Miss Piggy's karate chops

Miss Piggy can instantly fly into a rage whenever she thinks she's insulted or thwarted. Kermit the Frog has learned this all too well; when she isn't smothering him in kisses, she's sending him flying through the air with a karate-chop.

An early Muppet Show script called for Miss Piggy to slap Kermit, but (somewhat due to limitations of the puppet and her hand-rod controlled arms) puppeteer Frank Oz improvised a karate chop with an enthusiastic "hi-ya!" instead. Of the moment, Jerry Juhl recalled: "the place fell apart. It was like just instantly you knew you gotta see this again."

Frank Oz commented on the origin of Piggy's trademark karate chop, stating:
 * "In one rehearsal, I was working as Miss Piggy with Jim [Henson], who was doing Kermit, and the script called for her to slap him. Instead of a slap, I gave him a funny karate kick. Somehow, that hit crystallized her character for me — the coyness hiding the aggression; the conflict of that love with her desire for a career; her tremendous out-and-out ego — all those things are great fun to explore in a character."

Over the years, Piggy has performed enraged acts (and threats) of violence on various characters and celebrities. The "Muppet Morsels" feature on The Muppet Show: Season One DVD set attempted to track Miss Piggy's outbursts with a running count of her karate chops.

The Muppet Show

 * Episode 102: Connie Stevens - After singing "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady", Kermit asks Piggy if she's met Lydia. Piggy replies, "Have you met my left fist?" and punches him in the face.


 * Episode 104: Ruth Buzzi - The Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host whispers sweet nothings in Piggy's ear, including things that disgust her. When the real Kermit tries to explain, she takes him out with multiple moves.


 * Episode 107: Florence Henderson - When Piggy catches Kermit sweet-talking Florence Henderson, Florence tries to save Kermit by claiming that Kermit was just practicing on her what he really wanted to say to Piggy. Despite buying the ruse, Piggy nevertheless warns Florence not to make a move on her frog. She makes good on her veiled threats when she catches Florence innocently touching Kermit on the shoulder, giving the guest star two karate chops and a bite on the arm.


 * Episode 107: Florence Henderson - In the Panel Discussion, she beats on Floyd Pepper several times after making a "hog" joke.


 * Episode 109: Charles Aznavour - Piggy knocks Kermit off the Talk Spot wall after he says "One man's poison is another man's bacon." After he's down for the count, she stomps on him one last time and calls him a barbarian.


 * Episode 111: Lena Horne - After Scooter tells Piggy that Kermit cut her number because she could never follow Lena Horne, she hits him in the gut, waits a moment, and then hits him again in the back of the head.


 * Episode 115: Candice Bergen - She karate chops Fozzie Bear when his practical jokes towards Kermit went too far.


 * Episode 115: Candice Bergen - Piggy hits and stomps on Mildred after she insults her looks.


 * Episode 116: Avery Schreiber - Piggy knocks Schreiber over with a punch when he won't kiss her.


 * Episode 116: Avery Schreiber - When she learns that Kermit knows she was tricking him, she punches him in the gut and kicks him across the room.


 * Episode 116: Avery Schreiber - Overhearing Kermit saying that Piggy is like putty in his hands, she knocks him off the stage.


 * Episode 122: Ethel Merman - Miss Piggy karate chops Irving Bizarre when he wants too handle her.


 * Episode 123: Kaye Ballard - During The Muppet Show Theme, she karate chops Fozzie when he tells his opening joke about a very fat pig.


 * Episode 123: Kaye Ballard - Ballard says she likes everyone on the show except Piggy because she's hoggy. This of course, gets her a punch in the stomach from Piggy.


 * Episode 124: Mummenschanz - Miss Piggy is repulsed when Gonzo asks Piggy to touch him so she karate chops him. Gonzo is elated, saying "She touched me. She swung her porky pinky's and she touched me."


 * Episode 124: Mummenschanz - Kermit tells Piggy that while he is flattered by her displays of affection, that he does not want her. Gonzo chimes in, "Oh, good, then can I have her?" Piggy karate chops both of them at once, one with each hand. She comments to the audience: "That is known as getting two turkeys with one chop. "


 * Episode 124: Mummenschanz - At the end of the episode, Gonzo once again accosts Miss Piggy, as Kermit is trying to give his usual onstage sign-off. After promising to send him "on a one-way trip to the Geek Farm," Piggy punches Gonzo into the orchestra pit.


