# But Thats None Of My Business

> But That's None of My Business is a 2014 image-macro meme featuring Kermit the Frog sipping Lipton tea, captioned with passive-aggressive observations and the dismissive tagline.

"But That's None of My Business" is an image macro meme featuring Kermit the Frog sipping a cup of Lipton tea, paired with a passive-aggressive observation followed by the dismissive tagline "but that's none of my business." The format exploded across Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr in June 2014, becoming one of the year's biggest memes and a go-to tool for calling out questionable behavior while maintaining plausible deniability[2]. Also known as "Kermit Sipping Tea," the meme enjoyed a rare second life in 2016 when LeBron James wore a Kermit hat after winning the NBA Finals[6].

## Origin
In 2014, Lipton launched a TV commercial starring Kermit the Frog as part of their "Be More Tea" campaign, which first aired during the Academy Awards[13]. The ad showed Kermit calmly navigating chaos while encouraging viewers to adopt a more relaxed attitude. A promotional still from this campaign captured Kermit mid-sip, looking characteristically composed[3].

Instagram users started posting captioned Kermit images with the hashtag #kermitmemes as early as January 2014[5]. By June, the format had found its voice. On June 17, 2014, the @kermitbelike Instagram feed shared what appears to be the earliest known image macro combining a Kermit photo with the phrase "that's none of my business"[5]. Three days later, on June 20, the dedicated account @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho launched on Instagram[4]. The account gained over 130,000 followers in its first four days[5].

The iconic "sipping tea" version of the image macro took shape on June 22, 2014, when the Tumblr blog "Kermit the Snitch" went live[4]. Its first post paired the now-famous tea-sipping Kermit photo with a caption mocking men who wear fake Jordan sneakers[5].

- **Platform:** Instagram (meme format), Lipton Tea commercial (source image)
- **Creator:** Unknown (community-created from Lipton Tea commercial); popularized by @kermitbelike and @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho (Instagram), "Kermit the Snitch" (Tumblr)
- **Date:** 2014

## Overview
The meme uses a still image of Kermit the Frog holding a cup of Lipton iced tea, captured from a 2014 promotional campaign[13]. The format follows a simple formula: a judgmental observation about someone's behavior, capped with "but that's none of my business" as Kermit takes a sip[4]. The setup typically calls out hypocrisy, bad decisions, or social faux pas, while the closing line creates an ironic distance between the poster and the shade they're throwing[1].

The "tea" in the image carries a double meaning. Beyond the literal Lipton cup, "tea" is slang for gossip in online culture, rooted in drag community language and Southern tea party traditions[3]. Kermit sipping his tea became the perfect visual shorthand for someone who's observing drama without wanting to get directly involved[4]. Or, more accurately, someone who's absolutely getting involved but pretending they aren't.

## How It Spread
The meme moved fast. On the same day @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho launched, Twitter users picked up the format with hashtags #NoneOfMyBusiness and #Kermit, which racked up over 19,000 and 11,000 mentions respectively in the first four days[5]. The next day, YouTuber Bugatti Beez uploaded a video of Kermit reading popular "But That's None of My Business" examples, pulling in 100,000 views and 480 comments within 24 hours[5].

The meme's appeal was its low barrier to entry. As The Verge put it, the format "had the structural depth of a knock-knock joke"[2]. Take an image of Kermit, add an insult, close with the catchphrase. The simplicity made it endlessly replicable, and users deployed it to comment on everything from cheating partners to bad parenting to hypocritical social media behavior[1].

Usage climbed through the summer and fall of 2014, then tapered off into early 2015[2]. Like most memes, it settled into a slower rhythm, showing up mainly as a referential callback rather than fresh content. By mid-2015, it had reached what The Verge called "the nadir of all memes: the Facebook political post"[2].

## How to Use
The format follows a consistent pattern:
1. Start with a pointed observation about someone's behavior, hypocrisy, or bad decision. This is typically written in second person ("You say you're broke but...") or describes a situation the poster has witnessed.
2. End the caption with "but that's none of my business" as the final line.
3. Pair with the image of Kermit sipping tea from the Lipton commercial.

## Cultural Impact
The meme crossed over into mainstream culture in multiple ways. LeBron James wearing the Kermit hat to one of the biggest moments in NBA history gave it a celebrity endorsement that most memes never receive[6]. The resulting media coverage brought the format to audiences who had never scrolled through Instagram meme pages[7].

