Swedish Chef

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The Swedish Chef is a Muppet who appeared on The Muppet Show and was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now puppeteered by Bill Barretta. The character was last seen in several episodes of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony.

Contents

[edit] Character

A parody of television chefs, the Swedish Chef wears a toque blanche and has bushy eyebrows that completely obscure his eyes. He was one of the few Muppets to employ an actual puppeteer's hands, originally Oz's, in the designs — that is, they were visible to the audience through his sleeves and facilitated handling food and utensils.

Nearly all Swedish Chef sketches begin with him in a kitchen, waving some utensils while singing his signature song in a trademark mock Swedish — a semi-comprehensible gibberish which parodies the characteristic vowel sounds of Swedish. The song's lyrics vary slightly from one episode to the next, but always end with "börk! börk! börk!" as the Chef throws the utensils aside.

After this introduction, the Chef begins to prepare a recipe while giving a gibberish explanation of what he is doing. His commentary is spiced with the occasional English word to clue in the viewer to what he is attempting. These hints are necessary as he frequently uses unorthodox culinary equipment (firearms, tennis racquets, etc.) to prepare his dishes. The sketch typically degenerates into a slapstick finale where the ingredients or equipment get the better of him.

In one sketch, a misaimed explosive charge slightly damaged the face of the puppet. The Chef's face remained scarred through the rest of the season.

[edit] Computer translations

The Chef's gibberish gained a life of its own with the creation of a Unix lex filter capable of converting standard English to "chefspeak" in 1992. The filter quickly became a staple of hacker culture and eventually spread to the mainstream with "Swedish Chef" translators on several websites; there is a popular add-on available for Mozilla Firefox called "Bork Bork Bork!", which allows the selective "translation" of text from web pages of the user's choice. In 2003 Opera Software published a special "Bork" version of its internet browser, which turned the MSN website into "Swedish."[1] Google offers "Bork, bork, bork" as one among its choices for user interface language and Meebo offers "Bork!" as one of its language preferences. There also appeared a plethora of USENET newsgroups named after the chef's speech, the first being "alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork", after which the repeated ending was incorporated into groups like "alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg", "alt.ensign-wesley.die.die.die", and "alt.fan.tonya-harding.whack.whack.whack." This "bork filter" was used in the Darkwind MUD as a curse, of sorts, when characters could be transformed into "little vikings" (to stay somewhat in theme) for a short duration. In addition, the popular MMORPG Guild Wars has a "Bork! Bork! Bork!" language option.

[edit] Inspiration

Some claim that the Swedish Chef was inspired by a real life chef. One example is Friedman Paul Erhardt, a German American television chef known as "Chef Tell".[2][3] Another example is Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman, a real life Swedish chef. Bäckman claims that his rather unsuccessful appearance on an early edition of Good Morning America caught the attention of Jim Henson, who later bought the rights to the recording and created Bäckman's Muppet alter ego. Bäckman's Dalecarlian accent would explain the chef's strange pronunciation. Muppet writer Jerry Juhl denied Bäckman's story and insisted the character had no real-world counterpart: "I wrote, rehearsed, rewrote, brainstormed, and giggled uncontrollably a thousand times with Jim Henson as we dealt with the Swedish Chef, and I never once heard him mention an actual Swedish chef..."[4]

[edit] Name

The Chef is referred to by name in one episode, in which Danny Kaye plays his uncle. Kaye reels off a very long name but adds, "We call him Tom" - much to the Chef's surprise. [1] (Video)

[edit] Merchandising

The first Swedish Chef merchandise item was a ceramic coffee mug produced by Kilncraft in the UK in 1978. It was part of a series of 12 featuring various Muppet Show characters, and featured coloured line drawings on either a white or beige ceramic cup.

In 1980, Jones New York offered a small collection of blue and yellow Swedish Chef kitchen linens including an apron, pot holders, and toaster cover. Miss Piggy linens in pink were also available.

From 1988 to 1989, the Swedish Chef had his own short-lived breakfast cereal for sale in grocery stores, called "Cröonchy Stars." Cröonchy Stars brought with it a small variety of Swedish Chef items, most notably a stuffed Chef doll complete with non-removable wooden rolling pin and spoon. There was also a coffee mug bearing a picture of the Chef and the logos of Post Cereal and Cröonchy Stars.

In 2000, German company Igel released a large (35cm) plush Swedish Chef as part of the second wave of its stuffed Muppets line. In addition, there was a life-sized version available measuring nearly five feet tall. Though expensive, the huge Chef proved popular enough with collectors that the line was expanded the following year with five-foot plush versions of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, Animal, Statler and Waldorf.