 * Episode 202: Zero Mostel - When Granny the Gouger sends Kermit flying up into Statler and Waldorf's Box, Piggy steps into the rings and knocks Granny to the mat, her feet thrown up in the air.


 * Episode 204: Rich Little - Rich Little performs his act, impersonating the Muppet characters. Miss Piggy's jealousy flares up when Rich impersonates her and she assumes it is a new female performer (flirting with Kermit, no less). Little and Piggy, both annoyed, karate chop each other, knocking both of them out.


 * Episode 205: Judy Collins - J. P. Grosse says he has no use for hog calling, so Piggy winds up to chop him, but hits Kermit by accident.


 * Episode 207: Edgar Bergen - Piggy attempts to hit Link with an iron, but the doors of The Swinetrek close and the hit vibrates her body.


 * Episode 207: Edgar Bergen - During Bergen's act, an insulted Miss Piggy karate-chops Charlie McCarthy and injures her hand.


 * Episode 209: Madeline Kahn - Gonzo tells Piggy that breaking up with her isn't painful at all. "Not until now" she replies, and knocks his nose into his mouth.


 * Episode 211: Dom DeLuise - When Dom shoves an apple in Piggy's mouth, she hits him several times and kicks him in the mouth.


 * Episode 218: Jaye P. Morgan - During a "Pigs in Space" sketch, Miss Piggy karate-chops Link Hogthrob after he tries unsuccessfully to jettison her from the Swinetrek by dropping her down a trap-door hatch.


 * Episode 221: Bob Hope - During the "Pig Calypso" musical number, Kermit claims that a "Bib and napkin, knife and fork is the only way that I'll touch pork!" The number ends as Miss Piggy karate chops the frog.


 * Episode 222: Teresa Brewer - When Piggy breaks a scale from weighing herself, she calls it a liar, punches it, and it explodes.


 * Episode 302: Leo Sayer - Piggy sees Kermit peck Annie Sue on the cheek. From the second floor, she launches at Kermit and lands on him. After he recovers, she hits him so hard he goes flying all the way out to the stage.


 * Episode 304: Gilda Radner - Wayne and Uncle Deadly let Piggy fall from a cliff in the Muppet Melodrama, so when she gets backstage, she lets them both have it.


 * Episode 306: Jean Stapleton - Not buying Kermit's apology for being tied to railroad tracks in the Muppet Melodrama, Piggy uses the tracks tied to her back to smash Kermit in the face. She forgives him and hits him again.


 * Episode 307: Alice Cooper - Stricken with a space disease that has rendered her translucent, Dr. Strangepork can't stop laughing at Piggy. She responds with a punch that transfers the illness to him.


 * Episode 308: Loretta Lynn - Several Muppets keep trying to catch a train by racing by Piggy when she's trying to sing. She finally gets them to stop, and knocks every singe one of them down with one punch.


 * Episode 310: Marisa Berenson - Kermit is roped into going to a wedding (as the groom), but when the minister asks him if he'll take Piggy as his wife, he instead introduces Lew Zealand and his boomerang fish. After chaos ensues, Piggy kicks him in the back through the curtain.


 * Episode 318: Leslie Uggams - Piggy attempts to hit Big Bird after he laughs at the idea of a singing pig, but she misses and flips off the second floor balcony.


 * Episode 324: Cheryl Ladd - While performing "I Enjoy Being a Girl," Miss Piggy and Cheryl Ladd practice karate chops, destroying the Guest Star's dressing room in the process.


 * Episode 401: John Denver - Miss Piggy confronts Kermit about not warning her of the dangers in the swamp. He says he was saving those "dangers" as a surprise -- the best part about the swamp. Piggy says that he is out of his mind. Kermit, insulted, tells Piggy that they don't have to go back to his home, but rather they can go back to where she was born: the sty! "Where pigs eat swill! And wallow in the mud!" Piggy promptly karate chops Kermit to the stage.


 * Episode 404: Dyan Cannon - When Piggy and Dyan take too long getting ready, Kermit cancels their number. She karate chops him out of her dressing room.


