Yeah, it’s just inhumane. The Disney “magic” is their bottomless pockets and ubiquity. They own tons of properties that I love (Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, etc), but I’m tired of their callous manipulations by now. The Gina Carano firing was the last straw for me. #WeLoveGinaCarano #CaraDune #CancelDisneyPlus
They were not cruel to Steve! He was given the punishment he deserved for being an asshole behind the scenes! And they had every reason to ruin his reputation! 😡
I SO agree with Steve... the reason that the Muppet characters remained so timeless is the way that Henson studios treated them as truly existing in their own right.. If you look at the credits of the Muppet movies, they are actually billed as themselves (ie, Kermit the Frog as Bob Crachit).
The Henson children who currently own Henson studios cares LESS about the Muppets than Disney. Also the film Muppet Christmas Carol was always a film owned by Disney, NOT Jim Henson studios.
@@Asukenick When Jim died, the company wasn't expected to survive without him. It took a long time to find suitable replacements for the characters he did. When Kevin Clash was fired as Elmo, Ryan Dillon was already available. Carol Spinney didn't leave a "gap" as Big Bird after he retired because (ironically) Matt Vogel was already doing work as Big Bird on Sesame Street. If Steve Whitmire had trained an apprentice, a better voice for Kermit might have been found.
It's the old story of artists vs. money controllers - even Michelangelo had to put up with that kind of grief in his day while painting the Sistine Chapel...
The brilliance of Kermit is that he is humble and relatable. He's a very normal person with genuine feelings who just happens to be a green frog puppet. You can't fake that or commodify it.
And even more so. ( in my opinion. ) Kermit WAS jim hennson . His personality bled through that green frog in such a way that if you knew Kermit...you knew jim. Same as the others .
I'd put out a petition for all in favor and show Disney that it's what the people want . Not making this political by any means . But fans want what they want
At this point, almost all the Muppets have been recast. Jim Henson, Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson are dead, Frank Oz is retired from the Muppets...Dave Goelz is the only original muppeteer from the Muppet Show era still performing his original characters.
Yes, I do think the characters should live on after their performers pass or retire. The difference with Whitmire is that he's still kicking and wants to be given another chance.
The difference is, they were recast in ways that were faithful to the original characters. That is what's lacking with the new Kermit casting. Anyone can play Conan the Barbarian, but if you cast Pee Wee Herman for it, it isn't going to be right. When you don;t cast true to the character, you're killing the character and creating a new one in its place.
muppets tonight was suppose to be the platform to create new characters for the new puppeteers, to pass the torch. Hence why Kevin Clash had Clifford and then Clifford started to appear in the movies. Tell he got cancelled. ABC never gave them enough time to develop new characters, orignally the muppet show was hosted by Sam Eagle and that conductor guy (Simon?) and it took them years to get the characters right. Miss Piggy was originally voiced by a woman, Fozzy had no eyelids; it was creepy as hell! But because muppet show was funded by the BBC, Jim had room to actually develop the muppets.
i literally just found out about this today, when i saw that interview here on TH-cam in my recommended. I was stunned and shocked by it. He should be rehired. No one can do Kermit's voice like Steve.
Plenty of people can do a good Kermit voice, but they can't necessarily do the puppeteering to go with it. Among his craft there is no good alternative.
For many of us, Steve was our Kermit. I didn't see much of Jim Henson's Kermit until well after becoming a fan of movies like Muppet Christmas Carol or Muppet Treasure Island. I didn't watch the Muppet Show until after I had watched Muppets Tonight. He made a huge impact on my childhood and showed the world the value in entertainment is more than just explosions and body counts, it's in the heart of the programming. I watched some Muppets Now, and while I got a few chuckles out of it, the show feels soulless. Like it's just trying to jump on the pop-culture bandwagon. You'll be missed, Steve. In my eyes, you are now and always will be Kermit the Frog.
Part of the problem with Muppets Now is it wasn't intended to be a show. It was just intended to be some shorts on youtube and then disney decided they wanted to put the clips together to be a show. Most of the performers barely remember filming it cause it happened really quickly.
Disney's attitude is the problem like in most large corporations run by over paid egotistically out of control executives who don't give a shit about art and culture.
@@Jagdtoq It's just about money. Everything else is secondary and that's how you get here. Fundamentally it's a problematic approach to anything, but that's just how the world works. Cutting costs and maximizing profits leads to watered down products or franchises across the board. From everyday items to entertainment. People just don't notice anymore when the alternatives no longer exist.
They haven't needed it in years. It's a bit tim foil hat but as I recall they bought the muppets when they were worried about mickey falling out of copyright and they needed a stable of backup characters. Since then they have managed enough legal trickery to keep their original more established characters protected and the muppets have been largely forgotten.
It's going to die for good now that Disney has many other much more popular franchises that make more money than the Muppets. It's sad yet as technology changes puppets just aren't as popular as other options.
I grew up with both Henson's and Whitmire voicing Kermit. Both of them are Kermit to me. Whitmire did such an amazing job respecting Henson's character. This new voice has corporate written all over it and I can't imagine Henson ever being okay with that.
Hearing Kermit sing "Rainbow Connection" is pure magic to me. Such a beautiful song, and Kermit sings it so well. And yeah, the new guy (Vogel) doesn't really sound like the Kermit I love.
@@Daniel73-23 Whitmire's take in the 2011 movie opposite Jacobson's Piggy is atrocious, it's stilted and feels rushed, and feels like Disney is forcing them. However, at the D23 Expo which was the same year the previously mentioned movie Kermit performed a duet of the song featuring the criminally underused Rowlf and it was surprisingly good, and the muppeteers seem to be performing nautrally. Vogel can sing, which makes me wonder if the off-feeling is down to Disney handycapping him, hopefully he'll grow into the role with time... we may be stuck with him as Disney rather foolishly fired the guy who ALMOST AN ERA of experience.
Honestly this video almost had me in tears, it’s just so sad. Steve carried on amazingly after Jim’s passing. They did him so wrong. Steve is the Kermit I know and my kids too, since they’ve never actually seen those short TH-cam clips. They’ve seen The Muppets films though. It really must not be easy being green...poor Kermit. 💔
I think Walt Disney and Jim Henson would be turning in their graves knowing how the new generation of idiots has ruined Disney and the Muppets, a Fantastic documentary by the way I was hooked from start to finish.
I know I'm coming in late here, but it was obvious to me from the very beginning that the Disney execs were desperate to pin their own failures on someone else. Steve Whitmire understood Kermit's personality and played him faithfully to that for decades, but it was Disney that said they wanted not just Kermit, but all of the Muppets, to be depressed, bitter, and broken characters in their sitcom. When everyone hated it, they had to blame someone else or admit that they'd screwed up. And Disney never admits they've screwed up. So Steve just happened to be a convenient scapegoat, as though somehow we're to believe that he was running entirely off script during the filming of that show and influencing everyone else's performances as well.
This was my assumption after it happened. The timing makes it obvious they wanted to blame the telvision series failure on someone. I suspect they originally told Steve they were going to rebrand Kermit, and they agreed to compensate him to be the fall guy when asked about it. After nine months of no negotioans, he went on TV to air out his grievances. The Today show interview was extremely shameful, as they just kept prodding him to try and attack his character based on what the studio said.
He wouldn't sign their NDA and lie. He even spoke about it. They aren't hiring him back. To me it feels like Disney poisons everything it touches lately.
Hey, watch it!😡 Disney will NEVER be like this for a long time! Positive changes are going to happen at Disney, and I'm planning to make those changes! You'll see. I'm going to make Disney change for the better!✊🏻
My god I miss steve. He was the reason that kermit the frog lived on after 1990. Kermit defined my childhood. When I first heard Steve got fired, I literally cried because of so many memories starting fading away due to Disney's lack of care for performers who made childhoods great.
Better yet, petition your Congressman / Senator to revoke Disney's custom made IP laws so that free competition settles the matter. Kermit should be in the public domain by now. Full stop. As should Mickey, Donald and the 100-year-old gang. Then people can choose for themselves whether they want to enjoy Steve Whitmire preforming Kermit, or whether they want to see Kermit acting like whatever kind of thing Disney thinks the public wants (or, more accurately, what they have decided the public will get and like it because they are Disney and nobody questions Disney).
I met Steve at Rhode Island Comic con, and he was such a swell guy- he asked if he could use the some of the space in the room my company had to film some stuff for his Cave-in webshow. A very sweet and friendly and thankful man
I too thought this originally. But I think the issue is that there's only a limited number of people that are highly trained in the puppeteering aspects of the performance. Seth Mcfarlane, for example, does a great voice, but won't be experienced in puppeteering (as an example)
@@SomeBoiOnline Valid point made. I guess they don't want to hire a puppeteer and voice actor, but would prefer the one individual do the two jobs. EDIT: Plus, the puppeteer knows how to move the characters mouth to their voice... Which is another reason they go with the one person job.
