Hi ho, the new Kermit the Frog is here.
Matt Vogel has stepped into the big green flippers previously filled by Steve Whitmire. Vogel made his debut as Kermit on the Muppet Thought of the Week on the official Muppets YouTube Channel.
Vogel takes over for Kermit amidst a whirlwind of controversy. It was reported that Whitmire was let go as Kermit’s performer due to differences with the Walt Disney Company and the children of Jim Henson. The finger-pointing spiraled out of control, with Cheryl Henson publicly denouncing Steve Whitmire on Facebook. The Hensons claimed that Whitmire has always been difficult to work with.
Whitmire pleaded his case on many (non-Disney owned) news outlets, claiming he was just trying to stay true to the spirit of Jim Henson and the Muppets, something he claims Disney has not been very successful at since acquiring the brand.
I’d imagine the truth is somewhere in-between, and for better or for worse Matt Vogel is here to stay.
Feuds aside, I think he does an okay job. It sounds a little off, but that could be that after nearly 30 years of Whitmire in the role, I’ve become accustomed to his higher pitched Kermit voice. Vogel’s is noticeably deeper. I don’t think it’s terrible, it’s just different.
For a comparison of how Steve Whitmire’s Kermit voice differed from Jim Henson’s, check out the clip below.
It’s unclear what Disney’s plans are for The Muppets going forward. The primetime ABC sitcom The Muppets was cancelled after only one season, and the last theatrical release, Muppets Most Wanted, bombed at the box office. That, coupled with the marginalization of The Muppets in the parks, we have to wonder what’s next for Kermit and friends.
Maybe Disney will push the Muppets back into the limelight now that they have a Kermit they’re (apparently) more comfortable working with?
We can only hope.
[Source: Den of Geek]
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