Lady Iapetus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyiapetus) wrote2003-09-06 11:16 pm
ladyiapetus) wrote2003-09-06 11:16 pm
Entry tags:
Good f***ing Christ, people...
Sometimes people pick the stupidest things to nitpick about. Over at the Muppet Central forum a few members are griping about how Kermit-as-performed-by-Steve-Whitmire is just the slightest bit different from Kermit-as-performed-by-Jim-Henson. It has now evolved into how Statler-as-performed-by-Steve-Whitmire is better than Statler-as-performed-by-Jerry-Nelson.
Personally, I cannot bring myself to think like that. I cannot make myself think of a character as performed better by one Muppeteer than another. To me, they are just the character - which is how we're supposed to think of them in the first place, aren't we? And look at the alternative: the characters could be gone for a long span of time (like Scooter was) or they could remain silent permanently. And as devoted Muppet fans we don't want that now, do we?
Statler should not be taken away from Jerry (unless he decides to give him to Steve voluntarily). The reason that Statler was given to Jerry after Richard passed away was because Jerry had been the first to perform the character [in the pilot "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence"]. Therefore he had an advantage that the other performers didn't - he was familiar with the character of Statler. Steve should not automatically be given Statler because he can make Statler sound more like the way he did when Richard performed him.
Plus there's the fact that Jerry and Richard were close friends. For all we know, Richard may have asked/requested Jerry to take up Statler again after he passed on. Either way, it would be a real blow to the significance of their friendship, I think, if the character of Statler were to be taken away from Jerry just because Steve can perform the character "better."
Gads, I feel better now.
EDIT: *minor growling* There is a SERIOUS case of "not getting it" -itis over there right now...
Personally, I cannot bring myself to think like that. I cannot make myself think of a character as performed better by one Muppeteer than another. To me, they are just the character - which is how we're supposed to think of them in the first place, aren't we? And look at the alternative: the characters could be gone for a long span of time (like Scooter was) or they could remain silent permanently. And as devoted Muppet fans we don't want that now, do we?
Statler should not be taken away from Jerry (unless he decides to give him to Steve voluntarily). The reason that Statler was given to Jerry after Richard passed away was because Jerry had been the first to perform the character [in the pilot "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence"]. Therefore he had an advantage that the other performers didn't - he was familiar with the character of Statler. Steve should not automatically be given Statler because he can make Statler sound more like the way he did when Richard performed him.
Plus there's the fact that Jerry and Richard were close friends. For all we know, Richard may have asked/requested Jerry to take up Statler again after he passed on. Either way, it would be a real blow to the significance of their friendship, I think, if the character of Statler were to be taken away from Jerry just because Steve can perform the character "better."
Gads, I feel better now.
EDIT: *minor growling* There is a SERIOUS case of "not getting it" -itis over there right now...