Kermit the Frog
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Kermit the Frog is a fictional character, a Muppet and one of puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous creations. Kermit was performed by Henson until his death in 1990. Since then, he has been performed by puppeteer Steve Whitmire.
An early version of Kermit appeared in 1955, in a five minute puppet show for WRC-TV Sam and Friends. The prototype Kermit was created from a green ladies' coat that Henson's mother had thrown in the trash can, and two ping-pong balls for eyes. The early Kermit was a sort of lizard-like creature; Kermit's first appearance as a frog was in the television special Hey Cinderella in 1969, and he's been a frog ever since.
Kermit had his big break later in 1969, with frequent appearances on Sesame Street, often as a news reporter interviewing nursery rhyme characters. One of his most memorable works was the song "Bein' Green" from this series. Although closely identified with Sesame Street, Kermit was always considered a "guest star" rather than a member of the show's regular Muppet contingent. Kermit's song "The Rainbow Connection" was also a big hit from The Muppet Movie and has become the signature song of The Jim Henson Company (it is also the only movie song sung by a "frog" to be nominated for an Academy Award).
In 1979, Kermit and creator Henson spoke at ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's funeral. Kermit published One Frog Can Make A Difference, Kermit's Guide to Life in 1993 in hardcover with Pocket Books. In 1996, he gave a commencement speech at Southampton College in which he came out as an environmentalist. In 2001 he appeared in the TV show Hollywood Squares.
Kermit also served as the mascot for The Jim Henson Company, until the sale of the Muppet characters to The Walt Disney Company.
Biography
On [[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]], he commented to Ty Pennington that "You know, as a tadpole in the swamp, I had 3,265 brothers and sisters!" More of his childhood was chronicled in Kermit's Swamp Years, including that, 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 also encountered a 12 year old Jim Henson (played by Christian Kebbel) for the first time.
After this, Kermit returned to the swamp, although he had picked up an interest in show business from watching movies. According to The Muppet Movie (which Kermit described as "sort of approximately how it happened"), a passing agent 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 of Wide World Studios (a play on Lord Lew Grade, who commissioned the Muppet Show in reality), and began their showbiz careers.
In The Muppet Show television series, Kermit was frontman and the long-suffering stage manager of the fictitious theatre show. He continually struggled to produce a quality program, for a sparse and disaffected audience. Kermit also appeared in several Muppet movies and spin-off series, including Muppets Tonight.
As a running joke in the shows, Kermit was pursued by leading lady Miss Piggy. He is close friends with Fozzie Bear and has a nephew, Robin.
In 1984, Kermit and Piggy may have been married on the set of The Muppets Take Manhattan. The minister who officiates at the ceremony in the movie is a genuine minister. Kermit insists that this was not a real marriage, although Piggy has said otherwise.
Kermit's official birthday is May 9, 1955.
Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996 at Southampton College, where he also gave a commencement speech. [link]
As a television personality
Kermit has made a number of guest appearances on other shows. In 1979, Kermit was a guest host for the Tonight Show, substituting for Johnny Carson. He continued to make appearances long after The Muppet Show ended in 1981.
In 1987, Kermit and other Muppet characters co-hosted an ABC News special which attempted to explain the stock market and the potentially disquieting events of the Black Monday stock price decline in a manner that both informed and entertained the audience about the complex subject.
Kermit was also given the great honor of being the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1996.
In 2000, he also appeared in the audience on a celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Such was his popularity in the UK that in 2000 he hosted the "1976" episode of the BBC's nostalgia series I Love the 70s (amongst other things, he recalled the phenomenon Mahna Mahna, punk rock, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and, naturally, The Muppet Movie) and even joined fellow American Ruby Wax for a couple of between-band links at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert in 2002.
In 2001 Kermit had to disappear from Sesame Street after German media company EM.TV & Merchandising AG bought the Jim Henson Company, which held the rights to the Muppet characters, including Kermit.
As an April Fool's joke, Kermit hosted CNN's Larry King Live in 1994 [link].
In 2005, he was the star of a BMW commercial.
In January 2006, in a commercial for the Ford Escape Hybrid premiering during the Super Bowl, Kermit was featured singing "Bein' Green". He then went on to co-star alongside Miss Piggy and Jessica Simpson in Pizza Hut commercials.
In April, 2006, Kermit appeared on [[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]] to take over as crew leader for that episode.
On May 10th, 2006, he was featured in a music video for the American Idols in season 5.
