Kermit the Frog

Kermit the Frog (born March 10, 1910) is Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, was the star and host of The Muppet Show, played a significant role on Sesame Street, and served as the logo of The Jim Henson Company. He continues to star in the Muppet movies and makes numerous TV appearances and the main protagonist of the Muppets franchise.
== Biography ==
Kermit was born on March 10, 1910. He grew up with thousands of siblings, and has talked occasionally about other members of his family. His childhood adventures were chronicled in the 2002 video Kermit's Swamp Years to discover he has some more friends like Croaker, Goggles and Blotch, also he has a little nephew named Robin.
Miss Piggy insists that she and Kermit got married in The Muppets Take Manhattan and that they're very happy. Kermit disagrees, claiming that it was just a movie and that in real life, they have a "professional relationship" (meaning he thinks they're professionals and she thinks they're in a relationship).
Kermit's most well-known catchphrase is "Hi-ho, Kermit the Frog here!" He typically introduced acts on The Muppet Show by waving his arms wildly and shouting "Yaaaay!" (a technique he learned from his old acting coach, Mr. Dawson).
Initially, Kermit was a lizard-like creature. He subsequently made a number of television appearances before his status as a frog was established. His collar was added at the time to make him seem more frog-like and to conceal the seam between his head and body.
Kermit has been credited as the writer of three books: For Every Child, A Better World; One Frog Can Make a Difference; and Before You Leap.
He was voiced by the late series' creator Jim Henson until his death, he was replaced by Steve Whitmire until his dismissal and is replaced by Matt Vogel. In the Japanese dub, he was voiced by Mitsuaki Madono.
==Character origins==
The earliest version of Kermit first appeared in 1955 on Sam and Friends, Jim Henson's five-minute puppet show that aired twice daily on WRC-TV. The soon-to-be-famous frog had humble origins, as Henson explained in 1977: "I'd paint the scenery, and Janie would carry it in the station wagon. We made the first Kermit from one of my mother's old coats with Ping-Pong balls for his eyes."
In the early days of the character, Kermit wasn't yet a frog — he was more of a lizard-like, abstract character. As Henson explained, "Kermit started out as a way of building, putting a mouth and covering over my hand. There was nothing in Kermit outside of the piece of cardboard -- it was originally cardboard -- and the cloth shape that was his head. He's one of the simplest kinds of puppets that you can make, and he's very flexible because of that... which gives him a range of expression."
In later years, Henson said that Kermit didn't become a frog until the 1971 special The Frog Prince, a claim that made its way into the 1993 book Jim Henson: The Works.
However, Kermit's froghood asserted itself as early as 1965, when Johnny Carson referred to him as "Kermit the Frog" on a December 31 Tonight Show appearance. The 1966 Montgomery Wards catalog which featured the Ideal Muppet puppets refers to Kermit as a "fanciful frog". Kermit refers to himself as a frog in the 1968 special The Muppets on Puppets. The special Hey Cinderella!, which was recorded in 1968, featured a redesigned Kermit puppet; his round feet were replaced with flippers, and he was given a fringed collar with thirteen points. By the time that Kermit appeared on the Sesame Street Pitch Reel, he was a full-fledged frog.
Kermit sported a double collar for a brief period in the early 1970s, including in the TV special The Frog Prince and several early seasons of Sesame Street, but by the time he took over as the level-headed but often exasperated host of The Muppet Show, it was changed to the trademark single collar with eleven points that he still wears today.
==The Muppet Show==
Kermit became a star when he hosted The Muppet Show, acting as the host and the person ultimately in charge of what went on during the show. During the first season, it seemed as if he treated his fellow cast and crew members more like employees, but later on, as the characters developed, it became clear that they were his friends as well.
In addition to hosting, Kermit regularly got to chat with the guest stars, in the Panel Discussions and Talk Spots, as well as backstage and in some numbers. Some of the guest stars whom Kermit has sung duets with have included Linda Ronstadt, Connie Stevens, Andy Williams, and Debbie Harry.
