The Finer Points of Being a Robo-Zombie

muppetmusic:

I’m not putting a whole heck of a lot of stock in this Hollywood Reporter article. Basically what it amounts to is that Frank Oz and some other Muppet veterans don’t think the new movie is going to be very good or respectful enough of the Muppets’ past.

What people need to realize, when the inevitable backlash occurs, is that very few of the original creative minds are involved with the Muppets anymore. Jim Henson passed away 20 years ago. Richard Hunt died not long after. Jerry Juhl is no longer with us. Don Sahlin’s been gone for longer than Jim. Frank Oz distanced himself from the Muppets over a decade ago; Brian Henson sold them to Disney because he wasn’t interested in trying to keep the Muppets alive. Jerry Nelson has, sadly, retired from the Muppets.

So it’s pretty much just Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire shepherding these wonderful characters and trying to return them to this place they once had, not in childrens’ entertainment, but in comedy. We’ve got a generation of comedians now, guys like Jason Segel, who respect the Muppets as an important comedy influence and not as something just for kids. Something that touches people on more levels than just delighting children.

We’ve seen over the past two decades how reluctant the audience is to accept the Muppets since Jim Henson died. Muppets from Space failed in theaters. New characters introduced on Muppets Tonight fell by the wayside because fans wouldn’t accept them into the gang (with the exception of Pepe and Bobo). Too many fans (and creators) have been unwilling to accept the characters without Jim Henson that too much of my adult life has been Muppet-free.

This is something new here. This is Dave and Steve and Bill Barretta and a lot of great and talented people who love the Muppets and want to keep them alive for another generation. Don’t tell me they don’t respect the past; they’re just not shackled to it. They’re trying to create something new while still keeping the old intact. Times change. People pass away. But the Muppets can be forever if people just give them a chance and believe in them.

So while it’s sad to see that Frank Oz doesn’t approve, I also think he really doesn’t care too much about keeping Fozzie Bear in our hearts. He moved on a long time ago. So did the world.

No, the Muppets will never be the same with so many creative people no longer working with them. Accept it. Let’s see what a new group of people can entertain and delight us with now. Don’t punish Jason Segel and James Bobin and for not being Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl. Be happy that someone wants to make another Muppets movie.