Some Famous Pigs

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“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”

And the famous British statesman had a point, for pigs have been very misunderstood down through the ages. They are not dirty or sloppy, and are actually very sweet and highly intelligent; two facts that are rarely mentioned unless in reference to “pet pigs,” that are a fairly new phenomenon anyway.

Pigs have been popular cartoon characters, dating back seventy years ago to good old Porky the Pig. More recently, one of the most popular porcine icons is Miss Piggy (at least in her own mind).The late American puppeteer, Jim Henson created the Muppet diva and girlfriend of Kermit the Frog (we won’t even touch that). Despite brief appearances on Saturday Night Live in the mid 1970s, the Muppet Show was not successful in America until after it aired in Britain where it became immensely popular. After that, it was shown in syndication throughout the United States.

But who is Miss Piggy? Exclusively, Frank Oz played this character until 1981 and his brilliant depiction transformed her from a minor player in the Muppet Show to an entrancing and very popular stage star. No one can say for sure, but popular legend claims that Jim Henson modeled Miss Piggy on actress, Loretta Switt, from the TV series, MASH. Still others attest that Miss Piggy is really the porcine incarnation of famous 50s singer, Peggy Lee. Who’s to say? Your guess is as good as anyone else’s.

Some pigs are braver than they are famous and one little valiant pot-bellied female needs some honorable mention here. This pet pig saved the life of her mistress who had suffered a heart attack in a remote farmhouse. The pig scraped her belly as she pushed through the narrow “pet door,” and out onto the highway where she lay playing “dead piggy” until finally a motorist stopped and followed her back to the house. She made more than ten trips out to the highway, returning to check on her ailing mistress, and scraping her poor little tummy every time.

So the next time you see a pig, stop and say hello. You won’t get your hands dirty and you might even learn a thing or two.