The voice is still important though. People are going to be distracted if the voice you do sounds too far off from what people are used to coming from the character. I don't think his Kermit is that bad (though I have a feeling Peter Linz would do a better job), but his Big Bird is just TOO far off from how Caroll Spinney did it.
A characters voice is THE CHARACTER itself. Why do I love the genie from Aladdin, because of Robin Williams. Why mushu from mulan. Because of Eddie Murphy, donkey from shrek. Homer Lisa Bart Simpson? So many characters that would destroy the “character” changing the voice.
hold your breathe and speak from the frog in your heart....more real than what Disney's sellin. Hey! Maybe that's the rainbow connection Jim was singing all along.
The worst part is that Vogel isn't even that bad of a performer! He took on well to Jerry Nelson's characters like Count von Count and Floyd, and even does some good full body work like with Big Bird and Sweetums
What a brilliantly put-together video. Utilising ‘The Muppets’ soundtrack in the background was a nice touch. It’s a shame things had to end the way they did. Steve and Matt are both incredible performers. It’s also a shame some people can’t at least be dignified and civil towards others who share different opinions to those of their own.
Either way, neither man is Jim Henson. You see, Jim created Kermit during a dark and depressing moment in his life. His maternal grandfather Maury Brown had always been dearly ill, but he was getting worse and worse, approaching death! So naturally, Kermit meant all too much to Jim. The parallels between Jim and Kermit were uncanny. Just as Jim ran his company with crazy stuff happening, so too was Kermit running The Muppet Show. Pretty soon, you couldn't tell where Jim ended and Kermit began. Heck, listen to some old videos of talking in his natural voice: you can't _not_ hear Kermit! That's because Kermit _was_ Jim Henson! If there is one major difference between the two, it's this: Jim rarely spoke above a whisper. He almost never lost his temper, or swore. The strongest thing he'd usually say was, "Oh for heaven's sake!" So with all that flailing and yelling Kermit does, can be seen as a form a therapy, a way for Jim to vent out all his angers and frustrations. Finally, the cherry on top: when Jim Henson planned on selling his company to Disney in 1989, he was going to give away all his non-Sesame Street Muppets unconditionally- with the exception of Kermit! Jim was to have full control over the frog. He was too important to Jim. So now you can you see why Jim Henson can only be replaced as Kermit, in the most technical, superficial sense.
I sure miss Jim Henson as he was my childhood, he was a lot of our childhood and when he passed we all died just a little bit... and seeing that clip of Jim Hensons episode it made me cry again and reminded me when we lost him.
Not for long, of course! Positive changes are going to happen at Disney, and I'm one of the people who are going to make those changes happen. Just wait and see. Once I get to work at Disney as a storyboard artist, Disney will NOT take away our childhoods, but rather, will make them better than ever!
I'm glad I got to meet Steve at comic con a few years ago. He was very nice and even gave me and my friend a photo for free. I'll always prefer him over Matt Vogel, who just kinda sounds like Constantine impersonating Kermit again.
2014: Matt Vogel plays Constantine, a character who spends nearly the entire movie doing a bad Kermit impression. 2017: Vogel is cast as Kermit's permanent performer. Update: 2014, not 2011. Thanks Dillon Ohlemiller for noticing.
I appreciate you making this video. Steve did a lot for Kermit. I do know that pay disputes, Steve wanting more flexibility in presenting Kermit at events, and refusing to work with understudies were all factors. I think Matt is working on the voice. It took Steve a few years. I felt like Kermit's voice was weaker the last few years
Thank you for the kind words. Indeed there are a lot of contributing factors here, and you raised some points there that I glossed over in the video. I just found it a fascinating topic to cover - given the iconography of the voice (which fans are clearly very passionate about)
@Philip Kippel Said the hypocritical Malicious bully who continues criticizing, attacking and saying the same crap to others who have differing Views on Kermit's voice on *ALMOST EVERY VIDEO RELATED ON THE MUPPETS ON TH-cam AND TWITTER,* while saying your opinion is "fact" till the cows come home. You're the one to boot you hypocrital Zealot.😡🤬🤬 So shut the HELL UP. #PhilipKippelisABully #YourOpinionIsNotAFact
@@wbfan9387 He's just some bully who goes around arguing with other users opinions that comment on Matt Vogel's Kermit voice and missing Steve Whitmire and goes on a ranting opinion and saying _"Steve Whitmire shouldn't be Kermit"_ to _"Steve is a jerk"_ or _"Matt Vogel is the True voice of Kermit!"_ till "the cows come home" while saying his opinion is "fact". Besides, he's been doing it on *EVERY* Muppet-related video on TH-cam and on several forums related to the Muppets franchise for years.
Kermit was a big part of my childhood. It’s not right what Disney is doing. A voice like kermit just can’t be replaced unless there is absolutely no choice. ie: death. I’ll miss you my green little friend. You were my best friend.
I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to meet Steve and Kermit on set before the announcement. He's such a genuinely kind guy and even stayed after filming to take photos with the staff's kids.
The moment I heard the new Kermit voice, I felt something die inside. I even thought "who is this random guy voicing Kermit? I've heard hundreds of people doing Kermit Impressions sound better than this!"
"The moment I heard the new Kermit voice, I felt something die inside" 🤣 I suppose that sums allot of mixed feelings up for me as well. I could only laugh loudly out loud reading this 🙂
@@JWolff-md3ij Be nice to Matt Vogel! His Kermit is better than Seth MacFarlane’s and you know Seth is not a puppeteer and will therefore never get hired to play the character! 😡
I grew up with the original "Kermie," Mr. Jim Henson, and Kermit has never been the same. Steve did a great job though, and it's so sad to see what they've done. 😢 Thank you for making this informative and respectful tribute. 💐👍❤️
The introduction of Steve's Kermit, In the special honoring Jim, this is such a beautiful dedication. Which contrasts how Matt's Kermit just shows up in a TH-cam video that you could miss easily. I really wish Disney would put more love an effort into these things. I really wish Steve could at least keep doing Rizzo and Wembly.
Thank u! Never saw kermit acting the way he's described by the company. It's bs. Pushing kermit to be a divorcee that lies to his kids rather than parent them with compassion and honesty. Disgusting. Very disney. #bringSteveback!
Have to agree with you there, they've done some things right and some wrong - the management of Kermit's character as of recently certainly falls under the latter.
I think too many people exaggerate Kermit’s voice. They make him sound like a Minnesotan with a cold. But Kermit was simply just Jim Henson doing a slightly higher version of his normal voice.
That's completely true! I see so many 'impressionists' that do this ridiculously exaggerated, almost Fozzie-sounding voice and people say "wow, amazing!". And I'm like 🤦♂️
It sucks that Vogel’s Kermit doesn’t work for people, after getting to meet him in person, he seems to be a really passionate guy that has such heavy respect for the character
For me, Henson was the only Kermit. I eventually got *used* to Whitmire, but that’s because he had great films like Christmas Carol to sink his teeth into. I mean, you sort of have to *do* things with the Muppets to make people connect with them, and let’s be honest....the Muppet brand died more than once while Whitmire was still playing Kermit. Give Vogel something to work with and maybe he can prove himself. Or are you going to tell me that toddlers have gone off Sesame Street because Vogel’s Big Bird is a bit off?
I can certainly understand that perspective yeah. I'm just skeptical that it's a little *too* different, as although Whitmire's wasn't identical, it didn't feel drastically different. But like you say, we'll see... (Also, I knew I recognised the name! I loved that video where you talk to your younger self, I remember being in awe of it when I was younger - means a lot to see you here!)
Jeeze you sound like you work for Disney. I couldn’t tell any difference as a kid when Henson died. I was shocked Kermit was still alive and sounded exactly the same acted the same ect.
@@starobservers9862 “you sound like you work for Disney” Oof. I talk about how the Muppet brand has died repeatedly under Disney and you think I sound like I work for them? It’s also worth mentioning that Disney brought in the Henson family to facilitate the casting, and Vogel’s own account of the audition process emphasizes their involvement. And as I mentioned, Vogel was also Caroll Spinney’s replacement for Big Bird, which is a Sesame Workshop production, and as far from Disney as you can get. Casting Kermit is more than just finding a voice (otherwise you just cast a voice actor). It’s about finding someone who can physically do the job of performing a character and giving them life, and all I’m doing is giving Vogel the benefit of the doubt. Now Disney just has to make something good with the Muppets.
Jim Henson will always be Kermit to me. Sesame Street is only a few months older than I am, so I grew up with Henson's voice. After he died, I understood of course, Kermit would sound different. But at least Whitmire sounded more like Kermit than this new guy.
