Today’s article was written by Tori Schmidt, better known as the mastermind behind the Muppets No Context Twitter account, the Muppet Fan Hall of Fame, and the Muppetwt Awards. Thanks Tori!
Everybody has that one thing that they are really into that few other people even remotely care about. For some reason, that thing for me is halls of fame. (I’ve even made my own!) There are about a half dozen HOFs that I have an encyclopedic knowledge of. I can’t answer most basic math problems, but I can tell you B.B. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by Sting of The Police, and The Police was inducted in 2003 by Gwen Stafani of No Doubt, who was inducted in 2029 by Me (my knowledge is so enormous I even know the future!). But 2+2? I don’t know, um, I think the answer is 12, right?
Obviously, the other thing I know a lot about is Muppets. It’s a shame the Muppets and a hall of fame haven’t crossed paths recently. Oh look, the 2024 Disney Legends class was just honored. I wonder who it was….
A MUPPET PERSON WAS JUST INDUCTED INTO A HALL OF FAME. When I read this news, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, but it wasn’t a rare Sesame Street dinner mat from the 70s I was unwrapping. It was Frank Oz finally getting the recognition he deserves. This induction made me feel good as also it shows that the Disney higher-ups still have respect for the Muppets and those who helped create them. I mean, would Frank still have been honored if he had only performed Yoda? (It depends on how cynical you want this to be, I’ll say maybe). But still with this honor, Frank is now the second Muppet-related Disney Legend after Jim Henson, who was inducted in 2011. (Was Jim only inducted that year because Disney wanted to cross-promote the 2011 Muppet movie? Again, how cynical do you want me to be?) But with Frank’s honor, I’ve been thinking: What other Muppet people should be Disney Legends? Well, here are a few names Mr. Bob Iger should consider.
Bonnie Erickson
Maybe the least well-known of all my possible legends, but that just means she needs it the most! Now as Muppet nerds, WE all know who Bonnie Erickson is. We all know that she was a designer and costumer for the Muppets and is responsible for characters like Zoot and Statler and Mordecai Sledge, but the average person who’s just at D23 for an exclusive baby Yoda plushie doesn’t know that, and they should! As much as Disney Legends honors well-known celebrities, it’s also vital that it’s used to honor those who wouldn’t get the reception otherwise. Plus, she is basically the Mother of Miss Piggy!!! Don’t you want to see Miss Piggy think she’s getting honored and then get mad when she realizes it for Bonnie? The joke practically writes itself! And since we are on the topic of jokes…
Jerry Juhl
How are you reading this? No, not because of onions or potatoes, but because of words! Writers are pivotal for the entertainment industry, and Disney really should honor more writers. Jerry Juhl is a good place to start. Jerry is as much of a tone-setter for the Muppets as Jim or Frank. It’s his humor that defines how we feel about these characters, and it deserves to be recognized. Plus, anyone who can survive writing jokes as bad as Fozzie’s deserves a Nobel Peace Prize (but being a Disney Legend is a good start).
Jerry Nelson and Richard Hunt
Got a two-for-one deal on vastly overlooked Muppet performers here! Yes, everyone reading this article knows who Jerry and Richard are. WE know that Jerry Nelson was the man of a thousand voices, with beautiful singing behind Robin the Frog, Floyd Pepper, and many others. WE all know Richard Hunt was the rambunctious teenager turned puppetry superstar behind Statler and Sweetums. But your average D23 attendee has no idea who either of them is, and that really should change! Plus, Richard was an openly gay man, and there aren’t a lot of queer Disney Legends, and that also needs to change! Jerry and Richard are two puppeteers who need to be honored, like yesterday! And speaking of…
Dave Goelz
I’m gonna be blunt here, I’m genuinely shocked he wasn’t inducted THIS year. With all the love he got last year because of his 50th anniversary at the Muppets, it seemed like a Disney legend induction would be the cherry on top of it all. Dave is the last of the original Muppet performers to still be working for the Walt Disney Company, and Gonzo is one of the most beloved characters in the Muppet troupe. Plus, Dave has been voicing Figment, a Disney parks icon, and the second most annoying person Eric Idle knows (behind John Cleese) since 2002. We Muppet fans all love Dave so much, and it would be nice to share that love with Disney fans who don’t know him as well yet.
Tori Schmidt
Yes, Me! I’m 100% as important to the Walt Disney Company as Betty White, Angela Bassett, and Wally Boag!!! And I’m MUCH more important than that hack Dick Van Dyke!! He knows what he did!
Click here to add more Muppet legends to the mix on the ToughPigs Discord!!
by Tori Schmidt
