"Everyone who knows the Disney Company knows that they think they're smarter than anyone who was ever born."- Bernie Brillstein, Jim Henson's longtime agent and friend
Disney needs Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire. They fired Steve for the same reasons that they won't rehire Frank, both are outspoken individuals who worked under Jim and wish to keep HIS legacy alive and both voice their concerns when things go the DISNEY way.
Exactly. I'd say somebody have The Muppets Studio be its own separate company, out of Disney's hands. That way, Disney won't have creative control over the direction the franchise goes.
Steve Whitmire and Frank Oz should return as voices, puppeteers, consultants, writers, producers... IDK; whatever their title is, they should be given full creative control. Up until they start leaving unambiguously racist tweets, or going full Kanye, or something that's _actually_ worth being fired for. "They would never--" Exactly! And since neither one of them is a douchecanoe, they should have jobs for life.
I absolutely think Frank Oz should return to The Muppets with as much creative input as possible. But seeing how Disney has handled most of it's acquired IPs, most notably Star Wars, I doubt this will ever happen. On the other hand tho, we have seen Disney attempt to course correct Star Wars with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni helming The Mandalorian and other upcoming shows, so getting Frank Oz to return to Muppets isn't completely out of the question, just very unlikely
And besides, the Muppets Studio already has someone performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie and others (very effectively, in fact), so even if Frank came back, actual Muppet performing would be at least unlikely.
That being said, Disney needs to listen to the performers who LITERALLY CREATED THESE CHARACTERS!!! They know the characters better than anyone who could write for them. Their input is valuable. God it pisses me off
I didn't like The Last Jedi, but I *cried* when I saw an actual puppet Yoda being performed by Frank. I'll never forgive Disney for the way they've mishandled the Muppets and blown off the performers. I can't even say I care about the Muppets Haunted Mansion and that actually looks good; it just makes me sad now because it's the bare minimum of what Disney could've done with the IP.
I feel like The Muppets is an untapped gold mine for Disney, but Disney just doesn't care and just cares about the brand name. That's why Star Wars is shit now, because all Disney sees is the name and not what the name means
@@Eternaldarkness3166 that's partially true, but I think a large part of it is that Disney has no idea how puppeteers or puppet companies work. It always irritates me to see articles that call Muppet performers "voice actors" because that is so dismissive and even degrading; there's a lot of hard physical work involved, and a lot of emotional labor. Fozzie grew out of Frank Oz's own insecurities as a performer, Scooter was basically Richard Hunt playing a younger version of himself. Of course Disney has zero idea of how to handle the Muppets; maybe one day we'll get lucky and Disney will sell or trade them to a studio who cares about them.
You know, veteran Muppet performer Louise Gold's last time working on the franchise was Muppets Most Wanted. Could it be that she shares the same feeling as Whitmire and Oz?
Not for long, though. Positive changes are coming to Disney, and I'm one of those people who plan to change Disney for the better. Once I get a job at Disney, we'll be treating our customers RIGHT!
The one dislike is obviously Disney themselves -_- Seriously, both Frank Oz and the Muppets franchise in general deserves better than how they're being treated by Disney
Oz played Yoda for Disney in The Last Jedi, though obviously it's different with the Muppets as they are more than just puppets - They are personalities, watch an interview with Henson when he has Kermit with him... Kermit is kept active even when he's not talking. Disney and the Henson Estate have made it clear upon the firing of Whitmire they view the Muppets as little more than "roles played by actors." Frank Oz's statement confirms this kind of treatment is what keeps him and Whitmire from the Muppets. Take Pepe the King Prawn - the reason he appears in so many interviews is because Pepe can do improv, something you can only really do when you're so in tune with their character.
It’s just awful what disney is doing. Disposing of the legends who basically created your brand because they disagree with you shows a lack of respect for the brand
I think it's sad, but undeniable to admit that Oz is too old to play his ageless characters today. The human voice is one thing that changes drastically as we get old. I don't think it's fair to expect that Oz could still do justice to characters like Miss Piggy...it is not an easy task. I'd love to see Oz involved in directing and writing for future Muppet projects...I just can't picture that happening either. A lot of people have stated that he is difficult to work with. He's a big perfectionist and expects the impossible at times. He's even been known to have actors break their contracts because they can't work with him and he's been replaced as the director of a few films during his heyday.
Jim Henson once joked to Joan Ganz Cooney, the creator of Sesame Street, that he and Oz would be playing Ernie and Bert in their rocking chairs. But I don't think he was joking.
Dave Goelz is still doing Gonzo so it's pretty feasible for Oz to reprise a character or two of his. Obviously he wouldn't do Fozzie and Piggy cause Eric Jacobsen has them now and has had them for a while, but he could very easily come back to performing.
For the record, there's no bad blood between Steve Whitmire and Sesame Workshop. See, in the mid 2010's, the nonprofit organization was going through a financially red period. They couldn't afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta. So Whitmire relinquished the character of Ernie and left the show with no hard feelings.
@@Eternaldarkness3166 Actually, he planned on selling his company to Disney in 1989. In fact the only thing that was _not_ for sale was Sesame Street. (Though he'd also hold on to Kermit, and they would have to ask him for permission.)
I feel like Frank should be rehire to do the Muppets. I love Eric's performance but if Disney wanna make the Muppets great again, then they should rehire Frank it really not that hard
@@SomeBoiOnline Though it's understandable Disney is a huge company and don't know what to do with the Muppet for awhile though who know what the special will bring Friday, but i think rehiring frank would be best or Steve to help out and direct
Oz did actually direct some of the Muppet movies back in the day, though I wonder if Disney's medling would prevent him from actually doing a good job if came back. ...The Muppets are kinda an improv group, the muppeteers are one with their characters, Disney doesn't seem to get that... resulting in things being kinda stilted and forced because the performer aren't allowed any freedom and Disney has a ridicously tight leesh.
Absolutely Oz should be rehired. It gets tiring watching Disney trash the franchises they purchase, because they only view them as franchises instead of as works of meaningful art created by great artists.
Besides, I almost didn't buy The First Season of The Muppet Show on DVD because I wasn't sure if Disney was gonna allow The Original Season One Opening to be part of the collection despite the fact that eight songs had to have been edited out because of music rights. Thank God that The First Season Opening is included and for a very good reason. I never got to see the original openings to Kaye Ballard and Ethel Merman due to the fact of CBS 2's foolish unnecessary editing. Two Fozzie Bear Opening Jokes were edited out.
I would LOVE to see Frank come back to preform some characters but I would hate to have to see Eric only getting to play some minor rolls that he's took over for Frank. Now yes I could see him and Frank taking turns or one preforming a character while the other one preforms one of the other characters. You wouldn't even have to do any per-recorded voice over. I did feel bad when I heard about Steve's firing and thought WHY?! When I heard he had things he wanted to say or do when preforming or helping with whatever it makes it feel like no one at Disney cares for any of the performers. I still do like the Muppets but yes they aren't anything like they used to be and that's why I don't care about what happens to them. I'll still watching their movies or TV specials but not sure if I'm ever going to enjoy them as much as I used to.
This is definitely a weird one because Lucasfilm brought him back to voice Yoda in The Last Jedi one of the best parts of that film. Now it was Lucasfilm who did it but that's still when they were owned by Disney. Though I should mention the current voice actors for Frank Oz's characters are at least doing them justice.
Disney: We like to ruin your favorite things, and we feel like we're doing a good job cause we don't listen to the fans, muahahahaha.. Now that is a maniacal laugh-- The Worst Disney Villain of them all, is Disney itself..
Yes Frank Oz should be hired back definitely. So should Steve Whitmere, Louise Gold, Brian Henson (he hasn’t performed for ages), Karen Prell, Kathy Mullen for instance. I suspect Walt Disney would be turning in his grave with the current behaviour of Disney?
