This week, the annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held and, of course, Sesame Street won quite a few of them! In fact, Sesame was tied for the most trophies won this year! Below are the awards they won. Our huge congratulations to everyone at Sesame Street on their fantastic and much-deserved wins.
Outstanding Preschool Series
Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series
Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series
Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Live Action
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Live Action
D23, the official Disney fan club, posted a great article all about Rowlf the Dog last Thursday and somehow we missed it until this week. The article covers quite a few fun facts about Rowlf, and gives lots of credit to Jim Henson, The Jimmy Dean Show, and lots more. It's really a wonderful look at Muppet history, which is always exciting to see from Disney. It's also quite nice to see Rowlf get some more love.
Remember a few months ago when those awesome photos of Ricky Gervais, Constantine, and Matt Vogel started making the rounds? Well, Brad Trent, the hugely talented photographer who shot the photos, recently posted some behind the scenes shots from the awesome photo shoot. Check out the full article for all of them, but below are five our favorites from the post.
Earlier this week, Ryan Dosier (hey, that's me!) held an impromptu live-tweet of a few episodes of Season 1 of The Muppet Show on The Muppet Mindset's Twitter account (@MuppetMindset). It was a lot of fun and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it, so we're going to do it again--and invite you to join us! On Monday, June 30 at 7:30pm Central Time/5:30pm PST, I'll be watching The Muppet Show Episodes 201 and 202 (the first two episodes of Season 2) and live tweeting from @MuppetMindset. Join us in the watching, join us in the tweeting, join us in the fun! We hope to see you then, Muppet fans!
Today at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, The Walt Disney Studios presentation, which lasted a whopping two hours, showcased the best in upcoming live action films from Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and more. Among this more was Muppets Most Wanted, the upcoming Muppet movie, which commanded a lot of time and a lot of laughs during the presentation. We've managed to compile what happened in the presentation (even though we weren't there), thanks mostly to Twitter.
The Muppet portion started out by showing a longer, more detailed trailer for Muppets Most Wanted, which featured "Tina Fey singing" (@MouseInfo), "lots of good, Muppet-y gags" (@ThePlaylist), "more plot, better jokes" (@raysubers), and was "infinitely better" (@ThePlaylist) than the teaser trailer from a few days ago. There was also a lot of talk about how the trailer makes a big deal about Kermit's resemblance to Constantine. Danny Horn (@MuppetWiki) tweeted that there was a gag where "Fozzie has a newspaper with a mugshot of Constantine. Fozzie puts his finger over C's mole and Walter says, 'Hey, it's Kermit!' Fozzie takes his finger away, and Walter says, 'Wait! Where's Kermit? Where did Kermit go??'"
After the trailer, Ty Burrell drove "the tiniest car ever" (@marcgraser) onstage (which was seen in the teaser trailer) and got out to talk about his role as Interpol agent Jean-Pierre Napoleon. According to Stitch Kingdom, Burrell said that he was "'mesmerized' and told to 'stay focused' due to being Muppets starstruck." Based on both the trailer and Burrell's appearance, it seems that "Much of Muppets Most Wanted seems to be a buddy cop movie with Ty Burrell's French Interpol agent and Sam the Eagle" (@ThePlaylist). Danny Horn went on to say that Sam plays a CIA agent and he and Jean-Pierre Napoleon are forced to work together.
From Burrell's appearance, a "live" video of Miss Piggy, Tina Fey, and Kermit on the London set was shown. Piggy forced Kermit and Tina Fey to wear "P23" t-shirts (for Piggy 23). When asked what the 23 stood for, Piggy responded her age. Tina Fey turned and mouthed "No" to the camera. Kermit introduced a brand new full musical number scene. The song, apparently called "I'm Number One, You're Number Two" features Constantine and Ricky Gervais's Dominic Badguy (he's French, so it's pronounced Bad-gee, according to Danny Horn). Constantine leads the song and tells Dominic "Dance, monkey, dance" quite a lot. (Various sources for all of this.) All reports say that Constantine and the song are fantastic.
After that the Muppet portion was over, but below are a few other interesting tid-bits that happened during the presentation...
