Kermit the Frog is a

Muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the

everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' and ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...

'', as well as in other television series, feature films, specials, and public service announcements through the years. He served as a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as ...

of The Jim Henson Company and appeared in various Henson projects. Kermit performed the hit singles " Bein' Green" in 1970 for ''Sesame Street'' and "

Rainbow Connection "Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film ''The Muppet Movie'', with music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. The song was performed by Jim Henson – as Kermit the Frog – in the film. "Rainbow Connection" reached ...

" in 1979 for ''

The Muppet Movie ''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...

'', the first feature-length film featuring the Muppets. Kermit's original performance of "Rainbow Connection" reached No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was added to the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

in 2021. Henson performed Kermit until his death in 1990, and then Steve Whitmire performed Kermit from that time until his dismissal in 2016. Kermit has been performed by Matt Vogel from 2017. He was also voiced by

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

in '' Muppet Babies'' and occasionally in other animation projects, and is voiced by

Matt Danner Matthew Thomas Danner (born June 30, 1981) is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, director, producer and voice actor. His credits include work on '' The Ripping Friends'', '' ¡Mucha Lucha!'', '' The Looney Tunes Show'', '' X ...

in the 2018 reboot of '' Muppet Babies''. Kermit's look and voice have been recognizable in

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

worldwide for many decades, and in 2006, the character was credited as the author of '' Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons'', an "autobiography" told from the perspective of the character himself.

History and development

Kermit the Frog first appeared on May 9, 1955, in the premiere of WRC-TV's '' Sam and Friends''. This prototype Kermit was created from a discarded turquoise spring coat belonging to Jim Henson's mother and two ping pong ball halves for eyes. Initially, Kermit was a vague

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...

-like creature. He subsequently made a number of television appearances before his status as a

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

was established in the television special '' Hey, Cinderella!'' in 1969. His triangular-pointed collar was added at the time to make him seem more frog-like and to conceal the seam between his head and body. According to

Michael K. Frith Michael Kingsbury Frith (born 8 July 1941) is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and vari ...

, the relatively simple construction of the Kermit puppet allows the performer's arm and hand to produce a wide range of expression and gestures.

Naming

The origin of Kermit's name is a subject of some debate. It is often claimed that Kermit was named after Henson's childhood friend Kermit Scott, from

Leland, Mississippi Leland is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. It is located within the Mississippi Delta, on the banks of Deer Creek. The population was 4,481 at the 2010 census. It was once a railway town and had long been a center of cott ...

. However, Karen Falk, head archivist and board of directors member for the Jim Henson Legacy organization, denies this claim on the Jim Henson Company's website: Joy DiMenna, the only daughter of Kermit Kalman Cohen who worked as a sound engineer at

WBAL-TV WBAL-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship property of Hearst Television, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to the company's sole r ...

during Jim Henson's time with ''Sam and Friends'', recalls that the puppet was named after her father. According to Kermit Cohen's obituary, as well as DiMenna and Lenny Levin, a colleague of Mr. Cohen's at WBAL: Another common belief is that Kermit was named for

Kermit Love Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love (August 7, 1916 – June 21, 2008) was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on Broadway. He was best known as a designer and builder with the Muppets, ...

, who worked with Henson in designing and constructing Muppets, particularly on ''Sesame Street'', but Love's association with Henson did not begin until well after Kermit's creation and naming, and he always denied any connection between his name and that of the character. As ''Sesame Street'' is localized for some different markets that speak languages other than English, Kermit is often renamed. In

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

, he is called ''Cocas, o Sapo'' (''sapo'' means "

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...

"), and in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, his name is similar: ''Caco, o Sapo''. In most of Hispanic America, his name is ''la rana René'' (''René the Frog''), while in Spain, he is named ''Gustavo''. In the Arabic version, he is known as ''Kamel'', which is a common Arabic male name that means "perfect". In

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, he is called ''Breki'' ( onomatopoetic).