Kermit also sang on his own on the show many times, singing songs such as "Happy Feet", "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," "Disco Frog," and, of course, "Bein' Green." His duets with other characters include singing "Friendship" and "Octopus' Garden" with his nephew, Robin; he also participated in many group numbers.
Being the main character, Kermit interacted with most of the main cast of the show. He was often pursued by Miss Piggy, who made no secret of her love for him, but Kermit generally rebuffed her advances. Although Piggy loved him, that didn't stop her from karate-chopping him whenever she got mad at him. Miss Piggy unsuccessfully tried to make Kermit jealous of guest star Avery Schreiber, but on some occasions Kermit actually has gotten jealous of male guest stars who Piggy liked, including Peter Ustinov and Christopher Reeve. Kermit has also performed a few duets with Miss Piggy, such as "Waiting at the Church", "Ukulele Lady", and "I Won't Dance". They even danced together in an At the Dance spot in episode 123.
There have also been many episodes that revolved around Kermit and Miss Piggy. Episode 107 revolved around Miss Piggy persuing Kermit. In episode 211, Miss Piggy had Scooter pay the audience to cheer at her so that Kermit would notice her more. In episode 423, Miss Piggy got some shoes that were too small for her feet, but when Kermit complimented on the shoes, she reluctantly kept them. One of the biggest episodes for them was episode 502, in which, after being annoyed over Miss Piggy telling the gossip papers that they were secretly married, Kermit fired Miss Piggy. However, Kermit eventually did hire her back. In episode 310, Piggy tricks Kermit into a wedding sketch with a real minister she secretly booked. He realized the minister was a real one in the nick of time, however, to Miss Piggy's rage.
He was also good friends with Fozzie Bear. They have appeared together in acts such as "Any Old Iron" and Kermit has reluctantly joined Fozzie for some of his monologues, such as "Good Grief! The Comedians a Bear!" and Fozzie's phrenology act. Kermit let Fozzie help him plan the show for episode 201, and when Kermit suddenly became sick in episode 206, Kermit chose to put Fozzie in charge of hosting.
Other episodes illustrating Kermit and Fozzie's relationship include episode 122, in which Fozzie brings his agent, Irving Bizarre, to the theater to negotiate Fozzie's contract with Kermit; episode 303, in which, after Fozzie mistakenly sends the stagehands to the country, Kermit makes Fozzie do their work, threatening to fire him if he blunders; and episode 105, where Kermit kept asking Fozzie who the many phone calls to the theater were from.
Although he generally functions as the "normal" and calm center of the show, at times, Kermit would panic or become annoyed and frustrated with the chaos around him. Sources of his frustration include the antics of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's teleportation device (in episode 219), the presence of Mickey Moose (in episode 220) and a robot version of himself (in episode 104), and the various pranks pulled by Fozzie in episode 115. Kermit expressed annoyance at the acts proposed by Gonzo for the show and Crazy Harry's many explosions, and was discomfited by Scooter's frequent reminders that his uncle owned the theater.
Kermit has had major parts in many episodes of the show, and many episodes revolved around Kermit. In episode 112, Kermit became jealous of Peter Ustinov when Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Hilda, and Scooter all talked about how great Peter is, especially since Fozzie and Scooter were saying things about Peter that they had previously said about Kermit. In episode 310, Miss Piggy attempted to wed Kermit by writing a sketch in which they got married, and then tricked Kermit into signing a marriage license; she even booked a real clergyman to play the part of the minister. In episode 410, Kermit hurt his flipper after falling off a trapeze, getting hit by a faulty light fixture, and later catapulting into Statler and Waldorf's box (this episode put Piggy in the "over-protective mother" position). In episode 523, Miss Piggy was jealous because Kermit had a crush on guest star Linda Ronstadt and decided to lock Kermit inside a trunk. Kermit's birthday was celebrated in episode 406, although at the end of the episode, it was revealed that it was actually a few months before his real birthday.