Kathy Mullen I think chose to retire. She is like 80 now. Unfortunately Steve coming back probably won't happen because then Disney would have to admit they were wrong and they don't do that.
Brian is all buddy-buddy with Disney now, working with them on a couple projects. He even performed Sal again in "Muppets Haunted Mansion". So I'd say the chances of him performing more with the Muppets are pretty good. I'm horrified by the idea of him actually being on the writing/directing staff for them, seeing as he's the same guy responsible for "The Happytime Murders" and those lousy 2000s TV specials.
It was around that time when he took a step back and thus had minimal involvement with the film, other than voice dubbing. It was framed as he'd moved on to do directing, but he was likely unhappy with the handling of the property after Jim's passing; after all, it would never be the same again.
Frank oz is Dutch American. And Dutch people are blunt and direct. He was approached by a young college reporter while he was making a unfunny chris Rock dark comedy drama called death at a funeral. And this person knocked frank oz door and asked him why he wasn't miss piggy. And oz exploded saying what sort effing stupid question is that and told this person to get the eff of the film set. Oz was always the temperamental one in the Henson company. I read Sam Jones book about Henson. Oz was explosive. In sam Jones book Jones revealed that oz tore I think Richard hunt down to the ground after Henson, who couldn't fire anyone, was pressurised to fire hunt who lived life to the full and was always late for work. Hunts Death from aids shattered the Henson company and oz deeply regretted.
I don't think that Disney doesn't want Frank involved with the Muppets, I think they just simply have no justification in hiring him. They already have a full-time performer who can do these characters, and there is very little Frank do with them at this point. In addition, he's too expensive to hire. That was kind of the reason why Sesame Street hasn't asked him do anything with them in the last ten years. If Disney wanted to completely avoid Frank, they wouldn't keep paying him to do Yoda.
Dave Goelz joined Jim Henson's team after seeing Frank Oz perform, and Oz inviting him to watch Sesame Street inserts filmed. So much for friendships and ties, huh?
Just to say it, I hate cliffhangers/part 2's, especially when I'm made aware there will be one. I was born to be a binge watcher, even before it was a possibility or a thing. It's amazing that I made it through the last 3 decades like this. But now, when new seasons come out I wait and glut myself on the whole season when it's finished its run. So as much as I admire your content, don't leave me hanging too long bro, please?
If you're referring to the part mentioned at 5:19, I did make a follow-up video a few weeks later, which can be seen here: th-cam.com/video/JhENTDM6m4U/w-d-xo.html Though I'm aware uploads have been slower in general as of late and I apologise for that, (lots of things going on at the moment). But I appreciate the continued support and will bear this in mind for the future.
@@SomeBoiOnline lol, didn't even think to check the date the video was posted. Thank you for the quick reply. If I may be completely honest however, the link you included in your reply played out to me more like an earmark as such. Maybe it was I that got it into my mind that a 2nd video of similar length was on the way. Anyway I appreciate you regardless.
I really thought Segel's muppets might be a return as even Oz recanted a little. But most wanted ruined that. I think Oz can be a bit of gate keeper, but he means well. As i think Disney just puts people who have no love for the series in charge and try to make it their own regardless of it's legacy. That's where they need Oz as a creative consultant with some power to guide the new generation. As it's not Jim's Muppets anymore, but that doesn't mean they can't respect the legacy that Jim & Oz gave them.
It's true that Oz is very (arguably over) protective of the property, but understandably so. So I get why Disney are reluctant to involve him, though if they were to meet in the middle somehow, I'm sure that would be most beneficial for the franchise.
I think the criticisms should be more specific. The soul isn't there doesn't mean anything and is vague. At face value, it's still the same. Songs, bad jokes mixed with good ones, celebrity guest stars, physical gags. I'm not sure what's missing. One of the criticism is the Muppets got too cutesy and sweet but you could argue they always had sweet moments like Rainbow Connection. Example of narrowing it down to specifics. Kermit is too much of a pushover. I wish Kermit would show backbone more often and make a few more wisecracks. I made that up but that is an example of a specific thing that can be fixed.
Ok but in all seriousness does Disney even know what to do with the muppets anymore? Obviously they have no respect for the performers or Jim’s legacy and that’s a major part of what’s ruining them but I’m talking about the Muppets themselves, a bizarre Disney+ series that feels… off and a haunted mansion special thats neat but clearly had no budget whatsoever? Does Disney want the muppets to die? I feel like in the early 2010s there was a moment where they finally sorta figured it out but I guess after Most wanted it all went downhill
apparently Sesame had some pretty bad budget cuts back in ‘14. Frank & Steve lived out of state and weren’t even full time (Frank only did characters sometimes and Steve was doing just Ernie, that’s it) So I can understand why they were let go of there. Honestly I just know it’ll be a very sad day when Dave Goelz (the only full time Muppet performer from The Muppet Show) and David Rudman (a performer from the later Jim Henson years) leave the franchise either by choice or worse, firing or even worse passing. Because when the only performers who were there with Jim leave, would it even resemble the Muppets anymore? or would it just be a corporate charlatan’s version that’s been slowly creeping in ever since Oz & Juhl left?
Whitmire would become a close friend to Caroll Spinney in the latter's final years. Seeing that Spinney was the first Muppet performer Whitmire met, and it was Spinney who urged Whitmire to audition, it makes perfect sense.
I _want_ to say Joey Mazzarino started working on Sesame Street while Henson was still alive (and even did uncredited puppeteering for _The Muppets at Walt Disney World_ !), but like Carmen Osbahr, was just getting his sea legs at that point.
You are right Disney really restrict the puppeteers about their opinions, I just hope Bill and Dave won't get fired they're the only ones left. Due to Eric podcast Last year by Adam Adam: If you're to train by Frank Oz, if he did and he comes back? Eric: first if he were to come back he has a Whole parking space just for him. 6 minutes clip on thoughts about Did Frank Oz train Eric Jacobson th-cam.com/video/xavHYvu-z20/w-d-xo.html That's how Eric likes Frank to come back even though Frank didn't train him he still did a remarkable job keeping his characters alive.
Likewise, when Martin P. Robinson prepared to take over the role of Mr. Snuffleupagus, Jerry Nelson only gave him advice about the voice, and even then it was in joke form: "Start drinking and smoking."
Bill is a veteran Muppet performer why? It doesn't say you have to meet the king before it's die, no Jim state that “ being a performer comes from the heart of the character and that's a great peformer ” - recall by Steve Frank Oz have a great bond with Bill, he writes episodes of the Muppet bits, sketch, and more. That's why Bill is In the puppeteer talks along with Jerry, Dave, Fran...
@@amaimonpheles8 And to be fair, Barretta _has_ met Henson. At Sesame Place, where he was working with Henson's son Brian. Also, I like to think of how Joey Mazzarino and Carmen Osbahr were hired only months before Henson's death, how they were just getting their sea legs so to speak.
Disney is slowly dying. They had a spree of buying properties like marvel, jim henson, 20th century fox and blue sky to name a few, but in each of them they either don't care, ruined it or are slowly going downhill. Look at star wars, muppets, ice age, all fading away and disney don't care. During the pandemic they were reported bankrupt until coming out. This is because nobody went to disneyland where most of their profits are. But even there I hear it's going downhill. Yes the theme park is slowly getting worse as well. Disney is in trouble everywhere and its worrying.
For the record, there's no bad blood between Whitmire and Sesame Workshop. When the nonprofit organization went through a financial red period in the mid 2010's, they couldn't afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta. So Whitmire relinquished Ernie with no hard feelings.
And The Jim Henson Company, for that matter. Who else could they pick to perform Wembley Fraggle for new content? Sure, there's Frankie Cordero, but I'm not sure they could cover flying in Frankie from New York since he's a Sesame Street performer and all.