Characterization and performers

Jim Henson originated the character in 1955 on his local television series, '' Sam and Friends''. Henson himself described Kermit as "kind of easy-going, very likable...sometimes slightly a wiseguy." Frank Oz remarked that Kermit possesses a natural sense of leadership within the Muppets, explaining that "he has all these zany characters and a world around him and he tries to be the center and hold everything together...sometimes he gets too much and blows his top, but essentially he kind of goes with the flow." Brian Henson described his father's performance as Kermit as "coming out of his own personality—was a wry intelligence, a little bit of a naughtiness, but Kermit always loved everyone around and also loved a good prank." Kermit has often been referred to as Henson's "soft-spoken alter-ego." Many of Henson's colleagues have confirmed how close and inseparable Jim and Kermit's personalities were. Henson's agent Bernie Brillstein has stated straightforwardly that "Kermit was Jim". Author Brian Jay Jones described the relationship accordingly: "The more Jim performed Kermit, the more the two of them seemed to become intertwined…it was becoming harder to tell where the frog ended and Jim began." Henson continued to perform the character until his death in 1990. Henson's last known performance as Kermit was for an appearance on ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

'' to promote the television special ''

The Muppets at Walt Disney World ''The Muppets at Walt Disney World'' is a television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of ''The Magical World of Disney'' on May 6, 1990, and turned out to ...

''. Henson died twelve days after that appearance. Following Henson's death, veteran Muppet performer Steve Whitmire was named Kermit's new performer. Whitmire claims that Henson had seemingly intended to pass on the role to him before he died, though it was Jane Henson and son Brian who had selected him after her father's death. Whitmire's first public performance as Kermit was at the end of the television special ''

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson ''The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson'' is a one-hour special that aired on CBS on November 21, 1990. The program was a tribute to Muppet creator Jim Henson, who had died earlier in 1990 due to toxic shock syndrome caused by a streptococcus infect ...

'' in 1990. Whitmire explained that his main intent when he inherited Kermit, "was to make sure the character stayed the same and consistent, but didn't become stale and just a copy." Kermit's personality during Whitmire's tenure was widely described as more wholesome, lighthearted, and Pollyanna-ish than Henson's. Several critics of Whitmire's portrayal have come from the Henson family. Brian Henson stated that while Whitmire's performance was "sometimes excellent, and always pretty good", he also elaborated that "Kermit has, as a character, flattened out over time and has become too square and not as vital as it should have been." Cheryl Henson stated that Whitmire performed the character as a "bitter, angry, depressed, victim". He remained Kermit's principal performer until October 2016, when he was dismissed by The Muppets Studio.

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...

(owner of The Muppets Studio) cited "unacceptable business conduct" as reason for the dismissal, while Whitmire claims the decision was made due to creative disagreements over Kermit's characterization and prolonged labor union negotiations that delayed his involvement in Muppet productions. Disney announced that Matt Vogel would become Kermit's new performer on July 10, 2017. Vogel's first official appearance as Kermit was in a "Muppet Thought of the Week” YouTube video. John Kennedy performed Kermit for ''Muppets Ahoy!'', a 2006 Disney Cruise Line stage show (though Whitmire performed Kermit for the first few shows). Muppet performer Artie Esposito briefly performed Kermit in 2009 for a few personal appearances (an appearance on ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribu ...

'', the ''

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

'', and at the 2009 D23 Expo). Voice actor

provided the voice of Baby Kermit on the animated Saturday morning cartoon, '' Muppet Babies''. He also provided the voice of an adult Kermit for a short-lived spin-off, ''

Little Muppet Monsters ''Little Muppet Monsters'' is a Saturday morning television series featuring the Muppets that aired three episodes on CBS in 1985. The first season of '' Muppet Babies'' did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from ...

''. Brian Cummings voiced Kermit in a 1995 CBS promotion. Wally Wingert provided the voice of Baby Kermit in a ''Muppet Babies'' CD-ROM.

voices Baby Kermit on the 2018 reboot of '' Muppet Babies''.

Character biography

A biography has been developed for Kermit the Frog as if he was an actual living performer rather than a puppet character. According to this fictional biography, he was born in

, alongside approximately 2,353 siblings, though a 2011 "interview" on '' The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' has him state that he was from the swamps of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

. As portrayed in the 2002 film ''Kermit's Swamp Years'', at the age of 12, he was the first of his siblings to leave the swamp, and one of the first frogs to talk to humans. He is shown in the film encountering a 12-year-old Jim Henson (played by Christian Kriebel) for the first time. According to ''

,'' Kermit returned to the swamp, where a passing agent ( Dom DeLuise) noted he had talent and, thus inspired, he headed to Hollywood, encountering the rest of the Muppets along the way. Together, they were given a standard "rich and famous" contract by Lew Lord (

