Should the Muppets retire?

[Frogster]

Look, I didn't mean to make anyone upset. Despite what I said, there's a part of me that really, really hopes that their comeback here in the near future brings them up to par. And even though I did insult Eric and Steve, which I do apologize for, I said those things based on the personalities that they've developed in the characters. I do not despise them for who they are at all. I'm sure they're great people in reality. But Kermit and Piggy were considered "adults" when Jim and Frank were around, and now they're just two notches up from the Muppet Babies' genre.

They just seem to be so childish to me. As mentioned briefly in my first statement, my relatives think I'm so juvinille when I watch the Muppets, and they only think they're for a younger audience, and they're right. No one my age watches that stuff. I only watch it in hopes of maybe catching a glimpse of change in them. There's nothing innovative about the Muppets these days. Steve, to me, was as high up- or popular- in The Muppet Show performers as Karen Prell. He only did Rizzo, and he was minor. Karen at least got better, and she went on to do Red Fraggle.

Anyways, when I was little, I could watch the Muppets and not worry about being to old to watch them with other people. My brother and sisters thought they were awesome, too. Heck, we still watch taped reruns. But then, after Jim died, there were changes. First MCC, which was good, by the way... I loved Steve's Kermit there, and I remember thinking they found the perfect replacement for Jim. Then MTI... a little wierd with Fozzie's Mr. Bimbo, Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, and a few other quirks. And then, the episode about Gonzo. Trust me, that was not needed. I love Gonzo, but Jerry Juhl was right in thinking that Gonzo's origin should be left a mystery.

Once again, I DO NOT MEAN TO INSULT ANYONE'S OPINION. But there are a few Muppet fans who think that, when they first catch wind of a new Muppet project, they go crazy. I'm not enthused about them very much, because at least the movies Jim did were new and creative. Everything the Muppets have done since 1992 has been an idea they copied. The only thing they thought of was showing us Gonzo's alien family, and that, as mentioned earlier, shouldn't have been done. My roomate used to make fun of me to the max about how the Muppets can't come up with anything new. I still support the Muppets, and I LOVE THEM! I will watch their new projects, nomatter what they turn out to be like. I guess, deep inside of me, I miss the mature Kermit. The guy who didn't need to make a frog joke every time he appeared on Carson. The guy who really did hold the Muppets together, no matter how crazy things got. Maybe I'm still stuck in the past, but at least the past was full of the moments that mattered.

By the way, MWoO, just a piece of trivia, Steve Whitmire's first episode was the Alice Cooper episode.

 

[mikebennidict]

no your family is wrong The Muppets are aimed at people of all ages.

 

[MWoO]

no your family is wrong The Muppets are aimed at people of all ages.

Not totally true. MTI and MCC were more of a kid movie, but even those can be enjoyed by an adult. KSY however is a true example of what the muppets would be like if they were truly meant for just kids. Unfunny crap.

Frankly, a lot of people will tell you that anything cartoon or puppet is meant for kids when that is not true. Shrek, while enjoyed by kids on a simple level, can be greatly enjoyed by adults on a higher level. It's two differet levels of enjoyment. There is nothing wrong with watching a cartoon or a puppet show as long as it is not strictly a kids show. I mean if you sit down and watch Sesame Street on a regular basis and enjoy it you mighth ave a problem. Obviously that is meant for kids.

 

[minor muppetz]

Steve, to me, was as high up- or popular- in The Muppet Show performers as Karen Prell. He only did Rizzo, and he was minor. Karen at least got better, and she went on to do Red Fraggle.

Actually, He was more major than karen prell on The Muppet Show. He didn't only do rizzo. He also did Miss Piggys dog, Foo Foo, and Lips, the trumpet player. Although his regular characters didn't talk much, he did perform a lot of characters that had lots of lines, including Pinnocchio (from the Senor Wenches episode), The White rabbit (from the brooke shields episode), and Astoria (from the Dizzy Gillipsie episode). I don't think karen prell even did any voices on the muppet show (Brian Meehle and Betsy Baytos, the other last-season performers on the muppet show, at least got to do a small number of voices).

