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

[DarthGonzo]

...then those people don’t HAVE to read this thread.

 

[LittleJerry92]

No, I totally get that too. I think why they also feel that way is because they also don’t want to see the risk of this thread being deleted, and erasing any evidence that we ever talked about Steve’s firing in the first place.

 

[Any Del]

I remember those wars... I almost died of laughter.

 

[Prof Bunsen]

Someone get a BB shotgun. ;-)

 

[MWoO]

A man was released from his position


He didn't die.


A grieving process of two years isn't needed.

(I wasn't active on the boards when this all went down so since no one will let the thread die I will add my two cents)


I think part of the reason some people have not gotten over the change is because many expected Steve to be Kermit until he retired. No other Muppet performer has been flat out fired. Even Kevin Clash technically retired due to the controversy. He might even be allowed to work with Sesame again someday for all we know.

This is also the first time a departure was done kind of unceremoniously. Steve didn't play ball with Disney's press release and decided to tell his version of events, which were a bit ugly. Oddly enough, this painted him as being the difficult performer Disney and Brian Henson said he was. It's a catch 22. Disney probably did it on purpose too. If Steve went along with their press release that this was mutual, then Disney is in the clear. If Steve refuses to say it was mutual and fights back, then Disney can say "See? He's being difficult!". There was no win for Steve here, other than to try to move along. Though there isn't really anywhere for him to move along too anymore unfortunately.

Also something to ponder is that Steve did not work with Brian Henson on Happy Time Murders or any other Henson production before or after his firing. Even the blacklisted Kevin Clash worked on Happy Time Murders (with thankfully no one mentioning he is Elmo's former performer, looks like that unpleasantness is behind us). This too lends credence to the idea that Henson found him difficult as well and enforces Disney's reasoning. Many people don't like that Steve was basically hung out to dry by both Disney and Henson because they feel they know Steve based on his performances and appearances, but truth is no one really knows what it is like to work with him unless you have worked with him.

So, in many ways, a performer dying is almost easier to accept than a performer being discharged and basically blacklisted. They didn't just recast Kermit, they fired a long time performer who worked learned from Jim himself. They took away Rizzo, a character that he created when he took a random rat puppet and decided to give it personality. For many its as if a personal friend or even family member got fired.

Do I think Disney made the right choice for Kermit? Actually, yes. I love Steve as a performer and I adore just about everything he has done. However.... I did not like his version of Kermit for some time. Steve is just too... proper as Kermit. Steve's Kermit would shout "please" anytime he got upset, so as not to seem rude. His Kermit rarely if never threatened to fire anyone. His Kermit got depressed until his friends came to save him, when Kermit was always the one who gave everyone else strength (even in MTM when Kermit got down for a bit, he got himself back up because that is what a leader does). Kermit is a lot like Jim. Jim was the leader, he was respectful and sincere, but he was also a bit of a prankster. Kermit lost that with Steve. It was likely a mix of writing and performing, but considering one of the straws that broke the camel's was Steve saying Kermit wouldn't lie to Robin (which totally goes against the premise of the entire plot of that episode), I think Steve was the force behind making Kermit a goody-goody all the time. I think Matt will bring Kermit closer to his roots as a character and ultimately be better for Kermit.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Gee. It's almost like this thread is stickied and the first thing people see when they come to this board. I wonder why people are finding it and posting in it

 

[Prof Bunsen]

I think the Right Honourable Gentleman MWoO just summed it up here.

Now can we finally have ORDAH and accept the hard truth that show business can get a little ugly?!

 

[TheWoodringman]

This is why I haven't watched anything muppet related in a while, all the toxicity around this ruined it for me.

 

[D'Snowth]

There is no one fandom that's totally immune to a little toxicity - even some of the more decent fandoms like this have occasional bouts of toxicity . . . it's not something you can escape, unless you just give up on fandoms altogether.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

at least it hasn't leaked outside the fandom. some fandoms have such a bad and toxic reputation that if you admit you like that thing, people immediately think the worst. like my little pony.