==It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie==
the Muppets are decorating their Christmas tree, singing Jingle Bells, and giving each other gifts, following the example of the short story The Wise Man's Gift (Rizzo the Rat, for example, sold his cheese collection to buy Gonzo a petri dish, but Gonzo moved his petri dishes to buy Rizzo a diamond cheese cutter), a sad Kermit appears, shoos Miss Piggy away, and tells everyone: "Bad news, Guys: We lost everything, the money, the theater, everything." Sadly, he goes out, sits down on a bench and freezes. The unnoticed angel Daniel in heaven sees this through a white monitor, (the sky is depicted as a white bright office and all employees (angels) wear white), but no one wants to help him. Therefore, he himself goes to the office of God (called the boss in the film). The office is a huge flower meadow with a couch and remote control for the monitor. The boss is skeptical that Kermit needs his help and some justice, but then Daniel shows Kermit's story via the monitor.
Kermit's story begins on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, where Kermit proudly and happily tells host Carson Daly about the Muppets' Christmas show. When he is back at the theatre, Gonzo introduces him to the Frenchman Luc Fromage, who wants to present a grand opening number with Cirque du so lame, a parody of the famous Cirque du Soleil. Gonzo and Luc are thrilled, but Kermit doesn't like this number, which Luc finds disgusting (you're just a frog, ugh!). Pepe wants to go to Miami for Ricky Martin's Christmas party during the Christmas holidays, but the Muppets don't have the money to do so.
Enter Rachel Bitterman, the greedy new head of Bitterman Bank and Development (BBAD), the bank that sponsors the Muppets. The old boss, Mr. Bitterman, is dead, according to her. Bitterman is demanding that the Muppets pay by midnight on Dec. 24, or the theater will be owned by the bank. Pepe falls in love with the attractive Bitterman and leaves the Muppets.
Kermit asks Dr. Honeydew for help; he says you have to save, e.g. reduce salaries for longer periods. Kermit tells his friends, who only agree when Fozzie explains how much Kermit has done for them, and Scooter agrees.
Now the preparations for the show begin. Unfortunately, Miss Piggy gets a job to guest star on Scrubs, also an NBC series. Kermit tries to hire celebrities, but they all decline. At the request of the Muppets, he sees no other way out than to bring Miss Piggy back. So he goes to the filming location of Scrubs, where Miss Piggy plays a corpse extra. After Kermit's request to return to the theater, she is fired by Bill Lawrence.
Meanwhile, Bitterman wants to give Pepe a Christmas bonus, but only if he tells her all about the Muppets' financial situation. Their plan is to turn the theatre into the modern, hip nightclub The Dot. To keep the Muppets under pressure, she secretly forges the contract from midnight to 18:00 p.m. But Pepe notices it and wants to warn Kermit and the others.
The Muppets have now sold enough tickets to secure the theater. Pepe runs to Kermit and wants to tell him about Bitterman, but he doesn't get around to it because he is dragged onto the stage with his scarf to Rizzo and a few other rats dressed as reindeer. The performance begins.
As an opening number, the Muppets perform Moulin Scrooge, a parody of Moulin Rouge. Miss Piggy plays Satine and sings the Eartha Kitt song Santa Baby. The number becomes a success.
Behind the scenes, Pepe finally tells Kermit about Bitterman's plan. Fozzi convinces Kermit to bring the money to Bitterman himself and abandons his moonwalk performance. Pepe replaces him and tells a joke that no one finds funny. It is commented on by Statler and Waldorf.
While Fozzi brings the money, he is pursued by Nancy and Nicki Nut-What, a reference to the movie The Grinch, a crocodile hunter and a Santa Claus. In the hustle and bustle, he accidentally swaps wallets and brings Bitterman a sack of laundry instead of money, although he also had to endure some burns on his fur from laser beams in front of Bitterman's office entrance (allusion to Mission Impossible). When Kermit herself goes to Bitterman and pleadingly reminds her that the theater is the Muppets' dream, she sends him away with a vicious laugh (Kermit, you're ruining your life and your friends' lives with your ridiculous dreams of theater). Sadly, Kermit then sits down on the bench in the city park and freezes to death, as he did at the beginning of the film.
