Your Thoughts: Letters to Santa Writers' Interview

[CensoredAlso]

Well I will say you shouldn't worry about how others view you for watching certain things (or not watching as the case may be).

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I just watched one of the scenes having Lew Zealand. He gives Jane Krakowski a present and says "Merry Christmas" then he whispers and says "it's fishes"!

Lew Zeland's a loon!

 

[Frogster]

It seems that there's more to your critique than just the Muppets. It appears you feel that the quality of projects reflects how others feel about you. While I can understand that, there's little that Disney, the writers or performers can do for it - especially considering that you seem to be planning to dislike the piece.

I still hope we're in store for something special.

I didn't plan to dislike it. It just ended up being that way. Letters To Santa just seems corny, like most of what they've been doing. You can't tell me that, when watching that post office scene, it isn't corny. And how others feel about me when involving the Muppets... my family and friends know I love 'em, but yeah when they see them doin stuff like this, it just sorta makes them roll their eyes and say, "Whatever". They don't judge me; they could care less as to what I enjoy. But even though they're not big fans like me, they too know that the Muppets are a sinking ship.

 

[frogboy4]

I didn't plan to dislike it. It just ended up being that way. Letters To Santa just seems corny, like most of what they've been doing. You can't tell me that, when watching that post office scene, it isn't corny. And how others feel about me when involving the Muppets... my family and friends know I love 'em, but yeah when they see them doin stuff like this, it just sorta makes them roll their eyes and say, "Whatever". They don't judge me; they could care less as to what I enjoy. But even though they're not big fans like me, they too know that the Muppets are a sinking ship.

All of the clips I've seen seem classic and Muppety to this fan of 34 years and nobody I know gives me a problem about my liking them. So it still appears you are planning to dislike it and much of it for external reasons. When Kermit Swamp Years came out I wasn't embarrassed for my self or the Muppets. There's enough goodness out there (old and now likely new) to be pleased about for me.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't think anybody should have it in mind to dislike it, or even like it, too much before it's on. And thankfully that's tonight, lol.

 

[uppitymuppity]

Yikes, the NYT slammed it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/arts/television/17mupp.html?ref=television

 

[theprawncracker]

Yikes, the NYT slammed it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/arts/television/17mupp.html?ref=television

Huh. Like how he discussed the Muppets so much...

I honestly don't see what the writer didn't like about the special. The guest stars? The message he obviously didn't get? He just seemed to be complaining about Disney more than anything...

 

[Traveling Matt]

I read the article by Phil, then I read the review. So...

Imagine you're at a carnival and you are impressed by a magician's act. Now picture another magician doing the exact same act with the exact same props in the exact same manner. Will the performance be different somehow? The Muppets have experienced a similar transformation, only on a much larger scale. Instead of one performer working solo, you have an entire team of people (performers, directors, producers, writers, etc) doing the work.

Everyone is looking for the "magic" to return. The "magic" existed in the first place because the right people were involved at the right time. It is of incomparable significance to keep in mind that an (almost) entirely different team of people work with the Muppets now.

"Magic" can indeed be found today, but it cannot be the same as it was in 1980.

 

[Vic Romano]

Yikes, the NYT slammed it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/arts/television/17mupp.html?ref=television

This GINIA BELLAFANTE character seems a bit too "up-in-arms" about a Muppet Christmas special, sounds like somebody needs to get... er, uh... a Christmas present.

I know how Luke (Frogster) feels. While I'm more optimistic about the whole thing, I understand that something like this can seem like it's goal is to just crowbar the Muppets into the hearts of "today's" youth rather then create the magic we're all aware the Muppets are capable of creating.

I'll admit, since Jim died, it seems like most projects the Muppets did simply didn't understand who the Muppets are, and I'll admit that these guys seemed to generalize their personalities a little too much, but I have been steadily pleased with what's been happening between Dis and Muppets, even Studio DC.

The bottom line is, we need more fans like Frogster to blast this stuff. It may be negative and pessimistic at first glance, but it reminds us that we don't have to accept every single little thing that stamps the frog's face on it. The Muppets deserve to be held to the high quality standards that Jim set, but we also have to understand that they'll never have Jim's magic again, but Jim was the one who insisted they carry on after he passed.

 

[frogboy4]

Yikes, the NYT slammed it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/arts/television/17mupp.html?ref=television

Oh, wow! Now that officially is a bad review.

It does appear again that this self-professed non(or neutral)-fan doesn't understand the Muppets in the first place. He even pans the music - music penned by the same hand that gave us Rainbow Connection and Movin' Right Along! That isn't even mentioned. It appears to be a condemnation of Disney rather than a real critique.

I've said it before. This is the most Muppety they've seemed to me since Jim. This is even more Muppety seeming than the Jim era Henson Hour, not to mention the post-Jim Muppets Tonight (both shows I enjoyed). This seems right to me so far. And the condemnation of Jane Krakowski (a star Ally McBeal and of now hit NBC show 30 Rock) smacks of a personal distaste rather than one of merit.

I haven't seen the special yet and I'll be the first to admit if it blows, fizzles, tanks or any variation of that. It just doesn't appear that many of these critics would want to watch a Muppet special anyway. I know this program is for newcomers as much as classic fans, but thus far I have seen little evidence of disappointment for either (sans-agenda, of course).

Still so excited!