As a kid, did you ever imagine that your favorite fictional characters were real? I'd believed in the Harry Potter characters for so long that it was straight-up amazing to see Harry Potter characters in real life. While I wasn't that much into animated stuff or a diehard Muppets fan, once they brought Jason Segel into the arena, they really had me. Where Jason Segal goes, I go. But for the Muppet fans more faithful than I am who understand the best of Kermit the Frog, I have good news: Scientists found a real-life Kermit the Frog in this translucent frog Costa Rica.
Guys, the muppet dream is real. Welcome to the real life Muppet Town. I understand that you true Muppet believers may be skeptical of this discovery, and while I can't blame you, I have science on my side. The new species is quite literally called a "bare-hearted glassfrog". It's known for its ~translucent underbelly~ and its eyes that protrude in the same way Kermit's do. If we're getting super technical, the species is called hyalinobatrachium dianae. But let's never be technical again because trying to spell that just took years off my life.
The frog lives in Costa Rica, aka, home of incredible, mind-blowing rain forests, aka, the location of my future vacation home. It took so long to find this species because it was nestled away in the Costa Rican hills and its mating call sounds like an insect's—much like my own. (Kidding. I swear.)
Now for the moment of truth. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Kermit IRL:
THAT RESEMBLANCE THOUGH. Look at those bulging eyes.
Also, LOOK AT HIS UNDERBELLY:
Here's the thing. Why stop here? I mean, if we finally have a real Kermit, why not just round up the rest of the Muppet's real-life doppelgängers and put them on stage with Jason Segel? I'd pay big money to watch that.
To save the casting directors some trouble, I've made a brief outline of the characters we should track down.
1. Fozzie the Bear
So, I'm thinking in this reunion/sequel maybe he could be doing a Fosse-esque dance the entire time? I just feel like that would be a fun play on words. And what reunion tour doesn't need some sort of jazzy dance aspect? It's perfect. Also, Fozzie's a founding member of the muppets, so we can't have a reunion without him.
2. Hello Kitty
I know she's not a muppet, I just think we should get her in on the action. Let's just use this float and then perch a cat on the very top and call it a day.
3. Beaker
I've actually met real life Beaker. We sort of had a thing. Don't worry about it. Anyway, there we are together in History of Journalism 202. He was a Journalism major too. His owner is a friend of mine and she'd be happy to loan him out for this real-life Muppets reunion.
4. Miss Piggy
Let me be clear: Finding Miss Piggy's doppelgänger was really just an excuse for us to look at pictures of pigs.
5. Jason Segel in this outfit
Goldfish sold separately.
Images: Imgur, Getty Images(6), Maya Kachroo-Levine