@@tysargent9647 More importantly, Whitmire was first given the character of Wembley because Henson, Jerry Juhl, Michael Frith and Jocelyn Stevenson all thought he would play the character, bring out the personality and the dynamics with the other Fraggles and their performers. That's even worse than replacing him as Kermit!
im convinced that if he were still alive today the disney co would have fired jim henson if they could. they want the franchise, but not the values within
I'd imagine the stress of the negotiations may have contributed to his demise. Many said Jim was also a workaholic and when someone gets like that they end up ignoring many things in life (ex. their own health, family, friends, vacation & relaxation time, etc). As far as the mouse actually targeting him though? It wouldn't really add up because Jim passed in 1990 and the acquisition of The Muppets franchise wasn't obtained until 2004. This is one of those cases where we'll likely never know but Jim's lifestyle choice to stay a workaholic in combination with high pressure negotiations certainly didn't help him :( Jim Henson will always hold a place in many of our heart 🙏
Disney needs to rehire Steve and Frank. They are just digging themselves deeper. Hey Disney! It’s time to stop focusing on Marvel for two seconds and give love to the best franchise 💙
I swear!, Disney is becoming very corrupted!, how dare they fire Frank Oz and since when do the Muppets belong to Disney they don't! I bet that's why Steve whitmire got fired too! The Muppets!, are precious to all of us and so are the people who do their voices and perform as them! They don't need Disney! Jim Henson Productions is where they come from! And that is more than Disney ever will be!
probabbly for th sAMe reason stevee whitmire was, because Disney wanted a storyline that Kermit cheated on Miss Piggy with a younger slender female bovine.
Rehire Frank he seems to be sad. Let him control future Muppet Projects on Sesame Street and Disney, also he would probably rehire people like Steve Whitmire and Kevin Clash so they'll be no problem to worry about. He and Henson were more than friends or brothers their chemistry shows they are two halves of the same mind.
The artistry has been stripped away from the Muppets. Things like Kermit drinking a glass of milk or performing on a log in the middle of a swamp, Muppets riding bikes and suchlike don't happen anymore. The 2011 movie was padded out with far too many "human" song and dance routines, proving my point.
I'd bring Frank back. The only problem is that if he does his muppets Eric Jacobson won't be able to have a job however I would let Oz write a script and voice and pupeteer FozzieBear
@@icecreamhero2375 I knew that was a joke. The point is that Disney never should've fired Whitmire at all. They'd be better trying to rehire him rather than replace him.
Matt Vogel’s Kermit is better than Steve Whitmire’s and you know that! And you also know darn well that only puppeteers get hired to play Kermit and that Seth MacFarlane is not a puppeteer! Even with repeating that terrible, overused, annoying, mean-spirited, god-awful, unfunny joke! 😡
*Shows footage of an evil money-grabbing mogul who just wants the Muppets name to slap on their edgy re-boot whlist talking about the Disney buyout* Yeah, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Heck, I liked the Muppets (2011) BTW.
Disney LIED to us! I actually thought Frank Oz had done the dentist from “Big City Green,” but no it was another guy under the name of Fozzie Bear. Kinda hurts
I think Disney's handling of the Muppets is not all bad, after "The Muppets" I had very high hopes for Disney and the Muppets. Sadly, I have been sorly disappointed. I would love it if Disney gave creative controll over to Frank Oz, I think it would be amazing for the franchise. Even better if Henson bought the Muppets back and put Frank in charge.
Disney/Sesame Workshop, what's the matter with you? You gotta be crazy. Why are you doin' this to me? You know, well, I've got a dream too. But it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And, well, I've found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And, and it kinda makes us like a family. You have anybody like that, Disney/Sesame Workshop? I mean, who are your friends? Those guys? I don't think you're a bad company Disney/Sesame Workshop. But I think if you look in your heart, you'll find you really want to let me and my friends go to follow our dream. But if that's not the kind of company you are and if what I'm saying doesn't make any sense to you, well, then go ahead and kill me. Steve Whitmire & Frank Oz.
Steve Whitmire has no qualms with Sesame Workshop. it's just that when going through a financial red period in the mid 2010's, they could no longer afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta, so Whitmire left the show with no hard feelings.
Also, I don't think you should phrase it as "Disney/Sesame Workshop". You make it sound like it's the same company with the same goals. Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit organization determined to help educate children.
Your assessment of Eric Jacobsen's version of Frank's characters is something I cannot agree with. He is nothing approaching "indistinguishable" in his renditions. Particularly with Fozzie which, for some reason, got stuck as Squire Trelawney's idiot son and never recovered. As for Steve Whitmire, I have it on good authority that Steve wasn't well liked by pretty much everybody at The Muppets and Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company. While I fully understand his position on the "living history" of the Muppet characters, his unwillingness to appear at certain Disney-mandated events and appearances was just the tip of an iceberg of hostility and belligerence towards the Disney Company. But answer me this: did what Disney has done with the Muppets surprised ANYONE? REALLY? They're a huge entertainment conglomerate that sucks up IP and spit out lowest-common-denominator shows. If anyone is surprised, they are tragically naive. If anyone is to blame for the eventual fate of the Muppets, it's Jim Henson himself. Or perhaps his family. But the fact is, the Henson Company sold their beloved cash cow to an international entertainment monster. So who's actually responsible?
Really? Steve was nothing but nice to me when I met him, and several other puppeteers (among them Mike Quinn, Frank Oz, Bill Baretta, and Peter Linz) have spoken up in support of him. The only puppeteer I know of who hates Steve is Rick Lyon, who from what I've heard isn't such a nice person himself. Heck, there are negative rumors about Brian too.
@MichaelSar12IsBack as far as folks I know have divulged, Steve was responsible for a Muppet "blacklist". And let me be clear: Steve has never been anything but EXTREMELY pleasant and accommodating to me, personally, when I have interacted with him. But that's not the information I have from at least half-dozen other professional puppeteers. It was explained to me that Steve's blacklist was his attempt at keeping Disney from disassociating specific performers from legacy Muppet characters. In the end, it just pissed off the professional puppeteers and didn't do a thing to stop Disney from re-assigning characters as they saw fit. No matter where his intentions originated, he came off looking bad and his continued friction with Disney brass ended up kiboshing his career with the Muppets. If they wanted to slap him down, they could have simply taken Kermit from him and relegated him back to strictly Rizzo and Bean. But they fired him. That speaks to much bigger irritation worthy of dismissal.
@@spcglider From which puppeteers did you get this information from? Again, the only puppeteer who I know of Steve might've had a hand in "blacklisting" was Rick Lyon from "Sesame Street" - not because he saw him as a threat, but because Rick stole David Rudman's personal notes. The idea that Steve "blacklisted" puppeteers seems to stem from Disney's attempt at having a million puppeteers perform each character so they could be everywhere at once (on cruise lines, at Disney Store openings, etc.). The claim is that Steve blacklisted all those puppeteers who auditioned. But not only does it not make sense for Steve to blame the puppeteers for Disney's misguided ideas, or for Disney to give Steve power over who does or doesn't get hired for projects (especially if they really hated him so much)... one of those puppeteers, Brett O'Quinn (who auditioned for Gonzo), worked on at least two productions - the Lady Gaga special and "Muppets Most Wanted" - after that. And I frequently see Artie Esposito brought up as one of the puppeteers who Steve blacklisted because he performed Kermit a couple times in 2009, but he's never said anything nasty about Steve. In fact, from what I've heard, he's actually spoken up in support of Steve.
@MichaelSar12IsBack I wouldn't reveal their names and betray their confidentiality. But now that Steve is no longer involved, many of the blacklisted actually have been working with/for Muppet productions. And I've been told that's precisely why. The fact that Peter and Bill and Frank, etc. don't publicly badmouth a former Muppeteer says they respect professionalism.
