Kermit Sipping Tea meme usually shows Kermit the Frog calmly drinking a cup of tea, with a sarcastic comment about someone else’s behavior followed by the famous line, “But that’s none of my business.”
The joke is simple: Kermit appears completely relaxed while quietly pointing out something embarrassing, hypocritical, or ridiculous. The contrast between his calm expression and the shady caption is what makes the meme work.
What Is the Kermit Sipping Tea Meme?
Kermit Sipping Tea is an image macro and reaction meme featuring Kermit the Frog drinking Lipton iced tea. It is also commonly called Kermit Drinking Tea, But That’s None of My Business, or Tea Lizard.
The usual format has a statement at the top that points out someone’s questionable behavior. The bottom of the meme then adds “But that’s none of my business,” creating the joke that Kermit is merely observing the situation rather than getting involved.
For example, someone might use the meme after pointing out that a person gives relationship advice despite having a terrible relationship themselves. Kermit is not really staying out of the conversation—he is clearly throwing shade while pretending he is not.
Kermit Sipping Tea Meme Meaning
The meme has two closely related meanings.
First, it can be used to sarcastically call out someone’s behavior. The person sharing the meme makes an observation that is clearly meant to criticize someone, then uses the “none of my business” line to make the criticism sound playful.
Second, the image can mean that someone is watching drama without getting directly involved. In this version, Kermit is basically sitting back, drinking tea, and enjoying the situation.
The word “tea” adds another layer to the joke. In internet slang, “tea” is associated with gossip or interesting information. “Spilling the tea” means sharing gossip, while “sipping tea” can suggest sitting back and watching the drama.
Where Did the Kermit Sipping Tea Meme Come From?
The original picture did not begin as a meme. It came from a 2014 Lipton Tea advertising campaign featuring Kermit the Frog. The campaign first aired during the 2014 Academy Awards and promoted the idea of being “more tea,” with a message centered on being calm and kind.
Internet users quickly gave the promotional image a completely different personality. Captioned Kermit images were already appearing on Instagram in early 2014, but the familiar “that’s none of my business” format emerged in June of that year.
On June 17, 2014, the Instagram account @kermitbelike posted what is considered one of the earliest known Kermit image macros using the “that’s none of my business” idea. A few days later, the dedicated Instagram account @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho began posting Kermit memes built around the same joke.
The account reportedly gained more than 130,000 followers in its first four days, showing just how quickly the format caught on.
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How the Meme Spread
The Kermit meme spread rapidly across Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr during June 2014. Twitter users began using hashtags such as #NoneOfMyBusiness and #Kermit, while Tumblr users collected and shared examples of the format.
The format was especially easy to copy. Users did not need to create a complicated joke. They only needed a situation worth commenting on, a sarcastic sentence and the familiar Kermit image.
That made the meme useful for almost anything. People used it to joke about relationships, fashion, social media behavior, bad decisions, hypocrisy and everyday drama.
Why Does Kermit Sipping Tea Work So Well?
The biggest reason is the contrast.
Kermit looks completely calm. He is simply sitting there and drinking his tea. The caption, however, is often anything but calm. It may point out someone’s hypocrisy or make fun of a questionable decision.
The joke becomes even better because of the fake innocence of the closing line. Saying “But that’s none of my business” after making a very obvious observation creates the sarcastic punchline.
The image also fits perfectly with the internet meaning of “tea.” Kermit is literally drinking tea while apparently watching someone else’s drama. The visual joke requires very little explanation.
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The Kermit Meme and LeBron James
The meme received another major burst of attention in June 2016, when basketball star LeBron James wore a hat featuring Kermit sipping tea during the celebrations surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA championship.
James had used the image as a playful way of responding to people who had doubted him and the Cavaliers. The hat became widely discussed by sports and entertainment media, introducing the meme to people who may have missed its original 2014 explosion.
The moment helped turn Kermit Sipping Tea from an old viral image into a recognizable piece of internet culture that could still be used years after its original peak.
What Is Tea Lizard Joke?
Another unusual chapter in the meme’s history came in 2016 when Good Morning America referred to the Kermit image as “Tea Lizard” in a social media post.
The name quickly became a joke of its own because Kermit is famously a frog, not a lizard. Internet users mocked the mistake and turned #TeaLizard into another meme.
The incident showed how difficult it could be for mainstream media to keep up with internet meme culture at the time. It also gave the already-famous Kermit image another short burst of attention.
How to Use the Kermit Sipping Tea Meme
The classic format is easy to understand:
- Think of a behavior, situation or piece of drama worth commenting on.
- Write a sarcastic observation about it.
- Add the Kermit sipping tea image.
- Finish with “But that’s none of my business.”
The image can also be used without the text when you simply want to communicate, “I’m watching this drama.” A GIF of Kermit drinking tea works in much the same way in chats and social media comments.
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| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme name | Kermit Sipping Tea |
| Other names | But That’s None of My Business, Kermit Drinking Tea, Tea Lizard, BTNoMB |
| Character | Kermit the Frog |
| Original source | 2014 Lipton Tea advertising campaign |
| Meme format | Image macro and reaction image |
| Early meme activity | Instagram, early 2014 |
| Major viral period | June 2014 |
| Popular phrase | “But that’s none of my business.” |
| Main meaning | Sarcastically calling out behavior or watching drama from the sidelines |
| Major revival | June 2016 |
| Notable revival moment | LeBron James wearing a Kermit sipping tea hat |
| Common uses | Gossip, sarcasm, hypocrisy, drama and reaction posts |
Is Kermit Sipping Tea Still Used?
Kermit Sipping Tea is no longer the brand-new viral format it was in 2014, but it has become a classic reaction meme. Unlike short-lived memes that disappear completely after their peak, Kermit remains useful because the basic joke is easy to understand.
The image can still work whenever someone wants to comment on drama while pretending to stay out of it. Its meaning is so familiar that the picture alone can communicate the joke.
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It is commonly used to sarcastically comment on someone’s behavior while pretending not to get involved. It can also mean sitting back and watching drama unfold.
The original image came from a 2014 Lipton Tea advertising campaign featuring Kermit the Frog.
In the meme, the phrase is usually sarcastic. The person has clearly commented on the situation but jokingly claims that they are staying out of it.
Tea has a connection with internet slang because “spilling the tea” means sharing gossip or revealing interesting information. Kermit drinking tea therefore became a perfect visual for watching drama.