Also in 2000, UK food chain Little Chef released a small toy car called Swedish Chef's Sporty Sponge (the Chef riding a cake on wheels) as part of line of promotional Muppet Corgi cars.

2002 was celebrated as the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show, which brought a flurry of new Muppet toys and collectables. Included in this was a line of action figures from Palisades Toys, which would run through 2005 and grow to include many dozens of figures. Palisades' Swedish Chef items include:

  • A large and very detailed Swedish Kitchen playset, with a very realistic miniature kitchen and over 40 accessories including many cooking tools and odd items such as a saw and tennis racket.
  • The first Swedish Chef action figure, included with the Swedish Kitchen playset, has a blue striped shirt and plaid pants.
  • "Culinary Catastrophe" Chef, an exclusive figure sold at the 2003 San Diego comic Convention, includes the lobster banditos from the show and their guns. The body of the Chef has a different paint job so it appears to be splattered with food, and his clothing colours are different.
  • Classic Swedish Chef has plainer clothing colours than the earlier Kitchen version and comes with several accessories including his gun and a basketball hoop.
  • Santa Swedish Chef, an eBay exclusive item for the 2004 Christmas season, is dressed as Santa Claus and includes a holiday wreath and lights.
  • A small non-articulated PVC figure featuring Chef holding a spoon and a live chicken in a pot.

In 2003, Sideshow Collectables offered a Swedish Chef bust statue as part of the third wave of its line of Muppet busts.

With the Muppets characters being owned by Disney as of late 2004, there is reason to believe that there will be a healthy amount of merchandise for the Chef and other Muppets in the foreseeable future. Other modern Swedish Chef items include yet another plush doll (this time a smaller 18" one), a Disney metal lapel pin, and a small tin of mints.

[edit] Stamp

The United States Postal Service released a souvenir sheet featuring Jim Henson and ten Muppets including the Swedish Chef in 2005.[5]

[edit] Video Game

A Muppets game for Nintendo Game Boy Advance was released and one of the levels featured the Swedish Chef. The goal of the level was for the Swedish Chef to hit Rizzo and his rat friends with a frying pan because they were trying to steal food. An obstacle to avoid was chickens throwing eggs at the Swedish Chef.