Well, I believe that Frank does deserve to being rehired and give the Muppets back their soul. However, I'm terribly bothered by how you call Disney "soulless". That really bothers me to no end. I, for one, plan to work at Disney and change things for the better. I'm going to make anti-woke movies and I'll make absolutely sure that my co-workers at Disney get the credit and respect they rightfully deserve. That's my goal!
@@annien.1727 You do realize that you'll never even make it through the door to begin with given what you just said here right? I'm not trying to be mean, but instead realistic. Disney is a shell of its former self and has become a mega-corp. When we are young we don't realize how a lot of these things work. Times are different and please know that everything you've ever typed online will be considered prior to being hired, especially for megacorps. I truly wish you the best of luck on your life journey Annie, and hope you find an enjoyable career whenever that time may come.
@@annien.1727 I'm sorry but they are soulless and there is much that has been documented to support that being the case. I can probably think of 50+ examples without even trying. How about the decision to take Jim Henson's name off of the sign of The Muppets 3D? How about various agendas / adult themes *constantly* being pushed onto young and impressionable minds? We could go on and on. The enjoyment and memories we hold dear are not soulless, but the machine behind them certainly is, and that soullessness only gets more and more eye opening with each passing year.
@ForeverConsciousResearch 😡WRONG!!! Disney is NOT a shell of its former self! I refuse to accept that! Disney is STILL Disney! So what if it has become a mega-corp? I don't care in the slightest! Come hell or high water, I WILL make it though the door, regardless of what anyone says! I know you're not trying to be mean, but your words still feel like salt being rubbed on the wound. And I DO know that everything I typed online is considered prior to being hired! I may not be hired to Disney yet, but with hard work, dedication, and a little luck, I will be one of Disney's greatest storytellers!
@ForeverConsciousResearch 🙄You're both right and wrong. What you're right about is the enjoyment and memories we hold dear are not soulless. What you're wrong about is the machine behind all that being soulless. Disney is NOT soulless. Only the executives running Disney are the REAL soulless ones. And that makes me want to change Disney for the better all the more. I'm not scared of them. And DON'T even get me started on the "various agendas/adult themes constantly being pushed onto young and impressionable minds" bit! Stop that right now! I'm so SICK TO DEATH of hearing that!!! It makes me want to puke!🤢 I KNOW what's going on there, so don't treat me like I'm dumb! So what if they removed Jim Henson's name from the The Muppets 3D sign? We can put it back on there! And that's EXACTLY what I plan to do! I will abolish the woke agenda permanently and restore Disney back to the way Walt envisioned it! I made that promise on Walt's grave and I plan to fulfill that promise, come hell or high water!
@@annien.1727 I saw your other comment but just want to make sure you knew that I never called you dumb or stupid much less even vaguely implied such a thing. In fact I thought the opposite and was just trying to say that your stance about culture will never get you through the door, particularly when being open about it. I'm not disagreeing with you but instead just trying to say that your online comments will be found if the company is considering you as a new hire (and this unfortunately applies to many companies these days). They know that you are not an individual who would tow the line of the mega-corp, and sadly that is enough for them to discriminate. I wish things were different but these days my suggestion would be to create a new anonymous account with zero links to *anything* that can identify you (phone, email, name, password, etc). This way you can still speak freely online. Comment trails of the past should also be deleted, but that might prove difficult because you'll have to go find them and remove each one manually. Deleting an account these days will still leave your username, and that will appear for your social media background checks. Anyways, just trying to provide a few hints to consider regarding your online footprint. Wishing you the best on your journey.
I could never side with Disney over Frank. And I think how they treated Steve Whitmire is terrible. But I do feel like Frank chose a path thinking it was a bigger departure than it actually was and ended up missing out as a result. Then he didn't like the direction Disney wanted to take and was upset when his script wasn't chosen over The Muppets (2011) script. After that I think it was a case of neither wanting to be the one to approach the other more so than neither side being interested. And a large corporation with other actors can afford to play the waiting game forever whereas frank can't. I would like to see him back as a director or writer or performer but I don't see why Disney would.
It really is sof rustesith.g the 90s was golden age of muppets a new movie every few years. Then Disney bought them and didn't make any movies for 10 years, making a lotnof people quit and their great streak ending. It's dad. Dianwy did nothing with it so it got so much worse.
"Everyone who knows the Disney Company knows that they think they're smarter than anyone who was ever born."- Bernie Brillstein, Jim Henson's longtime agent and friend
Seeing how Star Wars and Marvel turned out, I believe him.
Not a good attitude that Disney has.
Disney needs Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire. They fired Steve for the same reasons that they won't rehire Frank, both are outspoken individuals who worked under Jim and wish to keep HIS legacy alive and both voice their concerns when things go the DISNEY way.
Exactly. I'd say somebody have The Muppets Studio be its own separate company, out of Disney's hands. That way, Disney won't have creative control over the direction the franchise goes.
They do not need Steve Whitmire, though! He was fired for unacceptable business conduct and even the Henson family didn’t want him anymore!
@@philipkippel3615 Sadly that is true.
Disney doesn’t get the Muppets and the characters relationships. But it still comes down to the Henson family selling the company to Disney!
Yes. Disney should re-hire Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire as legendary Muppets voices
Yes
Disney should go bankrupt and disappear before they destroy even more childhood memories!!
@@borgman75 That's never gonna happen
Steve Whitmire and Frank Oz should return as voices, puppeteers, consultants, writers, producers... IDK; whatever their title is, they should be given full creative control. Up until they start leaving unambiguously racist tweets, or going full Kanye, or something that's _actually_ worth being fired for. "They would never--" Exactly! And since neither one of them is a douchecanoe, they should have jobs for life.
Agreed!
I absolutely think Frank Oz should return to The Muppets with as much creative input as possible. But seeing how Disney has handled most of it's acquired IPs, most notably Star Wars, I doubt this will ever happen. On the other hand tho, we have seen Disney attempt to course correct Star Wars with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni helming The Mandalorian and other upcoming shows, so getting Frank Oz to return to Muppets isn't completely out of the question, just very unlikely
And besides, the Muppets Studio already has someone performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie and others (very effectively, in fact), so even if Frank came back, actual Muppet performing would be at least unlikely.
Don’t Lucasfilm mostly handle Star Wars On their own?
He’s been very critical of how the muppets have been portrayed recently so it’s not a surprise
That being said, Disney needs to listen to the performers who LITERALLY CREATED THESE CHARACTERS!!! They know the characters better than anyone who could write for them. Their input is valuable. God it pisses me off
I didn't like The Last Jedi, but I *cried* when I saw an actual puppet Yoda being performed by Frank. I'll never forgive Disney for the way they've mishandled the Muppets and blown off the performers. I can't even say I care about the Muppets Haunted Mansion and that actually looks good; it just makes me sad now because it's the bare minimum of what Disney could've done with the IP.
I loved seeing Yoda again too. Though the films were flawed, that was a great scene.
I feel like The Muppets is an untapped gold mine for Disney, but Disney just doesn't care and just cares about the brand name. That's why Star Wars is shit now, because all Disney sees is the name and not what the name means
@@Eternaldarkness3166 that's partially true, but I think a large part of it is that Disney has no idea how puppeteers or puppet companies work. It always irritates me to see articles that call Muppet performers "voice actors" because that is so dismissive and even degrading; there's a lot of hard physical work involved, and a lot of emotional labor. Fozzie grew out of Frank Oz's own insecurities as a performer, Scooter was basically Richard Hunt playing a younger version of himself. Of course Disney has zero idea of how to handle the Muppets; maybe one day we'll get lucky and Disney will sell or trade them to a studio who cares about them.
@@Eternaldarkness3166 star wars is fine
So true. Seeing Oz performing Yoda was the BEST thing about TLJ.
You know, veteran Muppet performer Louise Gold's last time working on the franchise was Muppets Most Wanted. Could it be that she shares the same feeling as Whitmire and Oz?
