GMA calls Kermit the Frog ‘Tea Lizard’; Mass hysteria ensues
By Jaylyn Cook
The ABC morning show’s Twitter goof sparked a firestorm all around social media, but that’s really none of our business…
Since his 1955 debut, Kermit the Frog has become one of the most recognizable and beloved “celebrities” within American culture, but apparently some poor intern at Good Morning America didn’t get the memo.
Tuesday morning, the personalities on GMA had a lively discussion about whether or not the images of LeBron James crying after his historic NBA Finals victory would be potent enough to replace the “Crying Jordan” face as the ultimate meme (Long story short, it doesn’t. #LongLiveCryingJordan).
To gauge the opinions of their fervent followers, the show’s official Twitter account posted this Tweet:
Does #CryingLeBron join other meme greats like #tealizard, #CryingJordan and #smockin / the mask? Tweet us! pic.twitter.com/4xoDahAk1Q
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 21, 2016
“Tea Lizard.” Kermit the Frog, a long-standing icon of pop culture, was inexplicably referred to as “Tea Lizard.” Twitter was promptly set ablaze with a variety of responses from confused and concerned users.
tfw when you realize your new name is #tealizard until the end of time pic.twitter.com/pMJf4GdRfW
— Dan Casey (@DanCasey) June 21, 2016
New Muppets movie dropping soon #tealizard pic.twitter.com/Wrnv4pgV1B
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 21, 2016
How does one go their entire life and not know who Kermit the Frog is? #TeaLizard https://t.co/TGcR5KoLFs
— Monica McAlister (@MonicaMcAlister) June 21, 2016
(We could go on, but it’d probably be more worth your time to check out the #TeaLizard hashtag for yourself. It’s HILARIOUS.)
This whole controversy is flabbergasting for more than one reason: For starters, Kermit isn’t even a lizard. “Tea Amphibian” would have been a more biologically accurate, yet, entirely incorrect name for him. Second, Disney – ABC’s parent company – owns The Jim Henson Company, which has produced all Muppet-related content for years. That’s almost as bad as referring to Mickey Mouse as “Gloved Rodent.”
Last but not least, what is “SMOCKIN”? While everyone was freaking out about the emergence of Tea Lizard, the fact that someone at GMA …
1. Thinks The Mask is a popular meme and …
2. Can’t spell the word “smokin,” which is the green-faced Jim Carrey character’s catchphrase.
The unlikely trending topic spawned a variety of hot takes and think pieces for the public to chew on, but out of all them, New York Magazine’s Rembert Browne kept us the most #woke with his essay titled “The Reason GMA’s “Tea Lizard” Tweet Was Problematic.”
"“It’s just so insulting. Beyond a frog and a lizard both being clearly ectothermic, they couldn’t be any more different. Not all green things are the same, you ignorant bastards. This is what intersectionality means. If you see phylum, you also have to shed the rose-colored glasses and see class,” Browne wrote."
Insulting indeed. It just goes to show that no matter how far we’ve come, it still ain’t easy being green.
For more entertainment coverage, check out our hub page.