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Kermit the Frog has been sacked from the Muppets !!
Steve Whitmire,who has been the voice and actions of the legendary Kermit since 1990,has been sacked by Disney and the Hensons.
This just in :
Save Kermit! Why the Muppets debacle is so devastating !!!!
The dispute between Steve Whitmire and the Hensons is starting to get ugly. If you’ve been out of the loop, perhaps because you’ve had the good sense to construct a childhood-protecting firewall, here are the basics.
When Jim Henson died in 1990, Whitmire inherited the role of Kermit the Frog. He was Kermit in highs like the Muppet Christmas Carol and the 2011 Muppets movie, as well as lows like Muppets from Space and the 2015 Muppets sitcom. However, it was recently revealed that Disney had fired Whitmire. Ostensibly, according to a blogpost written by Whitmire, Disney sacked him because he was a one-man barricade dedicated to preserving the spirit of Jim Henson’s creations in the face of a corporate monolith.
But now the Hensons have waded in. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Brian Henson called Whitmire a troublemaker who indulged in “brinksmanship” and was actively destroying Kermit. “Kermit has, as a character, flattened out over time and has become too square and not as vital as it should have been,” Henson said. “Again, what my dad brought to it … was a wry intelligence, a little bit of a naughtiness”. He even went so far as to say that, in retrospect, he should have fired Whitmire back when Disney obtained the Muppets in 2004.
It’s never pretty when dirty laundry gets aired in public, but it’s nothing short of heartbreaking that this is happening to the Muppets. The Muppets have been around for so long that generation after generation feels a sense of proprietorship over them. The Muppets are part of our lives, and as such we know when they’re being sold short. That’s why, while there’s little better than a work like Jason Segel’s Muppets film – that manages to hit the right mix of purity and anarchy and self-reference – nothing is quite as bad as a botched Muppet project.
The Muppets sitcom is a case in point. As the most recent high-profile Muppets project, it might have been the catalyst for Whitmire’s sacking. That was a miserable slog of a show determined to sell out the Muppets – and Kermit in particular – at every turn. It turned Kermit into a stressed-out depressive egotist a million miles from the open-hearted frog of Rainbow Connection. Worse still, it had the temerity to make him horny. The Muppets sitcom was an all-time low, a tone-deaf shriek of a project that almost irreparably tarnished the brand.
Personally speaking, as far as this dispute goes, I’m siding with whichever party was most against it. Who that is remains to be seen. Cheryl Henson has publicly taken issue with Whitmire’s Kermit characterisation, calling him “a bitter, angry, depressed victim”. But, on the other hand, plenty of other veteran Muppet performers were upset with the sitcom. Frank Oz, for example, expressed his disappointment by saying “I felt the show wasn’t true to the characters” and laid the blame with the writers. Those writers, presumably, were hired by Disney and the Muppets Studio. Combined with Brian Henson’s argument that Kermit’s character needs to be “stretched” to meet the times, it’s hard not to take all the available information and see them as the bad guy and Whitmire as the victim, the stubborn purist who got kicked aside.
The most important figure in all of this, though, is Kermit the Frog. He is an icon, and above all he needs to be protected. Genuinely, one of the highlights of my career was getting to interview Kermit three years ago. After a sulky six minutes with Ricky Gervais, meeting Kermit – or, rather, meeting Steve Whitmore benignly crouching on the floor with his hands in the air – was a breath of fresh air.
As the interview started and Kermit came to life, I found myself forgetting Whitmore was even there. I was talking to, and making a tangible connection with, Kermit. And as an interviewee, he was everything I wanted him to be. Kind, funny, charming, slightly under the thumb of Miss Piggy. That was the Kermit I grew up with. That was the Kermit I’ll remember. That’s the Kermit I want to preserve. Whatever it takes to make that happen, that’s what should be done.
This is very sad,as I also grew up watching the Muppet Show...they better sort it all out somehow !!
Any comments on this,or the Muppets in general ?
This just in :
Save Kermit! Why the Muppets debacle is so devastating !!!!
The dispute between Steve Whitmire and the Hensons is starting to get ugly. If you’ve been out of the loop, perhaps because you’ve had the good sense to construct a childhood-protecting firewall, here are the basics.
When Jim Henson died in 1990, Whitmire inherited the role of Kermit the Frog. He was Kermit in highs like the Muppet Christmas Carol and the 2011 Muppets movie, as well as lows like Muppets from Space and the 2015 Muppets sitcom. However, it was recently revealed that Disney had fired Whitmire. Ostensibly, according to a blogpost written by Whitmire, Disney sacked him because he was a one-man barricade dedicated to preserving the spirit of Jim Henson’s creations in the face of a corporate monolith.
But now the Hensons have waded in. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Brian Henson called Whitmire a troublemaker who indulged in “brinksmanship” and was actively destroying Kermit. “Kermit has, as a character, flattened out over time and has become too square and not as vital as it should have been,” Henson said. “Again, what my dad brought to it … was a wry intelligence, a little bit of a naughtiness”. He even went so far as to say that, in retrospect, he should have fired Whitmire back when Disney obtained the Muppets in 2004.