On June 28, 2006, Kermit made a surprise appearance on Good Morning America for Charlie Gibson's last appearance as co-anchor of the program. Referring to a picture of Gibson and his family posing with Kermit from a few years earlier that had been shown on the air, Gibson affectionately referred to Kermit as his "adopted son", to which the famed frog began this exchange with Gibson:
Kermit: Dad, can I borrow the car tonight?
Gibson: OK, but stay out of the back seat.
Kermit: With my luck, I'll probably end up in the trunk.
Kermit reappeared at the end of the show, sitting on Gibson's shoulder.
Filmography
- Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1977) (TV)
- The Muppet Movie (1979)
- The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
- The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
- A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) (TV)
- The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990) (TV)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
- Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
- Muppets from Space (1999)
- Kermit's Swamp Years (2002) (Direct-to-Video)
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (TV)
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) (TV)
- Extreme Makeover Home Edition (2005) (TV)
Quotes
- "Kermit the [pronounced /ðiː/] Frog, Sesame Street News"
- "It's not easy being green."
- "Hi ho, and Welcome to the Muppet Show."
- "Time's fun when you're having flies."
- "Frankly, Miss Piggy, I don't give a hoot."
- "Miss Piggy and I have a professional acting relationship. I act like a professional, and she acts like we're having a relationship."
- "Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me."
- "I mean, you know, if you can afford to pay off the audience, and buy all those flowers, and the fur, and the mail, and all that stuff."
- "Introducing [whichever act was coming next]! Yayyyyyyy!!!"
- "This is all very amusing. But I have to be going now."
- "Me? In love with a pig? Ha ha! Wait 'till I get the guys at marketing. (laughs) Maybe you've expected me to go hog-wild! Oh, good, maybe you expect me to bring home the bacon! Ah, the sounds of love - Soue! Oink oink!"
International
Sesame Street is localised for some different markets, and Kermit is often renamed. In Portugal, he's Cócas, o Sapo (sapo means frog/toad). In Latin America his name is la rana René. In Spain Kermit is named Gustavo. In Brazil his name is Caco,o Sapo.Trivia
- Puppeteer Jim Henson chose Kermit as his signature character because the puppet was the lightest in weight, and thus the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time.
- Kermit performed a duet with pop star Kylie Minogue performing Especially For You on her An Audience With... television special.
- A statue of Henson and Kermit was erected on the campus of Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park.
- In 2006, the University of Maryland, College Park introduced 50 statues of their school mascot, Testudo the Terrapin, with varying designs (chosen by different sponsoring groups). Among them was a statue designed to look like Kermit the Frog, called Kermudo.
- Kermit once told a VH1 veejay in an early 1990's TV interview (promoting the Kermit Unpigged album) that his favorite band was Toad The Wet Sprocket.
- In October 2005, Kermit embarked on a tour visiting 50 "incredibly fun - and some just plain strange - places around the world to celebrate my 50th year in showbusiness." His first stop was Kermit, Texas.
- During the first season of The Muppet Show, Kermit was just normal and not too enthusiastic. But later on, during the rest of the seasons (sometime during the second season), Kermit became excited and more and more energetic.
- Jim Henson once claimed that Kermit's job on the Muppet Show is much like his own: trying to get a bunch of crazies to actually get the job done!
- Kermit is the only amphibian to hold the honour to address the Oxford Union.
- On Kermit's 50th year anniversary in show business, The United States Postal Service released a set of new stamps with photos of Kermit and some of his fellow Muppets on them. The characters present include Kermit himself, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Sam the Eagle, Statler and Waldorf, Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Animal, Rowlf the Dog and Gonzo, accompanied with his beloved Camilla the Chicken.
- In the Music video for Keep Fishin' by the band Weezer, most of the Muppets Tonight Muppets made an appearance. Miss Piggy kidnaps Pat, the drummer. Kermit was also featured on two shirts the band issued. One with a spin on the famous "it's not easy being green" statement, changed to "it's not easy being weez" [link] and one featuring Kermit holding a Flying V guitar in front of the =w= Weezer symbol [link]. Kermit also appeared on the cover of the "Keep Fishin'" single [link].
- Kermit appeared in a two-hour special anniversary edition episode of The Matthew Barnard Show which aired on April 9, 2000.
See also
- Kermit (the computer communications and file-transfer protocol)
External links
- [Muppet Wiki: Kermit the Frog]
- [Tough Pigs Anthology: Kermit's Sesame Street News Flash sketches]
- [Kermit's commencement address at Southampton College in 1996]
- Blogging and tracking Kermit's world tour starting October 2005.
- (incomplete as Kermit is always credited as his puppeteer)
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