 * Episode 404: Dyan Cannon - Floyd Pepper locks Foo-Foo in a drawer and towards the end Miss piggy learns what he did and she karate chops him. Floyd goes flying out of her dressing room, over the railing, and crash-landed into Dyan Cannon's practice drums.


 * Episode 411: Lola Falana - Miss Piggy has a frustrating conversation with Gonzo backstage. At the end of their conversation, Herbie the One-Octopus Band walks by, and Piggy karate chops him in a fit of pique.


 * Episode 412: Phyllis George - During a "Pigs in Space" sketch, the pigs are arguing over which sketch they will perform for the "Fred" Award. Miss Piggy insists they do the sketch. 'First Mate Piggy Saves the Day.' She tells Link Hogthrob: "That's where you are knocked out...[She karate chops him.]...and I take over the controls."


 * Episode 413: Dizzy Gillespie - Piggy attempts to charm Inspector LaBrea out of auditing The Muppet Show for noise pollution, but when he calls her a sow (rhymes with cow), she karate chops him so hard that it sets off his noise alarm. The alarm stops when she tells it to shut up.


 * Episode 418: Christopher Reeve - Christopher Reeve stuck up for Kermit against Miss Piggy. When she violently attempted to karate chop him, a hollowed echo was heard as Piggy bounced off as if striking hard metal while Reeve remained unscathed. An amazed Kermit quips, "He really is the Man of Steel!"


 * Episode 420: Alan Arkin - Alan Arkin sings "Pig Shuffle", his own composition about the life of a pig. The lyrics are less than glorifying, and enrage an onlooking Miss Piggy who storms the stage, ending the number with a karate chop. However, the blow causes Arkin to turn back into a monster, scaring Miss Piggy off the stage.


 * Episode 422: Andy Williams - Piggy has been telling everyone that she and Kermit are engaged. No longer able to handle it, Kermit delivers a "hi-ya" to an immovable Piggy. She replies, "Kermit? Dear? Sweetheart, it's not like that. It's like this..." sending him flying across the backstage into his desk.


 * Episode 423: Carol Channing - Piggy karate chops Floyd when he mocks her small shoes.


 * Episode 502: Loretta Swit - After being fired by Kermit, Miss Piggy karate chops a luckless Whatnot after he picks the wrong moment to ask her, "Uh, excuse me, but do you work here?"


 * Episode 508: Señor Wences - Kermit is more interested in puppets, and unintentionally ignores Piggy, causing her to karate chop him.


 * Episode 513: Tony Randall - In a "Pigs in Space" sketch, Miss Piggy is transformed to stone. When transformed back to normal, she tries to karate chop Link but he quickly pulls a lever and she becomes a statue again.


 * Episode 524: Roger Moore - Miss Piggy thinks Roger Moore is going on a date with her, but gets angry when she discovers he's taking Annie Sue out instead. While the couple leave for the opening act of Hamlet, Piggy karate-chops a photo of Roger to the floor

Muppet Babies

 * Episode 101: Noisy Neighbors - Baby Piggy gives "SuperGonzo" a boost out of an elevator with a karate chop.


 * Episode 406: This Little Piggy Went to Hollywood - Baby Piggy dreams of becoming a Hollywood star. During a song montage, one of the films she's shown to have starred in is "The Karate Pig."

Muppets Tonight

 * Episode 101: Michelle Pfeiffer - In a "Bay of Pigswatch" sketch, when Champ admits he would rather make out with Spamela than save Miss Piggy from a shark, she karate chops him across the beach. Later on, just before the closing number, she karate chops Clifford sending him flying all the way from the dressing rooms, through the control room, and onto the stage.  And as he's closing the show, Piggy and Michelle Pfeiffer karate chop him again when they agreed that it was his fault for booking them on the same show.

Movies

 * in The Muppet Movie, Miss Piggy fights Doc Hopper, Professor Krassman and their henchmen in a secret hideout barn to rescue her frog's brain from being reduced to guacamole, and has the evil genius get a dose of his own medicine.


 * In The Great Muppet Caper, Miss Piggy, determined to get to the Mallory Gallery, throws a truck driver into a pile of trash cans.