[edit] Typical episodes

  • Chocolate Mousse
The Chef announces he will be making chocolate mousse, for which he first prepares some liquid chocolate ("Yom-yom-yooom, ze chocolad!"), then proceeds to acquire the other ingredient: a moose named Mickey (Mickey Moose). Kermit rushes in to stop the skit as the Chef starts to spread chocolate on the moose's snout.
  • Salad ala Boom-Boom
While making a salad, the Chef demonstrates his unique technique for shredding: the "Boom-Boom," an antique pistol, with which he shoots vegetables after throwing them into the air. The whole process is observed by Statler and Waldorf, who comment on the rather unorthodox cooking style. Curiously, the Chef shoots a cabbage, which is "chopped" into Brussels sprouts (although he tossed a coconut in the air and gets a chicken, while the coconut bounces off his head).
  • Flap Jacks
The Chef flips some pancakes, after announcing "Flappen-jacken," but they land on the ceiling. He then takes out the Boom-Boom and shoots overhead, causing over a dozen pancakes to fall on him.
  • Lobster-Bandidos
The Chef's attempt to cook a lobster is ambushed by a gang of pistol-wielding moustachioed lobsters wearing sombreros and muttering in a quasi-Mexican dialect. They manage to free the victim from the pot, and intimidate the Chef by shooting the cleaver out of his hand.
  • Donuts
Once again the Boom-Boom is in action, this time used to create donuts from muffins. ("See de moofin? Und here mit de boome shooten!")
  • Eggs
The Chef attempts to make eggs by persuading a chicken to lay some. The chicken resists until he threatens her with a cleaver. At this point, the chicken lays something. The Chef picks it out from under her, only to realize that it is a bomb which promptly goes off.
  • Eggs/Running Gag
Again the Chef tries to get his chicken to lay eggs, but all he gets for his trouble are ping-pong balls. He grabs his frying pan, intending to cook her now, and the chicken runs for her life. The resulting chase ranges all over the kitchen and becomes a recurring joke throughout the rest of the show, interrupting other skits from time to time.
  • Pressed Duck
When the Chef tries to prepare this dish using a live duck, it steals the iron he was going to use for the pressing and drops it on his head.
  • Swedish Meatballs
The Chef attempts to cook meatballs. He accidentally drops one from the skillet and it bounces offstage; confused, the Chef refers to his attempted dish as "beency-bouncy burgers." He then proceeds to demonstrate how to "serve" such a meal (in the tennis sense) by hitting a few of the meatballs with a tennis racket. Statler returns a volley making it up into the balcony with Waldorf commenting afterward, "15-Love."
  • Turkey
The Chef is planning to cook turkey during Muppet Family Christmas, but the smooth-talking turkey points out Big Bird in another room. Exclaiming "gobbla-gobbla-humunga!" [sic], the Chef invites Big Bird into the kitchen and gets ready to cook him up. However, he loses his nerve after Big Bird gives him a present and the two sing The Christmas Song. He instead decides to prepare "shreeper veet und crannenbungschus," meaning shredded wheat and cranberry sauce.
  • Turkey Part 2
The Chef and his uncle (played by Danny Kaye) prepare an international dish (which involves taking a Swiss turkey, stuffing him with Chinese ingredients, and turning him into a Yugoslavian chicken). When the Chef brings in a live turkey, his uncle has to explain the work they would have to do, which traumatizes the turkey so much that it flies away. The Chef brings out the Boom-Boom and shoots in the air, causing feathers to rain down on his uncle. The uncle takes the Boom-Boom and shoots in the air, and a fully cooked turkey on a tray drops into his hands.
  • Chicken in a Basket
The Chef plays with a chicken as if it was a basketball, bouncing it and shooting it into a basketball goal, scoring "two points". The name is a reference to Chicken In a basket.
  • Fish Chowder
The Chef attempts to cook a live fish, which steals his pepper shaker and also bites his nose.
  • Frog Legs
The Chef is rushed onstage without having time to prepare. He attempts to cut off a leg of Kermit's nephew Robin while Robin screams for his uncle, who rescues him.
  • Hot Dogs
The Chef demonstrates how to cook hot dogs (the right way, for once). After a misunderstanding about the whereabouts of Miss Piggy's beloved dog Fou Fou, she and the Chef get into a fight. Miss Piggy attempts to karate chop him, but hits the metal pot cover that Chef defends himself with.
  • Spaghetti
The Chef makes spaghetti, which comes to life and tries to run away, until he puts it back on the plate. The spaghetti tries to run away again, but he brings it back a second time. The spaghetti then attacks the Chef by strangling him.
  • Dough
The Chef kneads a mass of bread dough that slowly comes to life and begins to fight back. He then goes for his rolling pin, only to have the dough snatch it away and knock him out with it.
  • Japanese Cake
As the Chef decorates a chocolate cake and prepares to cut it, it starts cursing at him in mock Japanese. After checking his phrasebook, he delivers a comeback, gets insulted again, then ends the argument by deploying his "Cakensmooscher" (a baseball bat).
  • Turtle Soup
The Chef is trying to prepare a live turtle to go into this dish. Every time he tries to chop off the head, though, it retreats into the shell and peeks out the other side. He grabs the Boom-Boom only to find that the turtle has turned its shell into a gun turret, which promptly shoots him down.
  • Hot Sauce
The Chef concocts a batch of pepper sauce that is spicy enough to send steam pouring out of his ears. His next attempt packs so much heat that his hat is blown off--taking the top of his head with it.
  • Coconut
The Chef throws a whole coconut toward the ceiling and fires the Boom-Boom, intending to shred it in midair. The first thing to come down is a rubber chicken, followed by the undamaged coconut, which knocks him silly.
  • Banana Split
The Chef attempts to split a banana with an axe, but every time he gets ready to, a conga line interrupts him by dancing along the screen in front of him accompanied by the Mexican Hat Dance song. This happens twice, resulting in him getting a pot on his head, and chopping open a bag of flour. He decides to use the banana peel and goads the dancers to come back. They then dance in front of him, slipping on the banana peel, much to the Chef's delight, as now he can continue his banana split. However, when he attempts to split the banana again, he accidentally throws the axe up into the air, causing it to chop into the pot on his head, but not into his skull. The Chef, now defeated, splits the banana with his hands.
  • Squirrel Stew
This episode takes place in the forest instead of the Chef's kitchen. Finding himself short of squirrels for the stewpot, he first tries asking them nicely to come down from their tree, then shakes it to dislodge them. The squirrels gang up on him, whereupon he goes after them with his cleaver only to lose it to an angry bear.
The Chef is the projectionist. Halfway through the film the projector malfunctions and the Chef says "Er, der film go flip-flip-flip-flip-flip!" After fixing the snapped film he pronounces, "Der flim is hokey dokey!"
The Chef appears on an island where the natives, a tribe of boars, practice cannibalism. He wears a pig snout mask to resemble members of the tribe. After his initial appearance speaking gibberish and the traditional "bork bork bork", a tomato on his ingredient table says directly to the camera, "Well, how else did you think we were going to get him into this movie?"
At the beginning of the movie, the Chef explains that the raspberry flopovers went "Kaboof!" as green stuff shoots out of a faulty oven.
At the Happiness Hotel, after Beauregard crashes his taxi right into the hotel, an enraged Swedish Chef emerges from the kitchen, yelling in his trademark way. In his hands is a soup pot with spaghetti peeking out the top along with a steering wheel from the taxi. As he walks by, Janice, the Electric Mayhem's guitarist, whines "Steering wheel souffle again?"
When Kermit reads the letter from Scooter, the chef is seen with 3-D glasses saying "Get your poppin' corn in 3-D;The corn is poppin' in your face in 3-D!" then Scooter explains that thats not how 3-D works. He is seen a few minutes later messing around with the popcorn cups.

