TMC
11-03-2020, 01:04 AM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/disneys-muppets-problem-can-the-franchise-reckon-with-its-boys-club-culture
In a streaming-centric Hollywood, the beloved ragtag troupe is poised for a rebirth, but first its corporate overlords must rectify a workplace that hasn't been inclusive.
Since buying the Muppets in 2004, Disney has never been quite sure what to do with the ragtag gang. But after years of fits and starts, the Muppets may have found their moment. Hollywood's streaming-first strategy has primed the property — with its rich back catalog including 10 features, 120 episodes of The Muppet Show and dozens of specials and spinoffs, its deep bench of beloved character IP and its ability to captivate homebound children for hours on end — for a renaissance. They even have the boss' favor: Bob Chapek, the former head of Disney parks who took over as CEO in February, is internally known to be much more of a fan than former CEO Bob Iger ever was. And the brand's latest swing at relevance, a six-episode series for Disney+ called Muppets Now, has been lauded by critics as having ushered the Muppets into the TikTok era.
Despite this potentially rosy and modern future, however, the internal culture of the Muppets remains mired in the past — little has changed since its boys' club beginnings in the early 1970s. The world has evolved, but behind the scenes — particularly where it involves current sensitivities around sexism and inclusivity — the Muppets have not. Muppets insiders interviewed for this article say it's virtually impossible for female Muppets performers to advance alongside their male counterparts by being invited into what's known as the "core Muppets players" — an elite cadre of six puppeteers, all of them white men, who perform the most famous characters. The current core consists of Matt Vogel (Kermit the Frog), Eric Jacobson (Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy), Dave Goelz (the last original Muppets performer and creator of Gonzo), Bill Barretta (Rowlf the Dog), Peter Linz (Walter, a character from the 2011 feature reboot The Muppets) and David Rudman (Scooter, Janice).
A seventh full-time Muppets performer, Julianne Buescher, who has worked with the company for 30-plus years and plays a leading role on Muppets Now (Beverly Plume, a turkey who hosts a cooking show), has never been invited to join the core, keeping her at a lower rung than her male counterparts. Buescher, who would not comment for this story, is listed as an "additional Muppet performer" on Muppets Now — a credit typically assigned to supporting puppeteers who operate hands or play rats and chickens. For that, she earns scale — or $1,500 a week, far less than what the core performers make. (Disney would not reveal those figures, nor would it make any Muppets Studio employees available for comment. But insiders say they command fees more in keeping with typical live-action series leads — easily tens of thousands of dollars per episode.)
In a streaming-centric Hollywood, the beloved ragtag troupe is poised for a rebirth, but first its corporate overlords must rectify a workplace that hasn't been inclusive.
Since buying the Muppets in 2004, Disney has never been quite sure what to do with the ragtag gang. But after years of fits and starts, the Muppets may have found their moment. Hollywood's streaming-first strategy has primed the property — with its rich back catalog including 10 features, 120 episodes of The Muppet Show and dozens of specials and spinoffs, its deep bench of beloved character IP and its ability to captivate homebound children for hours on end — for a renaissance. They even have the boss' favor: Bob Chapek, the former head of Disney parks who took over as CEO in February, is internally known to be much more of a fan than former CEO Bob Iger ever was. And the brand's latest swing at relevance, a six-episode series for Disney+ called Muppets Now, has been lauded by critics as having ushered the Muppets into the TikTok era.
Despite this potentially rosy and modern future, however, the internal culture of the Muppets remains mired in the past — little has changed since its boys' club beginnings in the early 1970s. The world has evolved, but behind the scenes — particularly where it involves current sensitivities around sexism and inclusivity — the Muppets have not. Muppets insiders interviewed for this article say it's virtually impossible for female Muppets performers to advance alongside their male counterparts by being invited into what's known as the "core Muppets players" — an elite cadre of six puppeteers, all of them white men, who perform the most famous characters. The current core consists of Matt Vogel (Kermit the Frog), Eric Jacobson (Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy), Dave Goelz (the last original Muppets performer and creator of Gonzo), Bill Barretta (Rowlf the Dog), Peter Linz (Walter, a character from the 2011 feature reboot The Muppets) and David Rudman (Scooter, Janice).
A seventh full-time Muppets performer, Julianne Buescher, who has worked with the company for 30-plus years and plays a leading role on Muppets Now (Beverly Plume, a turkey who hosts a cooking show), has never been invited to join the core, keeping her at a lower rung than her male counterparts. Buescher, who would not comment for this story, is listed as an "additional Muppet performer" on Muppets Now — a credit typically assigned to supporting puppeteers who operate hands or play rats and chickens. For that, she earns scale — or $1,500 a week, far less than what the core performers make. (Disney would not reveal those figures, nor would it make any Muppets Studio employees available for comment. But insiders say they command fees more in keeping with typical live-action series leads — easily tens of thousands of dollars per episode.)