"All the Muppets believe it's really Kermit except Animal who yells "Bad frog! Bad frog!" and bites him on the arm." - @EricIGN
"YES, FOO-FOO IS IN THE MOVIE. Figured I'd start with that because nobody else would mention it." - @MuppetWiki
"Danny Trejo, whose scene in a prison was cut from The Muppets, is in Muppets Most Wanted... in a scene in a prison!" - @EricIGN
And that's all we know! But based on this, Muppets Most Wanted sounds just as funny, exciting, musical, and magnificent as The Muppets. Hopefully the footage shown at the presentation will be released by Disney soon... but don't hold your breath.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com
Mitchell Stein - Hey guys! If you didn't know, the biannual Disney D23 Expo is being held in Anaheim, California this weekend. This is only the third D23 Expo ever, and the two before it both heavily featured Muppets, so it stands to reason that this one will too. I went through the entire three day schedule and found everything with relation to the Muppets (not including things like 'celebrities' in other projects,) and some other fun Muppety things too.
DAY 1 - August 19th: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Puppet Activities, Makeovers and Manicures by Sephora, “Find Your Voice” Karaoke, and Disney Junior Photo Opportunities at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
Of course, this doesn't have any direct relation to the Muppets, but it's puppets and Disney! It's possible they'll be some Muppet activities there.
1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Crash & Bernstein See Crash & Bernstein stars Cole Jensen, Tim Lagasse, Landry Bender, Aaron R. Landon, plus a Crash appearance at the Disney Channel Pavilion
Again, another puppet related Disney project. Main connections to the Muppets are Muppeteer Tim Lagasse, well known from his work on Sesame Street as well as Avenue Q. Make sure not to miss out on that one.
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pixar's Small Fry director Angus MacLane signs Buzz Lightyear Small Fry action figures at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
If you don't remember, Small Fry was the special "Toy Story Short" before The Muppets. In the short, Buzz Lightyear gets replaced by an impostor Buzz. Director Angus MacLane will be signing exclusive Small Fry figures. Be there!
5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Learn how to draw your favorite Muppets character with George McClements at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
Finally! Some direct Muppet relation! This one will happen immediately after the exclusive Small Fry signing, so stick around in the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion immediately to see it.
DAY 2: August 20th 2013: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Puppet Activities, Makeovers and Manicures by Sephora, "Find Your Voice" Karaoke, and Disney Junior Photo Opportunities at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
See yesterday.
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Let the Adventures Begin: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios -- Go behind the scenes at The Walt Disney Studios with this revealing look at our upcoming roster of live-action adventures from Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm--including Muppets Most Wanted! at the D23 Arena
Again, this one is another direct Muppet connection. In this panel, the hosts will take a look at upcoming Disney films, including Muppets Most Wanted. If you are planning to attend, I suggest arriving extra early, since this one will have people camping out to get into.
DAY 3: August 21st 2013 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Puppet Activities, Makeovers and Manicures by Sephora, "Find Your Voice" Karaoke, and Disney Junior Photo Opportunities at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
See Day 1.
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Learn how to draw Muppets characters with George McClements at the Disney Consumer Products Pavilion
See Day 1 NOTE: Today's event is held at a different time than previous one.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com
On Monday, the Muppets appeared on WWE Raw SuperShow to promote The Muppets. while most people assumed this would be the strangest Muppet appearance in some time (and they were pretty much right), the Muppets themselves were fun, funny, and awesome as always. To see for yourself, check the video below to see every Muppet segment from the appearance!
In their continuing efforts to release merchandise for The Muppets, the Disney Store online has put out a place-holder preview for a Walter plush!! Walter looks fantastic and adorable as ever--don't you just want to throw him into an electrified fence (in a good way)? No word on when Walter will be available for ordering, but keep your eyes on The Muppet Mindset for up to the minute information!
The Muppets are hitting full promotional form in the coming weeks, appearing all over the place on numerous talk shows. The Tonight Showis welcoming three members of The Muppets cast: Miss Piggy on November 4th, Jason Segel on November 8th, and Kermit the Frog on November 11th. Kermit will also be appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show on November 9th, and that same day Miss Piggy will be presenting an award on ABC's Country Music Awards. Jason Segel and Miss Piggy will also be appearing on LIVE! With Regis and Kelly sometime in the week of November 21st-23rd. More appearances are sure to be on the way, so keep an eye out and if you find any before we do, let us know! Plus, check out our brand new "Upcoming Muppet Appearances" list on the right side of the website!
Mahna Mahna has taken over Facebook with the new Never-Ending Mahna Mahna Phenomena, where you can film a brief video of yourself saying "Mahna Mahna!" and have it included in an endless loop of videos alongside other Muppet fans, Muppets themselves (I've seen Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Pepe, Rowlf, and Big Mean Carl), and celebrity guest stars, including Alan Arkin, Mickey Rooney, and Kristen Schaal! Check it out for yourself and record your own Mahna Mahna! Doo do doo do it!
