Brands are getting in on Tea Lizard Mania, which hit social media on Tuesday morning after Good Morning America coined the term while referencing the popular meme of Kermit the Frog drinking Lipton tea.
The morning show asked if a picture of LeBron James crying after his Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Finals on Sunday night has the potential to reach the heights of other legendary memes, such as the one featuring Kermit, also known as the "but that’s none of my business" meme.
Does #CryingLeBron join other meme greats like #tealizard, #CryingJordan and #smockin / the mask? Tweet us! pic.twitter.com/4xoDahAk1Q
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 21, 2016
The internet, of course, went bonkers over the suggestion that Kermit is just another tea-drinking reptile.
When PRWeek contacted ABC to find out the story behind the tweet, a representative deferred to a Mediaite report that said Good Morning America mistakenly called Kermit a lizard. Meanwhile, some social media users are convinced it is a well-executed publicity stunt. After all, Disney, the parent company of the Muppets, also owns ABC.
Kermit – he has a verified Twitter account – waited until after 3 p.m. EST to respond with the following:
Don’t you hate when you get mistaken for someone you're not? Kermit #TeaFrog > #TeaLizard #ButThatsNoneOfMyBusiness #PutSomeRespeckOnMyName
— Kermit the Frog (@KermitTheFrog) June 21, 2016
Various brands also decided to get in on the fun.
Geico
.@KermitTheFrog Don't let it bother you too much, mate! I know how it feels when they get your name wrong. #TeaLizard #GeckoNotGEICO
— The GEICO Gecko (@TheGEICOGecko) June 21, 2016
Denny’s
why did seven teens just come in dressed as lizards and only order tea??
— Denny's (@DennysDiner) June 21, 2016
Barnes & Noble
"It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to." - W.C. Fields #TeaLizard pic.twitter.com/nZTEKqW6uz
— Barnes & Noble (@BNBuzz) June 21, 2016
Smithsonian
Will the real #TeaLizard please stand up? Lizard+teapots all over Sandlin piece @americanart https://t.co/ttzrMYHFCR pic.twitter.com/NFDXYkuQkY
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) June 21, 2016
Death Wish Coffee
Kermit probably wouldn't have been called a #tealizard if he had been drinking coffee instead. - CT pic.twitter.com/ixcC2QKXb3
— Death Wish Coffee (@DeathWishCoffee) June 21, 2016
Nickelodeon
The original #TeaLizard pic.twitter.com/WpNR9RTpan
— The Splat (@thesplat) June 21, 2016
This story was updated on June 21 with comment from Kermit the Frog.