I don't know what you mean about karen prell getting better because she went on to do red Fraggle. Steve Whitmire went on to perform Wembly fraggle and Sprocket, and he is still active with the muppets, while karen Prell hasn't performed with the muppets in a long time, and hasn't had very many major characters besides Red.

 

[BEAR]

Not totally true. MTI and MCC were more of a kid movie, but even those can be enjoyed by an adult. KSY however is a true example of what the muppets would be like if they were truly meant for just kids. Unfunny crap.

Frankly, a lot of people will tell you that anything cartoon or puppet is meant for kids when that is not true. Shrek, while enjoyed by kids on a simple level, can be greatly enjoyed by adults on a higher level. It's two differet levels of enjoyment. There is nothing wrong with watching a cartoon or a puppet show as long as it is not strictly a kids show. I mean if you sit down and watch Sesame Street on a regular basis and enjoy it you mighth ave a problem. Obviously that is meant for kids.

Question: What makes MCC and MTI more of a kid's movie than the original 3?

Also, I DO occassionally tune in to watch the newer episodes of Sesame Street. I do for a number of reasons. I enjoy the characters and the songs very much. They are no less entertaining than the other Muppet gang, just on a slightly different scale. I watch to keep up with what is going on with my favorite band of characters. I also watch because children's entertainment is something that interests me. It is something that I want to be involved with as a career. For most of my life I have wanted to work on Sesame Street and be able to touch the lives of children the same way that mine was growing up. It is something that is important and want to keep it going. It holds a special place in my heart. A place I could always go to if I was feeling down or needed a friend when no one else was there. And I am 23. THAT is why I still watch it. Do I have a problem?

 

[BEAR]

Sorry if that last post seemed a bit preachy or anything. That one comment by MWoO just made me steam a bit. That, and I'm hungry and that brings out the cranky in me. But the way I responded is truly how I feel and it comes from no where other than my heart. Thanks guys!

 

[BEAR]

sorry, i think I posted twice by accident. Blah!

 

[MWoO]

Dude, you are way to sensative. Obviously if you plam on getting into the business you should be keeping up with children's entertainment. And there is nothing wrong with watching now and then for nostalgia reasons or because you have children. However, if you are an adult and you sit down to watch Sesame Street on a regular basis because you like the flashy numbers and want to learn how to count to ten all over again, MAYBE you have some issues.

Geeze, calm down.

 

[BEAR]

Dude, you are way to sensative. Obviously if you plam on getting into the business you should be keeping up with children's entertainment. And there is nothing wrong with watching now and then for nostalgia reasons or because you have children. However, if you are an adult and you sit down to watch Sesame Street on a regular basis because you like the flashy numbers and want to learn how to count to ten all over again, MAYBE you have some issues.

Geeze, calm down.

No, not too sensitive. You just didn't explain what you meant by what you were saying. Most people on the forum could have read that and not understood. Sorry if you took that the wrong way. Actually, I guess I had all that pent up inside me and I took it out on you. You see, sometimes my dad gets on my case too because he doesn't understand my remaining interest in the show. He doesn't really understand things like that for probably some of the same reasons he hates anything that has to do with daytime television. It doesn't matter what it is. He doesn't like Regis because he is on a daytime talkshow even though Regis does pretty much exactly what Jay Leno does only in a slightly different way. Sorry if I came off as TOO sensitive but I guess it is something I have felt I needed to defend all the time, but i shouldn't have to with you guys.
I understand what you mean when you say someone who just sits and watches because they like the counting segments and do nothing else. I mean, atleast I have another life for myself too as an adult. I mean, to be honest I don't even like the little counting cartoons and stuff anymore as they kind of bore me in a way, but i appreciate it for what it is for. Again, I am sorry, but I hope you still understand where I am coming from. Hugs!

 

[MWoO]

You have some issues you need to work out.

Regis does not do the same thing Leno does. Regis sits and has inane banter with some annoying chick on a Dailey basis. Leno is an actual comedian that does not pander to middle aged house wives. Big big difference.