Good Morning America's #TeaLizard blunder in June 2016 became its own news cycle, with coverage from Mashable, The Verge, Mediaite, and AOL[9][2][10][11]. The incident highlighted the gap between how internet-native communities and traditional media understood meme culture. An ABC insider told Mediaite the whole thing was "just basic Internet stuff," a characterization that only deepened the comedy[10].

The format also shaped how gossip and shade-throwing work online. Bustle noted that the meme "reveals more about the people who use it than about the people the users are commenting on," functioning as a socially acceptable way to voice judgments that might otherwise seem rude[12]. Urban Dictionary captured the dual nature, defining it both as a way to call someone out and as a method of signaling that you know something you're choosing not to discuss[14].

## Fun Facts
- The Lipton commercial that spawned the meme was meant to promote kindness. Lipton's "Be More Tea" campaign encouraged people to be calmer and more relaxed. The internet turned Kermit's calm sip into a weapon of maximum shade instead[3].
- The @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho Instagram account gained 130,000 followers in just four days after launching on June 20, 2014[5].
- The #TeaLizard incident traced back to a single Weird Twitter parody account that had jokingly used the term "tea lizard" months before GMA picked it up. The account's only response when the chaos erupted was a single, cryptic tweet[10].
- Walt Disney Company owns both ABC (which airs Good Morning America) and the Muppets franchise, making the #TeaLizard gaffe an in-house embarrassment[11].
- Kermit the Frog is an amphibian. A lizard is a reptile. GMA's social media team apparently missed this distinction, which is, quite literally, in Kermit's name[9].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is "But That's None of My Business"?
It's an image macro meme featuring Kermit the Frog sipping Lipton tea, paired with a passive-aggressive observation about someone's behavior, followed by the dismissive tagline "but that's none of my business"[4].

### Where did "But That's None of My Business" come from?
The source image comes from a 2014 Lipton Tea commercial starring Kermit. The meme format took off on Instagram in June 2014 through accounts like @kermitbelike and @thatsnoneofmybusinesstho[5][13].

### What does "But That's None of My Business" mean?
The phrase acts as a sarcastic closer after pointing out someone's hypocrisy, bad decisions, or questionable behavior. It creates a thin layer of plausible deniability: the poster is clearly judging, but the tag line pretends otherwise[1].

### How do you use "But That's None of My Business"?
Write a pointed observation about someone's behavior, then add "but that's none of my business" as the punchline. Pair it with the Kermit sipping tea image, or use the catchphrase on its own[12].

### Is "But That's None of My Business" still popular?
The meme peaked in 2014 and saw a major revival in 2016 thanks to LeBron James. While no longer generating daily viral posts, it's a widely recognized format that still gets used for shade-throwing and gossip commentary[2].

### Why is Kermit drinking tea in the meme?
The image comes from a Lipton iced tea promotional campaign that aired during the 2014 Academy Awards. The "tea" also carries a double meaning, as "tea" is slang for gossip in internet and drag culture[3][13].

### What happened with LeBron James and this meme?
After winning the 2016 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron wore a hat embroidered with the Kermit sipping tea image and posted it on Instagram with a caption calling out his doubters, closing with "THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS"[7][6].

### What is #TeaLizard?
In June 2016, Good Morning America's Twitter account referred to the Kermit meme as "#tealizard," apparently unaware that Kermit is a frog, not a lizard. The gaffe went viral and spawned its own wave of mockery[9][10].

### Why did Good Morning America call Kermit a "tea lizard"?
A Mediaite investigation found that GMA's social media staff had stumbled across a Weird Twitter parody account that jokingly called the meme "tea lizard" months earlier, and used the term without realizing it was a joke[10].

### What does "spill the tea" have to do with this meme?
"Tea" as slang for gossip or truth originated in drag and LGBTQ+ culture, where "T" meant "truth." The phrase was later adopted more broadly online. Kermit's literal tea-sipping became a visual pun on this slang[3].

### Is this meme related to Evil Kermit?
Both memes use Kermit the Frog but they're separate formats. "But That's None of My Business" is about judging others, while "Evil Kermit" (which appeared later in 2016) is about your own inner temptation to make bad choices[4].

