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PBYJ
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- Joined
- Nov 24, 2004
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Miss Piggy appeared on "Showcase Minnesota" in a live interview segment this morning promoting the Muppet Show Season 2 DVD.
With all due respect...
Disney, if you're watching this.
What was Piggy doing out there alone? How many times have we heard, "The Muppets never appear alone, in a vacuum, a great deal of their humor comes from playing off of one another."
Piggy's performer totally blew it. Whatever the cost, it would be worth it. Please contract Frank Oz to meet, coach and spend desperately needed time with Piggy's current performer.
The voice is obviously not Mr. Oz, but adequate. However, the performer's ad-lib abilities are (frankly) dismal. It's all about personality.
The interviewer gave Piggy the room and every chance to let Piggy just be Piggy. Maybe the performer was sick, but he had zilch for energy and completely choked on basics like answering, "Piggy could you give us some of your beauty tips?" It's sad to see Piggy literally (delivered completely flat and truly searching for words), "Um... um... um... it starts at the... toes and works it way up". The words were fine had there been a hint of a spark of life behind them. THE PIG HOGS THE STAGE! After foundering for quite some time, the show host finally cut the interview off, "We've run out of time and need to go, it's a showbiz thing."
At the end of the show, the hosts thank all of their guests and effectively apologized to the audience, "that the Miss Piggy interview was really tough". I watched, it wasn't a technical glitch. The Muppet Performers have done it since their inception with far more hampering technology. This was a performance issue.
This isn't just about Piggy...
Disney - you have the resources and the ability to keep the Muppets viable; not just stewards of a legacy. Either, put forth the effort to recreate the magic, or put them on display in the Smithsonian. By not having a connected group of performers, that perform together constantly, you are sucking the very life out of these characters.
For some time now, all of the Muppets caretakers have distanced themselves - treating it like a widget business - turning profits from product rather than as a performance troupe. According to a circa 2000 Variety article, before Jim died about 90% of revenues were from original performance and 10% product. In the subsequent decade that essentially inverted.
The corporation behind the Muppets, needs to act like a single mind. Nuture it like a small family. Assemble a tight-knit family of performers who can put themselves in those hooves, shoes, feet... whatevers! And an equally dynamite writer, maybe writer(s) who equally identify with the essence of the Muppets in addition to the character foibles. Finally, give them time to develop chemistry.
You're spending your money in the wrong place. We don't need hip, trash-talking human sidekicks. We don't want painfully overrehearsed scenes and flawless camera moves. We don't need remotely interactive performances at theme parks. Remember, the Muppets are creatures born of and on television, with a splash of occasional live silliness.
Go back to the basics! We want fun, funny, heartful performances! We want to see genuine talent, in that slightly different light/setting than we are used to seeing them - that only the Muppets can provide. One look at the Muppet Show will prove my point.
I understand it's difficult. And I'm really not trying to be mean, but I am being honest. Corporate interests have been and are suffocating the Muppets and it didn't begin on Disney's watch. And fans have been... very disappointed... for years.
Don't let potentially great performers go out there (alone) with an arm tied behind their backs. Jim carefully conceived the environment, but let the performers, even challenged the perfomers to outdo himself.
To give you a personal example. I spend time WITH my nearly two-year old daughter, performing and connecting using a homemade Kermit puppet. We accompanied my wife this summer to D.C. on a business trip and went to the Smithsonian. My little girl excitedly squeeled upon seeing Kermit. She actually spotted a kleenex on the floor, went over and grabbed it, then proceeded to wipe off the smudges on Kermit's plexiglass case. The words painted on the wall above him were... "American Identity".
This is that important!
If you won't do that, let the lights gracefully fade.
Very Sincerely,
PBYJ
With all due respect...
Disney, if you're watching this.
What was Piggy doing out there alone? How many times have we heard, "The Muppets never appear alone, in a vacuum, a great deal of their humor comes from playing off of one another."
Piggy's performer totally blew it. Whatever the cost, it would be worth it. Please contract Frank Oz to meet, coach and spend desperately needed time with Piggy's current performer.
The voice is obviously not Mr. Oz, but adequate. However, the performer's ad-lib abilities are (frankly) dismal. It's all about personality.
The interviewer gave Piggy the room and every chance to let Piggy just be Piggy. Maybe the performer was sick, but he had zilch for energy and completely choked on basics like answering, "Piggy could you give us some of your beauty tips?" It's sad to see Piggy literally (delivered completely flat and truly searching for words), "Um... um... um... it starts at the... toes and works it way up". The words were fine had there been a hint of a spark of life behind them. THE PIG HOGS THE STAGE! After foundering for quite some time, the show host finally cut the interview off, "We've run out of time and need to go, it's a showbiz thing."
At the end of the show, the hosts thank all of their guests and effectively apologized to the audience, "that the Miss Piggy interview was really tough". I watched, it wasn't a technical glitch. The Muppet Performers have done it since their inception with far more hampering technology. This was a performance issue.
This isn't just about Piggy...
Disney - you have the resources and the ability to keep the Muppets viable; not just stewards of a legacy. Either, put forth the effort to recreate the magic, or put them on display in the Smithsonian. By not having a connected group of performers, that perform together constantly, you are sucking the very life out of these characters.
For some time now, all of the Muppets caretakers have distanced themselves - treating it like a widget business - turning profits from product rather than as a performance troupe. According to a circa 2000 Variety article, before Jim died about 90% of revenues were from original performance and 10% product. In the subsequent decade that essentially inverted.
The corporation behind the Muppets, needs to act like a single mind. Nuture it like a small family. Assemble a tight-knit family of performers who can put themselves in those hooves, shoes, feet... whatevers! And an equally dynamite writer, maybe writer(s) who equally identify with the essence of the Muppets in addition to the character foibles. Finally, give them time to develop chemistry.
You're spending your money in the wrong place. We don't need hip, trash-talking human sidekicks. We don't want painfully overrehearsed scenes and flawless camera moves. We don't need remotely interactive performances at theme parks. Remember, the Muppets are creatures born of and on television, with a splash of occasional live silliness.
Go back to the basics! We want fun, funny, heartful performances! We want to see genuine talent, in that slightly different light/setting than we are used to seeing them - that only the Muppets can provide. One look at the Muppet Show will prove my point.
I understand it's difficult. And I'm really not trying to be mean, but I am being honest. Corporate interests have been and are suffocating the Muppets and it didn't begin on Disney's watch. And fans have been... very disappointed... for years.
Don't let potentially great performers go out there (alone) with an arm tied behind their backs. Jim carefully conceived the environment, but let the performers, even challenged the perfomers to outdo himself.
To give you a personal example. I spend time WITH my nearly two-year old daughter, performing and connecting using a homemade Kermit puppet. We accompanied my wife this summer to D.C. on a business trip and went to the Smithsonian. My little girl excitedly squeeled upon seeing Kermit. She actually spotted a kleenex on the floor, went over and grabbed it, then proceeded to wipe off the smudges on Kermit's plexiglass case. The words painted on the wall above him were... "American Identity".
This is that important!
If you won't do that, let the lights gracefully fade.
Very Sincerely,
PBYJ
