'Leap together,' Kermit the Frog says in address at University of Maryland graduation

NPR ^ | 5/23/25 | AP

[DallasBiff]

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kermit the Frog knows it's not easy being green — or graduating from college and entering the real world, especially during a time of economic uncertainty and political turmoil.

Members of the University of Maryland's class of 2025 received their diplomas Thursday evening with sage advice from the amphibious Muppet ringing in their ears.

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TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Education; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: chairmanmao; childish; commencement; defundnpr; defundpbs; kermitthefrog; lame; maryland; npr; pbs; uofmaryland

[DallasBiff]

Was Miss Piggy in the audience? Personally I think Fozzie Bear would be a better speaker, since he has suffered hard knocks in life.

All kidding aside, really a muppet as a commencement speaker? Liberal universities have sunken very far.

[Vision]

Idiocracy

[Lizavetta]

How utterly childish.

[Olog-hai]

These days, a muppet (per British slang) delivering a commencement speech is not uncommon.

[Jamestown1630]

For what it’s worth, it’s not exactly ‘out of the blue’. Jim Henson is one of the famous alumni of the University; there’s a statue of him and Kermit on Campus:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farrelley/3710068751/

[mewzilla]

I’d say puerile, but if any of those grads read that they’d likely need a dictionary.

[TTFlyer]

Better than Tampon Tim though.

[mewzilla]

And Disney is planning on erasing Henson and his Muppets from at least one of its parks.

[Leaning Right]

> All kidding aside, really a muppet as a commencement speaker? <

If I were graduating, I wouldn’t be too happy about that. After spending all that time and money to get a degree… only to be talked to by a hand puppet.

But it could have been worse, much worse.

[1Old Pro]

Ridiculous

[God luvs America]

it doesn’t even sound like the Kermit we all know....”you are here listening to a frog”...

Pretty much sums it up

[j.havenfarm]

If o e is going g to denigrate the supposed seriousness of the occasion, one should at least have a figure that is currently culturally relevant. Kermit doesn’t fit that criteria

[DeplorablePaul]

If you think Kermit the Frog is bad as a commencement speaker let me tell you I had it much worse. My daughter graduated from UVM in 2009 and Howard Dean was the commencement speaker. Flushed with Obama’s victory Dean laid it in thick how Obama will transform the world. The speech left me in a dark and miserable place.

[MplsSteve]

I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2003. I was older (maybe 15 years older) than the rest of the graduates. I went thru with Commencement because it was a promise I made to myself. I wanted to hear my name called as I walked across the stage.

Our Commencement speaker was a judge from the International Court of Justice, Tom Buergenthal. His whole speech was a pantload of borderline anti-US statements about how we needed to respect the laws and avoid conflict. This was during the time of the invasion of Iraq by Bush II.

Many of my fellow graduates ate it up and were cheering him. Many rose and gave him a large round of applause when he finished. I sat there with my arms crossed - as did the kid next to me. After the ceremony was over, I looked at him, nodded and wished him good luck.

So to make a long story short, I’d just as assume have Kermit The Frog as my Commencement Speaker. It would have been more amusing than being pontificated to by an un-elected judge.

[xp38]

It ain’t easy being green

[vpintheak]

Imagine putting in the hard work to graduate with an actual good degree and having to listen to a puppet as your commencement speaker. 🙄

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Deep Thoughts from Kermit are right up there with Veep Thoughts from Kamala. These are perfect for today's generation who were raised on this mush.

It’s not easy being green.
From the song Bein’ Green, 1970

Life’s like a movie, write your own ending.
From The Muppet Movie, 1979

Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.
From The Rainbow Connection, 1979

I guess it’s just not easy being a frog. Or maybe it’s just not easy being me.
Paraphrased from various Muppet appearances

As long as there are folks who believe in dreams, there’ll always be a place for the Muppets.
From various interviews and specials

You know, it’s amazing. You are 100 percent of yourself when you’re with the right people.
From modern Muppet media

[NorthMountain]

For context: Jim Henson was a graduate of the University of Maryland. The statue depicted below graces the campus in College Park.

FEAR THE TURTLE!!!

[Libloather]

Could the graduates understand him?

[HIDEK6]

I finished my degree requirements at the end of a summer session. When commencement rolled around the following June, I was dodging bullets in Vietnam.

I had no regrets having missed that academic charade.