None of my Business Meme Kermit the Frog is a puppet character of frogs that first appeared on television in 1955, on Sam and Friends. The Muppets and Sesame Street have made Kermit a household name. Kermit has been a frequent character in Internet memes over the past few years.
The most well-known meme is the “But that’s not my roofing business cards” one. This expression is often used to make sarcastic remarks about someone or to insult them.
The meme’s origins can be traced back in January 2014, when Instagram users used Kermit images and the hashtag #kermit memes. Below is one of these memes.
On June 17, 2014, Kermit’s first use of the phrase “that’s none of mine business trip cheaters” was in conjunction with an image of Kermit. It was uploaded by kermitbelike to Instagram as a meme mocking “ratchet” women (shown here).
The meme really began to gain popularity on June 20th, 2014 when the Instagram page was made. The caption of this page featured Kermit’s photos with the statement “that’s no of my business”. Within four days, the page had attained over 130,000 followers. Kermit’s popularity wasn’t just limited to Instagram. Twitter users started using Kermit and None of my Business Meme hashtags in tweets. These hashtags were both used 19 000 and 11 000 times in four days, respectively.
The tumblr blog Kermit the Snitch was created two days later. It featured many Kermit memes. The first post was a picture of Kermit sipping iced tea. It was a meme mocking people who wore fake Jordan’s shoes
The meme’s popularity was declining by 2015 and it looked like it would be a forgotten meme in the meme hall-of-fame (if one exists). The meme returned to popularity when Lebron James, who won the NBA championship in June 2016, wore the hat featuring Kermit the Frog on it. The photo below shows him wearing the hat as a message to those who thought he couldn’t beat the Golden State Warriors, who at that time were considered the best basketball team. Although the meme was popular for a brief time, it eventually died.
Kermit’s ‘none my business’ meme was definitely a popular meme and my personal favourite. It’s up to you whether you like it or you don’t, but it’s not mine!
“But that’s None of my Business Meme”
The internet was seemingly in decline at the start of 2014. This little green amphibian helped make it possible. Kermit the Frog had overtaken social media, and he wasn’t the playful Muppet. The Anchorman said it best: “That escalated quickly.” The Kermit meme soon called out almost everyone for almost any reason, but that was “none of his business cards tomorrow.” These jokes made fun of some of the most bizarre and questionable behavior in society. What happened when our green puppet became the authority on ethics and morality?
Kermit (the meme) did not actually begin in his final form. In the first months of 2014, the original meme started appearing. The first Kermit memes were very popular. These memes were unique in that they did not include the punchline “but that’s no of my business.” However, they were still funny and had their own theme. These memes were more specific. These memes were more situational and described awkward situations or situations in which one party feels bitter. They often featured Kermit riding in a car. These memes were not as universally popular as the later versions. They also did not have a common image, and were therefore overtaken by the more recent memes.
Who was the original to use the now-famous punchline? That’s not my business. But what happened after it was created was a meme that reached epic proportions (which is also my business). This meme is unique because they all start with one party being exposed for some terrible action, followed by Kermit’s admission that it wasn’t his business. The meme gained its own identity when the majority of memesters, which is the official term, started using one of these images. These images either show Kermit drinking Lipton tea or Kermit sitting at a table with a glass. This simple rule has produced countless memes and tons of advertising for Lipton. However, I’m left to wonder if Kermit and the unquenchable thirst he has for savagery reveal anything about our society.
Since humans are naturally critical, it’s been known for a long time that people have their own opinions on the actions of others. However, people are now able to discuss their criticisms of other people. Kermit is a great example of how social media has transformed society’s tendency to publicly criticize others. Before social media, people used to vent their frustrations face-to-face or behind the back of another party. This made you either a coward or a bad friend. Social media has made it possible to slander others for likes. Kermit demonstrated how eager society is to let go of its frustrations, and how willing we are online to help. The last phrase “but that’s not my business” has its own implications. It makes it appear that society doesn’t care much, but in fact it does. Kermit was a platform for legitimate concerns and questions to be raised without seeming like you care too much. Kermit was the perfect example of how social media can be used to criticize.
Kermit’s conclusions are not always negative. Kermit can help us see the values of society, highlight logical errors, and challenge the status quo. By observing the over 90,000+ Instagram posts with the hashtag None of my Business Meme we can gain a better picture of where our conscience lies. Kermit has turned something that isn’t our business school major for short into a discussion about values and one beautiful meme.
