Ciao everyone, happy almost-friday. Anyways, instead of the traditional joke, I would like to share a nice meme. I’d like to credit one of my classmates for this suggestion to bring variety to the blog:

I would rate this meme a 8.75/10 because Kermit memes are always good. I’m sure some of us can relate to sleeping in nowadays.

When asked about our favorite Muppet, I’d imagine that the majority would reply with Kermit. I probably would, with Gonzo being a close second. But why? Other than kermitting the crime of stealing our hearts, why are we drawn to this renowned frog?

The answer, simply, is Jim Henson, our true Master of Muppets. Henson, born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi, developed his love for art at a young age. While continuing his passion through high school and into his undergraduate career at the University of Maryland, Henson landed a television gig called Sam and Friends, created in 1955. Here, the Muppets were born, featuring animal-based puppets to provide elementary entertainment. Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and, you’ve guessed it, Kermit the Frog, made their well-deserved television debut.

Sam and Friends went on to win a local Emmy in 1958, which launched Henson’s career as a famous puppeteer, ultimately culminating into the establishment of the Jim Henson Company.

However, contrary to popular belief, Kermit was not the first nationally renowned Muppet. In 1963, Rowlf the Dog starred on the Jimmy Dean Show and provided a foundation for Henson’s next endeavor: Sesame Street. After animating characters such as Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Snuffulupagus, and Elmo, Henson’s esteem swelled and finally brought him back to his Muppets.

In the 1970’s, The Muppet Show premiered, airing first in London, England, and then the United States. Actually, it wasn’t even until 1976 that Kermit the Frog took the world by storm. The Muppet Show also led to feature films for Henson, including The Muppet Movie in 1979, and an animated TV spin-off, Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, according to Biography.com.

When animation wasn’t satisfying enough, Henson directed his attention towards, well, directing. In the 1980’s, TV series such as Fraggle Rock, The Jim Henson Hour and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller were introduced. Other major works include The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Honestly, I haven’t seen any of these movies and I didn’t know they existed before this.

Jim Henson is clearly a legend, since he effectively combined learning with light-hearted humor, with the current continuation of the Jim Henson Foundation. However, his untimely death due to streptococcus pneumonia on May 16, 1990, led to the end of this exciting episode.

Despite this, the Muppets still aired on the silver screen, including The Muppets Movie (2011), which demonstrates his posthumous fame and his astounding legacy. Kermit, as well as the other Muppets, are still apparent in our modern world, as seen through numerous memes.

Now, it’s my turn to make like a tree and get out of here. Until next time my jokers!

Reference: “Jim Henson.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 19 Apr. 2021, 

                       https://www.biography.com/performer/jim-henson.