Maryland College Students Are Upset That a Muppet Is Giving Their Commencement Speech
While college graduation commencement speakers are typically A) human, and B) non-fictional, this year the University of Maryland is taking a slightly different approach.
The school recently announced that it has selected none other than Kermit the Frog to address this year’s graduating class, claiming that “the esteemed Muppet will be sharing an inspiring message with the class of 2025.” Presumably that message will be something along the lines of “never become romantically involved with a narcissistic pig.”
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As a nude amphibian who grew up in a disgusting swamp, Kermit obviously isn’t an alumnus of any college, but his creator, Jim Henson, graduated from the University of Maryland in 1960 with a degree in home economics. So in a way, Kermit is considered to be UMD alumni. There’s even a statue of him and Henson on campus.
Cute right? Well, not everybody feels that way.
As reported by The Diamondback, the school’s independent student-run newspaper, folks on campus seem to be somewhat divided on this issue. Some say that Kermit’s presence will be “exciting” and “fun.” But one student called it “too goofy,” and another expressed concern that the real puppet might not show up. “If it’s some video screen or A.I. thing on the screen, I think it’s gonna be terrible,” they told the paper.
According to The New York Times, Kermit’s “voice and movements” will be performed by Matt Vogel, who has been Kermit’s puppeteer since 2017. But the Times also spoke to a number of students who similarly aren’t thrilled about the choice of speaker. Specifically, they believe that Kermit was chosen by the school in an effort to sidestep any potential controversies. After all, the star of The Great Muppet Caper is unlikely to comment on any hot button political issues.
The opinion editor of The Diamondback told the Times that the school is attempting to avoid “having to deal with real issues, by virtue of not having a real speaker.”
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time that Kermit the Frog has given a commencement speech. In 1996, he spoke to the graduating class after receiving an “Honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters” at Southampton College.
And even then, Kermit’s presence was somewhat controversial. “I am officially unhappy," a marine biology major told reporters. “I've been here laboring for five years and now we have a sock talking at our commencement. It’s kind of upsetting.”
Of course, if the University of Maryland really wanted to get a speaker who for sure won’t make a political statement, maybe they shouldn’t have asked the frog whose part-time TV home is currently in danger of being defunded by the current White House administration.
