The Hand Wriiten Pleage To Disney & The Muppets

[dwayne1115]

We Muppet fans have been through a lot over the past 20 some odd years. Since the very tragic death of the Muppets creator Jim Henson, We have all wondered what will really happen with these beloved Muppets? Now in 2007 The Muppets have found a permanent home at the Walt Disney Company. Many fans where unhappy with this decision from the Henson Children, because the the fans felt that even though Disney had the money to give the Muppets a lot of really wonderful return to the big and small screen, that they would not. It has been been 2 years since the Muppets where sold to Disney, and now we have a lot of fans getting a little uneasy about the direction that Muppets are going. With rumors of Tv shows, movies and other things that The Muppets where going to do, some where a long the way Disney dropped the ball. This hand written letter that will be written and sent out to who ever wants to sing or write a letter, will be sent to Disney to let them know "We Muppet Fans have a Voice". The letter is not going to be hateful it is just going to let Disney know that there really are Muppet fans out there, and we want to see the Muppets Shine for what they really are.
I will post a copy of the letter here with an address when it is ready. Muppet fans let us unite in one voice, together we can make a difference.

 

[theprawncracker]

Dwayne, I agree completely, and whole-heartedley with what you're doing. And I want our voice to be heard. As long as, like you said, it won't be hateful, or demanding, or anything like that. Rock on Dwayne!

 

[dwayne1115]

oh of corse i just feel as i think may others do that Disney just don't realize that muppet fans really exist. I want there voice to be heard, If Disney knows we really love the Muppets and we are not all a buch of 4 year olds then they will be more willing to spend money on them.

 

[theprawncracker]

Argreed. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

 

[Tim]

Nice idea, but I wouldn't waste my time. Disney's made their decision on the Muppets long ago. Henson is doing not much more than prostituting the little guys with new merchandise to help Disney get their money back.

The characters are falling further and further into the past, kids (and many of their parents) are unfamilliar with exactly who Janice and Zoot are any more than Tom and Huck, and if Disney can kick them off their own Walt-designed Island how can the Muppets flourish in the next few years?

"Cars" did almost $300 million for Disney and it is still considered a "failure" by Wall Street, do you really think that this "Fraggle" movie is going to do "Pirates" business? That's what it will take to turn things around because fan-based good intenetions don't keep the expense accounts paid and the stock prices up.

Remember the past and enjoy them for what you can, because they are slowly going bye-bye.

 

[dwayne1115]

no tim your wrong, and that kind of thinking will get this going no where. We have to beleve in the dream. The dream of the muppets still being big. The dream of a big screen muppet movie aginthe dream of the muppets not dieing. If cars was such a bad movie then why is there merchindies still being shiped to stores like Wal-Mart, and to top that why are people buying it to.
I also thought and this would be a long shot but what if the people here in America and even the U k tryed to talk to some of the "best buy& other stores" that sale muppet things. Give them the pation and say give us one day set up a display of muppet DVDs maybe even get some of the plush orderd and even the bord games and even shirts and such. Anyway get a display set up,and us muppet fans get other people who want the muppets but don't know about whats going on to help and sing. what do you think? could it work, we have to beleve in the dream.

 

[spcglider]

Nice idea, but I wouldn't waste my time. Disney's made their decision on the Muppets long ago. Henson is doing not much more than prostituting the little guys with new merchandise to help Disney get their money back.

The characters are falling further and further into the past, kids (and many of their parents) are unfamilliar with exactly who Janice and Zoot are any more than Tom and Huck, and if Disney can kick them off their own Walt-designed Island how can the Muppets flourish in the next few years?

"Cars" did almost $300 million for Disney and it is still considered a "failure" by Wall Street, do you really think that this "Fraggle" movie is going to do "Pirates" business? That's what it will take to turn things around because fan-based good intenetions don't keep the expense accounts paid and the stock prices up.

Remember the past and enjoy them for what you can, because they are slowly going bye-bye.

Wow, Tim...

That's a self-fulfilling prophesy if I ever heard one.

Ever hear of Playmobil toys? They're made in Germany by the Brandstatter Company. They've been on the American market since 1974. And they've got a VERY LARGE adult collector following. But guess what? Not until three years ago did the people in charge of Brandstatter Co. know this. How did they come to know this? A large group (over 100) of adults scheduled a tour of the Playmobil factory in Germany. Collectors from around the world were there.

When the tour guide came to meet them, she immediately asked, "Where are your children?" She was told there were none. The entire group was adults. She immediately got on the phone with the President of Playmobil... who came down from her office to see for herself that this was true. She was flabbergasted. The President of Playmobil had NO IDEA that there was a "fan base" of grown-ups for their product. But there it was... staring her in the face. For the first time ever.

The grown-up fans of Playmobil mounted a campaign to convince Playmobil Co. to produce a line of Roman-era figures and playsets... something the company stated it would NEVER do (because Roman history is not taught to the age range they target for Playmobil toys). The company was eventually convinced. And the Roman figures are the hottest going thing in their product line right now. They had trouble keeping up with the demand in the first few months, but they've managed to catch up.

