Idea Man
    Remember the life. Honor the legacy. Inspire your soul. The new Jim Henson documentary "Idea Man" is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
  • Back to the Rock Season 2
    Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock Season 2 has premiered on AppleTV+. Watch the anticipated new season and let us know your thoughts.
  • Bear arrives on Disney+
    The beloved series has been off the air for the past 15 years. Now all four seasons are finally available for a whole new generation.
  • Sam and Friends Book
    Read our review of the long-awaited book, "Sam and Friends - The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show" by Muppet Historian Craig Shemin.

Statler & Waldorf on movies.com

JaniceFerSure

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
3,756
Reaction score
37
I love S & W,when they see a clip,their jaws drop open in shock.Too funny.
 

Kynan Barker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
93
Reaction score
0
MWoO said:
So you better go out there and kick Matt Vogel's butt and make sure Frank Oz never stops by the Sesame set to do a Grover spot when he has time.
It's true that Sesame Workshop combines primary performers and understudy performers with some success. Matt Vogel, since you mentioned him, is a true understudy, performing Big Bird with Carroll's blessing and tutelage, and Carroll has first right of refusal. Matt simply never puts on the suit unless Carroll can't do it. Which doesn't seem to be the case with MHC, where it appears Dave and Steve have already lost work.

Sesame Workshop's philosophy on recasting is to keep the characters alive. Their understudy strategy has been to ensure a smooth transition, to ensure continuity, and enable the characters to stay real and vibrant. It's a consistent, well-thought out strategy. I personally may not agree with it, but I know they have good reasons for doing it the way they have.

MHC's motivation is obviously purely financial. They want multiple Muppets for the exposure, the publicity, and the vast potential to take cash from eager paying audiences. I'm sure it's a consistent, well-thought out strategy -- them Disney folks know how to make money -- but I don't for a minute think that they have the characters' best interests, nor the audience's, at heart.

To summarize: Sesame Workshop has an understudy plan aimed at keeping the characters consistent, which incorporates some elements our campaign might be against, but which has built-in damage control and is implemented with the full cooperation of all the performers.

Whereas MHC has an understudy plan aimed at increasing profits without regard for consistency, which incorporates everything our campaign stands against, and also risks the jobs of the Muppeteers.

And that's why Matt Vogel's butt is safe from my vengeance, while the guys at MHC have started wearing padded jeans.
 

OverUnderAround

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
445
Reaction score
3
Kynan Barker said:
Sesame Workshop's philosophy on recasting is to keep the characters alive. Their understudy strategy has been to ensure a smooth transition, to ensure continuity, and enable the characters to stay real and vibrant. It's a consistent, well-thought out strategy. I personally may not agree with it, but I know they have good reasons for doing it the way they have.
Don't forget Kynan, at these recent auditions Sesame was there also looking for Ernie, Bert, Grover, etc.
It didn't seem as if Sesame Workshops philosophy was any different then MHC, at least not for the SS characters they are currently auditioning for.

While the reasoning you gave for Matt Vogel is true, somehow I don't think this will be the case (understudying the main performer) for these new Sesame Street character try-outs of late. Possibly when Whitmire and Jacobson are busy with MHC projects the new Occasional Muppeteer will fill in for them on SS.

And if that's the case, then Sesame Workshop is doing the same as MHC.

_______________________________________________

Just wanted to respond to that.
..now back to the the original topic of S&W. :smile:
 

Beauregard

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
19,240
Reaction score
1,239
New topic:

Statler and Waldorf...what motivates them? Why do they feel the need to mock all and sudery?
 

OverUnderAround

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
445
Reaction score
3
Beauregard said:
New topic:

Statler and Waldorf...what motivates them? Why do they feel the need to mock all and sudery?
Ah interesting!
Hmm... we could go off and fantasize where all this mockery started. I would guess they were World War II veterans and had to poke fun at all the Allied versus Axis situations in the 1940's. Or with them, maybe they go back to World War One.

...Or maybe when they were teens they would hang out on the corner and poke fun at everyone, cause they could never get the girls. :smile:

Lots of possibilities.
 

DannyRWW

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
1,040
Reaction score
400
Beauregard said:
New topic:

Statler and Waldorf...what motivates them? Why do they feel the need to mock all and sudery?

Hmmmm... got me thinking wouldn't it be interesting to see Statler and Waldorf meet up with the title character from House....maybe they could inteview him as part of a dvd review.
 

Squall Leonhart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
116
Reaction score
6
I think, they should be riffing the previews as they watch them,sort of like Mystery Science Theater 3000 did and then could do the Old Guys Scale of Horror or whatever it was that week. Statler and Waldorf Metting up? I can't even imagine that. Maybe they met by getting the same box at a Vodaville show, and they went from there.
 

unclematt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
3,285
Reaction score
17
The same thing that motivates me to be cynical and grumpy
 

GelflingWaldo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2004
Messages
1,553
Reaction score
9
New Episode

A new episode of "Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony" was posted on Movies.com today. In the latest installment of the bi-weekly web-show, Statler and Waldorf talk about the films "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Get Rich or Die Tryin'", plus Sam the Eagle stops by to talk about "Walk the Line". You can also learn the meaning of this weeks balconism, "BLOND-tourage". So check out the "From the Balcony" website on Movies.com and watch the latest episode . Be sure to check back for the next episode on November 26th.

Source: http://muppetnewsflash.blogspot.com/2005/11/from-balcony-episode-11.html
 
Top