 * In The Great Muppet Caper, a betrayed and angry Piggy joins her friends at the Mallory Gallery in a fight against Marla, Carla, Darla and Nicky Holiday, who had previously framed her for stealing his sister Lady Holiday's jewelry at a London fashion show.


 * In The Muppets Take Manhattan, an utterly determined Piggy on borrowed roller skates races after her purse's thief in Central Park, chasing him down stairways, through coppice and over boulders to eventually capture the scrounger and pin him to the ground.


 * In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Kermit receives a karate chop from Miss Piggy after insulting her with pig jokes while still suffering from amnesia.


 * In Muppet Treasure Island, when Kermit (playing the role of Captain Abraham Smollett) first sees Miss Piggy (playing his once-jilted fiancé Benjamina Gunn), she gives him a swift karate chop and sends him flying into a large gong. Kermit remarks to the gong ringer, "uhh, old girlfriend."


 * In Muppets from Space, Miss Piggy attacks Agent Barker with a systematic punch in the groin, eventually tying him up at WHHZ TV9 for kidnapping Gonzo and Rizzo by order of C.O.V.N.E.T.


 * In It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Miss Piggy fights Rachel Bitterman with her kung-fu moves, ultimately ending when they both strike Kermit.


 * In The Muppets, Piggy karate chops Miss Poogy saying "there's only room for one Miss Piggy. And that's moi."


 * In The Muppets, Piggy recruits Walter, Scooter, Lew Zealand, Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, and Fozzie to dress as ninjas and forcibly kidnap Jack Black. The group justifies the violent attack on Black as they all agree that "a celebrity is not a people."

Specials

 * In The Muppets Go Hollywood, Kermit tells Dick van Dyke that he and the Muppets are staying at Bide-A-Wee Motor Court since it's the only area that gives the Muppets a good rate and they allow livestock. Kermit and Dick laugh at this until Miss Piggy karate chops both of them.


 * In The Muppets Go to the Movies, Link Hogthrob flies through the air and lands on top of Miss Piggy. He remarks "I flew through the air with the greatest of ease. The audience loved it. They wanted an encore." An angry Piggy says "let us not disappoint them" and karate chops him back across the stage. 


 * Kevin T. Gregory corrects Miss Piggy, explaining that The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show is a special, not a series. Enraged, Piggy karate chops him and rushes off-stage


 * In The Muppet Show Live, Miss Piggy is crushed that Brooke Shields is stealing her frog and begins to pout. Kermit begins to comfort her and tells her to "just let it out". She does and karate chops him which sends him flying across the room and back onto the stage.


 * While singing "Muskrat Love" with Kermit the Frog at the Just for Laughs festival; Piggy takes umbrage to the mention of bacon and gives Kermit a chop.

Shorts

 * In the pre-show for Muppet*Vision 3D, Bean Bunny is karate chopped by a displeased Piggy and is sent flying from the rightmost screen to the leftmost one.


 * In the "Kokomo" music video, Miss Piggy, just arriving at the tropical beach resort, is aghast as she spies Kermit peeking at his fellow Whatnot hula dancers' swaying grass skirts and begins chasing and karate chopping her frog, while hip-bopping the two ladies out of the way.


 * In a video for The Muppet Whatnot Workshop, Kermit the Frog explains that the whatnots are probably the most important part of the Muppets. Miss Piggy, (thinking "Kermie" was talking about her) rushes up. Kermit clarifies, and yet indirectly insults her by saying that "No one is bigger than her," resulting in a karate-chop to the stomach.


 * In a video for the Muppets' Disney Xtreme Digital site, Miss Piggy gets annoyed at the visitor for clicking the "Do Not Touch" button and karate chops the screen.


 * In a Club Penguin online advertisement, Miss Piggy reacts to Scooter's assessment that "[the stage] can barely hold one of [her]" with a well-directed, very quick chop to the face; rendering him seemingly unconscious.


 * In a promo for The Muppets, Fozzie says "I may be the comedian, but she's the ham!" From off-camera, Piggy kicks him in the side of his head with her high heel. "Okay, so maybe I am more of a sidekick."

Appearances

 * Russell Harty (on his self-titled show in 1977) points out to Piggy that she's very well groomed, but asks what happened. Offended at the insult, Piggy karate chops Harty several times throughout his fits of laughter.