Okay, Disney has hit rock bottom, this is no way to treat the preformers
Not for long, though. Positive changes are coming to Disney, and I'm one of those people who plan to change Disney for the better. Once I get a job at Disney, we'll be treating our customers RIGHT!
The one dislike is obviously Disney themselves -_-
Seriously, both Frank Oz and the Muppets franchise in general deserves better than how they're being treated by Disney
Oz played Yoda for Disney in The Last Jedi, though obviously it's different with the Muppets as they are more than just puppets - They are personalities, watch an interview with Henson when he has Kermit with him... Kermit is kept active even when he's not talking.
Disney and the Henson Estate have made it clear upon the firing of Whitmire they view the Muppets as little more than "roles played by actors."
Frank Oz's statement confirms this kind of treatment is what keeps him and Whitmire from the Muppets.
Take Pepe the King Prawn - the reason he appears in so many interviews is because Pepe can do improv, something you can only really do when you're so in tune with their character.
Completely true, some good points.
They are roles played by actors. They shouldn't be so cliquey.
It’s just awful what disney is doing. Disposing of the legends who basically created your brand because they disagree with you shows a lack of respect for the brand
Not for long, of course. Positive changes are going to happen at Disney, I'm sure of it.
I hope they call Frank Oz for the Jim Henson biopic, if they don't call him for that movie, even as a consultant, I will drop disney
Because they haven't done enough already?
The biopic was turned into the new Jim Henson: Idea Man documentary, he was one of the interviewees for the film. If that counts
Frank Oz is the Soul of the Muppets. Muppets needs their Soul so thy can shine again.
I think it's sad, but undeniable to admit that Oz is too old to play his ageless characters today.
The human voice is one thing that changes drastically as we get old.
I don't think it's fair to expect that Oz could still do justice to characters like Miss Piggy...it is not an easy task.
I'd love to see Oz involved in directing and writing for future Muppet projects...I just can't picture that happening either.
A lot of people have stated that he is difficult to work with. He's a big perfectionist and expects the impossible at times.
He's even been known to have actors break their contracts because they can't work with him and he's been replaced as the director of a few films during his heyday.
Jim Henson once joked to Joan Ganz Cooney, the creator of Sesame Street, that he and Oz would be playing Ernie and Bert in their rocking chairs. But I don't think he was joking.
Dave Goelz is still doing Gonzo so it's pretty feasible for Oz to reprise a character or two of his. Obviously he wouldn't do Fozzie and Piggy cause Eric Jacobsen has them now and has had them for a while, but he could very easily come back to performing.
Then again, there might've come a time when they only recorded lines, like Caroll Spinney and Jerry Nelson.
Just like how Steve Whitmire was fired because he was difficult to work with.
@@philipkippel3615 At least it's not a crime to what Kevin Clash might have done and he didn't even get fired for it.
Saying goodbye, going away. Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say.
Touching a hand, wondering why it's time for saying goodbye. :'(
David Rudman is now Cookie Monster and I think he’s great in the role.
I have no soul
No seriously, bring Frank Oz back
As much as I love Disney, I think what they're doing with the Muppets is not really good.
Just when you thought you couldn't lose anymore respect for them...
For the record, there's no bad blood between Steve Whitmire and Sesame Workshop. See, in the mid 2010's, the nonprofit organization was going through a financially red period. They couldn't afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta. So Whitmire relinquished the character of Ernie and left the show with no hard feelings.
That’s not true.
@@philipkippel3615 I believe it. Unless you have prove that is.
Wouldn't it be crazy if Jim was alive and Disney fired him for being difficult?
That's not too far fetched now that I think about it.
Jeffrey Katzenburg had no respect for the art of puppetry. Negotiating with him was a nightmare for Henson.
If Jim was alive, Disney wouldn't have the option of doing that and The Muppets would still be his property
@@Eternaldarkness3166 Actually, he planned on selling his company to Disney in 1989. In fact the only thing that was _not_ for sale was Sesame Street. (Though he'd also hold on to Kermit, and they would have to ask him for permission.)
It would
I feel like Frank should be rehire to do the Muppets. I love Eric's performance but if Disney wanna make the Muppets great again, then they should rehire Frank it really not that hard
You'd think so. An original Muppet performer who is also a seasoned director seems like an obvious choice to take the helm of a new Muppets project.
@@SomeBoiOnline Though it's understandable Disney is a huge company and don't know what to do with the Muppet for awhile though who know what the special will bring Friday, but i think rehiring frank would be best or Steve to help out and direct
Honestly, I'd keep Piggy, Fozzie, Animal and Sam Eagle with Eric and just have Frank as a creative consultant.
Thank you for your report mate. You’ve done a great job here. Usually these types of essay make me cringe but this was great. - Jim
Oz did actually direct some of the Muppet movies back in the day, though I wonder if Disney's medling would prevent him from actually doing a good job if came back.
...The Muppets are kinda an improv group, the muppeteers are one with their characters, Disney doesn't seem to get that... resulting in things being kinda stilted and forced because the performer aren't allowed any freedom and Disney has a ridicously tight leesh.
He only directed one: The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Absolutely Oz should be rehired. It gets tiring watching Disney trash the franchises they purchase, because they only view them as franchises instead of as works of meaningful art created by great artists.
Besides, I almost didn't buy The First Season of The Muppet Show on DVD because I wasn't sure if Disney was gonna allow The Original Season One Opening to be part of the collection despite the fact that eight songs had to have been edited out because of music rights.
Thank God that The First Season Opening is included and for a very good reason. I never got to see the original openings to Kaye Ballard and Ethel Merman due to the fact of CBS 2's foolish unnecessary editing. Two Fozzie Bear Opening Jokes were edited out.
I would LOVE to see Frank come back to preform some characters but I would hate to have to see Eric only getting to play some minor rolls that he's took over for Frank. Now yes I could see him and Frank taking turns or one preforming a character while the other one preforms one of the other characters. You wouldn't even have to do any per-recorded voice over. I did feel bad when I heard about Steve's firing and thought WHY?! When I heard he had things he wanted to say or do when preforming or helping with whatever it makes it feel like no one at Disney cares for any of the performers. I still do like the Muppets but yes they aren't anything like they used to be and that's why I don't care about what happens to them. I'll still watching their movies or TV specials but not sure if I'm ever going to enjoy them as much as I used to.
This is definitely a weird one because Lucasfilm brought him back to voice Yoda in The Last Jedi one of the best parts of that film. Now it was Lucasfilm who did it but that's still when they were owned by Disney. Though I should mention the current voice actors for Frank Oz's characters are at least doing them justice.
Disney: We like to ruin your favorite things, and we feel like we're doing a good job cause we don't listen to the fans, muahahahaha.. Now that is a maniacal laugh-- The Worst Disney Villain of them all, is Disney itself..
0:31 Frank Oz's feet is a sight I don't wanna think about
😂👌
Yes Frank Oz should be hired back definitely.
So should Steve Whitmere, Louise Gold, Brian Henson (he hasn’t performed for ages), Karen Prell, Kathy Mullen for instance.
I suspect Walt Disney would be turning in his grave with the current behaviour of Disney?
Kathy Mullen I think chose to retire. She is like 80 now. Unfortunately Steve coming back probably won't happen because then Disney would have to admit they were wrong and they don't do that.
Brian is all buddy-buddy with Disney now, working with them on a couple projects. He even performed Sal again in "Muppets Haunted Mansion". So I'd say the chances of him performing more with the Muppets are pretty good.
I'm horrified by the idea of him actually being on the writing/directing staff for them, seeing as he's the same guy responsible for "The Happytime Murders" and those lousy 2000s TV specials.
If I ever get rich I think I’d buy the muppet franchise to revive it and put the soul back in bc this is just sad
Does Disney Even Care About The Muppets Anymore?