As weird as I found Whitmire doing Kermit to begin with (I was 15 when Jim died and wept like a baby), he understood the character. Whitmire gets it, he clearly gets what Henson believed in, how the performers try to make each other laugh, how the characters were formed, how they were extensions of the performers' own character (Oz said that Piggy is a truck driver in drag but just doesn't know it). The characters are now gone, rendered "safe" by a vast corporation only interested in the bottom line. Once we lose Goelz, or he retires, then that's it. The Muppets will be gone. Which is heartbreaking. They're not intended to be corporate tools, they're intended to be source of joy and universal understanding.
There are just too many modern-day hierarchy chiefs in Disney that are dragging Walt's name down to the mud. It's not only affecting The Muppets but the whole Disney empire magic.
I have always loved Kermit the frog he was not like a mentor, he was not like a parent, he was just a friend a kind loving friend who was always there to pick me up on a sad day that just wasn’t working out, he was the kindest of all of us just like captain America, Batman, Luke Skywalker, Jack Sparrow and so many more Kermit will always live on as one of my childhood heroes
For as long as I can remember, I have loved Puppetry. Bringing something inanimate to life has always brought joy to my life. In 1969, when Kermit first appeared on Sesame Street, I can remember him as the Roving Reporter. I fondly recall "Do Bee" from Romper Room, Mr. Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose (and the ping pong balls) from Captain Kangaroo, but most of all the Muppets from Sesame Street. I think I once corrected my Dad and brother about NOT calling them Puppets. When I was 10, and the Muppet Show came on weekly, I was there. I would forgo all other privileges and do extra chores so long as I could watch Waldorf and Statler heckle the shows performances. No matter what performance took the show each week, it was Kermit who brought it all together. It was Kermit singing Moving Right Along, with Fozie , The Rainbow Connection with the iconic banjo pickin', and It's Not Easy Being Green that echo in the ears of Kids of all ages. Sadly, for me anyway, Kermit has passed away. As a kid I wanted to BE a Jim Henson Muppeteer. It broke my heart to hear that the Henson family or Muppet Powers that be sold out to Disney. Loved "Walt Disney World" show as a kid, but somewhere in the last 3 - 4 decades Filthy Lucre is the greatest an seemingly only main desire of Disney Corp. To me, they have done everything imaginable just for the sake of raking every one they can over the coals for more money. It's their right, but I don't think all their tactics are right. Again, just my Opinion. As shown in this video (AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING 'SOME BOI'), there is a great difference in Kermit's voice and mannerisms. Kermit was the voice of Kermit. Kermit had his own personality. Just as Steve Whitmire said "Their longevity is based on their consistency". A new frog character has emerged within the Muppet group, and it may even be named Kermit, but "Kermit The Frog" was laid to rest, even murdered by Disney's decision to not stick with Who Kermit IS/WAS.
Jim Henson was the iconic Kermit but Steve was the one that I feel that most of us are used to, and its still sad to see Kermit to get a new voice every time.
I truly loved Jim Henson. His characters were awsome to me, an adult. When he died at 53 it was so sad and such a young age. He had so much more to do. Seeing how this country is going to heck maybe he is better off. Hope you are having lots of fun in Heaven Jim ♥️♥️♥️
I remember reading that the Henson family (some of them) didn't like dealing with Whitmire, so I think there was more bad blood going on behind the scenes. The odds of him returning to Kermit are way lower than you let on.
Everyone loves Kermit don't they? Hey I'm 70 years old n I still remember the weekly muppets show n I love Kermit he is the glue that holds the whole thing together. Changing his voice is sacrilegious and insulting to all that fell in love with him. I don't think Disney gets that! Kermit will always be my hero ❤️❤️❤️
I was crushed when I found out about the news of Whitmire’s firing. It raised an eyebrow for me at first, because I thought the studio would’ve given a PC answer, but they were very specific in their statement of how difficult he was. I read Whitmire’s defense, but it was not until I watched the Today interview that I saw the truth behind his eyes that really crushed me and to this day I seek to understand what really happened. It stills baffles me, though watching a lot about the history of Jim Henson’s work lately has given some clarity. I hope we find more behind the scenes facts in the future, as learning about film production is what sparks my love for watching films. Another quick note to add is that my most favorite voice actors who can make a seamless transition from artist to artist. I felt that Whitmire matches Henson’s Kermit so well that it’s nearly indistinguishable. No shade to Matt Vogel, but I feel he couldn’t master this skill, and that’s why fans feel that his performance is off from Henson and Whitmire’s; there is a drastic distinction with his Kermit.
As someone who's had various connections with Disney in the past, I can say that's partly true. They want you to be miserable and constantly hoping that the next fix they sell you will make it better. And they take extreme pleasure in doing it.
Thank you so much for the video showcasing Kermit the Frog's voice history and your honest opinions regarding Steve Whitmire and Matt Vogel. You've earned another sub. 😉
Jeez, they punched Whitmire in the face and kicked him while he was down I know Matt Vogel is trying his best, but he makes Kermit sound like his nose is plugged and has a cold
kermit the frog seems like the only voice acting job with literally zero job security, ive never met a single person that couldn't do an almost perfect kermit impression edit: cool vid btw
@@moniquem783 you just made me think of something, what if disney made the voice actor sound off deliberately to send a message to all other voice actors that no matter how iconic your voice is, if they want to replace you, they'll jut change it. That sure sounds like them.
The funny thing is Kermit is a super easy voice to sound at least decent at, yet somehow, disney made it almost impossible to tell if i don't see Kermit moving with the voice Edit: I also just wanna say I'll defend Most Wanted till the end of time, that movie slaps
Your videos are incredible!!! Genuinely! I think it’s extremely wrong that Steve was fired because of everything the muppets have gone through. The muppets might never be the same again they haven’t been seen on big screens for 10 years and it is just aweful. This is not how Jim would’ve handled it. He would have never fired Steve!
Steve should do what Jim Henson did He should teach someone to be the next Kermit, Ernie, ect. Even teach someone how to do his characters like Rizzo or Wembley Fraggle from Fraggle Rock whenever he is about to retire or if he ever passes. But I can only hope that someone who has similar voices to Steve or Jim can take the torch of The Muppets and lead them to their next big hit.
Unfortunately due to the nature of Steve's dismissal from Disney, there was no warning or opportunity to 'teach' anyone else, nor would he likely wish to do so, given the circumstances. But I do agree with you that it could've been handled a lot better, with your suggested method likely resulting in a more accurate Kermit voice.
@@GinEric84 Exactly. One of the many points a lot of these fools fail to understand is that Disney, Henson and Sesame wanted Steve to train understudies and groom successors for his roles and the fact that Steve refused to do all that is part of why they all let him go. This is also part of why all these hateful jerks need to be nicer to the almighty Matt Vogel, respect him and bow down to him because it’s not his fault and that Steve is the one to blame for all this due to Steve’s obvious arrogance and lack of foresight combined with his refusal to take any apprentices.
you don’t seem to realize that you’re being a “hateful jerk” yourself to all of us that liked Steve’s Kermit. Constantly telling us that our opinions are wrong because you don’t agree with them
It's been about six years since Steve was fired, and I still feel upset and confused about what happened. Disney and the Henson family said that Steve was attacking everyone, making outrageous demands, blackballing young performers, and portrayed Kermit as a bitter, angry, depressed victim. First of all, I don't think he was attacking everyone because in one of the episodes of The Barretta Brothers vodcast, Bill Barretta and Peter Linz said that they miss Steve and that they wished he wasn't fired. Now would they say that of Steve attacked them? And the alleged outrageous demands. I don't know if he did make outrageous demands, but if he did, that was not okay, but being demanding is not the worst thing you could do. Brian Henson says he feels guilty for not firing Steve back in 2004, but if he knew his supposed attitude was gonna be a problem, why didn't Brian fire him already? Nothing was stopping him. And I don't think he was blackballing young performers because the performers in question didn't seem to have any problem with working with him, a lot of people loved working with him. And Steve seemed to love working with them too. I even got to meet Steve back in 2018 and I showed him my puppet Clyde. And he was so nice and encouraging and even bragging on my puppetry skills. I certainly did not feel blackballed. And when Steve played Kermit, the frog didn't seem to be bitter, angry, or depressed. He just seemed normal to me other than the voice being higher. However, on The Muppets (2015), he seemed more cynical, but I thought he was written like that because the show was aimed at adults. All the Muppets seemed out of character on that show. I do believe that Steve was genuinely trying to keep the Muppets the way Jim Henson wanted them. When I met Steve, he said that he doesn't work with the Muppets because Disney made several changes to the Muppets. And he wasn't wrong. Ever since Disney got the Muppets, they haven't been the same as they were back in the 20th century. I still love the Muppets, but nowadays, they aren't as funny as they used to be. There used to be much more stuff like violence, Muppets eating each other and explosions. You know, stuff like that. And now I think Disney is trying too hard to modernize the Muppets. And I believe Steve about the character notes. Kermit isn't perfect, but normally he would never lie to anyone, much less his own nephew. And he said that he hopes the Henson family can understand he was just trying to help the Muppets, now if his side of the story wasn't true, why would he say that? Overall, I believe Steve and the Henson family both have good points, but I wish that they could've worked things out and have Steve continue to work with the Muppets. Don't get me wrong, I love Matt Vogel. He's a wonderful puppteer, but I don't like his Kermit as much. He still sounds like Constantine. Not everyone can play Kermit. In my opinion, if they wanted to recast Kermit, they should've chosen Peter Linz because he does a great Ernie, and Kermit and Ernie typically sound the same.