 * While appearing on Holiday Greetings from the Ed Sullivan Show Kermit and Miss Piggy discuss the show and its big stars - though some may be bigger than Miss Piggy, Kermit claims none are as wide, earning himself a karate chop. On the same show, host Bob Newhart asks Miss Piggy for a demonstration of her karate chops. Miss Piggy complies, using poor Kermit as a "chopping block." After demonstrating two of her best chops, Piggy tries a third, the most powerful. Kermit ducks, and Piggy hits Newhart in the stomach by mistake.


 * Miss Piggy karate chopped Australian talk show host Clive James at the end of their Royal Variety Performance appearance together.


 * Wayne Brady and Kermit sang "Brick House" to Piggy on The Wayne Brady Show in 2002, at the end of which Piggy karate chopped Brady to the floor.


 * During a 2007 appearance on Loose Women, Piggy is asked about how to deal with hecklers as a stand-up comedian. She suggests a good karate chop.


 * On the season nine finale of Dancing with the Stars Samantha Harris appeared backstage with Miss Piggy, where the two fought for domination of the camera, and Harris receiving a karate chop from the pig.


 * During an appearance on Country Music Association Awards, Miss Piggy karate chops Brad Paisley, landing him on the floor.


 * Hornswoggle appeared backstage with Miss Piggy on the Halloween episode of WWE Raw in 2011. After showing Piggy his tattoo of her and Kermit, he leans in for a kiss before Piggy counters with a karate chop.


 * Miss Piggy karate-chopped Kermit, who was trying to discourage her from hogging the spotlight and singing a duet with Hape Kerkeling on Verleihung der Goldenen Kamera in 2012.


 * In an appearance on Take Two with Phineas and Ferb, Miss Piggy shows off her karate skills by making an ice sculpture of herself.


 * For their Muppets Most Wanted promotion, Miss Piggy makes several stops in the North American media press circuit, and while in Canada, karate chops both George Stroumboulopoulos (off camera) and Melissa DiMarco.


 * During a brief awards ceremony on vevo for becoming "vevo Certified" (for receiving 100 million views), Miss Piggy falsely accepts Demi Lovato's award. When being corrected by a staff member, she karate chops him in the groin and makes a run for it, instructing Constantine to steal the heavy award for her.

Books

 * In issue #4 of The Muppet Show Comic Book, Miss Piggy sees Madame Rhonda reading Kermit's palm and karate chops them both.


 * In issue #2 of Muppet Robin Hood, To shut her up, Robin Hood kisses Maid Marian on the lips- which causes her to karate-chop Robin Hood, sending him flying.

Threats of Violence

 * In The Muppet Show episode 110, a Whatnot tells Piggy her point is as clear as the nose on her face, "That's some honker you've got there!" She replies, "How would you like a pig knuckle sandwich?"
 * In Jim Frawley's Camera Tests, Piggy says she's not sorry about hitting Miss Mousey who was talking about Kermit. So she cut her in half.
 * When Piggy masquerades as Princes Leia in The Muppet Show episode 417, she tells Luke Skywalker to go along with it, or "I'll cut you in half."
 * Beauregard says Kermit will fire him if he listens to Piggy in The Muppet Show episode 422. Piggy asks him if he'd rather be fired or dismembered.
 * In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Miss Piggy (playing Emily Cratchit) threatens to raise Ebenezer Scrooge "right off the pavement."

Feats of strength

 * When her companions go into a catatonic state from being frightened by a giant chicken, Piggy transforms into Wonder Pig and grows several sizes to crash through the roof, displacing the foul foe.


 * In The Great Muppet Caper, an enraged Piggy harnesses her anger to bend the steel bars of her jail cell.


 * In The Muppets Take Manhattan, while getting catcalled by construction workers and seeing Kermit give Jenny "the huggies," an enraged Piggy beats a steel pipe until it is bent.


 * In The Muppets episode "Walk the Swine", Piggy volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, saws through a 2x4, and breaks off the end with a karate chop.

Honorary mentions

 * An outtake reel for The Muppets at Walt Disney World shows Kermit karate chopping a hysterical Miss Piggy in the swamp.