Just owning the brand
Like they did with Star Wars
There are rumors flying around that Bob Iger doesn't care much for the Muppets, but take it with a grain of salt.
I could be wrong, but i thought Oz had a fall out when muppets from space flopped.
It was around that time when he took a step back and thus had minimal involvement with the film, other than voice dubbing. It was framed as he'd moved on to do directing, but he was likely unhappy with the handling of the property after Jim's passing; after all, it would never be the same again.
Please please bring back Frank oz and Steve whitmire The original Muppet voices
Frank oz is Dutch American. And Dutch people are blunt and direct. He was approached by a young college reporter while he was making a unfunny chris Rock dark comedy drama called death at a funeral. And this person knocked frank oz door and asked him why he wasn't miss piggy. And oz exploded saying what sort effing stupid question is that and told this person to get the eff of the film set. Oz was always the temperamental one in the Henson company. I read Sam Jones book about Henson. Oz was explosive. In sam Jones book Jones revealed that oz tore I think Richard hunt down to the ground after Henson, who couldn't fire anyone, was pressurised to fire hunt who lived life to the full and was always late for work. Hunts Death from aids shattered the Henson company and oz deeply regretted.
I don't think that Disney doesn't want Frank involved with the Muppets, I think they just simply have no justification in hiring him. They already have a full-time performer who can do these characters, and there is very little Frank do with them at this point. In addition, he's too expensive to hire. That was kind of the reason why Sesame Street hasn't asked him do anything with them in the last ten years. If Disney wanted to completely avoid Frank, they wouldn't keep paying him to do Yoda.
This music makes it so sad
Dave Goelz joined Jim Henson's team after seeing Frank Oz perform, and Oz inviting him to watch Sesame Street inserts filmed.
So much for friendships and ties, huh?
Well, they did work on Muppet Guys Talking, so I wouldn't say there was bad blood between Frank and Dave.
Okay okay.
Seems odd that Oz still works as Yoda for films and the parks considering the problems he and Disney have over the Muppets.
It should also be worth mentioning that Oz has an expensive performance fee, cost prohibitive if they only needed him for bit roles.
"Why don't they want me, man? Why don't they want me?"
Just to say it, I hate cliffhangers/part 2's, especially when I'm made aware there will be one. I was born to be a binge watcher, even before it was a possibility or a thing. It's amazing that I made it through the last 3 decades like this. But now, when new seasons come out I wait and glut myself on the whole season when it's finished its run.
So as much as I admire your content, don't leave me hanging too long bro, please?
If you're referring to the part mentioned at 5:19, I did make a follow-up video a few weeks later, which can be seen here: th-cam.com/video/JhENTDM6m4U/w-d-xo.html
Though I'm aware uploads have been slower in general as of late and I apologise for that, (lots of things going on at the moment). But I appreciate the continued support and will bear this in mind for the future.
@@SomeBoiOnline lol, didn't even think to check the date the video was posted. Thank you for the quick reply. If I may be completely honest however, the link you included in your reply played out to me more like an earmark as such. Maybe it was I that got it into my mind that a 2nd video of similar length was on the way. Anyway I appreciate you regardless.
I really thought Segel's muppets might be a return as even Oz recanted a little. But most wanted ruined that. I think Oz can be a bit of gate keeper, but he means well. As i think Disney just puts people who have no love for the series in charge and try to make it their own regardless of it's legacy. That's where they need Oz as a creative consultant with some power to guide the new generation. As it's not Jim's Muppets anymore, but that doesn't mean they can't respect the legacy that Jim & Oz gave them.
It's true that Oz is very (arguably over) protective of the property, but understandably so. So I get why Disney are reluctant to involve him, though if they were to meet in the middle somehow, I'm sure that would be most beneficial for the franchise.
@@SomeBoiOnline If they could find some middle ground that would be amazing.
I think the criticisms should be more specific. The soul isn't there doesn't mean anything and is vague. At face value, it's still the same. Songs, bad jokes mixed with good ones, celebrity guest stars, physical gags. I'm not sure what's missing. One of the criticism is the Muppets got too cutesy and sweet but you could argue they always had sweet moments like Rainbow Connection. Example of narrowing it down to specifics. Kermit is too much of a pushover. I wish Kermit would show backbone more often and make a few more wisecracks. I made that up but that is an example of a specific thing that can be fixed.
Yeah I totally get that too. It's one thing saying "it's not the same as it was", but actually pointing out what's wrong would be beneficial.
Also Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and more.
Ok but in all seriousness does Disney even know what to do with the muppets anymore? Obviously they have no respect for the performers or Jim’s legacy and that’s a major part of what’s ruining them but I’m talking about the Muppets themselves, a bizarre Disney+ series that feels… off and a haunted mansion special thats neat but clearly had no budget whatsoever? Does Disney want the muppets to die? I feel like in the early 2010s there was a moment where they finally sorta figured it out but I guess after Most wanted it all went downhill
That's a pretty accurate summary of it all yeah.
@@SomeBoiOnline agree
The one dislike is Disney.
tbh i didnt know that frank oz stepped back from the muppets lol
apparently Sesame had some pretty bad budget cuts back in ‘14. Frank & Steve lived out of state and weren’t even full time (Frank only did characters sometimes and Steve was doing just Ernie, that’s it) So I can understand why they were let go of there.
Honestly I just know it’ll be a very sad day when Dave Goelz (the only full time Muppet performer from The Muppet Show) and David Rudman (a performer from the later Jim Henson years) leave the franchise either by choice or worse, firing or even worse passing. Because when the only performers who were there with Jim leave, would it even resemble the Muppets anymore? or would it just be a corporate charlatan’s version that’s been slowly creeping in ever since Oz & Juhl left?
The remaining Sesame Street veterans are Martin P. Robinson, Pam Arciero and Noel MacNeal.
Whitmire would become a close friend to Caroll Spinney in the latter's final years. Seeing that Spinney was the first Muppet performer Whitmire met, and it was Spinney who urged Whitmire to audition, it makes perfect sense.
I _want_ to say Joey Mazzarino started working on Sesame Street while Henson was still alive (and even did uncredited puppeteering for _The Muppets at Walt Disney World_ !), but like Carmen Osbahr, was just getting his sea legs at that point.
I mean Steve Whitmire said disney wanted to hand him a nda and say he jsut moved on but he but he accept it. Maybe frank Oz did
U should make a video of the history of all the muppets projects and your opinion on them
I've been considering that for a while actually 😀
You are right Disney really restrict the puppeteers about their opinions, I just hope Bill and Dave won't get fired they're the only ones left.
Due to Eric podcast Last year by Adam
Adam: If you're to train by Frank Oz, if he did and he comes back?
Eric: first if he were to come back he has a Whole parking space just for him.
6 minutes clip on thoughts about
Did Frank Oz train Eric Jacobson
th-cam.com/video/xavHYvu-z20/w-d-xo.html
That's how Eric likes Frank to come back even though Frank didn't train him he still did a remarkable job keeping his characters alive.
Likewise, when Martin P. Robinson prepared to take over the role of Mr. Snuffleupagus, Jerry Nelson only gave him advice about the voice, and even then it was in joke form: "Start drinking and smoking."
Bill is a veteran Muppet performer why? It doesn't say you have to meet the king before it's die, no Jim state that “ being a performer comes from the heart of the character and that's a great peformer ” - recall by Steve
Frank Oz have a great bond with Bill, he writes episodes of the Muppet bits, sketch, and more. That's why Bill is In the puppeteer talks along with Jerry, Dave, Fran...
You're right. How narrow-minded of me.
@@amaimonpheles8 And to be fair, Barretta _has_ met Henson. At Sesame Place, where he was working with Henson's son Brian.
Also, I like to think of how Joey Mazzarino and Carmen Osbahr were hired only months before Henson's death, how they were just getting their sea legs so to speak.