And another thing. I wasn't gonna say this because it's another controversial opinion, but I just gotta get this off my chest. Remember back in 2012 when Kevin Clash quit Sesame Street because he was accused of having sexual relationships with teens? Well, he may not be working with Sesame Workshop anymore, but he's still working with the Jim Henson Company regardless. They just decided to let him stay even though he was accused of doing much worse things than Steve. Now if I was the Jim Henson Company, I wouldn't keep someone who had a reputation of being a pedophile. You'd think they would have better standards.
@@Asukenick Accused of being a pedophile, no problem, we'll let that slide. You're being demanding, we can't have that, you're fired. Like what the heck?!
Interesting that the Henson family supports Disney's decision and even outright says that Steve has been difficult. Clearly, there is more than meets the eye in this saga.
I met Steve Whitmire as kermit onset of the filming of muppets treasure Island and he was a brilliant kind man. I even wrote to him and he replied. He really is a good man and the kermit of an entire generation, picking up expertly after the untimely death of Jim Henson. The new Kermit performer just doesn't have what it takes, it's not just that he's lacking the voice, he's not a good enough puppeteer either in my opinion. I think Kermit deserves better.
I feel like Jim’s and Whitmier’s Kermit are perfect in their own individual projects. For example, Jim’s voice, I think, is perfect for the OG Muppets Show/Movies. But Whitmire’s is perfect for The Muppets (2011), Most Wanted etc.
Whitmire is echoing what Henson has always said in interviews about puppeteering. Even Kevin Clash, who also worked with Jim Henson and once voiced Elmo says the same thing.
Damn it, here I am actually getting a little teary eyed at the fact of how Disney did this great disservice to both Jim Henson and now Steve Whitmire’s legacy of Kermit the Frog. And at fucking 11:10 as the article scrolls down the screen I read the first sentence “ There is a Kermit Imposter” and immediately in my mind go “ that’s a little sus kermit.” God damn Among Us, its fucking everywhere around me and I’m losing my mind.
Thanks so much for this well made and informative video. I had no idea this was going on since I haven't watched any of the recent Muppets shows. It's a sad moment, really.
Actually Kermit wasn't officially a frog until he appeared on Sesame Street, the Sam and Friends version doesn't have flippers (or a collar)! Muppet don't die, only the actors to play them! Autopsy needs to do a Jim Henson episode
This is the reason why Henson took the production of *The Muppet Show* to Lew Grade's British TV station, ATV. Grade did *not* interfere with Henson's production and just let him "get on with it". The result was the show we knew, and still know around the world as *The Muppet Show* and how it worked so well. If Henson had tried to do the show in America, he'd have a bunch of fuckwitted TV executives "poling holes" in Henson's production methods and generally *interfering* with Henson's concepts in an utterly destructive manner. This interference is now all-too-apparent, as witnessed by the Disney Corporation getting their grubby hands on the Muppet franchise.
Man you need more subs. The content you're making is like it's made by a team of people. Keep it up 👍
Know where to find any? 😂 But seriously, It's comments like these that motivate me to do so 😀
I *love* Steve and all his characters, but this is blasphemy.
@@SomeBoiOnline bring back witman,save the frog.
@GAF Drawings Same here, I don’t really like the voice. But unfortunately I have to get used to it.
Well... You know Disney, when somebody gets the boot then... *Johnny Depp flashbacks*
My main issue is how cruel they were to him. They didn't just fire Steve, they ruined his reputation.
Yeah, it’s just inhumane. The Disney “magic” is their bottomless pockets and ubiquity. They own tons of properties that I love (Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, etc), but I’m tired of their callous manipulations by now. The Gina Carano firing was the last straw for me. #WeLoveGinaCarano #CaraDune #CancelDisneyPlus
That's Disney for you.
They were not cruel to Steve! He was given the punishment he deserved for being an asshole behind the scenes! And they had every reason to ruin his reputation! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 I never try to hate anyone but you I hate a lot. 😡😡😡😡😡
@@philipkippel3615 typical leftist and cancel culture.
I SO agree with Steve... the reason that the Muppet characters remained so timeless is the way that Henson studios treated them as truly existing in their own right.. If you look at the credits of the Muppet movies, they are actually billed as themselves (ie, Kermit the Frog as Bob Crachit).
The Henson children who currently own Henson studios cares LESS about the Muppets than Disney. Also the film Muppet Christmas Carol was always a film owned by Disney, NOT Jim Henson studios.
Steve was MY Kermit as well as others. He was Kermit for OUR generation. I thank him for being part of my childhood
Unfortunately, Steve was very difficult to work with and refused to take on an apprentice (understudy).
@@djm5687 Steve explained in interviews that understudies with the Muppets don't work. Jim never used them either.
@@Asukenick When Jim died, the company wasn't expected to survive without him. It took a long time to find suitable replacements for the characters he did.
When Kevin Clash was fired as Elmo, Ryan Dillon was already available. Carol Spinney didn't leave a "gap" as Big Bird after he retired because (ironically) Matt Vogel was already doing work as Big Bird on Sesame Street.
If Steve Whitmire had trained an apprentice, a better voice for Kermit might have been found.
I mean I'm Jen z but I still grew up with the Steve Mayer kermit the new kermit came out like a year ago
There is no other Kermit but Jim Henson. Period.
Steve: "Maybe Kermit should react this way"
Disney: "Fuck you, you're fired"
The best comment on here because that's exactly how executives act.
Steve was the best, it's like Queen without Freddy Mercury.
That seems like an over reaction
It's the old story of artists vs. money controllers - even Michelangelo had to put up with that kind of grief in his day while painting the Sistine Chapel...
Yup
The brilliance of Kermit is that he is humble and relatable. He's a very normal person with genuine feelings who just happens to be a green frog puppet. You can't fake that or commodify it.
Disney: "Yeah, but it's worth a try"
And even more so. ( in my opinion. ) Kermit WAS jim hennson . His personality bled through that green frog in such a way that if you knew Kermit...you knew jim. Same as the others .
I'd put out a petition for all in favor and show Disney that it's what the people want . Not making this political by any means . But fans want what they want
At this point, almost all the Muppets have been recast. Jim Henson, Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson are dead, Frank Oz is retired from the Muppets...Dave Goelz is the only original muppeteer from the Muppet Show era still performing his original characters.
Yes, I do think the characters should live on after their performers pass or retire. The difference with Whitmire is that he's still kicking and wants to be given another chance.
@@SomeBoiOnline Disney did him SO dirty. I’m still pissed about how that was handled
The difference is, they were recast in ways that were faithful to the original characters.
That is what's lacking with the new Kermit casting.
Anyone can play Conan the Barbarian, but if you cast Pee Wee Herman for it, it isn't going to be right.
When you don;t cast true to the character, you're killing the character and creating a new one in its place.
muppets tonight was suppose to be the platform to create new characters for the new puppeteers, to pass the torch. Hence why Kevin Clash had Clifford and then Clifford started to appear in the movies. Tell he got cancelled. ABC never gave them enough time to develop new characters, orignally the muppet show was hosted by Sam Eagle and that conductor guy (Simon?) and it took them years to get the characters right. Miss Piggy was originally voiced by a woman, Fozzy had no eyelids; it was creepy as hell! But because muppet show was funded by the BBC, Jim had room to actually develop the muppets.
The only character Oz will occasionally reprise is master Yoda
i literally just found out about this today, when i saw that interview here on TH-cam in my recommended. I was stunned and shocked by it. He should be rehired. No one can do Kermit's voice like Steve.
Plenty of people can do a good Kermit voice, but they can't necessarily do the puppeteering to go with it. Among his craft there is no good alternative.
EXACTLY! I've heard so many people who do great Kermit voice impressions that would be far superior to the new guy.
You’re completely wrong and an idiot to boot! 😡
@@andyblargextra You’re completely wrong and an idiot to boot! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 Leave them alone.