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

) of Wide World Studios and began their showbiz careers. In '' Before You Leap'', Kermit again references encountering Jim Henson sometime after the events depicted in the course of ''The Muppet Movie'' and details their friendship and their partnership in the entertainment industry, crediting Henson as being the individual to whom he owes his fame. At some point after the events of ''The Muppet Movie'', Kermit and the other Muppets begin ''

'', and the characters remain together as a group, before starring in the other Muppet films and '' Muppets Tonight'', with Kermit usually at the core of the stories as the lead protagonist. Kermit is shown in ''The Muppet Movie'' as stating that the events of the film are "approximately how it happened" when asked by his nephew Robin about how the Muppets got started. Fozzie Bear is portrayed as Kermit's best friend—a fact reiterated by Kermit in ''Before You Leap''—and the two were frequently seen together during sketches on ''The Muppet Show'' and in other Muppet-related media and merchandise. On August 4, 2015, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy "announced" that they had ended their romantic relationship. On September 2, 2015, Kermit was stated to have found a new girlfriend, a pig named Denise, but around February 2016, Denise supposedly broke up with Kermit after almost six months together.

Career

Kermit has been featured prominently on both ''The Muppet Show'' and ''Sesame Street''. However, he had a prominent career before ''Sesame Street''s debut in 1969, as he starred in '' Sam and Friends'', and numerous Muppets made guest appearances on '' Today'' from 1961 and ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' from 1966.

''Sesame Street''

Kermit was one of the original main Muppet characters on ''

''. Closely identified with the show, Kermit usually appeared as a lecturer on simple topics, a straight man to another Muppet foil (usually Grover,

Herry Monster The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, many for the purpose of appearing on the children's television program ''Sesame Street''. Some of the best known Muppets on ''Sesame Street'' include Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, ...

or Cookie Monster), or a news reporter interviewing storybook characters for Sesame Street News. He sang many songs on the show, including " Bein' Green", and appeared in the 1998 video ''The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street''. Unlike the rest of the show's Muppets, Kermit was never the property of

Sesame Workshop Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...

and has rarely been a part of the show's merchandise. When Sesame Workshop bought full ownership of its characters from The Jim Henson Company for $180 million, Kermit was excluded from the deal. The character now belongs to The Muppets Studio, a division of

. His first ''Sesame Street'' appearance since Disney ownership was in an ''

Elmo's World ''Elmo's World'' is a segment that is shown at the end of the long-running American children's television program ''Sesame Street'' which premiered on November 16th, 1998, as part of a broader structural change to the show. It originally lasted ...

'' segment in the show's 40th-season premiere on November 10, 2009. His most recent appearance was in the 2019 television special '' Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration'', where he performed "Bein' Green" with

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

With the Muppets

In ''The Muppet Show'' television series, Kermit was the central character, the

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

, and the long-suffering

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...

of the theater show, trying to keep order amidst the chaos created by the other Muppets. Henson once claimed that Kermit's job on the ''Muppet Show'' was much like his own: "trying to get a bunch of crazies to actually get the job done." It was on this show that the running gag of Kermit being pursued by leading lady Miss Piggy developed. On '' Muppets Tonight'', Kermit was still a main character, although he was the producer rather than frontman. He appeared in many parody sketches such as ''NYPD Green'', ''City Schtickers'', ''Flippers'', and ''The Muppet Odd Squad'', as well as in the ''Psychiatrist's Office'' sketch. Kermit also served as the mascot for The Jim Henson Company, until the sale of the Muppet characters to Disney. A Kermit puppet can be seen at the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

. Kermit appears in '' Muppet*Vision 3D'', an attraction that opened in 1991 and continues to run presently at Disney's Hollywood Studios at

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida Lake Buena Vista () is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World—although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically located ...

. The character was also formerly featured in the aforementioned attraction in Disney California Adventure Park at the

Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division and is home to two theme parks ...

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

until its closure in 2014. Kermit also appeared in '' The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History'' at the

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The ...

from 2016 to 2020. He also appeared in two parades; Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade which ran at Disney's Hollywood Studios from 2001 to 2008 and Disney's Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade which was held during 2010 at the Magic Kingdom and

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...

Filmography

Kermit the Frog has appeared in almost every Muppet production, as well as making guest appearances in other shows and movies. Below is a list of his more well-known appearances: * '' Sam and Friends'' (1955–1961) (TV) * ''

'' (1969–1990, 1996–2001, 2009, 2019) (TV) * '' Hey, Cinderella!'' (1969) (TV) * ''

The Muppets on Puppets ''The Muppets on Puppets'' is a 1970 TV special created by Jim Henson. The special was produced in June 1968 at public television station WITF-TV in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for National Educational Television (now PBS). It aired on New York's WNET ...