Disney is slowly dying. They had a spree of buying properties like marvel, jim henson, 20th century fox and blue sky to name a few, but in each of them they either don't care, ruined it or are slowly going downhill.
Look at star wars, muppets, ice age, all fading away and disney don't care. During the pandemic they were reported bankrupt until coming out. This is because nobody went to disneyland where most of their profits are.
But even there I hear it's going downhill. Yes the theme park is slowly getting worse as well. Disney is in trouble everywhere and its worrying.
Yeah im in Frank ozz side he is great
Disney & Sesame Workshop would be wise to use Frank Oz & Steve Whitmire's experience & expertise to make sure the Muppets continue to be a success.
For the record, there's no bad blood between Whitmire and Sesame Workshop. When the nonprofit organization went through a financial red period in the mid 2010's, they couldn't afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta. So Whitmire relinquished Ernie with no hard feelings.
And The Jim Henson Company, for that matter. Who else could they pick to perform Wembley Fraggle for new content? Sure, there's Frankie Cordero, but I'm not sure they could cover flying in Frankie from New York since he's a Sesame Street performer and all.
@@tysargent9647 More importantly, Whitmire was first given the character of Wembley because Henson, Jerry Juhl, Michael Frith and Jocelyn Stevenson all thought he would play the character, bring out the personality and the dynamics with the other Fraggles and their performers.
That's even worse than replacing him as Kermit!
@@yosefdemby8792 Jeez, both the Henson family and Disney delivered a two-punch blow to themselves when they showed Whitmire the door.
Frank oz is amazing the Disney puppets are not as adventurous ❤ Steve whitmire was amazing 👏
im convinced that if he were still alive today the disney co would have fired jim henson if they could. they want the franchise, but not the values within
Anyone think Disney killed Henson to have control over the Muppets?
I'd imagine the stress of the negotiations may have contributed to his demise. Many said Jim was also a workaholic and when someone gets like that they end up ignoring many things in life (ex. their own health, family, friends, vacation & relaxation time, etc). As far as the mouse actually targeting him though? It wouldn't really add up because Jim passed in 1990 and the acquisition of The Muppets franchise wasn't obtained until 2004.
This is one of those cases where we'll likely never know but Jim's lifestyle choice to stay a workaholic in combination with high pressure negotiations certainly didn't help him :(
Jim Henson will always hold a place in many of our heart 🙏
I think they should hire frank ozz
IM WITH FRANK
Disney needs to rehire Steve and Frank. They are just digging themselves deeper. Hey Disney! It’s time to stop focusing on Marvel for two seconds and give love to the best franchise 💙
No rehiring Steve! He was too difficult to work with!
@@philipkippel3615 Plenty of great people are. Sadly though he won't be brought back.
@@philipkippel3615 don’t believe anything out of Disney’s mouth
I swear!, Disney is becoming very corrupted!, how dare they fire Frank Oz and since when do the Muppets belong to Disney they don't! I bet that's why Steve whitmire got fired too! The Muppets!, are precious to all of us and so are the people who do their voices and perform as them! They don't need Disney! Jim Henson Productions is where they come from! And that is more than Disney ever will be!
Did Frank choose Eric as his successor? I didn't think he was involved in the audition process.
I'm pretty sure it's stated somewhere that Frank had worked Eric beforehand and recommended him, or something akin to that.
probabbly for th sAMe reason stevee whitmire was, because Disney wanted a storyline that Kermit cheated on Miss Piggy with a younger slender female bovine.
Rehire Frank he seems to be sad. Let him control future Muppet Projects on Sesame Street and Disney, also he would probably rehire people like Steve Whitmire and Kevin Clash so they'll be no problem to worry about. He and Henson were more than friends or brothers their chemistry shows they are two halves of the same mind.
The artistry has been stripped away from the Muppets. Things like Kermit drinking a glass of milk or performing on a log in the middle of a swamp, Muppets riding bikes and suchlike don't happen anymore. The 2011 movie was padded out with far too many "human" song and dance routines, proving my point.
i was think of get Frank well get back it them by buying out the Muppets and his own co is now Frank Oz inc .
Disney continuing to want to lose money.
Frankly Ozzy, you shouldn't give a damn about Disney because Mickey doesn't give a damn about anybody but themselves😠
I'd bring Frank back. The only problem is that if he does his muppets Eric Jacobson won't be able to have a job however I would let Oz write a script and voice and pupeteer FozzieBear
No, it would mean scenes with Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover.
Corporations Capitalism gobbling up anything creative. 🤬
Miss Piggy was thrown out?
Pffft, Disney. Profits over people amirite?
They should have hired Seth MacFarlane to be Kermit. Matt Vogul isn't very good as Kermit.
You're missing the point. As veteran performers, Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire would know The Muppets better than Disney.
@@yosefdemby8792 It was a joke. Also I think they should have found a new actor that can match the voice more.
@@icecreamhero2375 I knew that was a joke. The point is that Disney never should've fired Whitmire at all. They'd be better trying to rehire him rather than replace him.
@@yosefdemby8792 In all fairness we don't know the full story.
Matt Vogel’s Kermit is better than Steve Whitmire’s and you know that! And you also know darn well that only puppeteers get hired to play Kermit and that Seth MacFarlane is not a puppeteer! Even with repeating that terrible, overused, annoying, mean-spirited, god-awful, unfunny joke! 😡
*Shows footage of an evil money-grabbing mogul who just wants the Muppets name to slap on their edgy re-boot whlist talking about the Disney buyout*
Yeah, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.
Heck, I liked the Muppets (2011) BTW.
It was totally intentional 😆
Cool
duck fisney
Do you happen to have a link to the interview? I'd love to read more
Sugar, forgot to add it in the video description 😅 but it's there now!
8:02
Matt Vogel Kermit is absolutely awful it’s not ever close at least Whitmires had Jim’s essence
You’re wrong! YOU are awful and so was Steve’s Kermit, you asshole! 😡
@@philipkippel3615 Can't you say it in a nicer way?
You Can't Deni An Original. Anything Else Is Just Not As Good.
Disney LIED to us! I actually thought Frank Oz had done the dentist from “Big City Green,” but no it was another guy under the name of Fozzie Bear. Kinda hurts
Disney didn't lie, Eric Jacobson had performed Fozzie for like at least a decade by that point. They even directly credited Jacobson himself.
I think Disney's handling of the Muppets is not all bad, after "The Muppets" I had very high hopes for Disney and the Muppets. Sadly, I have been sorly disappointed. I would love it if Disney gave creative controll over to Frank Oz, I think it would be amazing for the franchise. Even better if Henson bought the Muppets back and put Frank in charge.
Disney/Sesame Workshop, what's the matter with you? You gotta be crazy. Why are you doin' this to me? You know, well, I've got a dream too. But it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And, well, I've found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And, and it kinda makes us like a family. You have anybody like that, Disney/Sesame Workshop? I mean, who are your friends? Those guys? I don't think you're a bad company Disney/Sesame Workshop. But I think if you look in your heart, you'll find you really want to let me and my friends go to follow our dream. But if that's not the kind of company you are and if what I'm saying doesn't make any sense to you, well, then go ahead and kill me. Steve Whitmire & Frank Oz.
Steve Whitmire has no qualms with Sesame Workshop. it's just that when going through a financial red period in the mid 2010's, they could no longer afford to have Whitmire fly in from Atlanta, so Whitmire left the show with no hard feelings.
Also, I don't think you should phrase it as "Disney/Sesame Workshop". You make it sound like it's the same company with the same goals. Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit organization determined to help educate children.
@@yosefdemby8792 Fair point.
Love the reference to the final Kermit speech to Doc Hopper from the original Muppet Movie. It definitely seems applicable here! Brilliant! 😄
Your assessment of Eric Jacobsen's version of Frank's characters is something I cannot agree with. He is nothing approaching "indistinguishable" in his renditions. Particularly with Fozzie which, for some reason, got stuck as Squire Trelawney's idiot son and never recovered.
