MuppetFest: Discuss Original and Your Dreams

I agree, but beyond that, we would really have to have the participation of at least *some* folks deeply connected/involved with JHC, Sesame Workshop and the Muppets. A Muppet gathering without at least a couple of muppeteers/muppets wouldnt be the same. There'd also have to be a HUGE buzz to be created across the "hip" blogospheres, and make it appeal to the teen/20 something crowd as something they should attend.

What made Muppetfest so amazing, was that virtually everyone involved in the Muppets/Henson company was there. Save for some "Muppet" weekend at California Disney with Muppet fans agreeing to meet up, it'd really have to take Creation Entertainment or some fan organizaiton to do something grand.

THEN there is now the legal seperation. Whereas at Muppetfest they had Elmo and Bear, Henson Company is now notorious for playing history revisionist when they have mini festivals or gatherings these days...pretending as if Kermit doesnt even exist.

So Im not sure how ya could have a true new Muppet gathering with participation, especially now that the Muppets are owned by one of the biggest, and no holds barred corporations in the world.

I mean if 70 fans agreeing to meet at a hotel/restaruant with *maybe* someone who did floral arrangements for Muppets John Denver Special
is about as "epic" and "grand" as it will ever get...well, I don't know what to say.

Why would Disney not want to cooperate with something the fans want. It is not like Disney doesnt have the money and they could sell things to cover some of those costs. Come on we are Muppets fans, if there is something we really wantr to buy we will find a way to make it happen. I really want a Muppetfest and I will do everything I can physically do to make it happen.

They might, but what I meant was getting BOTH JHC together with Disney. A JHCless Muppet gathering seems hollow.

So weird that it seems the Jim Henson Company has tried to distance themselves and cut off any ties with the name Kermit the Frog and the Muppets. Does this mean that Brian Henson will have nothing to do with the Muppets ever? Will he not be playing Sal Manilla ever again?

Pretty much, JHC has gone out of their way in brochures, pamphlets,
presentations, interviews, and mini film festivals to pretend Kermit and the Mupepts never even existed. So I can even blame Disney...its like JHC just wanted to go to extreme lengths for some bizarre reason.

Heck, they even removed Kermit from Emmet Otter. Of course, they still use alot of Muppet puppets in Puppet Up and most likely in future productions...but
yeah, theyve completely nixed any reference or history to them it feels like.

I wonder how the Muppeteers, lower staff, worldwide Muppet fans and former puppet builders feel about this? Thats why the post Feb 2004 era has been none to kind.

Makes me sad and angry at the same time.

I really hope that JHC reaches out to Disney or Disney reaches out to JHC. I dont honestly see eitheer compnay being successful without the other.

Yeah, I mean we might not have the sheer numbers, zealous fervency, or
presense online as say, the "Firefly" fans or Farscapers, but we deserve *some* sort of convention and fan service. I for one think they could make a legal exception and have a joint "Muppet Holding Company"/JHC event. There is many of us who will travel anywhere within the US to go.

Would it be illegal for them to come to some kind of agreement with the two companies. I mean both companies need to be able to look at the bigger picture. We obviously cant have an event without Kermit and the gang and I wouldnt want to have an event without all the SS crew or the Fraggles or anything that has come out of JHC. I would even like to be able to maybe have Puppet Up performance. It really could be a great weekend. I think we need to find a way to make this happen with the two companies (3 if you include SW).

But the majority of money from the muppets etc isn't from the sort of die-hard fan that would go to MuppetFest. We're very much in the minority, and have no stranglehold over such large organisations.

This comment drew my attention to something. I hadn't really realized it before, but there has been no re-release of Muppet Family Christmas this year. It seems like that's the first Muppet production to hit shelves around this time.

If we saw that released, with no character groups cut out (i.e., Fraggles, Sesame Street), it might at least prove that there's hope there.

For what it is worth, I'll start by sharing this so you know where I come from: I work for AOL as a blogger for the website Cinematical. Cine is a member of Weblogs, Inc, one of the absolute largest blog companies existing. We pull in a good amount of traffic. I'm the regular geek-beat writer, doing anywhere from 50-100 posts per month. I've written about my Muppet love on more than one occasion via my regular weekly column, "The Geek Beat," and my shorter posts.

Personally, I don't understand why we need to have company members involved to enjoy ourselves. Yes, it would be crazy-fantastic if we could have another MuppetFest with major headliner guests.

If we can't do that, why not just all get together to celebrate our love for all things Muppet? My friends and I regularly get together for Muppet viewings (this weekend is Christmas With the Muppets, watching Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, AVMMCM, MCC, MFC, and A Christmas Toy) and have a grand time. Why not just do that, but bigger?

Heck with another Fest if we can't pull it off. Why not just rent out a place and all get together to watch a ton of Muppet stuff with people who love and appreciate it? Yeah, it won't be as grand as MuppetFest, but it is much more doable, and thorougly fun. Think of it as a MuppetCentral Meet 'n Greet Party.

If it happens on any sort of large scale, we can get minor media coverage. Who knows, it might catch Disney's eye and let them know we still exist and care. If it gets any traction at all, Cinematical may let me cover it, which would at least give the thing exposure through AOL.

I was thinking of something similar. I went to see The Great Muppet Caper in the theater last night, and the place was pretty full. I didn't realize it until then, but Muppet fans are more commonplace than we might think. Maybe not to the same extent as some of us, but...

The fans are there, Disney. It's not a big gamble to do something with the Muppets.

Out of interest does anyone know how many MC members there are? And how many of them are active members?

Good question.

Well, according to the stats we have 9,108 members!
But, those who are active... I say maybe 150-200?

You guys just gave me an idea. How about Muppet Central Fest?

Ive been asking this for ages, as a fan of many huge franchises.

Why are Muppet fans, the only fans of a world famous, long running franchise that has very few diehard and active online fans/communities?

Farscape, a Henson side project that lasted just a few years, has infinately more fdiehard and active fans online than the Muppets. Same with Firefly...that lasted what, 11 episodes?

the Muppets have been around for 50 years, have been seen by half the planet on every continent, and has had a gillion spinoffs, side series, etc.

So what gives? I've been observing the online Muppet fandom thing since 1997, and a decade later its STILL underground and considered fringe.

In a way that makes it more special, like a badge of honor. Theres nothing interesting or exciting about meeting a Trekker or Lucasfan(tho I am still a huge star wars fan)

Anyone got any theories?