I was gonna put this in MPSIMS, because, well, it is pointless. But then I figure it is a cafe thing.
Happy Birthday Kermit.
[obligatory Kermit story]
When I was a wee one, I loved Kermit the frog. My parents usually got us 2 or 3 small gifts for Christmas, and when I was 4 I got the reporter Kermit doll, all decked out in his trenchcoat and fedora, and even a little microphone. My mom tells me that once I opened Kermit I refused to open anything else.
I gave him to a little girl I used to babysit a few years ago. I kinda wish I would have kept him now.
[/obligatory Kermit story]
For those who wonder if it’s possible to have a crush on a puppet – the answer is “Yes, yes it is.”
Happy birthday, Kermie.
I’ve been reading a bit about Jim Henson in honor of the green guy’s (Kermit, not Jim) anniversary. I haven’t discovered anything about Kermit’s early days, however. Presumably, he was born in a swamp somewhere, and eventually met Jim Henson. In 1955, Jim directed Kermit in Sam and Friends, a local puppet show produced for WTOP in Washington, DC. Although Kermit would not gain his frog-like features until the 1970s, he and Jim appeared on popular variety and talk shows of the day. Kermit catapulted to fame as part of the ensemble cast of Sesame Street in the 1960s, and eventually hired Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and other memorable characters who worked alongside him in The Muppet Show. Kermit also served as host and backstage coordinator. What, you mean to tell me Kermit’s not a real person? Hmm, I must have been doing some lousy research, then.
Anyway, Kermit is still successful, even after the death of his pal Jim Henson in 1990. On October 14, Kermit started a 50-city world tour in the appropiately named Kermit, Texas. The tour is to celebrate his anniversary, as well as to create public awareness of the Muppets. Kermit’s new place of business, The Muppets Holding Company (a division of Disney), is hoping that Kermie still has a hold on show business. Although it may not be easy being green, I’m sure Kermit can still pack an audience. Happy birthday, Kermit. 
I’ll have to watch The Muppet Movie tonight. I’ve been meaning to drop by the post office to pick up those Muppet stamps, but probably not today. Meanwhile, I’ll probably spend the rest of the day muttering bits of “The Rainbow Connection” and “Happy Feet” to myself.
The original Kermite was made from Henson’s mother’s green winter coat, with ping pong balls for eyes.
Happy Birthday Kermit. I love you.
The original Kermit is now in the Smithsonian.
For some reason, this reminds me of something I read in the book Jim Henson: The Works. Children who worked on Sesame Street saw the Muppets as real people. Once the puppeter put the character on his arm, the children wouldn’t look at the puppeteer-they’d look at the Muppet. The book also mentions a sketch from Sesame Street I recall from watching it as a child: Kermit is asking a little girl to recite the alphabet. Every so often, she replaces one of the letters with the words “Cookie Monster.” (A, B, C, D, E, F, Cookie Monster!) Eventually, Kermit screams and runs away. The little girl calls out, “I love you!” and Kermit comes back and hugs her. According to the book, this was not scripted- the little girl’s alphabet joke and sympathy for Kermit were real. And what’s not to love about Kermit?
That’s Doctor Kermit the Frog. He got an honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters from Southampton College (where he also gave the commencement speech) in 1996. The degree was to recognize his contribution to raising environmental awareness.
As the Hollywood agent (played by Dom Deluise) said to Kermit back when he lived in the swamp:
“Who knows? You could make millions of people happy.”
And he has.