'' (1970) (TV) * '' The Frog Prince'' (1971) (TV) * ''

The Muppet Musicians of Bremen ''The Muppet Musicians of Bremen'' (released on home video as ''Tales from MuppetLand: The Muppet Musicians of Bremen'') is a 1972 television special that is an adaptation of ''Town Musicians of Bremen'', featuring The Muppets. It is directed and p ...

'' (1972) (TV) * '' The Muppets Valentine Show'' (1974) (TV) * '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence'' (1975) (TV) * ''

'' (1976–1981) (TV) * ''

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas ''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. The special features an ensemble cast of Henson's Muppet characters as well as chara ...

'' (1977) (TV) * ''

'' (1979) * '' The Great Muppet Caper'' (1981) * '' The Muppets Take Manhattan'' (1984) * '' Muppet Babies'' (1984–1991) (TV) * ''

Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird ''Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird'' (or simply ''Follow That Bird'') is a 1985 American musical road comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. Based on the long-running popular children's televisi ...

'' (1985) * '' The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'' (1986) (TV) * ''

The Christmas Toy ''The Christmas Toy'' is a 1986 television film directed by Eric Till and produced by The Jim Henson Company, featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, including Rugby the Tiger who remembers how he was the Christmas Toy last year, and thinks he is going t ...

'' (1986) (TV) * '' A Muppet Family Christmas'' (1987) (TV) * '' The Jim Henson Hour'' (1989) (TV) * '' Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' (1990) (TV) * ''

'' (1990) (TV) * ''

'' (1990) (TV) * '' The Muppet Christmas Carol'' (1992) – Appearance as Bob Cratchit * ''

Muppet Classic Theater ''Muppet Classic Theater'' (also known as ''Muppet Family Theater'' in the Republic of Ireland and ''Muppet Fairy Tales'' in the United Kingdom) is a direct-to-video musical comedy film featuring The Muppets. It is the first direct-to-video featur ...

'' (1994) (Direct-to-Video) – Appearance as King Midas and the King in Rumpelstiltskin. * '' Muppet Treasure Island'' (1996) – Appearance as Captain Abraham Smollett * '' Muppets Tonight'' (1996–1998) (TV) * '' Muppets from Space'' (1999) * ''

The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon The ''MDA Labor Day Telethon'' was an annual telethon held on (starting the night before and throughout) Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded ...

'' (2001) (TV) * '' Kermit's Swamp Years'' (2002) (Direct-to-Video) * ''

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'' is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and the first film to be ...

'' (2002) (TV) * ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' (1975/76, 2004, 2011) (TV) * '' The Muppets' Wizard of Oz'' (2005) (TV) – Appearance as Himself and The Scarecrow * ''

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium ''Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium'' is the best movie ever and a 2007 children's fantasy comedy film written and directed by Zach Helm, produced by FilmColony, Mandate Pictures, Walden Media, Richard N. Gladstein and James Garavente, and with m ...

'' (2007) (cameo) * '' Studio DC: Almost Live'' (2008) (TV) * '' A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa'' (2008) (TV) * ''

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompas ...

'' (2011) * "

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...

(2012) - Appearance as Himself in "

My Whole Life Is Thunder "My Whole Life Is Thunder" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 133rd overall episode of the series. It was directed by Linda Mendoza and written by Jack Burditt and Colleen M ...

" * '' Good Luck Charlie'' (2013) (TV) – Appearance as Himself in "Duncan Dream House" * ''

Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular ''Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular'' is a Thanksgiving television special with American singer Lady Gaga and the Muppets. The 90-minute program aired on ABC on November 28, 2013, with guest stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elton John a ...

