Your Thoughts: Kermit and Piggy at the TV Land Awards

[Ruahnna]

My favorite interview was the one that started out with the porkchop guy (I have no idea what his name is, sorry) commenting on Piggy's lack of a sense of humour, and ending with Kermit and Piggy flirting with each other before heading off to "check out Kermit's Tux" in the trailer. It surprised me what with all the "professional relationship" talk coming from Kermit lately.

Loved that conversation! It had a very classic feel to it, with the relationship between frog and pig very saucy. I hate to bury this compliment here, but I have to say that I think Steve Whitmire does a fabulous job of improvising with Kermit. I'm not necessarily talking about actual lines--more the fact that Steve's Kermit seems to interact with people and other muppets just like he's, well, real. He nods, makes appropriate (and sometimes hilariously inappropriate) faces, shrugs (sortof) and even plays to the audience for effect.
Also stellar in this regard (and others) is Dave Goelz. Gonzo's muttered comments (which I'm guessing are not strictly scripted, but left to Dave's artistic expertise) are usually some of the best. (If you doubt me--watch IAVMMC and watch how Kermit and Gonzo are constantly ad-libbing little comments and movements. Wonderful stuff, this--just wonderful.)
I don't think it's a coincidence that Dave and Steve were both long-time contemporaries of Jim. For Jim, it was never about "You say a line, then I'll say a line." How often is real conversation like that, anyway? Part of what made TMS work so well, and helped the individual muppets personalities emerge so strongly was that, on TMS set, one-up-man-ship was the order of the day. Jim practially dared everyone to out-one-up him when they were doing scenes together, and if you got one over one him (can you say "Frank")--he loved it! I think that sort of "Say anything! Do anything!" attitude created some of the crazy carma on the show and made the muppets emerge as "real" people in their own right.

ALL THAT SAID, I saw a little bit of that sort of magic between my favorite frog and his favorite squeeze on the TV Land awards--if that line about seeing his tux "in his trailor" was scripted, I'll eat my, well, feather boa. I've not been very critical about Eric's vocalization of Piggy--I'm more interested in how her personality--her own, Piggy-driven personality which is independent of who is "puppeting" her--comes across. In my opinion, at least, Eric has definite potential in this category, and I'd like to see him continue (and maybe cut loose just a little).

With big wet Miss Piggy kisses to Steve and Dave,

 

[dwayne1115]

what did kirmite say about SS i want to know. when Grover was on Jimmy kimmil live he was asked who his best friend on SS was and he said Kermit so who knows.

 

[Ruahnna]

Big, wet kisses Miss Piggy kisses

With big wet Miss Piggy kisses to Steve and Dave,

How embarrassingly inattentive of me! I meant, "With big wet Miss Piggy kissy-kissy's to Steve, Dave and Eric."

 

[pepestarr]

I try watching the video on the website but it dosent play and just trys to play the next one but that dosent play either. Can someone help? Thanks in advance

 

[muppetsforlife]

I know i'm replying quite a bit after this was aired, but does anyone know if this is online somewhere where I can watch it. I missed it.