Your Thoughts: Kermit and Miss Piggy on America's Got Talent

[Teenager's]

Id rather have BAD muppet voices then no muppets at all.

Psh....I'd rather have no Muppets at all than poor performances. The characters are the ones we love and they may pass on to performers but if they don't care enough to get that character right then I don't care to watch.

I'm not saying the performer didn't care that he was performing Kermit but I agree with the statement that the performance itself was rushed and some words were swallowed.

It may be tough to say, especially as a Muppet fan but unless there's more detail worked into the current and future Muppet performances in the character development (including script/performance) then they will likely continue down their "watered down" path and the Muppets we know and love as fans will become classic look-backs at a bygone era similar to watching Dean Martin or Julie Andrews videos on youtube. Jim Henson even said in an interview "These characters will stay around as long as the public wants them."

Even Jim was open to the "loss" of new performances of the empire he built. And if ideas and performances continue to be subpar why should the public even bother?..........There are too many other celebrities and ideas out there to follow. Why try to float a sinking boat?



On a lighter note......I did like the Chickens.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Psh....I'd rather have no Muppets at all

Yeah, I mean, I'd rather than no new Muppets if the quality isn't where it should be. I guess that was the same rationale behind the cancelling of Little Muppet Monsters.

(Note: I'm not citing anyone involved in this special in particular, since I didn't get to see it yet).

 

[Vic Romano]

Good or bad performance, are we really entertaining the possibility this is a permanent change? I highly doubt this was anything other then an isolated incident.

 

[Vic Romano]

Sorry to double post, but I was wondering if there was a point to this appearance other then exposure. Is there currently something the Muppets are promoting? Or is this the start of a blitz for next year (hopefully a big year for them with everything we're being promised)?

 

[Princeton]

[QUOTE:theprawncracker:taking on Kermit was not easy for Steve:QUOTE]

Apparently, so was taking on Beaker. Hearing how daunted he was to take on Beaker made me lose my respect for him more than his butchering of Kermit. I can understand being daunted by Kermit, as he's such an iconic character and so important to get right. But Beaker? COME ON! If you can't handle Beaker, you deserve to be shot.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Apparently, so was taking on Beaker. Hearing how daunted he was to take on Beaker made me lose my respect for him more than his butchering of Kermit. I can understand being daunted by Kermit, as he's such an iconic character and so important to get right. But Beaker? COME ON! If you can't handle Beaker, you deserve to be shot.

Well honestly I understand where Steve was coming from. To think just anyone can do Beaker because all he did was "meep" is an underestimating and misunderstanding of the character, in my opinion. Steve was absolutely valid in saying he felt unsure of what Richard's motivations had been behind Beaker, and hence he felt uncomfortable performing him now.

The Muppet performers are actors and it wouldn't be right for them to just go out and perform a character like it was a blank slate with no personality. Richard never performed Beaker that way, and Steve wanted to do the character justice.

 

[muppetinsider]

From the sound of the Frog's voice it leads me to believe it was Artie who was one of the chosen Kermit performers for the audition they had a few years back. I got to see the actual in-house tapes of what the replacement performers did, and I must say it was astounding.

 

[JanicesMainDude]

Some of the responses here bother me to no end. Some of you people are actually proposing that this new guy (identified at Tough Pigs as Artie Esposito) should just completely usurp Steve Whitmire for the part of Kermit. That is the most ridiculous, uncalled for, unbelievable proposal I have ever heard. You honestly mean to tell me that you think that Steve Whitmire, a man who has worked with the Muppets for over thirty years, a man who was thrust Kermit after his idol, his mentor, his friend Jim Henson died, a man who ressurrected the frog from the ashes and has continued to perform him to his highest degree for NINTEEN YEARS should be made to give up HIS CHARACTER to some no-name puppeteer that's had a few background parts on a few shows?

No. Way.

Steve Whitmire is Kermit the Frog. You may not agree with every single stinkin' word that comes out of his mouth as Kermit, but like it or not, he is Kermit. He HAS BEEN Kermit for NINETEEN YEARS. He will continue to be Kermit until he CAN'T anymore. JIM HENSON knew Steve Whitmire. Jim saw Steve's talent and Jim (I think) had a hand in choosing Steve as Kermit. Frank Oz has said that, "Steve loved Jim and Jim loved Steve, taking on Kermit was not easy for Steve." Steve Whitmire has worked his *** off to be Kermit the Frog for the past NINETEEN YEARS and asking him to change that is unthinkable. The thought of bringing in an entirely new performer for Kermit the Frog after Steve Whitmire has performed him for NINETEEN YEARS is laughable, is inconcievable, is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

Some of you say this fake-Kermit sounds more like Jim Henson? Again, I laugh. For one line, MAYBE, fake-frog sounds like Jim. But for the rest of it he sounded like a bad Scooter voice, a whispering ogre, or a bar-entertainer Kermit impersonator. After NINETEEN YEARS of Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog, there is no question that Steve Whitmire IS THIS CHARACTER. From the voice, to the mannerisms, to the head/hand shape--EVERYTHING ABOUT KERMIT IS STEVE WHITMIRE.

I honestly couldn't believe the things I was reading in this thread. People insinuating that the performer of fake-Kermit should completely overthrow Steve for Kermit. I'm saying this now and I'm never going to regret it: That is disgusting. Anyone who does not trust Steve Whitmire to handle Kermit the Frog should not call themselves a Muppet fan. Anyone who thinks that after NINETEEN YEARS of unprecedented hard work Steve should be replaced by some unknown, lousy puppeteering, Kermit impersonator should not call themselves a Muppet fan.

Steve Whitmire is Kermit the Frog. All others are just impersonators. Including Artie Esposito. Anyone who is not Steve Whitmire that slips on the puppet of Kermit the Frog is an impersonator.

I'm embararssed for Steve because of that lousy performance from Kermit last night. Miss Piggy, Eric Jacobson, and the Muppets in general should be proud of the appearance. But Artie Esposito (or whoever was performing the fake-Kermit) America's Got Talent should be embarrassed that the show was billed to feature Kermit the Frog, and instead featured a piece of green felt be waggled around and grunting.

Steve Whitmire is Kermit the Frog, and I will fight for whatever I must to keep it that way.

agreed 110% especially after last night..

you just saved me a bunch of typing..

 

[Vic Romano]

I just watched this (and listened) again, and I'm sold more then before. I don't know who this new performer was, but I think he did really good. I'd even like to rescind my "stiff puppetry" comment, and I'll have a roast beef on rye with pickles too. Er, what I'm trying to say is that I liked it. That certainly doesn't mean I want Steve to stop, but I like what I saw and heard.

On a similar note, how great is it that we can have this debate? The Muppets are on the radar, and it's causing discussion! The boards are alive with differing and passionate opinions! Two of my favorite MCers Ryan and Beau both disagree with me and I couldn't be happier! I feel a pulse and it's exciting!

 

[JanicesMainDude]

[QUOTE:theprawncracker:taking on Kermit was not easy for Steve:QUOTE]

Apparently, so was taking on Beaker. Hearing how daunted he was to take on Beaker made me lose my respect for him more than his butchering of Kermit. I can understand being daunted by Kermit, as he's such an iconic character and so important to get right. But Beaker? COME ON! If you can't handle Beaker, you deserve to be shot.

you keep typing, but all I hear is ....