Before You Leap is the autobiography published under the name of the Muppet character Kermit the Frog . It was released by Meredith Books in September 2006.
54-525: Kermit may refer to: Kermit the Frog , The Muppets character Kermit Roosevelt (disambiguation) , any of several descendants of U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt Kermit (given name) Kermit, the stage name for Paul Leveridge of Black Grape Kermit (protocol) , for computer file transfers Kermit, Texas Kermit, West Virginia Kermit (band) , an instrumental rock quartet Topics referred to by
108-512: 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 , the MTV Video Music Awards , and at the 2009 D23 Expo ). Voice actor Frank Welker provided the voice of Baby Kermit on the animated Saturday morning cartoon, Muppet Babies . He also provided
162-609: A Kermit balloon since 1977. Kermit also served as the mascot for The Jim Henson Company, until the sale of the Muppet characters to Disney. On November 14, 2002, Kermit the Frog received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television. 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, which they received on March 20, 2012 in
216-453: 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 and its parent The Walt Disney Company , which own the rights to Kermit. Disney cited "unacceptable business conduct" as reason for
270-641: 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 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 has featured
324-407: A featured role on Sesame Street . He has appeared in other television series, feature films, specials, and public service announcements through the years. He also served as a mascot of The Jim Henson Company and appeared in various Henson projects until 2004. Kermit performed the hit singles " Bein' Green " in 1970 for Sesame Street and " Rainbow Connection " in 1979 for The Muppet Movie ,
378-440: 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
432-501: A job on Sesame Street , which leads to The Muppet Show and multiple feature films. Each new job for Kermit is described as a personal accomplishment, and these descriptions include accounts of Kermit's early interactions with characters such as Miss Piggy , Fozzie Bear , and Gonzo . The second part of the book involves Kermit's own take on popular self-help lessons. This final section includes many examples of life lessons from other Muppet characters, in addition to interruptions from
486-470: A news reporter interviewing storybook characters for Sesame Street News. He sang many songs on the show, including " Bein' Green ", and was the focus of 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 and has only occasionally been a part of the show's merchandise. When Sesame Workshop bought full ownership of its characters from Henson for $ 180 million, Kermit
540-475: A popular seller after basketball player LeBron James drew attention for wearing one. In March 2007, Sad Kermit , an unofficial parody, was uploaded to the website YouTube , showing a store-bought Kermit puppet performing a version of the Nine Inch Nails song " Hurt " in a style similar to Johnny Cash 's famous cover version. In contrast to the real Kermit character's usual family-friendly antics,
594-526: 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 from 1966. Kermit was one of the original main Muppet characters on Sesame Street . 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 or Cookie Monster ), or
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#1732772466002648-481: A puppet character. According to this fictional biography, he was born in Leland, Mississippi , 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 . 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
702-473: A sound engineer at WBAL-TV during Jim Henson's time with Sam and Friends , recalls that the puppet was named after her father. According to Cohen's obituary, as well as DiMenna and Lenny Levin, a colleague of Cohen's at WBAL: The late puppeteer had been the host of a show, Sam and Friends , at WRC-TV in Washington when he was invited to tour WBAL's studios. Both were NBC affiliates then, and WBAL carried
756-462: A technical difficulties telop graphic on Metromedia owned-and-operated station KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles 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 . Kermit was also a semi-regular during various incarnations of Hollywood Squares , with other Muppets such as Big Bird and Oscar
810-509: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created in 1955 and originally performed by Jim Henson . An anthropomorphic green frog , Kermit is the pragmatic everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably as the showrunner and host of the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show and
864-467: 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". In 2024, researchers named Kermitops gratus as a new genus and species of fossil "proto-amphibian" from rocks dating to the early Permian period of Texas, US. The genus name , which means "Kermit face" in Greek, references the general resemblance of
918-722: Is in a world of pain". The Houston Press described it as the "world's most revolting web phenomenon". SF Weekly described the unauthorized video as "ironic slandering". Clips have been featured on the Canadian television series The Hour , where host George Stroumboulopoulos speculated that the Kermit version of "Hurt" was inspired by the Cash version rather than that of Nine Inch Nails. Before You Leap Steve Whitmire performed Kermit on CBS News in January 2007 to discuss
972-414: Is known as Kamel , which is a common Arabic male name that means "perfect". In Hungary , he is called Breki ( onomatopoetic ). 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
1026-616: Is shown in the film encountering a 12-year-old Jim Henson (played by Christian Kebbel) for the first time. According to The Muppet Movie, Kermit returned to the swamp, where a passing agent ( Dom DeLuise ) noted he had talent. Thus inspired, Kermit 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 ) of Wide World Studios and began their showbiz careers. In Before You Leap , Kermit again references encountering Jim Henson sometime after
1080-421: The " cuteness appeal". Baby Kermit plush toys 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 . Henson alleged that the "counterfeit merchandise" falsely indicated that
1134-434: 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. Kermit has been featured prominently on both The Muppet Show and Sesame Street , and is the only Muppet to do so in that capacity. However, he had
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#17327724660021188-470: The Grouch also making appearances on the original Hollywood Squares . In 2020, Kermit appeared on Monday Night Football 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". On May 7, 2023, Kermit, along with Miss Piggy,
1242-515: The Kermit puppet allows the performer's arm and hand to produce a wide range of expression and gestures. 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 . However, Karen Falk, head archivist and board of directors member for the Jim Henson Legacy organization, denies this claim, stating that Henson merely liked how
1296-426: 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 reported a hat featuring Kermit sipping Lipton tea, associated with the "But That's None of My Business" Internet meme , became
1350-449: 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
1404-450: The book's themes. The book was also mentioned in a 2014 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon featuring Kermit. The book is written as a follow-up to a 2005 book titled It's Not Easy Being Green and contains references to Kermit's song " Bein' Green ". The memoir begins with Kermit's beginnings as one of over 2,000 tadpole children; the first chapter retcons the film Kermit's Swamp Years in many ways by reimagining