For many of us, Steve was our Kermit. I didn't see much of Jim Henson's Kermit until well after becoming a fan of movies like Muppet Christmas Carol or Muppet Treasure Island. I didn't watch the Muppet Show until after I had watched Muppets Tonight. He made a huge impact on my childhood and showed the world the value in entertainment is more than just explosions and body counts, it's in the heart of the programming. I watched some Muppets Now, and while I got a few chuckles out of it, the show feels soulless. Like it's just trying to jump on the pop-culture bandwagon. You'll be missed, Steve. In my eyes, you are now and always will be Kermit the Frog.
He didn’t do it right it’s kermit Dee frog not Kermit the frog
Part of the problem with Muppets Now is it wasn't intended to be a show. It was just intended to be some shorts on youtube and then disney decided they wanted to put the clips together to be a show. Most of the performers barely remember filming it cause it happened really quickly.
Firing Whitmore was one of disneys biggest mistakes. From there on it seems like they don't know what to do with the franchise.
Disney's attitude is the problem like in most large corporations run by over paid egotistically out of control executives who don't give a shit about art and culture.
@@Jagdtoq It's just about money. Everything else is secondary and that's how you get here. Fundamentally it's a problematic approach to anything, but that's just how the world works. Cutting costs and maximizing profits leads to watered down products or franchises across the board. From everyday items to entertainment. People just don't notice anymore when the alternatives no longer exist.
They haven't needed it in years. It's a bit tim foil hat but as I recall they bought the muppets when they were worried about mickey falling out of copyright and they needed a stable of backup characters. Since then they have managed enough legal trickery to keep their original more established characters protected and the muppets have been largely forgotten.
It's going to die for good now that Disney has many other much more popular franchises that make more money than the Muppets. It's sad yet as technology changes puppets just aren't as popular as other options.
@@amyhoard1222 disney killed starwars and marvel and just made their own shit up and thats pissing me off
I grew up with both Henson's and Whitmire voicing Kermit. Both of them are Kermit to me. Whitmire did such an amazing job respecting Henson's character. This new voice has corporate written all over it and I can't imagine Henson ever being okay with that.
So, _apparently_ your pfp is great.
You’re wrong.
@@philipkippel3615 Who are you to say that?
Hearing Kermit sing "Rainbow Connection" is pure magic to me. Such a beautiful song, and Kermit sings it so well. And yeah, the new guy (Vogel) doesn't really sound like the Kermit I love.
I can’t stop listening to it it’s beautiful
Did any of the other 'Kermits" sing it as well as Jim Henson? I doubt it. For me, Jim Henson is the one and only Kermit the Frog!
@@Daniel73-23 Whitmire's take in the 2011 movie opposite Jacobson's Piggy is atrocious, it's stilted and feels rushed, and feels like Disney is forcing them.
However, at the D23 Expo which was the same year the previously mentioned movie Kermit performed a duet of the song featuring the criminally underused Rowlf and it was surprisingly good, and the muppeteers seem to be performing nautrally.
Vogel can sing, which makes me wonder if the off-feeling is down to Disney handycapping him, hopefully he'll grow into the role with time... we may be stuck with him as Disney rather foolishly fired the guy who ALMOST AN ERA of experience.
Honestly this video almost had me in tears, it’s just so sad. Steve carried on amazingly after Jim’s passing. They did him so wrong. Steve is the Kermit I know and my kids too, since they’ve never actually seen those short TH-cam clips. They’ve seen The Muppets films though. It really must not be easy being green...poor Kermit. 💔
Aw that means a lot to hear. Really glad I got the emotional aspects across as intended.
@@SomeBoiOnline Yes! You did a great job. I just subscribed.
That song at the end definitely makes it easier to cry. Man, I feel like I could cry listening ANY day. Am I the only one?
I think Walt Disney and Jim Henson would be turning in their graves knowing how the new generation of idiots has ruined Disney and the Muppets, a Fantastic documentary by the way I was hooked from start to finish.
Stephen Hillenburg: Why is my creation being defiled?
Walt Disney and Jim Henson: First time?
Jack Warner: Yeah it’s his first time.
Me and my grandma agree with you Michael, they would be rolling in their graves
I know I'm coming in late here, but it was obvious to me from the very beginning that the Disney execs were desperate to pin their own failures on someone else. Steve Whitmire understood Kermit's personality and played him faithfully to that for decades, but it was Disney that said they wanted not just Kermit, but all of the Muppets, to be depressed, bitter, and broken characters in their sitcom. When everyone hated it, they had to blame someone else or admit that they'd screwed up. And Disney never admits they've screwed up. So Steve just happened to be a convenient scapegoat, as though somehow we're to believe that he was running entirely off script during the filming of that show and influencing everyone else's performances as well.
"Disney never admits they've screwed up." Considering the failure that was Live Action Mulan, I agree with this.
@Shellderige really what was the issue?
@Shellderige yea still waiting
@Shellderige 3rd week of waiting.
This was my assumption after it happened. The timing makes it obvious they wanted to blame the telvision series failure on someone. I suspect they originally told Steve they were going to rebrand Kermit, and they agreed to compensate him to be the fall guy when asked about it. After nine months of no negotioans, he went on TV to air out his grievances. The Today show interview was extremely shameful, as they just kept prodding him to try and attack his character based on what the studio said.
He wouldn't sign their NDA and lie. He even spoke about it. They aren't hiring him back. To me it feels like Disney poisons everything it touches lately.
It's now Movie EA.
@@Bacony_Cakes As I call Greedney.
@@BananaReidy 🙄Oh, please. What a stupid nickname.
Hey, watch it!😡 Disney will NEVER be like this for a long time! Positive changes are going to happen at Disney, and I'm planning to make those changes! You'll see. I'm going to make Disney change for the better!✊🏻
@@annien.1727Well you’re at it, you can make a sequel to Song Of The South if you understand business so well.
My god I miss steve. He was the reason that kermit the frog lived on after 1990. Kermit defined my childhood. When I first heard Steve got fired, I literally cried because of so many memories starting fading away due to Disney's lack of care for performers who made childhoods great.
Calling all muppet fans there is a petition out to bring back Steve Whitmire as Kermit
Yes we need to sign a petition
thanks, i was just wondering if there was. Will look it up
Or how about a petition to take the muppets away from disney. And star wars, and marvel, and fox... sadly to late for bluesky.
lightweight i want to see his own work surpass the muppets. so it feels like he got to spit in Disney's eye for the firing.
Better yet, petition your Congressman / Senator to revoke Disney's custom made IP laws so that free competition settles the matter. Kermit should be in the public domain by now. Full stop. As should Mickey, Donald and the 100-year-old gang. Then people can choose for themselves whether they want to enjoy Steve Whitmire preforming Kermit, or whether they want to see Kermit acting like whatever kind of thing Disney thinks the public wants (or, more accurately, what they have decided the public will get and like it because they are Disney and nobody questions Disney).
I met Steve at Rhode Island Comic con, and he was such a swell guy- he asked if he could use the some of the space in the room my company had to film some stuff for his Cave-in webshow. A very sweet and friendly and thankful man
So many people do a convincing Kermit... Seth McFarlane does it all the time... Did they even try?
I too thought this originally. But I think the issue is that there's only a limited number of people that are highly trained in the puppeteering aspects of the performance. Seth Mcfarlane, for example, does a great voice, but won't be experienced in puppeteering (as an example)
@@SomeBoiOnline Valid point made. I guess they don't want to hire a puppeteer and voice actor, but would prefer the one individual do the two jobs.
EDIT: Plus, the puppeteer knows how to move the characters mouth to their voice... Which is another reason they go with the one person job.
There's more to performing a puppet than the voice.
Kermit isn’t a voice, he’s a performance. They picked the right guy. Vogel was the perfect choice
The voice is still important though. People are going to be distracted if the voice you do sounds too far off from what people are used to coming from the character. I don't think his Kermit is that bad (though I have a feeling Peter Linz would do a better job), but his Big Bird is just TOO far off from how Caroll Spinney did it.
A characters voice is THE CHARACTER itself. Why do I love the genie from Aladdin, because of Robin Williams. Why mushu from mulan. Because of Eddie Murphy, donkey from shrek. Homer Lisa Bart Simpson? So many characters that would destroy the “character” changing the voice.
I miss Kermit's old voice ;-;
Me too, at least we still have plenty of legacy content to watch 😢
Which one?
Both for me, though I miss seeing new Muppets content with Whitmire in particular, which has been ever-present until recently.
I miss Henson
hold your breathe and speak from the frog in your heart....more real than what Disney's sellin.
Hey! Maybe that's the rainbow connection Jim was singing all along.
The worst part is that Vogel isn't even that bad of a performer! He took on well to Jerry Nelson's characters like Count von Count and Floyd, and even does some good full body work like with Big Bird and Sweetums
Honestly it was probably Disney’s casting choices.