Our good friends over at ToughPigs.com got the great opportunity to interview Muppteer legend Kevin Clash after a recent screening of Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey in New York City. The interview is fantastic (almost as good as our interview with Kevin), so be sure to check it out and find out how Jim Henson helped make Clifford the host of Muppets Tonight, what Kevin thinks of the Elmo backlash, and a lot more great information!
The Muppets was spotlighted on ABC News and Nightline last night, and featured incredible behind-the-scenes looks at the new film, interviews with Kermit, Jason Segel, and Miss Piggy, and just an amazing good feeling exuding from the entire thing. There are three magnificent videos on the page linked to above that you should see. The first is a seven minute overview of the film and what went into making it, the second features Jason Segel as he walks us through his puppet and Muppet-filled screening room, and the third is a clip of the Muppets from 1984 when they co-hosted Nightline. Muppety goodness knows no bounds!
The Muppets was also the main attraction on last night's episode of the Canadian talk show, Strombo. Kermit the Frog appeared on the show to talk about the new movie, his career, his co-stars, and so much more. It may be 12 minutes long, but this is one of the greatest interviews I've seen with the Frog in a long time--plus it includes a fantastic career retrospective at the beginning. Watch it!
The Muppets are the feature story of the fall issue of Disney Twenty-ThreeMagazine. The magazine, which is delivered to many D23 members quarterly, is set to feature a slew of details about The Muppets with cast interviews, behind-the-scenes and on-set details, and remembrances of Jim Henson from Brian Henson and Steve Whitmire. The issue comes out on November 15th and is available at most bookstores. Look out for it!
Speaking of magazines, Kermit the Frog graces the cover of this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly. Inside the magazine, you'll find out how "The Muppets Were Saved" in an extensive article. The issue also includes an interview with Walter and tips from Muppeteer Bill Barretta on how to bring Muppets to life. It's fantastic to see the Muppeteers being interviewed in all of this promotional blitz! The issue is on newsstands today, so what are you doing? Go buy it!
Another new actual-movie clip from The Muppets has surfaced online--and it's the first musical one! Walt Disney Pictures Australia has put up a 50 second clip of the film's opening number, "Life's a Happy Song," online! It's as fantastic as you would expect... but you can see for yourself below!
But before you go... we have an extremely exciting announcement to make: the owner/operator of The Muppet Mindset, Ryan Dosier, will be flying out to Los Angeles on November 10th to attend the cast and crew screening of The Muppets (which he was EXTREMELY lucky to be invited to)!!!! Ryan will also get to see Kermit on The Tonight Show on November 11th, and will be stalking the red carpet at the premiere of The Muppets at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on November 12th! None of this would have been possible without the support of you, the fans of The Muppet Mindset! So... thank you!! If Ryan could take all of you with him, he definitely would.
Be sure to keep up with Ryan on Twitter as he embarks on his journey, and be on the lookout for his exclusive review of The Muppets nearly two weeks before it hits theaters!!
Be sure to check out The Muppets and Me at D23, Part 1 (Disney Legends Ceremony, Walt Disney Studios presentation) and Part 2 (Ryan Dosier meets Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson) as well!
Ryan Dosier - Today is the third and final day of our coverage of events from the 2011 Disney D23 Expo, wherein I'll give you my thoughts and opinions on everything I saw (and didn't see) at The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. However, I'd like to start out by making a little shout out to someone who made my trip even more extraordinary than I could've hoped.
Raymond Persi is a huge Muppet fan, a funny guy, and a great host. He also happens to be a story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios. I was elated when Raymond emailed me a week before the Expo and asked if I would like to tour the Studios as a sort of thanks for The Muppet Mindset. Of course I said yes (and many other excited words of agreement), so on the Monday after the Expo, Raymond showed me around the historic Burbank lot where I got to see the buildings that Walt Disney built including the original Animation, Shorts, and Ink and Paint buildings. I also got to tour the Television Animation department where they make shows like Phineas and Ferb (even getting to draw on one of the animator's computers), see the outside of the Walt Disney Archives, and tour most of the Animation building where I got to see head of Pixar and Disney animation John Lassetter's office (which had at least one Kermit in it). Can you say incredible? There was even a standee for The Muppets on display in one of the main buildings at the Studio, outshining the Walt Disney Archives display ten-fold (at least to me). I really can't thank Raymond enough for his kindness and willingness to share. I learned and experienced so much on that hour-and-a-half tour, and I can really never thank him enough!