### Did Lipton benefit from the meme?
The original Lipton commercial was part of their "Be More Tea" campaign promoting kindness and calm. The meme repurposed the image for the opposite tone, though the Lipton branding remained visible in countless viral posts[3][13].

## References
1. [Kermit The Frog Meme ‘But That’s None Of My Business’ Is Amazing](<https://web.archive.org/web/20160602133640/https://uproxx.com/smokingsection/kermit-but-thats-none-of-my-business-memes/>)
2. [2014’s best meme returns, only to be brutalized by TV morning show | The Verge](<https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/21/11988356/kermit-sipping-tea-lizard-none-of-my-business-meme-good-morning-america>)
3. [Some maniac at Good Morning America called Kermit the Frog 'Tea Lizard' | Mashable](<https://mashable.com/article/kermit-the-frog-tea-lizard-good-morning-america#INIu0LuYJmqb>)
4. [But That's None of My Business - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/but-thats-none-of-my-business>)
5. [You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_think_you_just_fell_out_of_a_coconut_tree%3F>)
6. [But That's None of My Business - Urban Dictionary](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=But%20That%27s%20None%20of%20My%20Business>)
7. [History & Meaning Of The Kermit Sipping Tea Meme | YourTango](<https://www.yourtango.com/2018317692/what-does-kermit-tea-mean-simple-guide-slang-internet-meme-everyones-using>)
8. [Kermit Sipping Tea – Meaning, Origin, Usage](<https://digitalcultures.net/memes/kermit-sipping-tea/>)
9. [The Best Sipping Tea Memes, Because Seriously, It's None Of My Business](<https://www.bustle.com/life/the-best-sipping-tea-memes-because-seriously-its-none-of-my-business-69528>)
10. [Behind the Meme: Kermit the Frog Sipping Tea - AshbyDodd](<https://ashbydodd.com/behind-the-meme-kermit-the-frog-sipping-tea/>)
11. [Kermit Quotes None of My Business: A Deep Dive into the Meme's Wisdom - Befagi](<https://hub.befagi.com/kermit-quotes-none-of-my-business-a-deep-dive-into-the-memes-wisdom/>)
12. [Instagram photos for tag #kermitmemes  | Iconosquare](<https://web.archive.org/web/20160229103305/https://iconosquare.com/tag/kermitmemes/>)
13. [LeBron James Rocks Hat with 'None of My Business' Kermit Meme Before Game 7](<https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2647120-lebron-james-rocks-hat-with-none-of-my-business-kermit-meme-before-game-7>)
14. [#muppets#themuppets#kermitmemes#kermit#meme#logic#followme#dat_satisfying_pancak... | Iconosquare](<https://web.archive.org/web/20160403022801/https://iconosquare.com/p/636167050178960403_898713686>)
15. [LeBron James wears Kermit sipping tea hat, has message for his haters – New York Daily News](<https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/lebron-james-wears-kermit-sipping-tea-hat-message-haters-article-1.2681149>)
16. [LeBron Hilariously Trolled the Warriors With His Outfit | GQ](<https://www.gq.com/story/lebron-james-warrior-tee-hat>)
17. [#TeaLizard is now a thing — or so says 'Good Morning America' - AOL](<https://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/21/tealizard-is-now-a-thing-or-so-says-good-morning-america/21399356/>)
18. [Some maniac at Good Morning America called Kermit the Frog 'Tea Lizard' | Mashable](<https://mashable.com/2016/06/21/kermit-the-frog-tea-lizard-good-morning-america/#INIu0LuYJmqb>)
19. [but+that's+none+of+my+business | Tumblr](<https://www.tumblr.com/search/but+that%27s+none+of+my+business>)
20. [What is #TeaLizard ?](<https://www.mediaite.com/online/exclusive-an-abc-insider-just-gave-us-the-scoop-on-this-mornings-tealizard-phenomenon/>)
21. [What are ‘Kermit the Frog’ memes? Decoding its origin - NewsBreak](<https://www.newsbreak.com/soap-central-302262230/3711489746466-what-are-kermit-the-frog-memes-decoding-its-origin>)
22. [The Starbucks vs. Kermit the Frog Meme Explained](<https://eathealthy365.com/starbucks-vs-kermit-the-viral-meme-s-origin/>)

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