And Vogel was hilarious as Constantine. But yeah I just hate hearing him try to be Kermit
What a brilliantly put-together video. Utilising ‘The Muppets’ soundtrack in the background was a nice touch. It’s a shame things had to end the way they did. Steve and Matt are both incredible performers. It’s also a shame some people can’t at least be dignified and civil towards others who share different opinions to those of their own.
Thank you! That means a lot, and I'm happy that you enjoyed the usage of 'The Muppets' soundtrack - I spent a while implementing it throughout!
Either way, neither man is Jim Henson.
You see, Jim created Kermit during a dark and depressing moment in his life. His maternal grandfather Maury Brown had always been dearly ill, but he was getting worse and worse, approaching death! So naturally, Kermit meant all too much to Jim.
The parallels between Jim and Kermit were uncanny. Just as Jim ran his company with crazy stuff happening, so too was Kermit running The Muppet Show. Pretty soon, you couldn't tell where Jim ended and Kermit began. Heck, listen to some old videos of talking in his natural voice: you can't _not_ hear Kermit! That's because Kermit _was_ Jim Henson!
If there is one major difference between the two, it's this: Jim rarely spoke above a whisper. He almost never lost his temper, or swore. The strongest thing he'd usually say was, "Oh for heaven's sake!" So with all that flailing and yelling Kermit does, can be seen as a form a therapy, a way for Jim to vent out all his angers and frustrations.
Finally, the cherry on top: when Jim Henson planned on selling his company to Disney in 1989, he was going to give away all his non-Sesame Street Muppets unconditionally- with the exception of Kermit! Jim was to have full control over the frog. He was too important to Jim.
So now you can you see why Jim Henson can only be replaced as Kermit, in the most technical, superficial sense.
I sure miss Jim Henson as he was my childhood, he was a lot of our childhood and when he passed we all died just a little bit... and seeing that clip of Jim Hensons episode it made me cry again and reminded me when we lost him.
Another move by Disney to take away our childhoods
Proof that they are in cahoots with the evil side
Not for long, of course! Positive changes are going to happen at Disney, and I'm one of the people who are going to make those changes happen. Just wait and see. Once I get to work at Disney as a storyboard artist, Disney will NOT take away our childhoods, but rather, will make them better than ever!
I'm glad I got to meet Steve at comic con a few years ago. He was very nice and even gave me and my friend a photo for free. I'll always prefer him over Matt Vogel, who just kinda sounds like Constantine impersonating Kermit again.
2014: Matt Vogel plays Constantine, a character who spends nearly the entire movie doing a bad Kermit impression.
2017: Vogel is cast as Kermit's permanent performer.
Update: 2014, not 2011. Thanks Dillon Ohlemiller for noticing.
Very true 😬
Will Morton 2014, not 2011
Wow, you’re so right…
I appreciate you making this video. Steve did a lot for Kermit. I do know that pay disputes, Steve wanting more flexibility in presenting Kermit at events, and refusing to work with understudies were all factors. I think Matt is working on the voice. It took Steve a few years. I felt like Kermit's voice was weaker the last few years
Thank you for the kind words. Indeed there are a lot of contributing factors here, and you raised some points there that I glossed over in the video. I just found it a fascinating topic to cover - given the iconography of the voice (which fans are clearly very passionate about)
@Philip Kippel Said the hypocritical Malicious bully who continues criticizing, attacking and saying the same crap to others who have differing Views on Kermit's voice on *ALMOST EVERY VIDEO RELATED ON THE MUPPETS ON TH-cam AND TWITTER,* while saying your opinion is "fact" till the cows come home.
You're the one to boot you hypocrital Zealot.😡🤬🤬
So shut the HELL UP. #PhilipKippelisABully #YourOpinionIsNotAFact
@@EChacon Preach brother! 👏👏👏
@@EChacon Who's Philip Kippel and what did he say about Kermit's voice?
@@wbfan9387 He's just some bully who goes around arguing with other users opinions that comment on Matt Vogel's Kermit voice and missing Steve Whitmire and goes on a ranting opinion and saying _"Steve Whitmire shouldn't be Kermit"_ to _"Steve is a jerk"_ or _"Matt Vogel is the True voice of Kermit!"_ till "the cows come home" while saying his opinion is "fact". Besides, he's been doing it on *EVERY* Muppet-related video on TH-cam and on several forums related to the Muppets franchise for years.
"Who could turn down the role as Kermit the Frog?"
Someone who sounds nothing like Kermit the Frog?
Kermit was a big part of my childhood. It’s not right what Disney is doing. A voice like kermit just can’t be replaced unless there is absolutely no choice. ie: death. I’ll miss you my green little friend. You were my best friend.
I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to meet Steve and Kermit on set before the announcement. He's such a genuinely kind guy and even stayed after filming to take photos with the staff's kids.
Disney:KERMIT YOUR FIRED
Kermit: bruh
The moment I heard the new Kermit voice, I felt something die inside. I even thought "who is this random guy voicing Kermit? I've heard hundreds of people doing Kermit Impressions sound better than this!"
"The moment I heard the new Kermit voice, I felt something die inside" 🤣 I suppose that sums allot of mixed feelings up for me as well. I could only laugh loudly out loud reading this 🙂
Seth MacFarlane does a better Kermit voice than Matt Vogel and he will only do it in unrelated media
You gotta give Matt Vogel some credit tho he hasnt had that much time like jim Henson and Steve whitmire have had
@@JWolff-md3ij Be nice to Matt Vogel! His Kermit is better than Seth MacFarlane’s and you know Seth is not a puppeteer and will therefore never get hired to play the character! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 There definitely is no reason to not be nice to Matt. He does a great job.
Loving these muppet documentaries! I feel like Disney just doesn’t know how to do them justice. Muppet’s Now is way too watered down...
I grew up with the original "Kermie," Mr. Jim Henson, and Kermit has never been the same. Steve did a great job though, and it's so sad to see what they've done. 😢 Thank you for making this informative and respectful tribute. 💐👍❤️
The new Kermit sounds like his talking through a filter, a Disney filter
The introduction of Steve's Kermit, In the special honoring Jim, this is such a beautiful dedication. Which contrasts how Matt's Kermit just shows up in a TH-cam video that you could miss easily. I really wish Disney would put more love an effort into these things.
I really wish Steve could at least keep doing Rizzo and Wembly.
Thank u! Never saw kermit acting the way he's described by the company. It's bs. Pushing kermit to be a divorcee that lies to his kids rather than parent them with compassion and honesty. Disgusting. Very disney. #bringSteveback!
Have to agree with you there, they've done some things right and some wrong - the management of Kermit's character as of recently certainly falls under the latter.
Maybe it’s just cause I’m sick and hormonal, but watching this video made me wanna cry. Both Steve and Jim were the voices of my early childhood.
I think too many people exaggerate Kermit’s voice. They make him sound like a Minnesotan with a cold. But Kermit was simply just Jim Henson doing a slightly higher version of his normal voice.
That's completely true! I see so many 'impressionists' that do this ridiculously exaggerated, almost Fozzie-sounding voice and people say "wow, amazing!". And I'm like 🤦♂️
its not just the voice, his personality is gone, poor show disney
It sucks that Vogel’s Kermit doesn’t work for people, after getting to meet him in person, he seems to be a really passionate guy that has such heavy respect for the character
If only he didn’t already play a character whose entire joke is that he is NOT Kermit! I’m referring to Constantine from Muppets Most Wanted.
For me, Henson was the only Kermit. I eventually got *used* to Whitmire, but that’s because he had great films like Christmas Carol to sink his teeth into. I mean, you sort of have to *do* things with the Muppets to make people connect with them, and let’s be honest....the Muppet brand died more than once while Whitmire was still playing Kermit. Give Vogel something to work with and maybe he can prove himself. Or are you going to tell me that toddlers have gone off Sesame Street because Vogel’s Big Bird is a bit off?
I can certainly understand that perspective yeah. I'm just skeptical that it's a little *too* different, as although Whitmire's wasn't identical, it didn't feel drastically different. But like you say, we'll see...
(Also, I knew I recognised the name! I loved that video where you talk to your younger self, I remember being in awe of it when I was younger - means a lot to see you here!)
Jeeze you sound like you work for Disney. I couldn’t tell any difference as a kid when Henson died. I was shocked Kermit was still alive and sounded exactly the same acted the same ect.
@@starobservers9862 “you sound like you work for Disney” Oof. I talk about how the Muppet brand has died repeatedly under Disney and you think I sound like I work for them? It’s also worth mentioning that Disney brought in the Henson family to facilitate the casting, and Vogel’s own account of the audition process emphasizes their involvement. And as I mentioned, Vogel was also Caroll Spinney’s replacement for Big Bird, which is a Sesame Workshop production, and as far from Disney as you can get. Casting Kermit is more than just finding a voice (otherwise you just cast a voice actor). It’s about finding someone who can physically do the job of performing a character and giving them life, and all I’m doing is giving Vogel the benefit of the doubt. Now Disney just has to make something good with the Muppets.