'' (2013) (TV) * '' Muppets Most Wanted'' (2014) * ''

'' (2015–2016) (TV) * '' Muppet Babies'' (2018–2022) (TV) * '' Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration'' (2019) (TV) * '' Muppets Now'' (2020) (TV) * ''

Amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

'' (2020) (TV) – Appearance as the voice of Crumpet the Frog in "Swamp and Sensibility" * '' The Masked Singer'' (2021) (TV) – The Snail * '' Muppets Haunted Mansion'' (2021) (TV) – Appearance as Himself and a Ghost

Cultural impact

Accolades and commemorations

Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996, at Southampton College, New York, where he also gave a commencement speech. He is also the only "amphibian" to have had the honor of addressing the Oxford Union. A statue of Henson and Kermit was erected on the campus of Henson's alma mater, the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of ...

in 2003. Kermit was also given the honor of being the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1996. The

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States wit ...

has featured a Kermit balloon since 1977. On November 14, 2002, Kermit the Frog received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

. The star is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Kermit has two stars on the Walk of Fame, the other as a member of the collective The Muppets. On Kermit's 50th birthday in 2005, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

released a set of new stamps with photos of Kermit and some of his fellow Muppets on them. The background of the stamp sheet features a photo of a silhouetted Henson sitting in a window well, with Kermit sitting in his lap looking at him. Kermit was also the grand marshal for

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

's homecoming parade in 2006. In 2013, the original Kermit puppet from ''Sam and Friends'' was donated to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...

in Washington, D.C. for display in the pop culture gallery. In 2015, the Leland Chamber of Commerce in Leland, Mississippi opened a small museum containing puppets and memorabilia dedicated to Kermit. Kermit's legacy is also deeply entrenched in the science community. One of the famous WP-3D ''Orion'' research platforms flown by the

NOAA Hurricane Hunters The NOAA Hurricane Hunters are a group of aircraft used for hurricane reconnaissance by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They fly through hurricanes to help forecasters and scientists gather operational an ...

is named after Kermit. The other is named after Miss Piggy. In 2015, the discovery of the Costa Rican glass frog '' Hyalinobatrachium dianae'' also attracted viral media attention due to the creature's perceived resemblance to Kermit, with researcher Brian Kubicki quoted as saying "I am glad that this species has ended up getting so much international attention, and in doing so it is highlighting the amazing amphibians that are native to Costa Rica and the need to continue exploring and studying the country's amazing tropical forests".

Guest television appearances

Kermit has made numerous guest appearances on popular television shows, including co-hosting individual episodes of a number of long-running talk shows; among other television media. On April 2, 1979, Kermit guest-hosted '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' to promote ''The Muppet Movie''. From 1983 to 1995, the French political satire show '' Le Bébête Show'' used copies of various Muppets to parody key political figures, and Kermit renamed "Kermitterrand", embodied President

François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...

. On May 21, 2018, Kermit and contestant Maddie Poppe performed "Rainbow Connection" live on ''American Idol''. A still photo of Kermit sitting in his Director's chair with his megaphone in his hand from ''The Muppet Show'' appeared on a technical difficulties telop graphic on Metromedia owned-and-operated station KTTV Channel 11 in

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during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As an April Fool's joke, Kermit hosted CNN's '' Larry King Live'' in 1994 and interviewed

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

. Kermit was also a semi-regular during various incarnations of '' Hollywood Squares'', with other Muppets such as Big Bird and

Oscar the Grouch Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Jon Stone for the PBS/ HBO children's television program ''Sesame Street''. He has a green body, no visible nose, and lives in a trash can. Oscar's favorite thing is trash, as e ...

also making appearances on the original ''Hollywood Squares''. In 2020, Kermit appeared on ''

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...

'' with other Muppets characters as it was briefly rebranded "Muppet Night Football." On March 10, 2021, Kermit was the first celebrity to be unmasked on the fifth season of '' The Masked Singer'', having performed in costume as "Snail".

Merchandising

Jim Henson's characters, including the Muppets, have inspired merchandise internationally, with Chris Bensch, chief curator of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

's The Strong National Museum of Play, reporting "There seems to have been a particular craze for Kermit the Frog in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

," likely due to the " cuteness appeal". Baby Kermit

plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be cal ...

became popular in the 1980s after the success of '' Muppet Babies.'' In 1991, one year after Jim Henson died, merchandise featuring Kermit and other Muppet characters was being sold at Disney theme parks, causing Henson Associates to file a lawsuit against Disney for

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, ...

. Henson alleged that the "counterfeit merchandise" falsely indicated that the characters belonged to Disney, although the latter company had the right to exercise use of the characters due to an earlier licensing agreement. The Henson Associates highlighted a

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...

displaying Kermit, the Disney brand, and a

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. Disney representative Erwin Okun said the lawsuit was "outrageous" and "an unfortunate break with the legacy of a fine relationship with Disney that Jim Henson left behind". Disney later acquired the Muppets, and thusly, clothes, toys and souvenirs depicting Kermit and the Muppets continued to be sold at Disney theme parks and stores. The Leland Chamber of Commerce's small Kermit-themed museum set out to preserve some of the dolls and merchandise. In 2016, ''

The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspape ...