But you're not here for that (unless you're Raymond... in which case you're probably still not even here for that). You're here to read my thoughts about everything Muppety at the D23 Expo (or because Google brought you here after you searched for "rambling Muppet nerd"). Well, you'll be pleased to hear that my thoughts are almost entirely positive.
Let's start with the clips shown from The Muppets and the presence of Kermit, Piggy, Rowlf, and Jason Segel during the two biggest presentations. I've read quite a few discouraging comments about how the Muppets' presence at D23 was a lot larger back in 2009 (where they famously arrived onstage on a steamboat), well that may be true, but it is also true that the presence of almost every Disney property was larger at the Expo in 2009. I think that only the Cars property had a presence larger/as large as two years ago. That said, having Muppets there at all was huge. Finding anything from Winnie the Pooh was practically impossible. The same could be said for popular Disney properties like The Little Mermaid and even most Disney Channel things were relegated to one day in one small location.
The Muppets dominated the Expo this year, although it may not have been readily apparent. Kermit and Rowlf (along with Brian and Lisa Henson and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) were the extreme highlight of the Disney Legends Ceremony. The applause and emotion from the crowd upon seeing Kermit and his banjo exploded. Not even Regis Philbin or a live Disney Princess voices concert could compete with getting to sing "Rainbow Connection" with Kermit the Frog. Rest assured, Disney knew what they were doing. Kermit and Rowlf closed out the Ceremony. They were the final act... because nothing could follow that, and Disney knew it.
The same could be said for the Walt Disney Studios presentation. The presentation may have led off with Pixar and ended with The Avengers from Marvel, but everyone I talked to--or overheard talking--said that seeing the Muppets and clips from The Muppets, which were specifically given the coveted last spot in the live-action Disney productions section, was the highlight. Even Entertainment Weekly considered it the most important portion! The only two celebrities in the Studios presentation to get calls of "I love you (insert name here)!" were Kermit and Jason Segel (and maybe Scarlet Johnasson... though I admit my eyes were doing more work than my ears when she came onstage). When Kermit mentioned to Jason that he was "a regular" at D23, he received cheers and whistles. It was extraordinary seeing the Frog work the crowd and the crowd be worked so wonderfully.
Then came the clips for The Muppets. I know that what I type here won't do the clips justice... because I don't really know what to say that could. Instead, I think I'll just ramble about what was there. First off, the new Muppet in the room: Walter. He was amazing. Better than I could've expected. His eagerness to be thrown over Kermit's fence just for a chance to meet his hero spoke miles to me. His reminding the Muppets that they do things with music was incredible. He represents you, and me, and all Muppet fans who stick around no matter the weather. He was passionate and dedicated and he passed out when Kermit the Frog stood before him. If that doesn't say obsessed Muppet fan, I don't know what does.
Jason Segel and Amy Adams were both excellent. They didn't steal the scenes from the Muppets, they weren't over-acting, under-acting, poorly reacting or anything of the sort. They worked off of Kermit and Walter and the others like pros, which was incredibly refreshing considering our last leading-lady was Ashanti. I couldn't really figure out too much about their characters or if there was a side-plot for them based on the clips, but whenever they were around the Muppets they both just seemed to light up. Jason's character, Gary, calls Kermit "sir" in the scene where they sit in his house. I don't know if that was scripted or ad-libbed but I think it was my favorite moment with Jason. He was just so innocent and in awe of the Frog... as we all should be.
The Muppets completely stole the show the entire time. Whether it was 80's Robot cracking up the audience or Floyd firing in a quick joke or Walter begging to be thrown at the electrified fence again, this was always the Muppets' movie. I think that was what was so magical about these clips. Not since The Muppets Take Manhattan have I felt so strongly that the movie truly belonged to the Muppets--and that's just based on about 15 minutes of footage. The montage paired with "We Built This City" is going to be a highlight of the movie simply because it's just a bunch of Muppets being funny. It's not a bunch of Muppets being funny in the background while Michael Caine dances awkwardly. It's a bunch of Muppets being funny in the forefront for seven minutes straight. It's Fozzie being silly, it's rats skating on toothbrushes, it's Rowlf tearing away rotted floor boards, it's Beauregard's eternal sweep. It's a Muppet movie and I am here to tell you right here and now that there should be absolutely no doubt or concern about whose movie this is. As if the title didn't already tell you that.
