People are actually accusing Kermit the Frog’s new girlfriend of being too thin

Kermit actually said new character Denise is just a 'close friend'

Fictional green cloth puppet Kermit the Frog got a new girlfriend this week, and the internet isn’t happy about the body image standards she’s setting for sentient pigs everywhere.

“Apparently Kermit can’t get enough of women like his ex – as long as they’re younger and thinner,” A Guardian opinion piece frowned, though from the first image of Denise released by ABC, its actually quite difficult to ascertain her age from her felt skin and stuck-on eyes.

“Is this author "thin-shaming" a fictional character?” the top comment on the article read, as another added: “I just couldn't read this article. First sentence... I was done.”

Kermit actually disclosed that new character Denise is in fact a “close friend” rather than a new girlfriend, but it was too late, Twitter was already raging.

“Seriously, it made me really mad, especially that they made her young and skinny,” one user wrote, with another sighing: “This is the difference between PBS and major networks. Miss Piggy could be a pig of size, in Hollywood, Denise the pig is skinny.”

I for one wish Kermit and Denise all the best, if they do decide to date, and beloved feminist icon Miss Piggy won’t be going anywhere, if anything getting a stronger story arc than just being the girlfriend to a frog who complains about being green a lot.

Denise will make her debut on ABC’s The Muppets when the show returns on 22 September.