Disney Bought the MUPPETS

[MouseRight]

Originally posted by cherrynegra
I completely understand why all the Muppet lovers are upset though. It's the reverse of the whole Comcast deal from last week. And of course they're fearing the worst for their beloved characters. Much the same way we would have if Comcast had succeeded. Hopefully for all, it will be a great deal and both sides will come out winners.

I get your point. However, this is not really like a "Cable Company", with no creative legacy, taking over Disney. Disney is a creative force in entertainment (I know some of you naysayers are gonna say it hasn't been lately - Bah Humbug to you - I'm gonna stay positive) and breathing new life into an old franchise like Henson's creations is right up Disney's alley. This is exactly the direction that Disney needs to move to reclaim the crown.

Yes, this means we will be seeing more of the Muppets - in movies, Theme Park Attractions, and (dare I say it?) - sequels!! Disney can't do get any worse than Henson did letting the Muppets be used in commercials the last few years (By the way, I thought the Master Card (?) commercals last year were funny).

As I said above - its time to introduce the non Sesame Street Muppets to a new audience. Disney and Brian Henson can do it with Disney's resources.

GO MUPPETS AND GO DISNEY :sohappy:

 

[trekkie]

"Yay" for Disney?
:snore: A little too rose-colored for me.

Thank God that the Henson's are actually in charge now. Without them, I'd be 100 x more worried than I am now.

Like I said, time will tell. The Mastercard commercials are pure genius; Brian is such a gifted director. Better than his dad, IMO.

I just hope that Eisner doesn't cr@p all over the muppets name. Just like he's cr@pped all over the Disney's name.

I sure as H#ll don't want a poorly Disney animated new "hip" Muppet Babies television series.

Or, worse yet, a sequel to The Muppet Movie <shudder>.

That says it all.

 

[MouseRight]

Coincidentally, last night, I saw a Pizza Hut commercial with the Muppets and Jessica Simpson. Boy that does a lot to preserve the legacy of Jim Henson. Again, I say - Disney, can't do any worse than that.

 

[GoofyFan1]

Originally posted by JBSLJames
Looks like good news. If anything, the band with Animal on the drums could take over RRC if Aerosmith's contract is not renewed.

I second that!

the whole family is happy about this move. Way to Go Disney! Zoot is now officially part of the Disney family.

:sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[cherrynegra]

Originally posted by MouseRight
Coincidentally, last night, I saw a Pizza Hut commercial with the Muppets and Jessica Simpson. Boy that does a lot to preserve the legacy of Jim Henson. Again, I say - Disney, can't do any worse than that.

Which only goes to show just how much the company was hurting financially if they had to resort to having the Muppets in a commercial with Jessica Simpson.

 

[trekkie]

Fine. Disney can do whatever the H#ll they want; I'll support them in whatever they do, even if they make The Muppet Movie 2, MTM 2, etc...

I'm sorry, but as a person who doesn't accept the Disney can do no wrong/Eisner can do whatever the H#ll he wants and I'll only praise him higher philosophy, I just can't stoop to that level.

 

[Mad Stitch]

I don’t think we’ll see Animal chasing the ladies around yelling “woman, woman” anymore. If Disney reworked PotC in order to be politically correct, they’ll never let Animal get away with it.

 

[trekkie]

These days, with all the cheap sequels put out by Disney (half of which are terrible), The Muppet Movie 2 or MTM 2 doesn't sound too far off. Or perhaps a poorly animated new "hip" Muppet Babies? ^^)

Why do I seem worried? Because I am. True, the muppets needed some life breathed back into them. And they need to get that new muppet show off the ground. And production of a new movie.

But what worries me is that Disney, a once proud leader in family entertainment now turned cheap versions of Nickelodeon and MTV, will steal the very heart and soul of the muppets. Just as they did with Walt Disney. And the fab five. And parts of WDW.

I cannot guarantee that it'll happen. But with the desparate state that The Walt Disney Company is in today, and their seemingly endless futile ateempts to compensate for their losses by releasing cheaply made videos and what not, the muppets are, as of now, in very frigid water.

 

[LadyDarling]

I am really struggling with all of these Disney fans who can't see the forest for the trees. Things are changing for the better. This is a good deal for both sides and a sign that, for whatever reason, the leaders of the Company get it. Build on the franchises, create new ones and continue the legacy. The Muppet deal is a good one, it was back in 1990 and it is still a good deal for both sides.