@@SomeBoiOnline thanks!
"For me, Henson was the only Kermit" 100% Agree!
Jim Henson will always be Kermit to me. Sesame Street is only a few months older than I am, so I grew up with Henson's voice. After he died, I understood of course, Kermit would sound different. But at least Whitmire sounded more like Kermit than this new guy.
You’re wrong! Steve NEVER sounded like Kermit! Matt Vogel does, so be nicer to him, bitch! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 Don't be so nasty.
Another time big corporations take the soul out of something we love.
Ohhhh! His new voice is disconcerting! It's like if an alien inhabited your friend's body and only partway tried to mimic their voice an mannerism.
As weird as I found Whitmire doing Kermit to begin with (I was 15 when Jim died and wept like a baby), he understood the character. Whitmire gets it, he clearly gets what Henson believed in, how the performers try to make each other laugh, how the characters were formed, how they were extensions of the performers' own character (Oz said that Piggy is a truck driver in drag but just doesn't know it). The characters are now gone, rendered "safe" by a vast corporation only interested in the bottom line. Once we lose Goelz, or he retires, then that's it. The Muppets will be gone. Which is heartbreaking. They're not intended to be corporate tools, they're intended to be source of joy and universal understanding.
It's very bold of Disney to assume they know more about Kermit the Frog than an actor who is directly linked to Jim Henson.
That Family Guy Muppet's skit seems more appropriate now.
*"Now we have wrong sounding Muppets."*
There are just too many modern-day hierarchy chiefs in Disney that are dragging Walt's name down to the mud. It's not only affecting The Muppets but the whole Disney empire magic.
I have always loved Kermit the frog he was not like a mentor, he was not like a parent, he was just a friend a kind loving friend who was always there to pick me up on a sad day that just wasn’t working out, he was the kindest of all of us just like captain America, Batman, Luke Skywalker, Jack Sparrow and so many more Kermit will always live on as one of my childhood heroes
And Kermit comes out, and explains in a soft, thoughtful tone,
"Kids, you know sometimes you have to suck it up to your boss..."
For as long as I can remember, I have loved Puppetry. Bringing something inanimate to life has always brought joy to my life. In 1969, when Kermit first appeared on Sesame Street, I can remember him as the Roving Reporter. I fondly recall "Do Bee" from Romper Room, Mr. Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose (and the ping pong balls) from Captain Kangaroo, but most of all the Muppets from Sesame Street. I think I once corrected my Dad and brother about NOT calling them Puppets. When I was 10, and the Muppet Show came on weekly, I was there. I would forgo all other privileges and do extra chores so long as I could watch Waldorf and Statler heckle the shows performances. No matter what performance took the show each week, it was Kermit who brought it all together. It was Kermit singing Moving Right Along, with Fozie , The Rainbow Connection with the iconic banjo pickin', and It's Not Easy Being Green that echo in the ears of Kids of all ages.
Sadly, for me anyway, Kermit has passed away. As a kid I wanted to BE a Jim Henson Muppeteer. It broke my heart to hear that the Henson family or Muppet Powers that be sold out to Disney. Loved "Walt Disney World" show as a kid, but somewhere in the last 3 - 4 decades Filthy Lucre is the greatest an seemingly only main desire of Disney Corp. To me, they have done everything imaginable just for the sake of raking every one they can over the coals for more money. It's their right, but I don't think all their tactics are right. Again, just my Opinion.
As shown in this video (AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING 'SOME BOI'), there is a great difference in Kermit's voice and mannerisms. Kermit was the voice of Kermit. Kermit had his own personality. Just as Steve Whitmire said "Their longevity is based on their consistency". A new frog character has emerged within the Muppet group, and it may even be named Kermit, but "Kermit The Frog" was laid to rest, even murdered by Disney's decision to not stick with Who Kermit IS/WAS.
Jim Henson was the iconic Kermit but Steve was the one that I feel that most of us are used to, and its still sad to see Kermit to get a new voice every time.
Steve is such an amazing person.
He does seem a genuinely nice guy from what I've seen online
@@SomeBoiOnline Trust me he is.
I truly loved Jim Henson. His characters were awsome to me, an adult. When he died at 53 it was so sad and such a young age. He had so much more to do. Seeing how this country is going to heck maybe he is better off. Hope you are having lots of fun in Heaven Jim ♥️♥️♥️
It was also sad losing Richard Hunt at 40.
I remember reading that the Henson family (some of them) didn't like dealing with Whitmire, so I think there was more bad blood going on behind the scenes. The odds of him returning to Kermit are way lower than you let on.
4:11 fun fact that was actually a redubbed version where they pitched down his voice in editing. The original version is on TH-cam though thankfully
Poor Steve, he has to see it all come tumbling down.
Everyone loves Kermit don't they? Hey I'm 70 years old n I still remember the weekly muppets show n I love Kermit he is the glue that holds the whole thing together. Changing his voice is sacrilegious and insulting to all that fell in love with him. I don't think Disney gets that! Kermit will always be my hero ❤️❤️❤️
I was crushed when I found out about the news of Whitmire’s firing. It raised an eyebrow for me at first, because I thought the studio would’ve given a PC answer, but they were very specific in their statement of how difficult he was. I read Whitmire’s defense, but it was not until I watched the Today interview that I saw the truth behind his eyes that really crushed me and to this day I seek to understand what really happened. It stills baffles me, though watching a lot about the history of Jim Henson’s work lately has given some clarity. I hope we find more behind the scenes facts in the future, as learning about film production is what sparks my love for watching films.
Another quick note to add is that my most favorite voice actors who can make a seamless transition from artist to artist. I felt that Whitmire matches Henson’s Kermit so well that it’s nearly indistinguishable. No shade to Matt Vogel, but I feel he couldn’t master this skill, and that’s why fans feel that his performance is off from Henson and Whitmire’s; there is a drastic distinction with his Kermit.
@@princess7strawberry I completely agree. Steve is the absolute best.
Looks like Steve's life became a "bacon-wrapped hell on Earth" thanks to Disney firing him from his role as Kermit.
We’ve had the pleasure of having Jim and Steve as our Kermie voices over the years. Furthermore proves what Disney is all about. Good take 🙂👍
I just realized I just watched 12 minutes of Kermit the frog
And I really enjoyed it
Glad you enjoyed 😆
It's not that Disney execs take joy in destroying the heroes of you childhood imagination, but just that they want you to be as miserable as them.
As someone who's had various connections with Disney in the past, I can say that's partly true. They want you to be miserable and constantly hoping that the next fix they sell you will make it better. And they take extreme pleasure in doing it.
Oh no, they take extreme pleasure in it destroying culture, it's their activist dreams come true.
How does this dude have only 2k subs? This is really high quality content
Thank you that means so much 😊
Thank you so much for the video showcasing Kermit the Frog's voice history and your honest opinions regarding Steve Whitmire and Matt Vogel.
You've earned another sub. 😉
That means a great deal, thank you! You won't be disappointed 😉
Henson was great and the OG, but i for dure think steve is the overall best voice.
I did grow up with Steve's Kermit personally, so he definitely seems the most 'homely' to me.
Some Boi Online yes. I grew up with Steve's Kermit as well. His version was what got me into puppetry in the first place
Nah.
It goes to show that Disney has done some shady and stupid stuff, to the point where it's no surprise to anyone.
Jeez, they punched Whitmire in the face and kicked him while he was down
I know Matt Vogel is trying his best, but he makes Kermit sound like his nose is plugged and has a cold
kermit the frog seems like the only voice acting job with literally zero job security, ive never met a single person that couldn't do an almost perfect kermit impression
edit: cool vid btw
Exactly! It’s such an easy voice and the new Kermit voice sounds so off! It’s so bizarre...
Except for the guy they hired.
@@moniquem783 you just made me think of something, what if disney made the voice actor sound off deliberately to send a message to all other voice actors that no matter how iconic your voice is, if they want to replace you, they'll jut change it. That sure sounds like them.
@@redmanghost yeah quite possible. Another big company flexing its muscles situation. Sad.
My thoughts exactly. So many people can do great impressions of Kermit the Frog. Heck I COULD DO A BETTER IMPRESSION THAN THE NEW GUY.
God damn this "Reasons To Hate Disney" list is getting too long to even keep anywhere
Kermit has been replaced by Constantine
Oh no
Not again D:
Constantine! Wait wasn’t he stuck in the ice the ending scene?
No he hasn’t! Get over your denial issues! 😡
The funny thing is Kermit is a super easy voice to sound at least decent at, yet somehow, disney made it almost impossible to tell if i don't see Kermit moving with the voice
Edit: I also just wanna say I'll defend Most Wanted till the end of time, that movie slaps
Sorry to matt vogel... I've tried to get used to it, going back and listening, it just doesn't work.