As for Steve Whitmire, I have it on good authority that Steve wasn't well liked by pretty much everybody at The Muppets and Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company. While I fully understand his position on the "living history" of the Muppet characters, his unwillingness to appear at certain Disney-mandated events and appearances was just the tip of an iceberg of hostility and belligerence towards the Disney Company.
But answer me this: did what Disney has done with the Muppets surprised ANYONE? REALLY?
They're a huge entertainment conglomerate that sucks up IP and spit out lowest-common-denominator shows.
If anyone is surprised, they are tragically naive.
If anyone is to blame for the eventual fate of the Muppets, it's Jim Henson himself. Or perhaps his family.
But the fact is, the Henson Company sold their beloved cash cow to an international entertainment monster.
So who's actually responsible?
It could sadly be worse... it could have been Warner Bros. and have David Zaslav remove Muppet Show episodes like he did with Sesame Street.
Really? Steve was nothing but nice to me when I met him, and several other puppeteers (among them Mike Quinn, Frank Oz, Bill Baretta, and Peter Linz) have spoken up in support of him. The only puppeteer I know of who hates Steve is Rick Lyon, who from what I've heard isn't such a nice person himself. Heck, there are negative rumors about Brian too.
@MichaelSar12IsBack as far as folks I know have divulged, Steve was responsible for a Muppet "blacklist". And let me be clear: Steve has never been anything but EXTREMELY pleasant and accommodating to me, personally, when I have interacted with him. But that's not the information I have from at least half-dozen other professional puppeteers.
It was explained to me that Steve's blacklist was his attempt at keeping Disney from disassociating specific performers from legacy Muppet characters. In the end, it just pissed off the professional puppeteers and didn't do a thing to stop Disney from re-assigning characters as they saw fit.
No matter where his intentions originated, he came off looking bad and his continued friction with Disney brass ended up kiboshing his career with the Muppets. If they wanted to slap him down, they could have simply taken Kermit from him and relegated him back to strictly Rizzo and Bean. But they fired him. That speaks to much bigger irritation worthy of dismissal.
@@spcglider From which puppeteers did you get this information from? Again, the only puppeteer who I know of Steve might've had a hand in "blacklisting" was Rick Lyon from "Sesame Street" - not because he saw him as a threat, but because Rick stole David Rudman's personal notes.
The idea that Steve "blacklisted" puppeteers seems to stem from Disney's attempt at having a million puppeteers perform each character so they could be everywhere at once (on cruise lines, at Disney Store openings, etc.). The claim is that Steve blacklisted all those puppeteers who auditioned. But not only does it not make sense for Steve to blame the puppeteers for Disney's misguided ideas, or for Disney to give Steve power over who does or doesn't get hired for projects (especially if they really hated him so much)... one of those puppeteers, Brett O'Quinn (who auditioned for Gonzo), worked on at least two productions - the Lady Gaga special and "Muppets Most Wanted" - after that. And I frequently see Artie Esposito brought up as one of the puppeteers who Steve blacklisted because he performed Kermit a couple times in 2009, but he's never said anything nasty about Steve. In fact, from what I've heard, he's actually spoken up in support of Steve.
@MichaelSar12IsBack I wouldn't reveal their names and betray their confidentiality. But now that Steve is no longer involved, many of the blacklisted actually have been working with/for Muppet productions. And I've been told that's precisely why.
The fact that Peter and Bill and Frank, etc. don't publicly badmouth a former Muppeteer says they respect professionalism.
Well, I believe that Frank does deserve to being rehired and give the Muppets back their soul. However, I'm terribly bothered by how you call Disney "soulless". That really bothers me to no end.
I, for one, plan to work at Disney and change things for the better. I'm going to make anti-woke movies and I'll make absolutely sure that my co-workers at Disney get the credit and respect they rightfully deserve. That's my goal!
@@annien.1727 You do realize that you'll never even make it through the door to begin with given what you just said here right? I'm not trying to be mean, but instead realistic. Disney is a shell of its former self and has become a mega-corp. When we are young we don't realize how a lot of these things work. Times are different and please know that everything you've ever typed online will be considered prior to being hired, especially for megacorps. I truly wish you the best of luck on your life journey Annie, and hope you find an enjoyable career whenever that time may come.
@@annien.1727 I'm sorry but they are soulless and there is much that has been documented to support that being the case. I can probably think of 50+ examples without even trying. How about the decision to take Jim Henson's name off of the sign of The Muppets 3D? How about various agendas / adult themes *constantly* being pushed onto young and impressionable minds? We could go on and on.
The enjoyment and memories we hold dear are not soulless, but the machine behind them certainly is, and that soullessness only gets more and more eye opening with each passing year.
@ForeverConsciousResearch 😡WRONG!!! Disney is NOT a shell of its former self! I refuse to accept that! Disney is STILL Disney!
So what if it has become a mega-corp? I don't care in the slightest! Come hell or high water, I WILL make it though the door, regardless of what anyone says!
I know you're not trying to be mean, but your words still feel like salt being rubbed on the wound.
And I DO know that everything I typed online is considered prior to being hired! I may not be hired to Disney yet, but with hard work, dedication, and a little luck, I will be one of Disney's greatest storytellers!
@ForeverConsciousResearch 🙄You're both right and wrong. What you're right about is the enjoyment and memories we hold dear are not soulless. What you're wrong about is the machine behind all that being soulless.
Disney is NOT soulless. Only the executives running Disney are the REAL soulless ones. And that makes me want to change Disney for the better all the more. I'm not scared of them.
And DON'T even get me started on the "various agendas/adult themes constantly being pushed onto young and impressionable minds" bit! Stop that right now! I'm so SICK TO DEATH of hearing that!!! It makes me want to puke!🤢
I KNOW what's going on there, so don't treat me like I'm dumb! So what if they removed Jim Henson's name from the The Muppets 3D sign? We can put it back on there!
And that's EXACTLY what I plan to do! I will abolish the woke agenda permanently and restore Disney back to the way Walt envisioned it! I made that promise on Walt's grave and I plan to fulfill that promise, come hell or high water!
@@annien.1727 I saw your other comment but just want to make sure you knew that I never called you dumb or stupid much less even vaguely implied such a thing. In fact I thought the opposite and was just trying to say that your stance about culture will never get you through the door, particularly when being open about it. I'm not disagreeing with you but instead just trying to say that your online comments will be found if the company is considering you as a new hire (and this unfortunately applies to many companies these days). They know that you are not an individual who would tow the line of the mega-corp, and sadly that is enough for them to discriminate.
I wish things were different but these days my suggestion would be to create a new anonymous account with zero links to *anything* that can identify you (phone, email, name, password, etc). This way you can still speak freely online. Comment trails of the past should also be deleted, but that might prove difficult because you'll have to go find them and remove each one manually. Deleting an account these days will still leave your username, and that will appear for your social media background checks.
Anyways, just trying to provide a few hints to consider regarding your online footprint.
Wishing you the best on your journey.
I could never side with Disney over Frank. And I think how they treated Steve Whitmire is terrible. But I do feel like Frank chose a path thinking it was a bigger departure than it actually was and ended up missing out as a result. Then he didn't like the direction Disney wanted to take and was upset when his script wasn't chosen over The Muppets (2011) script. After that I think it was a case of neither wanting to be the one to approach the other more so than neither side being interested. And a large corporation with other actors can afford to play the waiting game forever whereas frank can't.
I would like to see him back as a director or writer or performer but I don't see why Disney would.
Disney should go bankrupt, so they don’t get any more chances to destroy childhood memories!!!
It really is sof rustesith.g the 90s was golden age of muppets a new movie every few years. Then Disney bought them and didn't make any movies for 10 years, making a lotnof people quit and their great streak ending. It's dad. Dianwy did nothing with it so it got so much worse.