Written by Michael Wermuth.
ZIPPITY ZAP
Performed by…
Bill Barretta
First appearance…
Muppets Tonight Episode 106: Tony Bennett (1996)
Most recent appearance…
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
Best known role…
Green hipster
WHO IS ZIPPITY ZAP?
Zippity Zap is a member of the KMUP-TV crew on Muppets Tonight. He dresses in a Hawiian shirt, sunglasses, and a hat. He has green skin and an almost blank face, making it hard to determine if he’s a frog or a green-skinned human/whatnot. He was a cool character, but didn’t develop much personality. His biggest role on the show came in “The Cameo Show,” where Zippity assists Clifford and Rizzo in hiding the recently-deceased Arsenio Hall’s body in the storage closet. After the body goes missing, Zippity argues with Rizzo over which of them was told to lock the closet door.
Another notable moment for Zippity came when his video recording of an episode of Seinfeld got mixed with Gonzo’s copy of a Muppet Babies VHS tape, resulting in the “Seinfeld Babies” sketch. During one of Clifford’s introductions for The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, Zippity was on stage to hold a sign with the guest stars symbol and make an “Eh” sound whenever the guest star’s name was supposed to be said. Zippity’s mother also made an appearance in the show’s final episode, “Johnny Fiama Leaves Home,” looking like Zippity Zap in drag.
After Muppets Tonight, Zippity was seen as a background character for awhile. He was a resident of the Muppet boarding house in Muppets from Space, was among the Muppets agreeing to not get paid in It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and danced at Poppyfields in The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.
WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED ZIPPITY ZAP?
Zippety Zap is one cool Muppet, and the Muppets could certainly use all the cool characters they can get. Though his role on Muppets Tonight could have easily been filled by Floyd (or Clifford, if he wasn’t hosting), Zippity Zap could easily fit in with The Electric Mayhem or any of the other cool Muppet characters.
