What...On...Earth...

[Richie]

From CartoonBrew:

"...The studio also announced today (http://ca.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idCATRE5511F920090602) plans to “pump more enthusiasm into the world’s largest licensed character franchise: Mickey Mouse."

“That effort, said consumer products chairman Andy Mooney, could include classic footage of an animated Mickey mashed up with contemporary Disney properties, with the resulting creations running on the Disney Channel. “Through extensive research with kids, we found they actually love the original Mickey Mouse property,” Mooney said.



........Through EXTENSIVE research, they found out that kids like classic Mickey outings!?

Someone please explain this to me.

[jonmayo15]

This was also in the article

"On the "Handy Manny" front, one TV special is set for this year and another for next, and a new 20-episode short-form series called "Handy Manny's School for Tools" will debut next year as well."

Anybody else find this title...odd?


On the subject at hand:

I can't wait to see Steamboat Willie featuring Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers! Sounds like so...much...fun.:eek:

[Jack G.]

........Through EXTENSIVE research, they found out that kids like classic Mickey outings!?

Someone please explain this to me.Instead of asking kids what they like, the let markerting, focus groups, and lord knows what else do studies.
It's a great way to spend corporate money and look like your doing something.
You gotta justify your salary somehow.

[The "Chase"]

Depends. Did they talk to young kids, or "tweens"?

Me, I should be excited, but I don't really care. But if this beings attention to the characters, I'm all for it.

But if the Jonas Brothers makes an mediocre, unmemorable song about Mickey...

[nickramer]

Eh, it's nothing new. About 15 years ago, they did a tape with a kids band called "Parachute Express" (anyone remember them?) which had the group using clips from the old shorts, including small innocent clip of a crying Araquaine bird from "The Clown of the Jungle" which by that time, the particular scene was already censored on the Disney Channel.

Needless to say, the tape didn't sell well, and that was the last I heard of the band.

In other words, if it didn't work before, it probably won't work again.

[The "Chase"]

Eh, it's nothing new. About 15 years ago, they did a tape with a kids band called "Parachute Express" (anyone remember them?) which had the group using clips from the old shorts, including small innocent clip of a crying Araquaine bird from "The Clown of the Jungle" which by that time, the particular scene was already censored on the Disney Channel.

Needless to say, the tape didn't sell well, and that was the last I heard of the band.

In other words, if it didn't work before, it probably won't work again.

Yeah, that was also on the orginal "A Goofy Movie" tape (I believe it was called "Doctor Louie"). Well yeah, the music video wasn't good, but I did enjoyed the song. And look at the bright side, if they do something like that, at least the kids watching the video will get curious about the clips and that'll lead somewhere...

[Richie]

While I agree with everything expressed so far, my fellow GACers, I do not think I got my initial reaction across.

I just found it SO very odd that they would have to do a RESEARCH to FIND OUT JUST NOW kids like the original Mickey Mouse cartoons!!!

[kaseykockroach]

I'm not sure whether to laugh my rear end off... Or sob miserably.

[Kyle G.]

Here's an idea... how about just airing the original Mickey shorts on the Disney Channel? A new half-hour anthology package with newly animated interstitials as a part of Playhouse Disney. There would be little to no production costs and very little risk. I guess though, that wouldn't look as good on the portfolio.

[Brandon Panther]

Yeah, that was also on the orginal "A Goofy Movie" tape (I believe it was called "Doctor Louie"). Well yeah, the music video wasn't good, but I did enjoyed the song. And look at the bright side, if they do something like that, at least the kids watching the video will get curious about the clips and that'll lead somewhere...
Put in the brew, put in the groove
Make it boil and buuuubble
Stir it around, now that you've found
Dr. Louie's remedy
Now raise up your knees, high as you please
Dance a way your troubbbles!

:shame:

[The "Chase"]

Put in the brew, put in the groove
Make it boil and buuuubble
Stir it around, now that you've found
Dr. Louie's remedy
Now raise up your knees, high as you please
Dance a way your troubbbles!

:shame:

Okay, fine, it was the way they sing the song and the music in there, not the actual lyrics...

:shame:

[Jack G.]

While I agree with everything expressed so far, my fellow GACers, I do not think I got my initial reaction across.

I just found it SO very odd that they would have to do a RESEARCH to FIND OUT JUST NOW kids like the original Mickey Mouse cartoons!!!Actually, I understood where you were coming from.

My response would be is still the same: when it comes to entertainment, I have very little faith in what the suits think and do.
Almost nothing shocks me.

[Matthew Hunter]

I don't see why they'd have a problem just putting together a show of classic Disney shorts. They did "Mousetracks" and "Quack Attack" for years...they could still do something like that.

[Fibber Fox]

Instead of asking kids what they like, the let markerting, focus groups, and lord knows what else do studies.
It's a great way to spend corporate money and look like your doing something.
You gotta justify your salary somehow.

Not only that, Jack. It's CYA.

Say you're a suit who puts a cartoon or other programme on the air and it just reeks. Simple! You blame the the "audience research." Other suits nod because, after all, "audience research" is infallible. The suit's job is saved.

But you can only play that card a limited number of times. The suit will end up taking the fall because other suits will gang up and blame him to save their own jobs.

The other thing is that kind of research is an ingrained and immoveable part of the corporate structure now. So it "has" to be done.

Chuck Jones may have been dismissive of Eddie Selzer but he still had a fair chunk of freedom to do what he wanted. Each plot, each character, each situation didn't have to go through a battery of "research" before he put pencil to paper. I doubt he could have flourished in such a climate.

F. Fox
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com

[Jack G.]

Yes, preserving their job (and having someone else to blame) is part of the equation.

Your right that Eddie Selzer's interference isn't so bad to what you have to go through today to get something in front of an audience.