The things some "fans" say...

[Duke Remington]

I don't like to be grumpy or come off as such, but I do need to vent a little bit here.

It gets really irritating when so-called fans say things that come off as sounding stupid, such as this post on the Internet Movie Database message board for "The Muppets" film:

I sometimes feel Kermit should have been laid to rest with Jim. Kermit was about 90% Henson and 10% puppet. Even though Steve Whitmire is very talented, it's really not the same character anymore.

Gah! It just drives me bonkers when people go about insulting recasts without thinking before talking!

To quote a ToughPigs article, they need to "Stop being wrong".


 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't really find that insulting. They feel Kermit worked best with a particular performer, that's all. It's their opinion and they're entitled to it.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

while i get what your trying to say, i have no issue with the comment you quoted, i was just a fans well thought out and properly written idea, to them Jim was kermit and felt it respectly if Kermit and Jim where always together instead of the creation going on without the creator...theres no anger behind it like we usually see which basically is "new guy sucks 4 kurmet, Jim best 4evar" ok im stretching it a little but you know what i mean

 

[Duke Remington]

I get what some of you are saying, but the part that really ticked me off as the whole "laying to rest" bit.

To me, suggesting that a particular character should "die" with their voice actor is just plain stupid. The characters are supposed to live forever.

It's like suggesting that Mickey Mouse should've died with Walt Disney or that Bugs Bunny should've died with Mel Blanc and so forth and so on. It's just irritating!

 

[CensoredAlso]

To me, suggesting that a particular character should "die" with their voice actor is just plain stupid. The characters are supposed to live forever.

They're not saying the characters shouldn't live forever. They're just not sure the post-Jim projects are really allowing the character to live, when they've been so disapointing. Whereas The Jim-era projects allow future generations to see the Muppets at their best. That IS living forever.

 

[MuppetsRule]

I get what some of you are saying, but the part that really ticked me off as the whole "laying to rest" bit.

To me, suggesting that a particular character should "die" with their voice actor is just plain stupid. The characters are supposed to live forever.

It's like suggesting that Mickey Mouse should've died with Walt Disney or that Bugs Bunny should've died with Mel Blanc and so forth and so on. It's just irritating!

I don't get the Mel Blanc and Walt Disney comparisons. Mel Blanc voiced Bugs Bunny but didn't necessarily give Bugs his personality. Jim Henson was much more than just a voice actor for Kermit. He gave Kermit his personality and being.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't get the Mel Blanc and Walt Disney comparisons. Mel Blanc voiced Bugs Bunny but didn't necessarily give Bugs his personality. Jim Henson was much more than just a voice actor for Kermit. He gave Kermit his personality and being.

Well voice actors certainly contribute to giving their characters their personalities. But I know what you mean, Jim Henson did a lot more than just voice the character.

 

[Drtooth]

It's like suggesting that Mickey Mouse should've died with Walt Disney or that Bugs Bunny should've died with Mel Blanc and so forth and so on. It's just irritating!

According to the rumors, Disney stopped doing Mickey's voice when his mother complained about how irritating Mickey sounded. Now, if that's a true story or just something animation students just say is debatable. But frankly, and I always shock the heck out of people when I say this... Wayne Allwine was the BEST Mickey there ever was! He was able to emote. I LOVED the cartoons on Mouseworks and House of Mouse and the Three Musketeers movie. I've always been a Goofy/Donald man myself, but Wayne did something with Mickey. I don't know what (besides emoting), but just... he was amazing. Never heard who he was recast with, though.

I can't say I have a major preference on who plays Bugs, but I really thing Joe and Billy did great jobs with the characters... but I really prefer Joe when he's Daffy, Sylvester, Tweety, and Marvin. And There should be no one else to play Taz but Jim Cummings. He really surpassed Mel in characterizing him, giving him a sweet subtlety that Mel never did (but to be fair, wasn't he only in 3 cartoons until Taz-Mania?)

With Steve's Kermit, well, I don't know how many times I can possibly tell the story or say a character is a personal thing and many never get recast as a result, but I've accepted him as Kermit for the 21+ years he's been playing him. Unless someone was born in the 1950's, most Muppet fans will have seen Steve as Kermit for most of their natural lives. It is different, and I think for the longest time he was much more comfortable as Rizzo (watch the commentary track on MFS... you'll see what I mean). I mean, with Eric we're really lucky that someone was able to jump into someone else's roles so easily... but with others, it's a slow inner evolution to have the characters fit them and have them fit the characters. They have to be what the character used to be, but make it there own. It's highly respectible.

But I'm guessing half of them who complain still think Brian's Kermit or something...

 

[CensoredAlso]

Unless someone was born in the 1950's, most Muppet fans will have seen Steve as Kermit for most of their natural lives.

I wasn't born in the '50s, but I still am more used to Jim as Kermit than anyone else.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

Wayne Allwine was the BEST Mickey there ever was! He was able to emote

i agree with you 100% he gave mickey that spark
Mickey is now voice by Bret Iwan, who isnt bad but since there is so little work he has done its hard to really compare

heres one video i can find, its actually not bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVoP64pS1cA