This next comment can be quoted and used for me or against me after the movie comes out, but based on just these two clips I saw, the Muppets have never been more fun, funny, sharp, and just plain Muppety (in my opinion) since the days of Jim Henson. I don't know if this was the writing, the fresh attitude and approach, the nostalgia, or just the rampant Muppet energy over taking the set as they embarked on their first feature film in 12 years... but, to paraphrase Eric Jacobson, if the whole movie is half as good as the two all too brief but undeniably magical clips shown at D23, then we are in for quite a ride. There were so many inside jokes, so much incredible visual and spoken humor, so many gorgeous looking and sounding Muppets... It really is the one we've been waiting for, Muppet fans. And in 88 days I think we'll all find out why.
There is honestly nothing bad I can think to say about the clips... other than I just want to see the whole movie. But it's worth the wait for this. Remember these times, people. Because no matter what the outcome of the movie is... this is the best time to be one of us: a Muppet fan.
So what if the D23 Expo wasn't showing off every single Muppet product we'll see on store shelves in three months? What it did was to get those of us who saw the clips--and even the thousands (millions?) who didn't, but read about them online--even more excited for the movie that Disney (and you and I) needs to launch the Muppets back into the big time. Will it work? Who knows. But I know that I certainly can't wait to find out what the future holds. Bring on November!
Ryan Dosier - Welcome back to The Muppet Mindset's coverage of the 2011 Disney D23 Expo and beyond! How can our coverage get any better than Kermit and Rowlf sharing a duet and break downs of two exclusive clips from The Muppets? Well... how about two Muppet performers? Curious? Good. Follow along, won't you?
On Saturday at the Expo I was walking around the show floor, making my way to the back of the line to see The Lion King 3D. Lucky for me (and unlucky for Simba), as I was making my way there I happened to see two very familiar looking men hanging around at one of the booths on the show floor chatting away to an exhibitor. I wandered closer and realized, much to my extreme delight, that it was none other than Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson. Lucky for me, I was wearing my "themuppetmindset.com" t-shirt on Saturday, so when I introduced myself to Steve he became ecstatic upon reading my shirt and meeting a Muppet fan-site operator. Here, have a picture...
Steve Whitmire is an amazing person to meet. He is so approachable and funny and friendly from the get-go. It's really quite difficult to describe him... but he really is just brilliant. Smart and wise and hilarious. Steve and I talked for about twenty minutes after I introduced myself and once we got past my string of compliments and near-fainting spells we had a great conversation about the new movie and Steve's thoughts--a conversation completely started and steered by him. He mentioned that, in the beginning of The Muppets, Kermit is very much restrained and somewhat defeated by his friends leaving. However, even though he didn't tell me out right, based on what Steve said Kermit returns exactly to form by the end of the film. It's great to know that there is growth and development for the Frog.
Steve also said that he hadn't seen any footage from the movie--other than the trailers--were the two clips shown earlier that day. He was really excited by how they looked. Then he asked how I liked the clips, and I told him my honest opinion--which we'll get to later--and he made me promise that when the movie came out and I reviewed it for the Mindset I would be honest about my thoughts. He was very adamant in saying that fan reactions are the ways in which both the performers and Disney see what they could do better. So, of course, I promised I would--and then the full force of the fact that I had just made a promise to Kermit the Frog hit me.
Then Steve pulled Eric over and introduced me to him--but it turned out, again, that I didn't really need much introduction. Once Eric saw the shirt he knew who I was. It's such a weird thing, having Muppet performers recognize and know of you--that's the fan's job! But I'm not complaining. Have another picture...
Eric was just as humble and friendly and complimentary as Steve, with the added bonus that he comes off as just as huge of a Muppet fan as me, or you, or anyone who reads the site. He talked about the Muppets and their projects with gusto and appreciation. I could just tell that he loves and respects them immensely. I mentioned the great viral videos and Eric told me that those were his favorite projects that he's worked on. We also talked a bit about his being cramped in the motorcycle side-car earlier (I think he said something about "the diva demands it"), Muppet fan sites, and the new movie. He said, quite excitedly, "If the movie is half as good as the trailers, we're in for a great time." Like Steve, Eric felt great about the work they had done on the movie and kept reiterating how much he was looking forward to seeing it.
