In 1976, the incredible Jim Henson brought his Muppets to ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.’ The results were hysterical as Jim’s imagination and creativity were fully displayed with Johnny.
Johnny talks a little about Jim before he introduces the Muppet known as the Swedish Chef. Music plays, and the chef sits behind a table of ingredients and bowls. He speaks gibberish as he grabs lettuce and throws it into the bowl.
He throws the ingredients over his shoulder whenever he’s done. The Swedish Chef cuts an onion and says over and over again, “Oni-yonnn.” Later, he cracks an egg and throws the shells in. He spots a fly, kills it, and puts it in the salad. In the end, he lights a match and drops it in the salad, and it explodes in his face, knocking him down.
Johnny goes over to interview his favorite character, Kermit. He asks Kermit if his new series is a kids’ show. Kermit replies, “Uh, no, it’s for frogs. Oh no, really, it’s for families.”
Johnny asks, “What made you decide to become a performer, Kermit?” Kermit says one day, he was sitting on his lily pad and said to himself, “Hey dummy, you can talk!”
Kermit said it was wild because most frogs can only say, “Rib-bit.” He says that’s when he “Hopped off to Hollywood.” Johnny says television is a lot of work and asks if Kermit has time for fun.
Kermit says he works really hard and has no time to do anything but tennis. Johnny whispers and says he meant like relationship-wise with girls. Kermit says, “Well, we got this one girl on the show. She’s a pig. Yes, and she has a hankering for me, but it would never work out.” Johnny asks why, and Kermit says if they got married, they’d have a bunch of “Bouncing baby pigs” or “Little green footballs.”
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