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 kit. 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 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 116: Avery Schreiber - Miss Piggy instructs Scooter to tell him that Avery Schreiber is in love with her. Kermit finds out that it's all a trick, and Piggy karate-chops everybody.


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


 * 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 302: Leo Sayer - Piggy sees Kermit peck Annie Sue on the cheek, and she launches a vicious karate chop at him.


 * Episode 310: Marisa Berenson - Kermit is roped into going to a weddin, but when the minister asks him if he'll take Piggy as his wife, he instead introduces Lew Zealand and his boomerang fish and Piggy karate-chops the frog.


 * 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 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 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 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.

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, 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 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-fo moves.


 * 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 kidnap Jack Black, dressed as ninjas.

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.

Appearances

 * 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.


 * 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.


 * 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.


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

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 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."
 * In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Miss Piggy (playing Emily Cratchit) threatens to raise Ebenezer Scrooge "right off the pavement."