Afterwards I took the pictures above with them and, being the amazing two individuals that they are, both Steve and Eric (and Kermit and Piggy) signed a mini-poster for me that the El Capitan Theatre Hollywood booth was handing out (see right). I really just can't even describe the magic and enthusiasm and heart that comes from these guys. Both Steve and Eric (and every other Muppeteer I've met, for that matter) are nothing short of awesome, wonderful, friendly, humble, smart, and complimentary. Both of their closing words to me were, "Keep up the great work! We need you guys to love us and tell us when we mess up!" I couldn't--and still can't--thank either of them enough. Steve, Eric, if you happen to be reading thank you a million times again. You made my Expo! (And you have my email... just a reminder.)
And then, as if all that weren't enough, after the Expo on Saturday I met up with Danny Horn who is really (or at least should be) a Muppet celebrity in his own right. Danny started ToughPigs.com and Muppet Wiki and, as someone said the other day, really made online Muppet fandom what it is today. Anyway, Danny and I and his awesome friends Ed, Kyle, and Rolf, went to Disneyland where we messed around Muppet*Vision 3-D, rode it's a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, and saw the amazing fireworks show, "Magical." Danny is awesome... simply put. We had a great time and then hung out on the last day of the Expo. A fun, fun guy and one of very few people I've ever met who I can have a real, educated, and intensely-charged "flat-head Kermit" discussion with. Oh, and thanks for the crown. It made my day--and then a small child's day too.
That's about all we can fit in this post without scaring away all of our readers. But check back tomorrow for the third and final part of coverage of my trip to California including my once-in-a-lifetime journey to The Walt Disney Studios and my thoughts and opinions on the exclusive clips from The Muppets that I got a chance to see!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
Ryan Dosier - Oh, hiya Muppet fans! How long it's been... I see that The British Correspondent reaped his patented havoc upon you all while I was away. Well, I think it was worth it. Let's see if you agree. This past weekend I journeyed out West, and like my pioneer brothers before me, I went in search of talking mice and singing frogs and dancing ducks. Well... maybe not exactly like the pioneers. But who cares about them? I got to go to the Disney D23 Expo 2011 from Friday, August 19th until Sunday, August 21st. While I was in the neighborhood (Anaheim, California, to be specific) I got to visit the Disneyland Resort as well.
And what a time I had, let me tell you! I arrived in Anaheim on Thursday afternoon, the day before the Expo. And what is a young Muppet fan in Anaheim to do with so much time on his hands? Go to Disneyland, of course! So off I went, towards the land of mice and FastPasses, and made my way to Disney California Adventure, home of Muppet*Vision 3-D. You'd think this means loads of Muppet stuff, yes? Well, unfortunately, no. As we've learned from Disney Parks visits in recent years, there is very little new Muppet stuff to buy. They did, however, have the new Muppet Monopoly and Muppet Yahtzee for sale, but other than that it was the same old stuff: old plush dolls, a Kermit mug, a Kermit water bottle, two t-shirts, two hats, and not much else. Slightly disappointing, but not surprising enough to be completely disappointing.
However, over in Downtown Disney, the shopping district adjacent to the Disneyland Resort, they have a store called D-Street where they sell the popular Vinylmation figures, including many exclusives. Some of these exclusives were the four 9" Muppet Vinylmation figures, Muppet*Vision Kermit, Animal, Sam the Eagle, and Gonzo the Great with a 3" Camilla the Chicken. On Thursday I bought Gonzo and Camilla, and by Sunday I bought Sam as well... and I'd rather not talk about how much of a dent that put in my wallet. However, once I got them home and displayed on my shelf with the rest of the Vinylmation figures (see right), I didn't think twice. They're awesome. D-Street still has plenty of each figure and DisneyStore.com has Gonzo and Animal for sale there as well.
But the exciting part of the trip came on Friday when the Expo began. Walking into the Anaheim Convention Center for the D23 Expo is an overwhelming experience. The entire covering of the first floor is flooded with Mickey Mouse, Lightning McQueen, Donald Duck, Stitch, Goofy, and, yes, even Kermit. On the show floor I found Amy Mebberson (artist of Muppet Peter Pan and others) and James Silvani (artist of Muppet King Arthur) working their own booth where they spent the entire weekend drawing Disney for people--including myself! Check out their amazingly beautiful work (Amy on the left, James on the right) that is currently on my wall (see the picture on the right). Yup. That really is Scrooge McDuck arguing intensely with Angus McGonagle. It is heavenly.
