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

[wembleyfraggle]

I think as fans we need to stop bashing either side! Be grateful we have something. Sure it may not be what we are used to for the last 19 years. I for one liked it! I thought Piggy was great and Kermit felt more annoyed with the pig than he has lately. That was part of what was so fun about the Muppets, was piggy's obsession with the non budging frog! Kermit has kind of become a push over in a way instead of the boss. I like some of us love Steve but am not nor have ever really been a fan of his Kermit. Jims was more a to the point Frog and Steve's is more childlike. Laughing a lot. And more crazy! Which isn't bad, but even if you didn"t know Jim died you could tell a big deference between them in watching The Muppet Movie, and anything new they have now! He just isn't the same adult frog we all loved. He is a different frog to me, more like a teenage Kermit! I thought the performance was good. It felt more Jim to me. Which is something I for one have missed. I still love Steve. Just miss Jims Kermit more than I like Steve's.

 

[SJohnson]

I liked the appearance just fine, and I look forward to more and more Muppety goodness on TV, on the net, and even better: In a tv series or motion picture! WOO HOO!

I agree. More Muppets please!

 

[Drtooth]

I like some of us love Steve but am not nor have ever really been a fan of his Kermit. Jims was more a to the point Frog and Steve's is more childlike. Laughing a lot. And more crazy! Which isn't bad, but even if you didn"t know Jim died you could tell a big deference between them in watching The Muppet Movie, and anything new they have now! He just isn't the same adult frog we all loved. He is a different frog to me, more like a teenage Kermit! I thought the performance was good. It felt more Jim to me. Which is something I for one have missed. I still love Steve. Just miss Jims Kermit more than I like Steve's.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steve's Kermit, hearing a story Dave Golez brought up at some appearance (there's a youtube link somewhere, but I'm too lazy to search for it)... when it was decided he was going to play him after Jim's passing, he just couldn't bare the thought of taking on such an important role. he left Kermit sitting in his case for a while because it was just too big a deal for him. I mean, who wouldn't it have been? To have to perform such a personal character that was associated with such a dear friend whom you just lost. I couldn't do it.

Sigh, It seems like it's just been TV Appearances and TV Movies lately. I miss the Good Ol' Days when Muppets Tonight was on the air. Great Show. That's what Disney should be spending their money on, Another Muppet Show instead of the TV Movies. It gives a change to bring back The Muppets trademark Zanny, Slapsticky, and at times Surreal Humor. Where's the good Ol' Days of Gag Characters, Monsters and Explotions. Everyone has the right to their opinion but I totally want to see Muppet Comedy again!

There is nothing I would like more than to tune in to a new Muppet show. But so much has changed unfortunately with the media landscape, there just can't be a TV show at this point. When it comes down to it, the Muppets worked best with Syndication. The Muppet show ran for 5 years, and possibly more had Jim not said "That's enough! We wanna end on a high note." The Jim Henson Hour was on about 8 episodes, most of which didn't even air. Muppets Tonight lasted 2 seasons, but the second season was bussed off to the Disney Channel. Both were network shows.

A TV "movie" or special is the best they can do, since all networks want to run are clones of their own programming, clones of other network's programming... etc... most of which are reality shows. And there is no call for them giving so many chances to Rules of Engagement, According to Jim, and other shows that keep getting renewed, even with poor ratings, to air as summer replacements. Having a network etch out and hour or two for something that isn't a knockoff of something else is all we can hope for.

 

[Robin]

We are lucky that we have the first few Muppet movies and the original Muppet Show Seasons coming out... That is enough for me... If I want to see the "Muppet's" I watch... Jim, Frank, Richard, Dave, Jerry, and Steve... (Thats the only time it feels magic)

I strongly disagree with Muppet fans that say "just be glad that Disney is putting out new Muppet stuff" or " We're lucky the Muppet's still show up on TV"... The only thing the Muppet's have done somewhat right in the last 12 years or so is Letters To Santa...

The rest has been absolute TRASH! Poorly writen GARBAGE...
I would rather have nothing at all than have the kind of horrible dribble that has been being so irresponsibly churned out by Disney...

My last hope is Jason Segel... Why? I know he loves the Muppets in the same ways i did as a kid and still do today... I have faith that he will do it right... Ask me my political view and I will say- "Old School Muppet Conservative" I have experienced the highest Muppet quality, and i will not be satisfied until some one who is responsible for new Muppet productions understands and can make it magic, smart, funny, and loving, once more... Not campy and crappy! America's Got Talent was Muppet H, E, Double hockey sticks...

