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

[MrBloogarFoobly]

 

[terrimonster]

Unexpectedly Kermit was performed by a different puppeteer, Artie Esposito. Some fans here were afraid Steve had been replaced and got very angry about it. For my part, I said that, regardless of Steve's status, Artie did a good job. And for my trouble was told that I must not want the Muppets to be good. Yeah...

I gathered at the time that it was meant to be sort of a threat to Steve. It was my first hint that something was going on behind the scenes with him. I obviously don't know for sure, but since then I had suspected that there were issues with him.

I thought Artie did okay, but I could hear in his voice that he wasn't doing the right shape with his mouth. Steve has talked about what Jim did with his mouth while performing Kermit, and I have seen it in footage of Jim. And you can just tell that Artie wasn't doing it. But other than that the voice was decent. I didn't think his puppetry was quite as good, though.

 

[CensoredAlso]

yeah... can you just recast those without people noticing after 20 + years?

Well Steve was a recast himself, to be fair. I dunno, maybe it's not as weird to me as a soap opera fan, lol. You have multiple people playing the same character over the years, some are good, some are not particularly memorable, some say the first was the best, others argue otherwise.

This is such a mess and not one I needed right now.

Aw I'm sorry things are rough right now. It's such an uncertain time.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I thought Artie did okay, but I could hear in his voice that he wasn't doing the right shape with his mouth. Steve has talked about what Jim did with his mouth while performing Kermit, and I have seen it in footage of Jim. And you can just tell that Artie wasn't doing it. But other than that the voice was decent. I didn't think his puppetry was quite as good, though.

Weird, someone on Tough Pigs the other day was insisting Steve did the wrong shape, lol. Eh, who knows. Artie reminded me of Kermit like in the early days when he wasn't super polished and I liked it for that reason. And some members just took that completely the wrong way at the time and started lecturing me on quality. And also they didn't like that I was partial to Jim's Kermit (Oh, God forbid!). Again, .

But anyway, other than that, I get that most members were just caught off guard by the whole thing.

 

[terrimonster]

Weird, someone on Tough Pigs the other day was insisting Steve did the wrong shape, lol.

I'm not sure whether Steve got it right, I just know he talked about it. Jim got it right, though.

I have a sensitive ear to things people do with their mouths while talking. (Not the same as a good ear - sensitive as in easily bothered by minor things.) That was really the only thing that bothered me about Artie's Kermit voice. He actually did sound more like Jim's in some ways.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Unexpectedly Kermit was performed by a different puppeteer, Artie Esposito. Some fans here were afraid Steve had been replaced and got very angry about it. For my part, I said that, regardless of Steve's status, Artie did a good job. And for my trouble was told that I must not want the Muppets to be good. Yeah...

Well, I thought Artie's performance was a bit weak on AGT, but he did seem to improve when he appeared on the MTV Music Awards or whatever that was about a week or so later. When that happened, it wasn't Artie's performance as that was the issue so much as the question was "Why was Kermit performed by someone else all of a sudden?" But at least this time we know about Kermit being recast. But back in '09, that came as a shock to a lot of Muppets fans and we all wondered what the heck happened with that.

I thought Artie did okay, but I could hear in his voice that he wasn't doing the right shape with his mouth. Steve has talked about what Jim did with his mouth while performing Kermit, and I have seen it in footage of Jim. And you can just tell that Artie wasn't doing it. But other than that the voice was decent. I didn't think his puppetry was quite as good, though.

Well, whoever posted on the "Muppets Voice Comparison" thing said it best. Sounded like he was trying to do with his mouth open.

(Note: I know it wasn't you, Daffy)

Thanks, Heralde. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[Beth C]

Well Steve was a recast himself, to be fair. I dunno, maybe it's not as weird to me as a soap opera fan, lol. You have multiple people playing the same character over the years, some are good, some are not particularly memorable, some say the first was the best, others argue otherwise.

I'm a soap opera fan myself (All My Children for decades until it poofed) and yes, some parts can be recast, others just can not. Major charcaters (Erica Kane, Adam Chandler and such) would just be ODD played by someone else. If it's a character that isn't seen all that much, new people can come in and assume the role and people go with it. Sometimes they make it better than the orginal.

In this case, Kermit was Jim's. No arguement there. But then Kermit was passed to Steve and it's going to be one heck of a transition. I wonder, what happens to Steve if he uses "his" Kermit voice for other projects. Can Disney stop him from using the voice (as long as he's not doing a Kermit puppet) in.. say cartoons? Heck to mess with people he could use the voice just answering the phone. Answer it as Fermit the Krog, lol.

Aw I'm sorry things are rough right now. It's such an uncertain time.

Oh you have no idea how bad it is right now. I'm one step from being evicted with no place to go.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I'm not sure whether Steve got it right, I just know he talked about it. Jim got it right, though.

I have a sensitive ear to things people do with their mouths while talking. (Not the same as a good ear - sensitive as in easily bothered by minor things.) That was really the only thing that bothered me about Artie's Kermit voice. He actually did sound more like Jim's in some ways.

Oh you may very well be 100% right, I just thought it was funny because I had just read that yesterday.

 

[ErinAardvark]

And also they didn't like that I was partial to Jim's Kermit (Oh, God forbid!).

I'm partial to Jim's Kermit, too. That's the one I'm the most used to.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I wonder, what happens to Steve if he uses "his" Kermit voice for other projects. Can Disney stop him from using the voice (as long as he's not doing a Kermit puppet) in.. say cartoons? Heck to mess with people he could use the voice just answering the phone. Answer it as Fermit the Krog, lol.

Lol, that would be funny. I know at least one case where a studio demanded an actress stop performing a character outside a TV show. Not sure what the rule is generally, but probably it depends on the specific case.

Oh you have no idea how bad it is right now. I'm one step from being evicted with no place to go.

I'm so sorry, I'll keep you in my thoughts. ::hugs::