Your Thoughts: Kermit on Dr. Phil

[Frogster]

I don't know HOW you can expect a poor performance from anyone tomorrow night in Letters to Santa. I know you've seen the clips, and I don't know how anyone can expect nothing less than spectacular from the frog, the bear, the pig, the whatever, and EVERYONE.

If there's one thing I've noticed from younger fans, it's the eagerness of everything that's new. It's cool and all, though; Henson needs fans that love anything that's put out there, whether it's aimed to get new fans or pander to the old ones. I just get annoyed at how the characters are performed, which is very much like how people here get annoyed with my pessimistic approach. But sometimes pessimistic views can be seen as realistic as well.

 

[Davina]

darn it! i missed it! all cuz I was stuck in line at the post office... *sigh* glad to hear it went well though (even if it might have been a lot of the same old material)
can someone please let us know what was said about the whole piggy/kermit relationship? (anything new, anything to indicate that they are, in fact, as we all know, actually married and such.. hehehee) am off to go dig up the dr phil web site next...

 

[theprawncracker]

If there's one thing I've noticed from younger fans, it's the eagerness of everything that's new. It's cool and all, though; Henson needs fans that love anything that's put out there, whether it's aimed to get new fans or pander to the old ones. I just get annoyed at how the characters are performed, which is very much like how people here get annoyed with my pessimistic approach. But sometimes pessimistic views can be seen as realistic as well.

I could point out to you a large number of fans that you probably wouldn't consider "younger" that are just as excited for all of this new stuff in development. I think it's a shame that you can't find enjoyment in this new Muppet era--and I just don't understand why. Have you seen the Muppets.com videos? What about how the characters are performed there annoys you?

I know I'll probably never change your views, and I honestly understand that--you'll never change mine. I just don't see how, at this point in the Muppet-verse, in the midst of a Fuzzy Renaissance that Disney is making every effort to fuel, a pessimistic view could be seen as realistic.

 

[Davina]

bother.. phil's site seems to be down atm....

 

[CarrieTheGreat]

Kermit's Intervention.

Heeeeeyyyy, everybody!

The Internet is a marvelous tool for catching up on stuff like this. I was out bombing around the world this afternoon, too, and missed Kermit's appearance on Dr. Phil.

But I just watched it on Dr. Phil's web site.

I don't know, but it looks like Kerm's a bit stressed out from filming his latest movie. Or maybe being in the presence of Dr. Phil was too much for him.

Anyway, I loved the performance, especially when Kermit said, "If you'd ever dated a pig with a black belt, you'd be pig-whipped too." The clip of Letters To Santa was tantalizing because of the appearance of Scooter the gofer. I hope they've found a good Muppeteer to pick that role back up.

Well, I'll be rolling tape on the special tomorrow, definitely. I don't want to miss this.

Carrie

 

[dabauckham]

I just saw it on Dr. Phil's site too. I didn't think Steve's performance was bad at all - I thoroughly enjoyed it, actually! Who can blame poor Kermit for being a little stressed out - I mean interspecies relationships are awfully tricky!

 

[Super Scooter]

*Enter disappointing remark on awkward Kermit appearance here*

...figured I'm so used to seeing Steve embarrass himself, I'm just gonna say that whenever I don't like something I see. It'll come in handy for tomorrow night, I'm sure.

For those of you who might tell me to knock off the mean comments, know that I made it a point to watch this, and that I still keep hoping that things get better. Kermit's just too excited about anything he talks about, and Steve displays too much emotion when performing him. And of course, the typical frog jokes and interspecies jokes were there to go along with it.

Gee, I didn't get that at all. Kermit's always been very excitable. Jim Henson did a few "excitable Kermit" interviews. And, quite frankly, I didn't really see that Kermit was all that excited. His nervous reaction to Dr. Phil reminded me of his nervous reaction to Professor Krassman in The Muppet Movie. But I suppose that makes sense since Steve was performing Kermit in that. Wait... wasn't he? I forget. That's right, it was Jim in that! I always forget because Steve's such a talented performer, and there isn't a single puppeteer out there who could do a better job at bringing the frog to life. That's an awful big glove to fill (literally and figuratively), and he was very much in character in this interview, at least as far as this fan was concerned.

And please don't respond to this as if I'm some sort of all-accepting, know-nothing child (no offense to children out there, who are actually a lot smarter than most people give them credit). Just because I grew up with the Muppets of the '90s doesn't mean I don't know anything about how the Muppets are supposed to be, and I have been critical when necessary (though I enjoy Muppets From Space and Muppets Wizard of Oz, I freely admit they're not up to par). I just really don't see what's wrong with Steve Whitmire's performance. As talented as all of the other Muppeteers are, I'm positive that they could not do as well as Steve with the frog that I love. And the "fans" who complain about his performance couldn't either.

Anyway, I was noticing the other day just how great a performer Steve Whitmire really is. I'd have to say he's almost as good (if not as good) as Frank Oz. Frank's brilliant with subtlty, but as you watch stuff like Fraggle Rock, you can see how Steve's characters are always doing something even when it's not necessary for them to, and the performances are almost never off. He knows how to form a character's mouth just right for everything they have to pronounce and so on. He's an excellent performer, I think.

 

[theprawncracker]

*applauds Super Scooter's entire post* Agreed on all parts, my friend! Thank you for saying that! Steve's Kermit is wonderful, and I don't know why we're still bickering about a character/performer relationship that's been around for 18 years. Get over it, Steve's not coming out from under Kermit for a long, long time, and that's a very, very good thing.

 

[TogetherAgain]

First, I'd like to give every last word of Super Scooter's post a full-hearted standing ovation.

Second, I'd like to SQUEAL about that appearance! ...But unfortunately, I must conserve energy so that I'll be able to squeal sometime after ten tonight when I get off work and can finally watch Letters to Santa.

So I'll just do the first one.

<Stands and applauds>

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Gee, I didn't get that at all. Kermit's always been very excitable. Jim Henson did a few "excitable Kermit" interviews. And, quite frankly, I didn't really see that Kermit was all that excited. His nervous reaction to Dr. Phil reminded me of his nervous reaction to Professor Krassman in The Muppet Movie. But I suppose that makes sense since Steve was performing Kermit in that. Wait... wasn't he? I forget. That's right, it was Jim in that! I always forget because Steve's such a talented performer, and there isn't a single puppeteer out there who could do a better job at bringing the frog to life. That's an awful big glove to fill (literally and figuratively), and he was very much in character in this interview, at least as far as this fan was concerned.

I have to agree with that. I know quite a few people said they didn't care for Steve's performance at Kermit, but I always thought he's done a great job. Plus he's been at the job for so long now he really seems to have gotten the hang of it. Hopefully he'll continue to do it for many years to come.