1458-536: The category of Motion Pictures. On Kermit's 50th birthday in 2005, the United States Postal Service 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 's homecoming parade in 2006. In 2013,
1512-499: 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
1566-475: 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. Kermit the Frog first appeared on local programs and commercials broadcast on WRC-TV , most notably 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
1620-506: The character's childhood. The first part of the book tells a fictionalized account of how the Muppets began. Kermit meets Jim Henson in Washington, D.C. and stars in the first television program to feature the character, Sam and Friends . He moves to New York and mentions Rowlf the Dog 's appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show , which contributed to the Muppets' early success. Kermit gets
1674-563: The character. As Sesame Street is localized for some different markets that speak languages other than English, Kermit is often renamed. In Portugal , he is called Cocas, o Sapo ( sapo means " toad "), and in Brazil , 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
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1728-562: 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 displaying Kermit, the Disney brand, and a copyright symbol . 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
1782-619: 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
1836-522: 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” video released on YouTube . John Kennedy performed Kermit for Muppets Ahoy! ,
1890-513: 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 The Muppet Show , and the characters remain together as a group, before starring in the other Muppet films and Muppets Tonight , with Kermit usually at
1944-544: 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 's National Recording Registry 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 since 2017. He
1998-854: The fossil skull to the Muppets character's head. 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 . 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
2052-418: The named sounded: While Jim Henson did have a childhood acquaintance named Kermit, it was not an uncommon name at the time, and Jim always said that the Frog was not named after this child from his elementary school. I think Jim just liked the sound of the name - it has nice hard sounds and a sort of nasal quality that make it rather funny. Joy DiMenna, the only daughter of Kermit Kalman Cohen, who worked as
2106-675: The original Kermit puppet from Sam and Friends was donated to the Smithsonian Institution 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. A Kermit puppet can be seen at the National Museum of American History . Kermit's legacy is also deeply entrenched in
2160-409: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Kermit . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kermit&oldid=1198971550 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2214-638: The science community. One of the famous WP-3D Orion research platforms flown by the NOAA Hurricane Hunters 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
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2268-577: The show, Mr. Levin said. Mr. Henson was introduced to members of the sound and camera crew, including Mr. Cohen. "When he heard his name, Jim turned around, snapped his fingers and said to his wife, 'That's what we call the frog – Kermit. ' " Another common belief is that Kermit was named for Kermit Love , who worked with Henson in designing and constructing Muppets, particularly on Sesame Street . However, 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
2322-409: The video shows the puppet engaging in drug abuse , smoking, alcoholism , performing oral sex on Rowlf the Dog , smashing a picture of Miss Piggy (with a breast exposed) and attempting suicide . The video became an Internet meme . The Victoria Times Colonist called it an "online sensation". The Chicago Sun-Times said it "puts the high in 'Hi-ho!'" The London Free Press said "Sad Kermit
2376-404: The voice of an adult Kermit for a short-lived spin-off, Little Muppet Monsters . Brian Cummings voiced Kermit in a 1995 CBS promotion. Wally Wingert provided the voice of Baby Kermit in a Muppet Babies CD-ROM. Matt Danner voices Baby Kermit on the 2018 reboot of Muppet Babies . A biography has been developed for Kermit the Frog as if he were an actual living performer rather than
2430-401: Was a vague lizard -like creature. He subsequently made a number of television appearances before his status as a frog 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 , the relatively simple construction of
2484-888: Was also formerly featured in the aforementioned attraction in Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California until its closure in 2014. Kermit also appeared in The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History at the Magic Kingdom 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
2538-465: Was also voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects, and is voiced by Matt Danner in the 2018 reboot of Muppet Babies . Kermit has remained as a recognizable character in popular culture worldwide for over half a century, starring in several television series and films, and receiving dozens of honors and awards by various organizations. In 2006,
2592-415: 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 to promote the television special The Muppets at Walt Disney World . Henson died twelve days after that appearance. Following Henson's death, veteran Muppet performer Steve Whitmire
2646-469: Was excluded from the deal. The character now belongs to The Muppets Studio, a division of Disney. His first Sesame Street appearance since Disney ownership was in an Elmo's World 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 . In The Muppet Show television series, Kermit
2700-517: Was held during 2010 at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland . 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: Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters (a pun on the more common honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters ) on May 19, 1996, at Southampton College , New York, where he also gave
2754-531: Was invited to the Coronation Concert of King Charles III . He sat next to Prince Edward , The Duke of Edinburgh. Jim Henson's characters, including the Muppets, have inspired merchandise internationally, with Chris Bensch, chief curator of Rochester, New York 's The Strong National Museum of Play , reporting "There seems to have been a particular craze for Kermit the Frog in Japan ," likely due to
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#17327724660022808-409: 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. Whitmire's first public performance as Kermit was at the end of the television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson in 1990. Whitmire explained that his main intent when he inherited Kermit "was to make sure
2862-726: 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. As with most Disney characters, Kermit appears at various Disney theme parks . Kermit is featured in Muppet*Vision 3D , an attraction that opened in 1991 and continues to run presently at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida . The character
2916-520: Was the central character, the showrunner , and the long-suffering stage manager 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
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