Plundering my childhood

Ahh, crap. Just as Looney Tunes eventually got dumbed down and ruined, the anarchic, loopy, mostly insane and trippy Muppets are destined for the same fate. Interesting article here about how The Muppet Show was produced in London, and what the Disney Muppet buyout means for the future. Title? "The Disney Muppets: why that just isn't funny." Indeed. Key quote: "The problem is that Disney — as one must expect from a global business enterprise — tends to think of its intellectual properties in terms of merchandising opportunities, rather than the opportunity for some great chicken-gags. It’s telling that the announcement about the Muppets’ relaunch mentioned that Muppet ringtones and screen-savers would precede any actual artistic content." I mean, we already knew we were doomed. Jim Henson isn't Kermit anymore, so whoever that frog is... that's not Kermie. Frank Oz is a big director now, so we have an ersatz Piggie. Hiieeeeeeeee-YAH!