Sad Kermit

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A still from the "Sad Kermit" video
A still from the "Sad Kermit" video

Sad Kermit is an unauthorized parody of Kermit the Frog, the popular Muppet. The video first appeared on YouTube in March 2007, showing a store-bought Kermit puppet performing a version of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" in a style similar to Johnny Cash's version.

In contrast to the real Kermit character's usual family friendly antics, the video shows the faux puppet engaging in drug abuse, smoking, alcoholism, masturbation, vomiting, performing oral sex on Rowlf the Dog, smashing a picture of Miss Piggy (with a breast exposed) and attempting suicide. The video was credited to 'sadkermit' at sadkermit.com. In addition to the video, audio parodies of "Creep" by Radiohead, "Twilight" and "Needle in the Hay" by Elliott Smith, "The Rainbow Connection" (referred to as "The Rainbow Disconnection"), "Something I Can Never Have" by Nine Inch Nails and "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen as covered by Jeff Buckley are also available, together with the audio only version of "Hurt".

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[edit] Critical reaction

The video has become an Internet meme with major newspapers amongst others[1] running stories on its existence. The Victoria Times Colonist called it an "online sensation".[2] The Chicago Sun-Times said it "puts the high in 'Hi-ho!'"[3] The London Free Press said "Sad Kermit is in a world of pain".[4] The Houston Press described it as the "world's most revolting web phenomenon".[5] SF Weekly described the unauthorized video as "ironic slandering" .[6]

Clips have been featured on the Canadian television series The Hour, hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. Stroumboulopoulos speculated that the Kermit version of "Hurt" was inspired by the Cash version rather than that of Nine Inch Nails. However, Kermit uses the "crown of shit" lyric from Nine Inch Nails's original compared to Cash's "crown of thorns" lyric in his version.[7]

[edit] Current status

The video was removed (it is back again) from the YouTube video upload site due to a copyright claim by The Jim Henson Company according to a message on the site.[8][9] The Muppets are currently owned by The Walt Disney Company and the reason for this discrepancy in the claim is unknown. The video was also removed from the Dailymotion site due to a "breach of the terms of use" according to a message on the site.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "'Idol' Results 04/04: 'Smile' through the tears", by Daniel Fienberg, From Inside the Box, 4 April, 2007.
  2. ^ "'Sad Kermit' bares his soul online", by Misty Harris, Times Columnist, 5 April, 2007.
  3. ^ "Parody video puts the high in 'Hi-ho!'", by Misha Davenport, Chicago Sun-Times, 5 April, 2007.
  4. ^ "Sad Kermit is hurting", by Dan Brown, The London Free Press, 12 April, 2007.
  5. ^ "The Sad Kermit Video", by Ben Westhoff, Houston Press, 24 May, 2007.
  6. ^ "It's so easy being green: Jim Henson's lasting music legacy", by Jennifer Maerz, SF Weekly, 20 June, 2007.
  7. ^ The Hour, CBC Television, aired 4 April 2007.
  8. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLQRv0RjBBM (removed)
  9. ^ Kermit sings "Hurt" at YouTube
  10. ^ "Video Sad Kermit - Hurt - sadkermit, sad, kermit, hurt, rowlf".

[edit] External links