Many children ask their parents, "Why is the grass green?" or, "Why is the sky brown?" Of course, the answers to these questions are quite simple: the grass is green because the gardener painted it, and the sky is not really brown, it just looks brown to people with a disease called "brown eyes." Any truly inquisitive and intelligent child, having already deduced the answers to these elementary questions, instead asks of his or her parents, "Why is Kermit green?" Unlike the aforementioned questions, this question requires some deep thought and analysis to answer, and is still the topic of study for many Muppet students. This question is difficult to answer, yet so fundamental it even goes into the realm of Sesame Street.
In order to determine why Kermit is green, one must first determine the nature of Kermit. Called Kermit the Frog by his admirers, this is actually a misnomer. Kermit is not a frog, he is a special type of fuzzy puppet supported by sticks, called a "muppet" (Henson, Journey, pg 1038). He is, however made to look like a frog. Frogs are green (Encyclopedia Muppettia, vol 301, pg 68). Frogs are green because they live in swamps and need to "blend into so many other things" (Robin, pg 2). One of the things they need to blend in with is grass, which, as was already mentioned, was painted green by the gardeners, and leaves, which are green because they are. Speaking in evolutionary terms, frogs which blend in better are less likely to be recruited by television and movie producers, and thus have a higher likelihood of staying alive long enough to reproduce (Encyclopedia Muppettia, vol 301, pg 71). This, however, is merely a superficial explanation of why Kermit is green.
Another explanation as to why Kermit is green is because he needs to be for photosynthesis. The people who say this are merely being facetious, however. Kermit does not need to photosynthesize because he is powered by sticks (Henson, Journey, pg 681023). Also, as any careful observer will note, photosynthesizing muppets are bluish green, while Kermit is more of a yellowish green (Robin, pg 10). Thus, we can completely disregard this theory.
As a muppet, Kermit's sole purpose in life is to entertain. One of the ways he does this is by singing. One of Kermit's greatest hits, found in the sound track of the movie The Muppet Movie is called "It's Not Easy Being Green" (Henson, Trips, pg 42810954367894) An immature viewer might come to the conclusion that Kermit is green just so that he can sing this song. A viewer who watches movies for interpretation, however, not just escape, would quickly realize that this is not the case. If one watches carefully, one notices that Kermit is green before and after the song (Robin, pg 15). If he were just green for the sake of the song, he could change colors before or afterwards, if being green is as difficult as he says. It is more logical to assume, therefore, that Kermit is permanently green. So there must be another explanation as to why Kermit is green.
Why Kermit the Frog is green is a difficult question to answer. One contributing factor is that he is modeled after real frogs, which, when found in the wild, are often green. Another is that green is an easy color to sing songs about. We know for certain that he is not green to photosynthesize. But despite all of this analysis, one still does not find a truly definitive answer to this enigma. It is possible to find the answer, however, and after years of searching, analysts have finally come to the conclusion that: Kermit is green because green is a pretty color.
"Frog, Kermit the (see also: short, green reporters)," Encyclopedia Muppettia. Encyclopedia Muppettia Inc.: New Muppet; 1997, vol 301.
Jim Henson. More Trips Outside Reality. Imaginary Publishing: Backstage, XA; 1998.
Jim Henson. My Journey Through the Land of the Muppets, and What I Saw There. Imaginary Publishing: Backstage, XA; 1999.
Robin the Frog. My Misunderstood Uncle. Froggy Press: New Muppet; 1985.