The Kermit the Frog Commencement Speech That Made a Splash
University of Maryland Photo
I remember the name of my college graduation speaker. I have no idea what he said. Truth is, I didn’t remember what he said two minutes after he said it.
Most commencement speakers deliver well-meaning but stale words and drone on too long. This year particularly, with the White House thought police monitoring for unacceptable university behavior, school officials seem to have made many graduation speaker decisions as carefully as walking on eggs, hoping not to call attention to themselves.
Each year about this time I search for commencement speeches that break the mold. Truly memorable events that deliver unforgettable words to live by and original thoughts that inspire. I know they must be out there. Somewhere. I’m just hard-pressed to find them in the landscape of verbal sameness and predictability.
The One Graduation Speech That Broke the Mold
But this year I can report finding a worthy candidate, Kermit the Frog, who delivered the commencement address at the University of Maryland. I’m sure the graduates will remember him long after they shed their caps and gowns.
For one thing, most of the graduates know who he is. Kermit’s been a part of their lives since they were able to crawl in front of a TV set or watch a G-rated movie. For another, Kermit and his fellow Muppets are fun and funny. The polar opposite of self-important. More like a Saturday Night Live for kids. Without being preachy, the Muppets have long created and lived in a socially accepting character world (Miss Piggy, Elmo, Gonzo et al). For half a century they’ve offered valuable life lessons, and not just for children.
Even so, why would a major university like Maryland select Kermit as its commencement speaker? Because Kermit was literally born there.
Jim Henson, the Muppets’ creator, found his calling in a University of Maryland freshman puppetry class. He fashioned Kermit from pieces of his mother’s old coat and two ping pong balls. He and a fellow puppet student aficionado, Jane Nebel, (who became his wife) began staging puppet shows that were so clever and popular, the local NBC affiliate took notice. That led to the airing of the TV show Sam and Friends. From there, the Muppets (a mashup of marionettes and puppets) were on their way to stardom.
As in, one of the longest running shows on TV, multiple movies, books and music albums, and even a place in the Smithsonian Museum. Who doesn’t love the Muppets? (Except maybe the scolds who want to defund PBS).
Kermit the Frog's University of Maryland Legacy
This year was not Kermit’s first commencement speech at the University of Maryland. In 1996, Kermit teamed up with fellow Muppet Elmo to speak at commencement, along with TV science journalist Michael Guillen. The unlikely trio was selected to speak then because they shared “a commitment to education, a passion for the environment, and a childlike curiosity they hope to inspire in others,” according to the December 1996 Commencement booklet.
This year, Kermit had the graduation podium to himself. So what does a frog say to a class of 13,000 college graduates? Obvious frog-like references, of course:
“In the early days, Jim had a hand in everything I did.”
“Biology majors, you’re not going to get me to step a foot into your lab. No way!”
“Take the leap. Leaping is something frogs know a lot about.”
But the humor was wrapped about some worthy advice.
“(Jim) could always see the spark in someone. He saw the potential and he saw what was unique in each person. And he taught me that what’s unique about you should always be shared. And that really stuck with me, which is why you’ll see me hanging out with a bear and a pig and a penguin and a prawn, and, uh, whatever Gonzo is.”
“Life is not a solo act. No, it’s not. It’s a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece.”
“Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side. Because, life is better when we leap together.”
“Stay connected to your dreams. No matter how big. No matter how impossible they seem. The truth is dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. And life is how we get there.”
Lessons From the Kermit the Frog Commencement Speech
Not bad advice from a frog in a tiny cap and gown.
It’s easy to write off the University of Maryland’s choice of a commencement speaker as an attention-getting gimmick, unworthy of a great institution. A safe choice in a fraught political environment. But years from now, the graduates will remember who spoke on that cap and gown day. And unlike most ceremonies, the words weren’t stale platitudes from a minor celebrity with whom they had no connection. Accept it or not, Kermit had lifelong credibility with them as someone who was kind, accepting of others and often sage beyond his species.
Watch Kermit's speech on YouTube. It takes about 13 minutes
I wish he had been my graduation speaker.
Comments? Criticism? Contact Joe Rothstein at jrothstein@rothstein.net
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