Things We Saw Today: Frank Oz Has Some Choice Words for Disney and Their Muppets: “Soul’s Not There”

Frank Oz has brought iconic characters like Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and Yoda to life. Having worked with Jim Henson to bring us some of these childhood favorites, he hasn’t been a part of the new era of The Muppets or Sesame Street, and his absence has surely been missed. As someone whose favorite Muppet is Fozzie, Oz has been an iconic part of this series from the jump.

In an interview with Hadley Freeman for The Guardian, Oz opened up about a lot of things, like how he isn’t tired of people doing a Yoda impression at him because, as he says: “No I’m used to it. But people don’t understand, anyone can do a voice. It’s not the voice – it’s the soul.”

But more than people sharing their love for Oz’s work, he also gave us a look into his desire to work with the Muppets again but how Disney doesn’t really want him.

“I’d love to do the Muppets again but Disney doesn’t want me, and Sesame Street hasn’t asked me for 10 years. They don’t want me because I won’t follow orders and I won’t do the kind of Muppets they believe in,” he says. He can’t bear to watch the Muppets or Sesame Street today: “The soul’s not there. The soul is what makes things grow and be funny. But I miss them and love them.”

Disney clearly doesn’t know the joy that they could have with Oz, but as he said, he isn’t going to just follow their orders. And maybe that’s a reflection on Oz and these companies at the same time, but it is fascinating that Sesame Street and Disney aren’t itching to have him back, especially when fans would be excited to see Oz with the Muppets once again. Bring me back my Fozzie Bear!

(image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for National Board of Review)

Here are some other things we saw out there today:

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  Whoever said raising a child would be a piece of cake? YOU S3 is coming October 15. pic.twitter.com/sFzdSjxEGS

  — YOU (@YouNetflix) August 30, 2021

• The US is removed from the EU’s COVID-19 safe list. (via The Hill)
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  Marc Bernier, a conservative Florida radio host who dubbed himself “Mr. Anti-Vax,” died after a three-week battle with COVID-19. He was 65.

  His death was the third this month among conservative talk show hosts outspoken against the coronavirus vaccine.https://t.co/qYBdYvCLE0

  — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) August 30, 2021

• Women have come out against Madison Cawthorn. (via Buzzfeed News)
• See more

  SCOOP in Playbook this a.m.: @Jim_Jordan spoke w/Trump at least 2X on Jan. 6, including during the hours-long holdover in the safe space, when he & @mattgaetz
  asked Trump to call off his people @Olivia_Beavers writes in:
  https://t.co/1jCCNqXupf

  — Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) August 29, 2021

Anything we missed, Mary Suevians? Let us know what you saw in the comments below!

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Rachel Leishman

Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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