But That's None of My Business

The Origin: Instagram, Iced Tea, and Weaponized Indifference

The Kermit "But That's None of My Business" meme is one of the most iconic passive-aggressive formats in internet history. It started on Instagram in June 2014 when users on the @kermitbelike account began pairing a screenshot of Kermit the Frog sipping Lipton iced tea with biting social commentary — always capped off with the devastatingly casual "but that's none of my business."

The specific image comes from a Lipton tea commercial featuring the Muppets, where Kermit casually sips from a glass. Something about Kermit's relaxed posture and that little sip — the puppet equivalent of a mic drop — made it the perfect vehicle for saying what everyone's thinking but no one wants to say out loud.

June 2014: From Zero to 130,000 Followers in Four Days

The earliest known Kermit image macro with the phrase "that's none of my business" appeared on June 17, 2014, on the @kermitbelike Instagram feed. The post mocked specific social behaviors and immediately struck a nerve.

Three days later, on June 20th, the dedicated @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho Instagram account launched — and gained 130,000 followers in its first four days. That same day, Twitter erupted with the hashtags #NoneOfMyBusiness and #Kermit, hitting over 19,000 and 11,000 mentions respectively in the same period.

By June 22nd, Tumblr had the "Kermit the Snitch" single-topic blog. By June 23rd, YouTube compilations were pulling 100,000+ views overnight. The meme went from Instagram niche to full internet saturation in under a week.

Why This Meme Works: The Psychology of the Tea Sip

Most memes are about expressing an emotion. Kermit sipping tea is about performing one — specifically, the performance of not caring while very obviously caring a lot. It's the visual equivalent of "I'm just saying" or "no offense, but."

The format works because it gives people plausible deniability. You're not being mean — Kermit is. You're just sharing what Kermit said. The puppet acts as a social buffer, letting people make observations about relationships, double standards, and hypocrisy that would feel too confrontational coming from a human face.

There's also something inherently funny about a children's puppet character being deployed for adult social warfare. Kermit was designed to be wholesome. Using him to call out your friend's questionable dating choices creates a comedic contrast that never gets old.

LeBron James and the Championship Tea Sip (2016)

The meme's biggest mainstream moment came on June 20, 2016 — exactly two years after the Instagram explosion. LeBron James had just led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in franchise history, coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.

When LeBron returned to Cleveland, he was wearing an "Ultimate Warrior" t-shirt and — crucially — a cap embroidered with Kermit sipping tea. He then posted an Instagram photo of the hat next to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, silently taunting every critic who said he couldn't deliver a title to Cleveland.

It was the meme used at its highest level: no words needed. LeBron didn't have to say "I told you so." The hat said it all. But that was none of his business.

The #TeaLizard Incident

Also in June 2016, ABC's Good Morning America committed what can only be described as a crime against meme literacy. While tweeting about viral memes, GMA used the hashtag #tealizard to refer to Kermit the Frog.

The internet did not let this slide. The Verge, Mashable, A.V. Club, and AOL all covered the gaffe. Thousands of people roasted GMA for not knowing one of the most recognizable characters in entertainment history. It became a meta-meme moment — the news trying to cover meme culture and failing spectacularly.

The Extended Universe: Evil Kermit and Beyond

The tea-sipping meme spawned an entire Kermit cinematic universe of formats:

• Evil Kermit (2016): A still from Muppets Most Wanted showing Kermit facing his hooded doppelgänger Constantine. Used to represent the inner voice tempting you to make bad decisions. "Me: I should save money. Me to me: Buy the entire collection."
• Kermit looking out the window: A melancholic Kermit staring into the rain, used for sad or reflective moments.
• Nervous Kermit: A still of Kermit anxiously wringing his hands, deployed for situations of social dread.
• Kermit typing furiously: Used when someone is writing an angry response they'll probably delete.

The original tea-sipping format remains the most enduring, though. It's been used consistently for over a decade — a remarkable shelf life for any internet format. The reason is simple: passive-aggression never goes out of style.

Cultural Impact: From Meme to Merch to LeBron's Hat

The meme crossed into mainstream culture in ways few formats have matched:

• Merchandise explosion: T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and hats (yes, like LeBron's) flooded Amazon and Etsy.
• Brand adoption: Lipton itself leaned into the association, occasionally referencing the meme in social media campaigns.
• "Sipping tea" entered the lexicon: The phrase "sipping tea" now universally means watching drama unfold without getting involved — directly traceable to this meme.
• Political deployment: The format was heavily used during the 2016 and 2020 US elections for political commentary from all sides.