Object lesson? Fans can and DO make a difference on occasion. This is only one example. Want examples from the world of entertainment? Lets see...

Classic Star Trek season three.
Massive letter writing campaign to save the show. It worked. And it gave us the promise of STar Trek The Motion Picture.

Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan
Massive letter writing campaign to convince the studio that the reason the first movie tanked was because it sucked and NOT because fans didn't care. it worked, and arguably the best Star Trek film of the lot was made.

Galactica: 1980
Letter writing campaign to bring back the 1979 sci-fi TV show. It worked. The failure of Gal: 1980 was because of poor production and scripts, the loss of the stars from the first show, and a killer time slot (Sunday night at 6 PM!!!)... not because of fan disintrest in the property. I can spend hours telling you about this one.

Babylon 5 continuation series (don't recall the title)
Letter writing campaign to continue a successful sci-fi property that was slated to end. Had something to do with the "Rangers" of the show. It worked.

Farscape: The Peackeeper Wars
MASSIVE letter writing campaign to SCI-FI Channel to at least give the fans a closure to the series. SCI-FI had declared absolute opposition to the continuation of the show, but in the face of the volume of mail they relented and produced a satisfying conclusion.

Serenity (The Firefly movie)
Same deal. Fans were forced to unite to convince some stuffed shirts sitting at a conference table that they actually WANTED to see more of Joss Whedon's sci-fi western. And they made a darned good film too...even if you didn't watch the show.


Just because they're wearing suits and making lots of money doesn't mean they have even the slightest idea of what's happening in the fan community or how to appeal to them. And just because they sit in an office doesn't mean they have all the good ideas about how to market the property.

If somebody there could show actual evidence that there is a genuine desire for quality Muppet entertainment "out here", you bet your bottom dollar that the purse strings would loosen and there'd be tons of Disney Dollars flowing into a project. I mean, for crying out loud... they found money to make a HERBIE movie, didn't they? What's THAT tell you?

Okay, I stop yakking now.

-Gordon

 

[Luke]

Nice idea, but I wouldn't waste my time. Disney's made their decision on the Muppets long ago. Henson is doing not much more than prostituting the little guys with new merchandise to help Disney get their money back.

Thats exactly the reason and purpose Disney bought the Muppets - they are very open about it, the Muppets are under the Consumer Products division. The whole strategy of Disney is using the Muppet characters, shows and movies to sell the products. For that reason, they aren't exactly going to spend gazillions of dollars making big budget TV shows and big theatrical movies, but along with re-using the old stuff it looks like they are going to put out some new matierial - like this mini-series thats in the works and the theme park stuff. I don't think there is any intention at Disney for some triumphant Muppet return, why would they even put the effort, money or risk into that when they can just put out another "Cars" and have a better chance with less work. I think its just a case of supporting what they do put out, and the more people do that the more Disney will continue to make new matierial to support the merchandising, and the more money they'll invest in it - otherwise they probably will just concentrate on the old matierial and bury any new stuff. I don't think the Hensons were under any illusions about what Disney wanted the Muppets for, other than that there was supposed to be a lot more involvement between JHC and Diz with projects that never happened. Henson know Disney have to answer to the shareholders and need results or would have to cut things. Of course the fans can't be blamed for not supporting low quality programming though, Diz have their share of the blame.

I agree with the fans sentiment though, Dwayne you are the saviour of the Muppets man!

 

[spcglider]

Henson know Disney have to answer to the shareholders and need results or would have to cut things. Of course the fans can't be blamed for not supporting low quality programming though, Diz have their share of the blame.

Ummm... just for the record, I AM a shareholder.

-Gordon

 

[dwayne1115]

Thats exactly the reason and purpose Disney bought the Muppets - they are very open about it, the Muppets are under the Consumer Products division. The whole strategy of Disney is using the Muppet characters, shows and movies to sell the products. For that reason, they aren't exactly going to spend gazillions of dollars making big budget TV shows and big theatrical movies, but along with re-using the old stuff it looks like they are going to put out some new matierial - like this mini-series thats in the works and the theme park stuff. I don't think there is any intention at Disney for some triumphant Muppet return, why would they even put the effort, money or risk into that when they can just put out another "Cars" and have a better chance with less work. I think its just a case of supporting what they do put out, and the more people do that the more Disney will continue to make new matierial to support the merchandising, and the more money they'll invest in it - otherwise they probably will just concentrate on the old matierial and bury any new stuff. I don't think the Hensons were under any illusions about what Disney wanted the Muppets for, other than that there was supposed to be a lot more involvement between JHC and Diz with projects that never happened. Henson know Disney have to answer to the shareholders and need results or would have to cut things. Of course the fans can't be blamed for not supporting low quality programming though, Diz have their share of the blame.

I agree with the fans sentiment though, Dwayne you are the saviour of the Muppets man!

Thanks Luke but don't count you chickens before they hacht. We really need to all just chip in and pull together and make this happen. I'm just one person who wants the dream to stay alive and do somthing about it. Anyone can come on here and complain, but it takes a true fan to start somthing as big as this.