Well, specifically, why did they fire the guy who’s been portraying Kermit the Frog since Jim Henson’s death in 1990? It’s not easy not being green anymore.
Sopan Deb and Sophie Haigney, NYT:
The longtime voice of Kermit the Frog squared off against executives at Disney on Monday over the company’s decision to fire him after almost three decades of bringing that beloved Muppet to life.
The performer, Steve Whitmire, broke his silence in a telephone interview on Monday, saying that Disney’s dismissal had amounted to “a betrayal…” Mr. Whitmire insisted that Disney gave him no warning before telling him last fall that he would be replaced for what he described as minor reasons, like his manner of communicating with executives.
And then there was another reason:
The second reason, he said, had to do with a small video shoot involving Kermit, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and an outside company, which Mr. Whitmire declined to name…
A small video shoot. An unnamed outside company.
Hmmm… using puppets in a manner that their owners don’t appreciate. Isn’t that how Peter Jackson got started?
Sounds like Whitmire is bummed out, but it could be worse. Kevin Clash, the guy who used to play Elmo, resigned in 2012 after being accused of sexual relationships with minors. The three cases against Clash were dismissed, but it’s not exactly a resume enhancer.
It takes a certain kind of person to spend the whole day with a hand up a puppet’s butt. It’s kind of surprising that more of these dudes don’t get into trouble.
You know the Muppet who never gets enough love? Lew Zealand. I love that guy!