 

[MelissaY1]

We are lucky that we have the first few Muppet movies and the original Muppet Show Seasons coming out... That is enough for me... If I want to see the "Muppet's" I watch... Jim, Frank, Richard, Dave, Jerry, and Steve... (Thats the only time it feels magic)

I strongly disagree with Muppet fans that say "just be glad that Disney is putting out new Muppet stuff" or " We're lucky the Muppet's still show up on TV"... The only thing the Muppet's have done somewhat right in the last 12 years or so is Letters To Santa...

The rest has been absolute TRASH! Poorly writen GARBAGE...
I would rather have nothing at all than have the kind of horrible dribble that has been being so irresponsibly churned out by Disney...

My last hope is Jason Segel... Why? I know he loves the Muppets in the same ways i did as a kid and still do today... I have faith that he will do it right... Ask me my political view and I will say- "Old School Muppet Conservative" I have experienced the highest Muppet quality, and i will not be satisfied until some one who is responsible for new Muppet productions understands and can make it magic, smart, funny, and loving, once more... Not campy and crappy! America's Got Talent was Muppet H, E, Double hockey sticks...

I agree that most of the recent stuff is lousy but I also put Letters To Santa in that category. I didn't care for it. I didn't love it or hate it, it was just there. I'm definitely an old school Muppet fan but I also am one of the ones who say I'd rather see the Muppets out there doing something than nothing.

 

[Robin]

The fact I said Letters To Santa was somewhat ok was not a ringing endorsement... It was not great at all... The sad thing is when writers write dialogue for strongly developed characters that appear to have never watched the Muppet's... They lose their charm and Identity... That is just what happened...

The kids of today will just never love the Muppet's like we did... They are terrible now... that's why if they just watched the old... the new audiences wouldn't think the Muppet's were stupid sock puppets...

 

[MelissaY1]

The fact I said Letters To Santa was somewhat ok was not a ringing endorsement... It was not great at all... The sad thing is when writers write dialogue for strongly developed characters that appear to have never watched the Muppet's... They lose their charm and Identity... That is just what happened...

The kids of today will just never love the Muppet's like we did... They are terrible now... that's why if they just watched the old... the new audiences wouldn't think the Muppet's were stupid sock puppets...

I didn't say it was a "ringing endorsement" but you singled that project out as the better one and I didn't even think it should be in a separate positive category.

I agree the writing is probably the weakest aspect of the Muppets today and what's hurting their current projects the most. The performers can only do so much with the material they're given, and if you start out with lousy writing it's not going to go very far.

This is why we, as fans have to support the Jim Henson Foundation and the Jim Henson Legacy so people of future generations will still be able to attend screenings of older, more creative Muppet projects and can carry that forward. Like the recent 30th anniversary screening I went to for The Muppet Movie at BAM in Brooklyn.

It was a joy to sit in an audience with people who either were being introduced to the film for the first time (and surprisingly there were many), or people like myself who never got the chance to see it in the theater (I was too young when it came out). If anything, Disney should put their energies into putting out older Muppet material on DVD so future generations can appreciate all that stuff.

 

[Robin]

I live in NYC... Please let me know about up coming events! I would appreciate it! You are the same as me with Muppet theory! LOL

 

[MelissaY1]

I live in NYC... Please let me know about up coming events! I would appreciate it! You are the same as me with Muppet theory! LOL

Will do! Don't know of any coming up right now but I'm on a bunch of email lists and I'm sure stuff will be posted here as well if there's anything coming up.

 

[Vic Romano]

I really respect those view points, and I feel that I too have "experienced the highest Muppet quality" as Robin put it. However, I also enjoy the Muppets today, even though they're no longer at that standard anymore, and most likely never will be; I do think they're producing a higher quality form of entertainment then what is out there today.

What I disagree with is to place so much blame on the faceless writers over the performers themselves. Yes, they're the most talented in the business, but a lot of the times, these guys have to ad lib, and if a script isn't great, there's still the delivery. I wouldn't necessarily consider any of the classic five great comedians. Sure, they were pretty witty, but they weren't always funny when they had to come up with a gag on the spot. They did however, always deliver, even the worst of lines, with a certain panache and charm. That's one of the myriad of reasons we love them. Not because they were never bad, but because they could be bad with style.