Steve Whitmire has left the Muppets, Matt Vogel to continue as Kermit

[gravy]

What would Jim think?

I mean, Steve would probably get those dreams with Jim again, but that doesn't mean he'd be disappointed, but rather acceptant. At least Kermit's legacy is getting carried on, right? Matt is only 10 years younger, though.

 

[muppetperson]

But didn't Steve leave SS willingly to focus more on Muppet Studios?

My apologies. I saw an article that said Ernie is to be recast to Billy Barkhurst, but I just googled it, and Billy Barkhurst took over in 2014!!

 

[JimAndFrank]

All of this crap aside, I'm beginning to get excited about this new blog Steve's decided to start. This is what he says in the 'About Me' section.

'My immediate goal for this blog is to leave anyone interested in the Muppets at any level, past, present, or future, with the deepest possible understanding of my discoveries in taking the intangibles of Jim’s unique methodologies and giving them a basis in fact.'

The man is gonna put me out of business, but I couldn't care less. I've been trying to give deeper insights to the Muppets on my blog since November.

Oh well, why on earth would I complain about my favourite Muppeteer giving his amazing insights into the characters I love most?

 

[beaker]

As much as I want to write a long beautifully worded tribute to Steve's work in inspiring all of us, so many others in the Muppet fan community already have...and two, Im too mad to write something cogent.

This is thankfully a family friendly site, so I have to use another less inflammatory G rated word...but FORGET Disney. They showed since 2004 that they never gave a toss about the Muppets. By some miracle we got two movies and a tv show in the last few years, but that seemed due more to a couple of people using all their clout to make it happen...as Disney since 2004 seemed in no hurry to do much with the property.

This is so angering to read...
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...-muppets-most-wanted-matt-vogel-a7838601.html

"For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible to resist way of life. This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero.

"As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting."

Any respect I had for Disney regarding the Muppets is out the window. While we can mostly agree they've done good with the Marvel and Star Wars franchise, its always felt like the Muppets were the outside aquisition they never put any thought into

They got rid of Muppet Vision 3d at California Adventure, cancelled The Muppets after 16 episodes, refuse to release Muppet merch in stores, and generally never seemed to be behind the characters other than the brief miracles of the movies. My heart aches knowing Steve Whitmire has been tormented with this sinking news, unfairly being terminated by the toxic corporate culture of Disney higher ups.

Just look at the way Disney threw away and buried Bear in the Big Blue House immediately after buying the full rights to it, arguably the best Henson franchise since Fraggle Rock.
A lot of media and people online are putting all their energy into protesting a certain reality show host turned world leader, but I say people need to start protesting Disney. This is completely inacceptable

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

My apologies. I saw an article that said Ernie is to be recast to Billy Barkhurst, but I just googled it, and Billy Barkhurst took over in 2014!!

So Billy will still do Ernie? I know I read before the Peter Linz would take over as Ernie which wouldn't have made a lot of sense considering was already recently recast. Can someone clarify here?

Note to self: never work for Disney.

Yeah. I know what you mean. I do recall an audio clip of an interview with Steve that he stated the incident on "America's Got Talent" wasn't his decision. He said he was there and would have performed Kermit, but Disney had other ideas. You just never know with them.

 

[JimAndFrank]

As much as I want to write a long beautifully worded tribute to Steve's work in inspiring all of us, so many others in the Muppet fan community already have...and two, Im too mad to write something cogent.

This is thankfully a family friendly site, so I have to use another less inflammatory G rated word...but FORGET Disney. They showed since 2004 that they never gave a toss about the Muppets. By some miracle we got two movies and a tv show in the last few years, but that seemed due more to a couple of people using all their clout to make it happen...as Disney since 2004 seemed in no hurry to do much with the property.

This is so angering to read...
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...-muppets-most-wanted-matt-vogel-a7838601.html

"For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible to resist way of life. This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero.

"As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting."

Any respect I had for Disney regarding the Muppets is out the window. While we can mostly agree they've done good with the Marvel and Star Wars franchise, its always felt like the Muppets were the outside aquisition they never put any thought into

They got rid of Muppet Vision 3d at California Adventure, cancelled The Muppets after 16 episodes, refuse to release Muppet merch in stores, and generally never seemed to be behind the characters other than the brief miracles of the movies. My heart aches knowing Steve Whitmire has been tormented with this sinking news, unfairly being terminated by the toxic corporate culture of Disney higher ups.

Just look at the way Disney threw away and buried Bear in the Big Blue House immediately after buying the full rights to it, arguably the best Henson franchise since Fraggle Rock.
A lot of media and people online are putting all their energy into protesting a certain reality show host turned world leader, but I say people need to start protesting Disney. This is completely inacceptable

Hear, hear good sir!

That sums up exactly how I've been feeling about it all day!

 

[EntropicOrgan]

I am absolutely heartbroken. It was seeing an interview with Steve on the Sesame Street A&E Biography ("they call it 'The Henson Punch'.") in 2001 that inspired me to become a puppeteer. Much like Jim Henson was Steve's idol, Steve was mine. I’ve always dreamed of meeting him or working with him. I even had pictures of Steve on my high school books! Steve has been Kermit for my entire lifetime. Muppet Treasure Island was the first (and still the best) film I saw at the cinema. The Muppets Tonight was always THE topic of conversation school each week. And his gorgeous voice singing Love Lead Us Here, Rat Scat, The Instant Rhyming Game and Wembling Fool got me through the bus rides on many painful days at high school. I hope Steve continues to puppeteer - I know we'd all jump at the chance to work with him!

 

[gravy]

Let's also hope we see him in Muppet related events!

 

[Rugratskid]

Beyond upset hearing this; truthfully, I haven't liked how Disney has treated The Muppets for years, bordering since after the 2011 film, but this is beyond ridiculous.. any respect I had for the company as a whole is gone; recasting such a core performer is absolutely insane, not to mention the fact that they didn't even give Steve a chance to stand up for himself.. calling someone on the phone to tell them they're being recasted? Total jerk move, Disney.. I wish Matt luck, but truth be told, I'm kinda done with Disney's Muppets; because, in my opinion, they're now so little like what Jim and his team invisioned, they're just another of the hundreds of Disney franchises.

 

[D'Snowth]

I am absolutely heartbroken. It was seeing an interview with Steve on the Sesame Street A&E Biography ("they call it 'The Henson Punch'.") in 2001 that inspired me to become a puppeteer.

Amazing how so many of us here were inspired by that special to become puppeteers.