It is 2026, and somehow, we are still looking at a felt frog for emotional guidance. Honestly, it’s a bit weird if you think about it too long. Jim Henson birthed this character back in 1955, but Kermit didn’t just stay a children's TV icon. He evolved. He became a digital god.
If you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media in the last decade, you’ve seen him. Kermit the frog funny memes aren't just jokes; they are the shorthand for our collective anxiety, our pettiness, and our weirdest late-night impulses.
The Tea Heard ‘Round the World
Let’s talk about the absolute titan: the "But That’s None of My Business" meme. You know the one. Kermit is casually sipping a glass of Lipton tea, looking through a window with a look of supreme, judgmental detachment.
It started around June 2014. Originally, it was just a Lipton commercial, but the internet saw something else. It saw a way to call people out without actually saying their names.
"You say you're a fitness guru but I saw you at the drive-thru at 2 AM... but that's none of my business."
It’s passive-aggressive art. According to digital culture researchers at the University of Mary Washington, this specific format exploded because it gave people a "moral police" tool. We all want to judge, but we want to look "chill" while doing it. Kermit provided the perfect mask.
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The Hooded Chaos of Evil Kermit
Then came 2016, a year that felt like a fever dream for most of us. Enter: Evil Kermit.
This image isn't actually a "dark" version of Kermit. It’s a screenshot from the 2014 movie Muppets Most Wanted. The guy in the black hood is actually Constantine, a world-class criminal and Kermit's literal doppelgänger.
A Twitter user named Anya Sudarkina posted the first viral hit:
- Me: Sees a fluffy dog.
- Me to Me: Steal him.
It’s the "Inner Me" trope. It’s about that tiny, hooded voice in your head that tells you to ignore your alarm, spend your rent money on LEGOs, or send a "u up?" text you’ll regret by morning. It’s basically a modern-day version of Freud’s id. It’s our dark side, but made out of fleece.
Why the Frog?
Why Kermit and not, say, Fozzie Bear or Gonzo?
Maybe it’s the eyes. They’re blank. They’re flat. You can project almost any emotion onto them. When Kermit is scrunching his face—that classic "Kermit flail" or the "squeezed mouth" look—it perfectly mirrors the physical sensation of being overwhelmed by the modern world.
We also have a deep, nostalgic connection to him. Most people grew up with Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. Seeing a childhood hero engage in the messy, petty, and often "un-family-friendly" behavior of the internet is inherently funny. It’s "ironic slandering," as some critics call it.
The Evolution of the "Waiting" Meme
More recently, we’ve seen the rise of Kermit Waiting. It’s just Kermit sitting on a bench or looking out a window. No tea. No hood. Just pure, unadulterated boredom.
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In a post-2020 world where "waiting for the world to return to normal" became a permanent vibe, this meme hit different. It captures that specific type of existential dread where you’re not even sad anymore—you’re just... there. Waiting for a Slack message. Waiting for the coffee to brew. Waiting for the plot to move forward.
The Weird Side of Muppet Memes
We can't talk about Kermit without mentioning the "Sad Kermit" era. This was a bit more underground, featuring a parody puppet performing Nine Inch Nails’ "Hurt." It was dark. It was gritty. It was definitely not authorized by Disney.
While the Jim Henson Company eventually nuked most of those videos for copyright, the spirit lived on. It paved the way for the "Depressed Kermit" memes we see today, often paired with lo-fi beats or grainy filters. It’s a whole mood.
How to Use These Memes Like a Pro
If you're trying to stay relevant in 2026, don't just dump a "But That's None of My Business" meme into a group chat and expect a standing ovation. That’s "normie" behavior now.
- Vary the beverage: People started swapping the tea for Hennessy, Starbucks cups, or even just a glass of water to change the "energy" of the judgment.
- The "Me vs. Me" Flip: Use Evil Kermit for things that are actually relatable, not just "I want to eat cookies." Use it for that internal struggle of wanting to be a functional adult vs. wanting to rot in bed for 14 hours.
- Context is King: The "Kermit typing furiously" GIF is the gold standard for when you're in an online argument you know you should leave, but your thumbs won't stop moving.
Actionable Steps for Meme Enthusiasts
If you want to keep your meme game fresh, don't just rely on the classics.
- Check the Muppet Wiki: Seriously. There are thousands of obscure frames from the 70s and 80s that haven't been "memed" yet. Being the first to find a "New" old Kermit face is how you go viral.
- Use High-Quality Templates: Don't use a blurry, eighth-generation screenshot. Sites like Know Your Meme or Kapwing usually have the raw, high-res stills.
- Keep it Human: The reason these memes work is that they feel real. They touch on flaws we all have but don't want to admit.
Kermit the Frog memes aren't going anywhere. He’s the green mirror we hold up to ourselves. As long as humans are petty, tired, and tempted to make bad decisions, we’re going to need a frog in a hood to tell the story for us.
Stick to the relatable stuff. Avoid the overused "Tea Lizard" (looking at you, Good Morning America). Just let the frog be the chaotic, judgmental, anxious mess he was always meant to be.