Anyway... also on the show floor was the booth for WeLoveFine T-Shirts, a website that we've promoted multiple times on the Mindset. They were handing out, free to everyone, paper Kermit "crowns" for Expo guests to wear on their heads (see right). WeLoveFine was also selling some awesome Muppet t-shirts including Kermit in a tuxedo, Muppets 8-Bit, The Great Muppet Caper, and a women's shirt with Kermit Springsteen. Other than WeLoveFine, a couple other exhibitors were selling Muppet stuff including the upcoming makeup and nail polish lines, a preview of the 2011 Fozzie Bear Christmas ornament from Hallmark, and some new keychains featuring Kermit, Animal, and Beaker.
And then... it happened. The 2011 Disney Legends Ceremony. Hosted by Tom Bergeron (of America's Funniest Home Videos), the ceremony continues The Walt Disney Company's long-standing tradition of honoring those who contribute greatly to their success. Among this year's honorees were Regis Philbin, Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana), Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O'Hara (Belle), and, the final induction, someone named Jim Henson. It all started with Lisa Henson coming out to speak about her father, saying that her favorite Muppet had always been Rowlf. Then she introduced her brother, Brian Henson and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, who would be performing the Jim and Jane Henson classic "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face." It was extraordinary... and you can see it here:
Then Brian Henson said some nice things about Jim, saying that he could never do anything without making sound effects to go along with his movements. Even miniscule things like handing someone a pen, and Jim would make a goofy sound effect--a sort of "bwoooop," if you will. Then Brian and Lisa accepted the award and took a picture with the walk-around Sweetums from Disneyland, and walked off stage. Soon, the stage curtains opened, and a smaller stage rolled out carrying a piano, lots of foliage, a dog, and a frog.
Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog, Jim Henson's first two superstar characters, coming out to sing and honor their friend, performer, and creator Jim Henson with his most prolific song, "Rainbow Connection." The last time that Kermit and Rowlf shared a duet was in 1979 in The Muppet Movie. It was an incredible experience. Mid-way through the song, Kermit and Rowlf asked us all to sing along with them and I can say here and now that getting a chance to sing a song with Kermit the Frog is something that I wish everyone everywhere could have the chance to do. It was the most magical moment I've experienced. Seeing Kermit and Rowlf together again at last, honoring Jim, and a Disney ceremony, was more than I ever expected. It gave me hope and happiness and everything in between.
Then came Saturday, the day of The Walt Disney Studios presentation where Disney would trot out big stars, directors, and more to show off their upcoming feature films. This included John Lasseter (head of Pixar and Disney animation), Robert Downey, Jr., Sarah Silverman, Jack MacBrayer, Jennifer Garner, Scarlet Johanson, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, and Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog, and Miss Piggy. It was just as great as you'd expect. Unfortunately, cameras and cell phones were strictly forbidden from the presentation, but the following is a very accurate transcript of what happened from ComingSoon.net and EW.com...
There was a star that was late for their big D23 appearance. When Disney's head of production Sean Bailey introduced Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Jason Segel to talk about The Muppets at D23 this Saturday, the curtain pulled back and revealed Kermit and Segel sitting in director's chairs--but Miss Piggy was nowhere to be seen.
"You've worked on a movie with her," said Kermit when Segel pointed this out, "was she ever on time?"
"I love you, Kermit!" shouted an audience member. "I love you too!" replied Kermit.
Kermit went on to thank his fellow cast members. "Our movie stars the beautiful and talented Amy Adams! ... And the equally talented but less beautiful Jason Segel--no offense."
"I love you, Jason!" shouted another audience member. "I love you too and look forward to meeting you in person someday!" responded Segel.
Segel turned his attention to the clips of the movie they brought, saying there was a problem as they did not include Miss Piggy.
"She'll tear this whole arena apart if she finds out!" said Kermit.
"But she's not here," said Segel.
"Good point," replied Kermit as a motorcycle revved it's engine from backstage. The curtain parted again to reveal a motorcycle with none other than Miss Piggy in the sidecar, soaking in the adoration from all of her fans.
Once Kermit nervously explained that the second clip would feature "...almost all the Muppets." Piggy wasn’t too pleased. "Where’s [chairman of Walt Disney Studios] Rich Ross?" shouted Piggy as she stormed off the stage.