The boss and Daniel are horrified and agree to send an angel down. She wants Daniel and, since he was not prepared for the job, gives him the book Creating Miracles for Dummies. On Earth, Daniel Kermit thaws, but he wants to be left alone and exclaims, "I wish, I'd never been born." Daniel throws snow into Kermit's eyes and shows what would have happened if he had never been born. The city park has now become the Bitterman Plaza shopping center, Gonzo is homeless and tries to get money from people with the "dancing stone Amy". Kermit sees Rizzo in Fear Factor. In the show, the contestant is confronted with the rat, if she is scared, she has to eat the rat. Dr. Teeth and the band are now Riverdancers, and Doc Hopper (from The Muppet Movie) now has a restaurant for frog legs, which particularly frightens Kermit, as he initially doesn't understand that the world is here without him.
But the biggest shock is that the theatre has become a nightclub. Dr. Honeydew stands at the entrance and checks the guest list. Scooter is a cage dancer, Sam is also a dancer. Johnny Fiama is a bartender and Robin the frog carries the garbage and bottles back and forth. Waldorf and Statler buy drinks for women, but can't pay for them. When Kermit tries to approach Miss Bitterman, he and Daniel are thrown out by Beaker, who is now with security. There he meets Fozzie, who is now a pickpocket. Miss Piggy is an old maid and works at home as a telephone operator by playing a Jamaican woman.
Now that Kermit understands and is looking for Daniel to get his life back, he sees Gonzo complaining about his life in the song Everyone Matters. Kermit sings along and tries to give him strength in his lyrics and convince him of the opposite. Daniel appears and brings him back his old life with a kiss (the trick came from the boss). Full of joy and new experiences, Kermit runs to the theater and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and even kisses Miss Piggy on the snout, which gives her new courage.
But then Miss Bitterman appears and demands: "Money! Exactly, I said money!" Miss Piggy stands in front of her and wants to throw her out, which turns into a karate match in which Kermit is hit in the neck. That's when Pepe arrives and has good news for the Muppets: he's brought the money he received from Bitterman to town and received a certificate that the Muppets' theater is now a historic landmark and can't be altered or removed. Furious, Rachel Bitterman leaves the theater.
As a happy ending, the Muppets gather outside the theater with a crowd of other people and sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
In Heaven, the boss and Daniel talk about what people really need. The boss replies, "Daniel, I'm working by mysterious means."
The film ends in front of the theater and the crowd sings the song Everyone Matters with the Muppets.
== Another appearances: ==
=== The Masked Singer ===
In 2021, Kermit became a contestant (with puppeteer Matt Vogel) of the fifth season of American version of The Masked Singer, hiding behind the mask of Snail. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the first episode, having a last place and performing You Make My Dreams (Come True) by Hall & Oates. During the voting, none of juries guessed him correctly, implying that Snail is either Seth MacFarlane, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno or Ted Cruz.
In the Muppets Night, fifth episode of eighth season, he along with Miss Piggy, Animal, the Snowths, Uncle Deadly, Crazy Harry and Fozzie Bear became guests (Miss Piggy was a guest panelist). Kermit was taking part in performances: Robo Girl's (Kat Graham) Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Beetle's (late Jerry Springer) The Way You Look Tonight by late Frank Sinatra.
==Awards and Honors==
He was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996 at Southampton College, where he also gave a commencement speech.
*Kermit received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.
*Kermit's song "The Rainbow Connection" was nominated for an Academy Award, as was "The First Time It Happens" from The Great Muppet Caper.
*Kermit has also received fictional awards, such as the aforementioned Fred Award, and in The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street, The Frog of the Year Award.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*He has a few appearances outside of the Muppet franchise, including Sesame Street.
==External Links==
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