'' reported a hat featuring Kermit sipping

Lipton Lipton is a British brand of tea, owned by Ekaterra. Lipton was also a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, later sold to Argyll Foods, after which the company sold only tea. The company is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Lipton, wh ...

tea, associated with the "But That's None of My Business"

Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

, became a popular seller after basketball player LeBron James drew attention for wearing one.

Kermit in Internet culture

In March 2007, ''Sad Kermit'', an unofficial parody, was uploaded to the website

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, showing a store-bought Kermit puppet performing a version of the

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

song " Hurt" in a style similar to

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

's famous cover version. In contrast to the real Kermit character's usual family-friendly antics, the video shows the puppet engaging in

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, smoking,

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

, performing oral sex on Rowlf the Dog, smashing a picture of Miss Piggy (with a breast exposed) and attempting suicide. The video became an

. The '' Victoria Times Colonist'' called it an "online sensation". The ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...

'' said it "puts the high in 'Hi-ho!'" The ''

London Free Press ''The London Free Press'' is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Southwestern Ontario. History ''The London Free Press'' began as the ''Canadian Free Press'', founded by Willia ...

'' said "Sad Kermit is in a world of pain". The ''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...

'' described it as the "world's most revolting web phenomenon".

SF Weekly ''SF Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper has won national journalism awards, ...

described the unauthorized video as "ironic slandering". Clips have been featured on the Canadian television series '' The Hour'', where host

George Stroumboulopoulos George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as f ...

speculated that the Kermit version of "Hurt" was inspired by the Cash version rather than that of Nine Inch Nails. Kermit has also appeared in a popular meme in which he is shown sipping tea, "one used when you sassily point something out, and then slyly back away, claiming that it's not ourbusiness". The photo is taken from "Be More Kermit," a

advertisement that aired in 2014, and was adapted into the "But That's None of My Business" meme by African American comedians on the

Tumblr Tumblr (stylized as tumblr; pronounced "tumbler") is an American microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and currently owned by Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to ...

blog Kermit the Snitch, making appearances on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

and

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

. Charles Pulliam-Moore of the TV station '' Fusion'' praised "But That's None of My Business" as "a symbol for the comedic brilliance born out of black communities on the internet," but Stephanie Hayes of '' Bustle'' magazine criticized the memes as racist and obscene. In 2016, a ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...

'' post on Twitter referred to the "But That's None of My Business" meme as "Tea Lizard", becoming the subject of viral online derision. ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine replied that, "Kermit is a frog. A frog is an amphibian. A lizard is a reptile. It's just so insulting. Beyond a frog and a lizard both being clearly

ectotherm An ectotherm (from the Greek () "outside" and () "heat") is an organism in which internal physiological sources of heat are of relatively small or of quite negligible importance in controlling body temperature.Davenport, John. Animal Life ...

ic, they couldn't be any more different. Not all green things are the same, you ignorant bastards". ''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

'' also addressed the misnomer, writing "Frogs, which are amphibians, have quite a few significant differences from reptiles in how they breathe, their life cycles, whether they have scales or not... there's a lot to absorb here". In November 2016, a new meme surfaced of Kermit talking to a hooded version of himself which represents the self and its dark inner thoughts. It involves captioning of a

screenshot screenshot (also known as screen capture or screen grab) is a digital image that shows the contents of a computer display. A screenshot is created by the operating system or software running on the device powering the display. Additionally, s ...

taken from the ''Muppets Most Wanted'' movie of Kermit and Constantine looking at each other. In the meme, Constantine is supposed to represent a Sith Lord from Star Wars. In 2021, he was parodied as “Sapu” for social media.

References

External links

Kermit the Frog's character profile
at Disney.com
Kermit's commencement address at Southampton College in 1996

* (as himself)
Kermit the Frog
on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

{{Authority control Fictional characters from Mississippi Television characters introduced in 1955 Mascots introduced in 1955 Fictional frogs Fictional producers Fictional reporters Fictional singers Fictional string musicians Frog mascots Television mascots Corporate mascots Sesame Street Muppet characters The Muppets characters Internet memes Film and television memes