And then we were treated to two clips from the movie. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
Clip #1: Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), and their Muppet buddy Walter are driving around Bel Air, Calif. at night, trying to locate the home of Kermit. They finally find it: a deserted-looking mansion with a driveway fence that has the faces of Kermit and Miss Piggy painted on it. There’s no doorbell, so Walter asks Gary to throw him over the fence. But Gary fails to toss Walter high enough, and the fence that Walter slams into winds up being electrocuted—clearly Kermit and Piggy have encountered enough stalkers to warrant such an elaborate security system. (NOTE FROM RYAN: The Walter-shocking scene was MUCH shorter than in the trailer maybe two seconds long at most.)
Suddenly, Kermit appears on the driveway behind Gary, Mary, and Walter. As Kermit walks toward the trio, he’s silhouetted by an enormously bright white light and we hear an angelic choir singing. It’s as if God himself were approaching. But seconds later, we see the source of that blinding light and Messianic music: On the street, a bus carrying members of the Good Shepard Church Choir just happened to be driving by. Walter immediately faints.
Next, we’re inside Kermit’s home with Gary, Mary, and Walter. It’s clear that Kermit has been living in the past. During the middle of a conversation, a robot butler enters the room with a tray of outdated sodas such as New Coke and Tab. Kermit asks the robot, whom he simply calls "80s robot," to please leave and the clip ends.
Clip #2: Kermit, Rowlf, and Fozzie break off the chain around the door to the Muppet Theater. Kermit walks in slowly, nostalgically, hearing echoes of himself (Jim Henson) introducing "very special guest star, Bob Hope!!" and the announcer (Jerry Nelson) shouting "PIIIIIGS IIIIIIN SPAAAACE!" Most of the Muppets gang, plus Gary, Mary, and Walter, enter. Fozzie Bear insists that there's no way to rehearse with the theater in that condition, as Floyd Pepper remarks, "Who fired the maid service?" With offers to help from Gary, Mary, and Walter, the Muppets start cleaning. Smash cut to... Scooter sweeping. Very slowly. Cut to the Muppets gang watching as Kermit remarks, "Well this is boring." Walter looks at the group and says, "Don't you guys remember? You're the Muppets! You're supposed to do things like this with... with music!" Dr. Teeth pulls out a boom-box, presses play, and thus begins a montage set to Starship’s 1985 hit "We Built This City."
As the group cleans, Kermit starts going through his old Rolodex, calling various celebrities with the hope that they may take part in a telethon (to presumably save the Muppet Theater from being demolished by an oil tycoon). Again, Kermit is a bit behind the times. We see him cross off Molly Ringwald’s name, and he doesn’t get very far in trying locate President Jimmy Carter.
Meanwhile, the Muppets are cleaning. We see Fozzie uses Walter tied to a pole with a sponge on his back to clean higher places--Walter is elated. Rowlf hammers away at something. Floyd removes the tarp from Animal's drum set, and Animal goes berserk. Chickens feather-dust the seats. Mary changes a lightbulb while Marvin Suggs sits in the audience sits banging away on Muppaphones. Fozzie pulls out an old picture and shows it to Link Hogthrob and Gonzo and says, "Look at this goofy 80's haircut I had back then!" the picture is revealed to be exactly the same Fozzie we see today. Rats skate across the soapy floor on old toothbrushes. The Swedish Chef incinerates some moldy talking food in a refrigerator. Scooter opens a closet and there's Beauregard sweeping away, Scooter shouts, "Beauregard!" Beau just looks up and says, "Oh, Scooter, there you are! Where has everybody been?"
The clip ends with the camera circling around the large group of Muppets (as seen in the trailer). Cut to Kermit, still in his office, looking completely exasperated and somewhat distraught. Cut back to Dr. Teeth as he stops the tape and the gang surveys the now spotless theater.
That's all we can fit in for D23 coverage in this post! Check back tomorrow for even more coverage including two Muppet performers, a Muppet fan-site operator, and much, much more!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
This week, the annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held and, of course, Sesame Street won quite a few of them! In fact, Sesame was tied for the most trophies won this year! Below are the awards they won. Our huge congratulations to everyone at Sesame Street on their fantastic and much-deserved wins.
D23, the official Disney fan club, posted a great article all about Rowlf the Dog last Thursday and somehow we missed it until this week. The article covers quite a few fun facts about Rowlf, and gives lots of credit to Jim Henson, The Jimmy Dean Show, and lots more. It's really a wonderful look at Muppet history, which is always exciting to see from Disney. It's also quite nice to see Rowlf get some more love.
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