When you are asked to think about an icon from the seventies, who do you think of? Is it the spell that Stevie Nicks cast with her voice, the respect that Aretha Franklin demanded with her soulful tone, or the brassy vocals from Debbie Harry that made your heart feel like glass? Or maybe, do you think about an icon that is not exactly human? With her blonde, flowing locks and her irrefutable attitude, Miss Piggy became the diva of the decade, maybe even the century, when The Muppet Show rose to fame in 1976. Voiced by puppeteer Frank Oz, this porky princess was originally meant to be a side character, someone who would be on the show every now and then but would not mean too much to the audience. Creator Jim Henson had no idea how wrong he would be about her impact!
When it comes to Miss Piggy, nobody needs to ask who this diva is, because we already know! When she made her first appearance, it was on the show Herb Alpert and the TJB in 1974. She was unnamed and sang a song with the host, Herb. She did not have many aspects of her iconic personality, and remained that way until The Muppet Show began. Frank Oz, at the time, was still workshopping her character, and claims that instead of punching Kermit the Frog, he randomly decided to have her karate chop her amphibious lover. This was the beginning of the widespread love the world had for Miss Piggy. Jim Henson and Frank Oz knew at that moment that the diva that is Miss Piggy would not be sidelined! Since then, she has released several books and starred in many notable movies and TV shows.
We all love Miss Piggy for one reason or another. Whether it is her attitude, her style, or the ongoing will-they-won’t-they she has going on with Kermit. Unintentionally, Jim Henson and Frank Oz created a feminist icon that would be well-loved for decades after her creation. That just goes to show that you can go beyond the expectations that others have for you, and become so much more successful than you would ever dream!
The only difference is, Miss Piggy knew who she would be from the day she was born! It just took a bit of time to get her there.