[edit] Miscellanea

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  • Several P2P services and websites have a sound bite called "Iron Chef vs. Swedish Chef" where the two compete.
  • Wyclef Jean appeared with the chef on the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm, Sweden, 16 November 2000.
  • In Sweden the Swedish Chef is known as "Svenske Kocken" ("The Swedish Chef" in Swedish).
  • A guide to learning Swedish by Urban Sikeborg states that special care should be given to pronunciation, otherwise "...you might end up sounding disquietingly like the Swedish Chef in the Muppet Show."[6]
  • In Germany the Swedish Chef is Danish and his song is "Smørrebrød, Smørrebrød røm, pøm, pøm, pøm"
  • The Swedish Chef recently appeared on Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken, a show using toys and Mego dolls to create sketch comedy scenes. The sketch involved the Chef running into various people and things that rhyme with "bork" including Björk, Mork, a dork, a poster for New York, Quark, Peter Tork, a guy playing Zork, a man selling pork, a fork, a spork, and an Orc. The sketch ended with the Chef returning home and yelling at his wife, "Get the Hell off my back, woman! Can't I get a moment of fucking peace!?" for asking him about his day. Seth Green, the series' co creator, is a Muppet fan.
  • The animated cartoon series for the popular webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del features an episode where the main character, Ethan, is haunted by a floating Swedish Chef while trying to cook dinner.
  • In 2006, the Swedish Chef was displayed at the Smithsonian. Remarkably, in a display consisting of such iconic material as the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and other classic Hollywood material, staff chose to give the Chef the most prominent position - in a large glass case to open the exhibit section.
  • In their third contest for the 2006-2007 school year (usually involving string manipulation), the American Computer Science League asked students to write a program that converted English into chef-speak based on a certain set of rules.
  • In an episode of Family Guy, Stewie notes that Jim Henson had a "wait-and-see attitude" and as a result of that we have wrong sounding Muppets which then cuts to a scene with Kermit talking to The Swedish Chef with their voices sounding different. He later appears with Kermit later in the episode with Fozzie (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) coming up and saying "Wokka-wokka, who wants to hear a funny-ass joke?".
  • The Chef appeared with fellow Muppets Animal and Beaker in a joke segment in the America's Got Talent second season finale, replacing the normal judges as they "judged" the duet performed by Terry Fator and Kermit the Frog, the joke being that none of the judges could be understood well. The Chef told Terry Fator that he was "Okey-dokey" but that Kermit was "No okey-dokey."
  • A 2007 Saturday Night Live skit entitled "Rowlf and the Swedish Chef" featured guest host Seth Rogen dressed as Rowlf and Andy Samburg dressed as Swedish Chef performing "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" accompanied by members of the Electric Mayhem.
  • In the online game Neopets, if the mysterious island chef is visited, one can note the words, Bork Bork Bork! In the background of the image.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Opera releases "Bork" edition; The Swedish Chef Goes After Microsoft
  2. ^ LaBen, Craig. "'Chef Tell' Erhardt, 63, early TV chef", Philadelphia Inquirer, 2007-10-29. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. 
  3. ^ "Friedman Paul Erhardt", Associated Press, Legacy.com, 2007-10-30. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. 
  4. ^ Chapman, Phillip (2001-07-03). Will the real Swedish Chef please stand up?. Muppet Central. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  5. ^ The 2005 Commemorative Stamp Program at USPS
  6. ^ Introduction to Swedish - home

[edit] External links

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