This was a fantastic video and cleared a lot of things up.
Incidentally, I'm not crying, you're crying!
*runs away sobbing*
Thank you! 😁
THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this video... i luv kermit, the muppets, sesame street, & everything jim henson! this video made me tear up
Your videos are incredible!!! Genuinely! I think it’s extremely wrong that Steve was fired because of everything the muppets have gone through. The muppets might never be the same again they haven’t been seen on big screens for 10 years and it is just aweful. This is not how Jim would’ve handled it. He would have never fired Steve!
Thank you, means a lot! 😊
Did Jim ever fire anyone?
Steve should do what Jim Henson did
He should teach someone to be the next Kermit, Ernie, ect. Even teach someone how to do his characters like Rizzo or Wembley Fraggle from Fraggle Rock whenever he is about to retire or if he ever passes.
But I can only hope that someone who has similar voices to Steve or Jim can take the torch of The Muppets and lead them to their next big hit.
Unfortunately due to the nature of Steve's dismissal from Disney, there was no warning or opportunity to 'teach' anyone else, nor would he likely wish to do so, given the circumstances.
But I do agree with you that it could've been handled a lot better, with your suggested method likely resulting in a more accurate Kermit voice.
Yeah Steve refused, that was one of the reasons for his dismissal.
@@GinEric84 Exactly. One of the many points a lot of these fools fail to understand is that Disney, Henson and Sesame wanted Steve to train understudies and groom successors for his roles and the fact that Steve refused to do all that is part of why they all let him go.
This is also part of why all these hateful jerks need to be nicer to the almighty Matt Vogel, respect him and bow down to him because it’s not his fault and that Steve is the one to blame for all this due to Steve’s obvious arrogance and lack of foresight combined with his refusal to take any apprentices.
@@philipkippel3615 Aja. Yeah. You are the jerk
you don’t seem to realize that you’re being a “hateful jerk” yourself to all of us that liked Steve’s Kermit. Constantly telling us that our opinions are wrong because you don’t agree with them
It's been about six years since Steve was fired, and I still feel upset and confused about what happened. Disney and the Henson family said that Steve was attacking everyone, making outrageous demands, blackballing young performers, and portrayed Kermit as a bitter, angry, depressed victim.
First of all, I don't think he was attacking everyone because in one of the episodes of The Barretta Brothers vodcast, Bill Barretta and Peter Linz said that they miss Steve and that they wished he wasn't fired. Now would they say that of Steve attacked them?
And the alleged outrageous demands. I don't know if he did make outrageous demands, but if he did, that was not okay, but being demanding is not the worst thing you could do. Brian Henson says he feels guilty for not firing Steve back in 2004, but if he knew his supposed attitude was gonna be a problem, why didn't Brian fire him already? Nothing was stopping him.
And I don't think he was blackballing young performers because the performers in question didn't seem to have any problem with working with him, a lot of people loved working with him. And Steve seemed to love working with them too. I even got to meet Steve back in 2018 and I showed him my puppet Clyde. And he was so nice and encouraging and even bragging on my puppetry skills. I certainly did not feel blackballed.
And when Steve played Kermit, the frog didn't seem to be bitter, angry, or depressed. He just seemed normal to me other than the voice being higher. However, on The Muppets (2015), he seemed more cynical, but I thought he was written like that because the show was aimed at adults. All the Muppets seemed out of character on that show.
I do believe that Steve was genuinely trying to keep the Muppets the way Jim Henson wanted them. When I met Steve, he said that he doesn't work with the Muppets because Disney made several changes to the Muppets. And he wasn't wrong. Ever since Disney got the Muppets, they haven't been the same as they were back in the 20th century. I still love the Muppets, but nowadays, they aren't as funny as they used to be. There used to be much more stuff like violence, Muppets eating each other and explosions. You know, stuff like that. And now I think Disney is trying too hard to modernize the Muppets. And I believe Steve about the character notes. Kermit isn't perfect, but normally he would never lie to anyone, much less his own nephew.
And he said that he hopes the Henson family can understand he was just trying to help the Muppets, now if his side of the story wasn't true, why would he say that?
Overall, I believe Steve and the Henson family both have good points, but I wish that they could've worked things out and have Steve continue to work with the Muppets. Don't get me wrong, I love Matt Vogel. He's a wonderful puppteer, but I don't like his Kermit as much. He still sounds like Constantine. Not everyone can play Kermit. In my opinion, if they wanted to recast Kermit, they should've chosen Peter Linz because he does a great Ernie, and Kermit and Ernie typically sound the same.
Agreed, some very valid points.
You said it perfectly.
And another thing. I wasn't gonna say this because it's another controversial opinion, but I just gotta get this off my chest.
Remember back in 2012 when Kevin Clash quit Sesame Street because he was accused of having sexual relationships with teens? Well, he may not be working with Sesame Workshop anymore, but he's still working with the Jim Henson Company regardless. They just decided to let him stay even though he was accused of doing much worse things than Steve. Now if I was the Jim Henson Company, I wouldn't keep someone who had a reputation of being a pedophile. You'd think they would have better standards.
@@clydeandfriends Yes Kevin's thing was much worse and he was never fired for it.
@@Asukenick Accused of being a pedophile, no problem, we'll let that slide. You're being demanding, we can't have that, you're fired. Like what the heck?!
Steve picked up the mantle and ran with it. The new person now is NOT KERMIT. You gotta have the voice and personality, and it just isn't there.
Interesting that the Henson family supports Disney's decision and even outright says that Steve has been difficult. Clearly, there is more than meets the eye in this saga.
WHAT THE HECK?! WHY WOULD THEY CUT OFF KERMIT? HE'S A LIVING LEGEND AND AN ICON FOR THE MUPPETS!
I met Steve Whitmire as kermit onset of the filming of muppets treasure Island and he was a brilliant kind man. I even wrote to him and he replied. He really is a good man and the kermit of an entire generation, picking up expertly after the untimely death of Jim Henson. The new Kermit performer just doesn't have what it takes, it's not just that he's lacking the voice, he's not a good enough puppeteer either in my opinion. I think Kermit deserves better.
You’re completely wrong and an idiot to boot! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 Butt out.
I feel like Jim’s and Whitmier’s Kermit are perfect in their own individual projects. For example, Jim’s voice, I think, is perfect for the OG Muppets Show/Movies. But Whitmire’s is perfect for The Muppets (2011), Most Wanted etc.
This video broke my heart in several ways. Bring the legacy back.
Whitmire is echoing what Henson has always said in interviews about puppeteering. Even Kevin Clash, who also worked with Jim Henson and once voiced Elmo says the same thing.
you should totally combine all your muppet videos into a documentary
Damn it, here I am actually getting a little teary eyed at the fact of how Disney did this great disservice to both Jim Henson and now Steve Whitmire’s legacy of Kermit the Frog. And at fucking 11:10 as the article scrolls down the screen I read the first sentence “ There is a Kermit Imposter” and immediately in my mind go “ that’s a little sus kermit.” God damn Among Us, its fucking everywhere around me and I’m losing my mind.
This is a really high-quality video. Thanks for making it!
That's really appreciated, thank you for the kind response!
Thanks so much for this well made and informative video. I had no idea this was going on since I haven't watched any of the recent Muppets shows. It's a sad moment, really.
That’s the last straw. Disney……you’re fired
I'm glad I wasnt the only that thought Kermits voice was off, I was watching Muppets Now but just couldnt enjoy it due to Kermits weird voice
Shame on you.
@@philipkippel3615 Stop saying that to people. Shame on you.
For me Kermit,it was Jim Henson. Because i'm a child of the 70's.
But Steve Whitmire does a good imitation close to Henson's.
Its sad to see that the voice change and i grew up with steves voice but now i hate disney now for this
Actually Kermit wasn't officially a frog until he appeared on Sesame Street, the Sam and Friends version doesn't have flippers (or a collar)!
Muppet don't die, only the actors to play them!
Autopsy needs to do a Jim Henson episode
Yes that's true, he seemed kind of a lizard back then, just referred to as "Kermit" - yet the voice and mannerisms are basically the same.
Disney’s new motto:
“If we own it we’ll run it into the ground”
Steve is the ultimate Kermit the Frog voice.
Jim than Steve.
This is the reason why Henson took the production of *The Muppet Show* to Lew Grade's British TV station, ATV. Grade did *not* interfere with Henson's production and just let him "get on with it". The result was the show we knew, and still know around the world as *The Muppet Show* and how it worked so well. If Henson had tried to do the show in America, he'd have a bunch of fuckwitted TV executives "poling holes" in Henson's production methods and generally *interfering* with Henson's concepts in an utterly destructive manner. This interference is now all-too-apparent, as witnessed by the Disney Corporation getting their grubby hands on the Muppet franchise.