It’s never pretty when dirty laundry gets aired in public, but it’s nothing short of heartbreaking that this is happening to the Muppets. The Muppets have been around for so long that generation after generation feels a sense of proprietorship over them. The Muppets are part of our lives, and as such we know when they’re being sold short. That’s why, while there’s little better than a work like Jason Segel’s Muppets film – that manages to hit the right mix of purity and anarchy and self-reference – nothing is quite as bad as a botched Muppet project.
The Muppets sitcom is a case in point. As the most recent high-profile Muppets project, it might have been the catalyst for Whitmire’s sacking. That was a miserable slog of a show determined to sell out the Muppets – and Kermit in particular – at every turn. It turned Kermit into a stressed-out depressive egotist a million miles from the open-hearted frog of Rainbow Connection. Worse still, it had the temerity to make him horny. The Muppets sitcom was an all-time low, a tone-deaf shriek of a project that almost irreparably tarnished the brand.
Personally speaking, as far as this dispute goes, I’m siding with whichever party was most against it. Who that is remains to be seen. Cheryl Henson has publicly taken issue with Whitmire’s Kermit characterisation, calling him “a bitter, angry, depressed victim”. But, on the other hand, plenty of other veteran Muppet performers were upset with the sitcom. Frank Oz, for example, expressed his disappointment by saying “I felt the show wasn’t true to the characters” and laid the blame with the writers. Those writers, presumably, were hired by Disney and the Muppets Studio. Combined with Brian Henson’s argument that Kermit’s character needs to be “stretched” to meet the times, it’s hard not to take all the available information and see them as the bad guy and Whitmire as the victim, the stubborn purist who got kicked aside.
The most important figure in all of this, though, is Kermit the Frog. He is an icon, and above all he needs to be protected. Genuinely, one of the highlights of my career was getting to interview Kermit three years ago. After a sulky six minutes with Ricky Gervais, meeting Kermit – or, rather, meeting Steve Whitmore benignly crouching on the floor with his hands in the air – was a breath of fresh air.
As the interview started and Kermit came to life, I found myself forgetting Whitmore was even there. I was talking to, and making a tangible connection with, Kermit. And as an interviewee, he was everything I wanted him to be. Kind, funny, charming, slightly under the thumb of Miss Piggy. That was the Kermit I grew up with. That was the Kermit I’ll remember. That’s the Kermit I want to preserve. Whatever it takes to make that happen, that’s what should be done.
This is very sad,as I also grew up watching the Muppet Show...they better sort it all out somehow !!
Any comments on this,or the Muppets in general ?
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Comments
.... or maybe halfway up.
In a way it's kind of sad to hear about the behind the scenes drama, though I suppose with any creative process there's bound to be some. I only saw a couple of the newer updated show. I thought it was alright, but the updating and media attention on to trying to make it edgy called attention to itself.
I liked Steve Whitmore's Kermit enough. The Muppet Christmas Carol is my second favorite Muppet film after the 1979 original.
I hope Matt Vogel is able to bring some charm and energy to Kermit. Most importantly, though I hope he sounds enough like Kermit to be accepted.
That's the thing..1990 is now a long time ago so Vogel will have to get the voice spot on or he has had it.
A real pity that something so iconic is in so much trouble.
I cant see it being Daniel Craig's bag though somehow.
He would be one grumpy sod.
Kermit The Frog Voice Actor Steve Whitmire Fired By Muppets Studio Over 'Unacceptable Business Conduct'
Former Kermit The Frog voice actor Steve Whitmire was fired by Disney over “unacceptable” behaviour spanning a number of years, the company has revealed.
Last week, the Muppets performer made headlines when it was revealed that he was being replaced as the voice of Kermit after 26 years in the role.
Disney has now issued an official statement over their reasoning for recasting the iconic character, claiming he’d been repeatedly warned over his “unacceptable business conduct”.
A spokesperson for The Muppets Studio said: “ The role of Kermit the Frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously.
“We raised concerns about Steve’s repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback.
“The decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the Henson family and has their full support.”
Since his dismissal, Steve has had his say on the matter in a string of blog posts, writing last week: “This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero.
“I just want you all to know that I am sorry if I have disappointed any of you at any point throughout our journey, and to let everyone know that I am devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero.”
Steve first joined the Muppets in 1978, working on a variety of characters on ‘The Muppet Show’, before taking over as the voice of Kermit in 1990, following the death of Jim Henson.
He also voiced Muppets characters including Rizzo the Rat, Beaker and Statler, of curmudgeonly duo Statler and Waldorf.
Yes! Let us not forget the truly dire Comic Relief sketch that he was in a few years ago...
Exactly,good example.
I don't think he is cut out for cameo or guest appearances.
As I said somewhere else,i'm not sure he is particularly approachable,unlike Sir Roger and Pierce.
Tim Dalton would be the same I feel, even though he's my favourite Bond actor. Connery too probably.