I totally agreed! I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I'm a Disney supporter. Sure, I see the tough times they've been through, but tourism is picking up and Disney is once again leading the pack in that pick up!

I LOVED the newest "Muppets Tonight" a few years back. It was the only show I watched religiously. I was in my late teens at the time and taped episodes to show them to my friends (the Garth Brooks one was great, as was the Peirce Brosnon one). They loved it too, so there must have been SOMETHING there worth keeping!
I hope they bring something like that back!:sohappy:

I understand the fear of folks thinking their characters will change, but I try to look at the positive when I can.

~J. Darling

 

[mikeb_86]

So this is good for disney, does this meen we will get a updated MUPPET 4D atraction to update the 3D one?? My favorite one is all of them!!!

mikeb_86

 

[FigmentJedi]

Originally posted by trekkie

Like I said, time will tell. The Mastercard commercials are pure genius; Brian is such a gifted director. Better than his dad, IMO.

Blasphemy! :fork: Umm... Sorry, it's the obsessed Muppet fan inside me. :lookaroun For Images Of Greatness in my ELP Class, I had to choose between Walt and Jim who were both the greatest visonaries in entertainment in the 20th century. I chose Walt though as Jim is slowly falling into obscurity. Only 2 people in my ELP class reconized him. Me and one of my friends.
We need a Jim Henson: One Man's Vision attraction at the studios.

 

[trekkie]

I try to look at the positive as well. I mean, I'm hoping that the muppets can keep their dignity and heart. All I am saying is that with all the "anything for a quick buck" moves the past several years, today's Disney owning the muppet seems very risky.

I grew up with the muppets. They are like my friends. It's not that I don't like change. I welcome change.

What I don't want, however, like every other Henson fan, is a loss of heart, soul, and a complete dis-regard of any morals and principles.

Eisner has already done that with Disney.

I look at the positive, yes; but I also look at the negative. There is so much corporate cr@p and overly gullible people in this world ... if I ignore it all and go through life without a care in the world while not fighting for what's right, I'd get sucked in to this seperate world of utter over-gullibility and hopelesness.

 

[trekkie]

No offense to Jim. I love him as well. Ys, he was a gifted director. I too have always thought both he and Walt were the two greatest figures in Hollywood entertainment.

But if you just pay attention to the direction of the films, comparing, say, MTM to MTI, the overall flow in movie direction for MTI is smoother.

 

[DivineMadness7]

AAHHHHHH!!!!!!

This makes me so happy! I came across a news article on this and literally almost wet myself.

I think this is great. It really saddens me when kids these days don't know who the Muppets are...some know Kermit, but if you say Gonzo they have NO IDEA who you're talking about! That just makes me feel old, and I just turned 21, so I shouldn't be feeling that old just yet!

I think this will really breathe some new life into the Muppets.

The 5th Disney World park.....MUPPETLAND! :kiss: :sohappy:

 

[MouseRight]

Originally posted by trekkie

I'm sorry, but as a person who doesn't accept the Disney can do no wrong/Eisner can do whatever the H#ll he wants and I'll only praise him higher philosophy, I just can't stoop to that level.

I think you got me wrong. I tend to see things middle of the road. See the negative, but try and find the positive to offset my disappointment. I am frustrated about some things that Disney has done lately, but am peeling back the onion of Roy's and Eisner's rhetoric to see the things that are really going on today and I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Real positive steps are taking place: including this deal for the Muppets; centralizing animation in Burbank to focus on the next era in Disney Animation; new management in the parks (Particularly Disneyland); getting rid of the Pixar crutch (Yes I see this as a positive. if you take a step back it actually is in line with what Roy is pushing for - renewed emphasis on animation. Disney will never be the animation king again, if they continue to outsource it to another company. By reducing and consolidating the effort and focusing the resources on less major output then you go back to the model built by Walt himself and the one used to create B&TB, LK, Alladin, etc); Disney Channel, while disappointing to Disney fanatics like us, is an industry leader in new and original programming reaching the "Tween" segment of our society, which then builds new fan base for the Parks, Disney movies, etc. I know I can go on and on and sound like Eisner on CNN last night, but if you read the annual reports, listened to the investor's conference and read everything in the press about Disney, you too can find the positive signs.

