Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki

We ask that all Wiki editors read our Policies and Guidelines to ensure a smooth operation. Please also note that we are not affiliated with Macy's, Inc. Thank you.

READ MORE

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki
Register
Advertisement


Kermit the Frog is the most famous character in the Muppets franchise, created by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, he is a straight man who appears in the vast majority of Muppet productions. His most well-known appearance is as the protagonist of The Muppet Show, but he has also starred in a number of follow-up Muppet TV shows, movies, and specials, and has appeared as a regular on Sesame Street and in various public service announcements and animation projects.

Kermit was originally puppeteered by Henson himself until his death in 1990, after which the role was turned over to Steve Whitmire. Since Whitmire's dismissal in 2017, Kermit has been performed by Matt Vogel. In animation, he was voiced by Frank Welker in the 1980s animated series Muppet Babies, and Matt Danner in its 2018 reboot.

The character is also known for his theme song, "Rainbow Connection," which appeared in 1979's The Muppet Movie - the first feature film to star the Muppets - and reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. He had earlier performed another single, "Bein' Green," in 1970. Kermit's look and voice have become iconic and are widely recognized throughout the world. In 2006, Kermit was credited as the author of Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons, an "autobiography" told from the perspective of the character himself.

History with the Macy's Parade[]

Kermit's involvement with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1977, when the new parade executive Jean McFaddin made the television host her first choice for a new balloon. The balloon was constructed of 72 pattern pieces and 14 compartments; with a wax model of the balloon's design being used for the first time to keep the finished product on-model. By fall, the sixty-three foot tall balloon was ready to be test flown in Rockmart, Georgia. During his test flight, the real Kermit visited the location to report and interview guests on television as the 200-pound balloon was filled with the 6,500 cubic feet of helium needed to get it off the ground.

That year, the balloon successfully flew in the Macy's Parade itself despite his left arm being bent. The balloon flew alongside the Sesame Street float, a position it often kept until the float's retirement in 1982. While the balloon's debut was overshadowed by that of The Hobbit float, it was still clear that it was one of the highlights of the parade.

Just before the balloon's second flight the following year, Kermit appeared alongside fellow Muppet Fozzie Bear to host Hip Hip Parade, a half-hour PBS special that gave a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Macy's Parade.

In May 1979, the Kermit balloon was shipped to England to appear at a massive party celebrating the International Year of the Child, becoming the first Macy's balloon ever to appear outside of the United States. The larger than life frog waved to kids from an anchored perch stationed in the center of the party. This would be brought up in 1982, 1986, and in 1990.[1]

Later that year, following the balloon's return to the U.S., the real Kermit appeared in the parade for the first time to promote The Muppet Movie, riding in the Electric Mayhem Bus alongside Fozzie, The Great Gonzo, Rowlf the Dog, Scooter, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Swedish Chef, Camilla the Chicken, and, of course, the Electric Mayhem itself. Preceding them was Miss Piggy in a Rolls-Royce vehicle.

Two years later, Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzie returned to promote The Great Muppet Caper, this time in a taxi cab driven by Beauregard.

The balloon ran into its first major accident in the 1985 Parade. While flying over Columbus Circle, even before reaching that point the balloon's stomach was already deflated after it turned the corner from 77th to Central Park West from tearing it by several trees, sending it crashing into the ground. Although Jean McFaddin considered removing the waterlogged frog from the parade, she and the balloon's handlers decided to keep him in the parade.[2] By the time the frog arrived in Herald Square, only about a yard off the ground[3], he "looked as if he passed out", as host Pat Sajak put it.

Kermit returned in puppet form for the 1987 Parade, although the balloon's arm was punctured, this time alongside Muppet creator Jim Henson, who had been performing him for 32 years. As the balloon flew by, parade host Willard Scott presented the duo with the Rollie Award for their contributions to the parade. Following the parade, the original Kermit was retired from the parade - at least, for the time being.

Just three years later, the balloon was brought back to the parade to pay tribute to Henson, who had passed away earlier that year; accompanying it, was a Rolls Royce with costumed versions of Kermit and Miss Piggy in tow. Scott, who had worked alongside Henson at WRC-TV in 1955, presented a tribute montage showcasing Henson's contributions to the parade.

The balloon suffered its second major accident in 1991, when a lamppost in Times Square punctured its head and left it hanging for the rest of the parade. Although the balloon was repaired following the parade, it was permanently retired afterwards, only appearing once more the following year at the Macy's New York Christmas event in Disney-MGM Studios along with Goofy, Betty Boop and Snuggle Bear.

In 1994, Kermit was declared Macy's Holiday Ambassador, and the walkarounds of him and Miss Piggy returned to the lineup riding on a horse carriage. The Kermit walkaround would be used one last time in 2001, appearing on the Toon Balloon-Abration float alongside several other characters who had been represented as giant balloons in the parade.

The following year in 2002, a new Kermit balloon was created for that year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in the same pose as the original, albeit with less flaws. This new balloon was named Macy's Holiday Ambassador for its debut, and consequently had the honor of preceding Santa Claus. Meanwhile, the Muppet versions of Kermit and Miss Piggy were interviewed by Al Roker about A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, set to premiere the following day.

The new Kermit the Frog balloon was initially retired following three appearances in the 2004 Parade, but did appear atop the Film Festival building in April 2005 as Muppets' Wizard of Oz made its world premiere. The balloon eventually returned to the line-up in 2007, and continued to fly in the parade until 2012.

The real Kermit returned to the parade in 2008, singing "I Believe" atop the new Winter Wonderland in Central Park float as it was escorted by Camp Broadway. The following year, he returned on the Cornucopia float, reprising the song in a duet with Tiffany Thornton.

The Muppets - Hey, It's Macy's!

Kermit performing the opening number "Hey, It's Macy's!" with other Muppets at the 90th anniversary Macy's Parade in 2016.

For the landmark 90th Parade in 2016, Kermit and many of the other Muppets performed a special act to open the broadcast. Appearing alongside him were most of the Muppets present in the 1979 Parade, now joined by Lew Zealand, Sweetums, Pepe the King Prawn, Statler and Waldorf, chickens, penguins, and a turkey. However, Kermit didn't really have a major role in the opening number, which is most likely due to Steve Whitmire getting fired from the Muppets that year. Following the opening number, Miss Piggy appeared in the introduction with hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, which was followed by the Electric Mayhem's live performance of Twist and Shout. Toward the end of the Parade, Miss Piggy performed "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" in a duet with Tony Bennett on the Hallmark Channel float.

Trivia[]

  • Kermit, alongside the Pink Panther and Spider-Man are the only giant balloons known to be ripped at the stomach due to an accident.
  • In September 2018, artist Alex Da Corte created a replica of the original Kermit balloon with a deflated head, mimicking the incident that occurred during the 1991 Parade. In addition, he also made replicas of the balloon's handlers costumes, which were worn during the balloon's 1991 appearance.

See also[]

References[]

Advertisement