I also understand business and its natural cycles where business can't maintain leadership and market share for ever (GE is the only US company that has consistently led the markets that it is in for over 20 Years). Disney is in a slump, perhaps natural in nature, perhaps brought on by poor management and the poor economy or perhaps some combination of all of those factors. The real story is that the company is turning around both creatively and financially and real steps are being taken to bring back the magic. Do we all agree with those efforts - no. Are we frustrated by tons of sequels to classics - sure. However, the market is supporting these products by buying them by the millions, which then helps to build awareness of Disney and its other products to that audience. While a big fan of the classics, it is hard to argue with that kind of success when the company needs those profits to focus on the important things - Parks, Animation, Movies and Turning ABC TV Network around.

For a true fan of both Disney and the Muppets to be disappointed that Disney has finally brought them into the family is, in my opinion, as negative a reaction as mine was positive. I just can't be down on everything that Disney does and the current state of affairs. Not my nature and I don't think that the negative story, being pushed by you, Grizz, Al LUtz, Jim Hill, etc. is the entire story of the Disney Company today.

Off topic - but just so you know that I am too far gone - in reading the annual reports and public statements over the last few weeks, I am thoroughly concerned about the announcement that Disney will pull back on investments in the parks. I understand the economics of that decision - only so much money in the pot to use - but am concerned that such a decrease investment will hurt the parks in the long run. I would like to know more and know exactly what this means in terms of what will be built, what won't be. However, and here is where my half glass full orientation comes in - if the cutback means that since they are not building new parks they can cut back on the total investment but still make the needed changes, improvements, and additions to the current gates, then it may be okay. But.....

I'll end the way I started - Disney, Eisner, anybody can do a better job at rebuilding the Muppets and building on the Jim Henson legacy than those who currently run the Muppets and have allowed them to be used in a Pizza Hut Commercial with Jessica Simpson. Time to give Kermit the respect he deserves. Based on what I heard last night on CNN, he is now enshrined on the same level as Mickey and Pooh.

 

[trekkie]

I do think you're right about that: Disney is the best choice now. Unfortunate, but true. Thank God that the JHC wasn't sold to the guy behind the new Power Rangers anmd the embarrasing TMNT series on Fox Kids. And frankly, if the muppets simply had to be bought, I really don't, and can't see, anyone else. I still stand by my opinion that, based on the last several years and Eisner's behavior since the passing of Frank Wells, Disney owning the muppets is "not good."

 

[trekkie]

I can't see anyone else besides Disney, I mean. I just re-read my post and realized that that part didn't make sense.

Just wanted to clear things up.

 

[Skippy]

well IMO, if disney is good w/ the muppets and bring them back, it'll be a boost for disney, (hopefully they'll bring the muppet show back, in fact; i wish they would bring back vault disney w/ it)

on the other hand, if eisner screws this up again, then hopefully everone will see what he's doin to the company

SkipKid

 

[trekkie]

The only positive right now is a possibility of more stuff on DVD, such as Fraggle Rock (which the JHC really really wants to be released in America) and Muppet Babies.

We may also see stuff on TDC (although it'll take a lot more to have me watch TDC than the addition of more Henson progrfamming. I hate TDC w/such a passion now; whenever my sister is watching it when I enter the room, I literally yell at her to switch the station).

 

[tazhughes]

I hate TDC w/such a passion now; whenever my sister is watching it when I enter the room, I literally yell at her to switch the station). [/B][/QUOTE]

Right there at the end your posts finally made sense to me. I was reading all of your negative posts doing nothing but bashing Disney and Eisner and I was trying to figure out id it was Roy posting this messages or what. Then right there at the end it was all made clear that you re just some little kid living at home and you have been brainwashed by the retoric of a washed up guy who was simply living off his name. Roy Disney is the real life equivalent of Fredo Corleone. Perhaps when you grow up and read more you will learn how Eisner (at Roys request) swooped in to save the company. He may have made some bad decisions (operating seasonally for one) but without him we may have been visiting six flags over Orlando. So maybe just maybe one day true Disney fans will realize that Eisner is the only reason we still have Disney and though he made some mistakes (so did Walt) he kept our beloved company going and this purchase of the Muppets will do the same for them.