In the Season 4 Premier of ABC’s Holey Moley, it seemed like Muppet’s favorite, Pepe, wore a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson inspired outfit.
If a show’s ratings aren’t doing so hot, bringing in The Muppets to buff up the numbers is a sure bet. That undeniable fact is the conciet for the Season 4 premier of Holey Moley. This mini-golf competition show, hosted by 21 Jump Street’s Rob Riggle, brings together some of the greatest talents in the tiny sport and pits them against one another. In fun sketches, Riggle will bring in famous faces to fill the time between the mini-golfing rounds. And for this season premier, Riggle may have brought in his most iconic guests yet.
After each round, Riggle consulted one of the iconic Muppets and asked their opinion on what he should do to save the show. The stand out bit though didn’t come from Kermit, it came from sleeper hit Pepe The King Prawn. In the sketch, Riggle aludes to Pepe having ties to people who could help save his show at any cost. But aside from the funny dialouge, there was one thing that stood out in this bit. Was Pepe’s black turtle neck and chain look a subtle nod to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s classic meme?
Pepe The King Prawn was designed by Eric Englehardt and has been voiced by Bill Barretta since his debute in 1996. Pepe’s made a name for himself for being the most irreverant of the Muppets and having a sneaky suave side. He has even had a long running flirtation with “Good Morning America’s” Lara Spencer. And frankly, it’s surprising that a such a small King Prawn can have such a large ego inside of him as he think’s he’s Hollywood’s next big thing, unlike The Electric Mayhem Band.
So, if Pepe was trying to emulate Dwayne Johnson’s legendary meme look, it wouldn’t be that surprising. The meme rose to prominence when The Rock shared the picture on Instagram in 2014 in a throwback post. From there it has spawned a Dwayne Johnson meme sub-genre that has made fans laugh ever since. And while the picture is from 1994, two years before Pepe was created, the question is, did Pepe wear this cosume before the photo hit the internet?
While it would have been great if this was a reference, it’s totally a coincidence. Over the years, Pepe has worn a plethora of costumes from muscle suits to tutus. But his most signiture look is a simple t-shirt and sweatshirt combo that always get the job done. In addition, he’ll often dust off his fasionable look of the black turtle neck and gold chain and pull it off very well. The only thing that’s missing is the fanny pack, which are making a comeback. While it’s unclear the first time Pepe dawned this ultimate look, there are images from the short-lived Sattler and Waldorf show in 2002 where he is showing off his style.
Pepe’s costume certainly isn’t a reference to The Rock, but now that it’s on fans minds, it would be hilarious to seem them on screen together. And its possible this might be Pepe’s new permanent outfit as it appears again in Episode 2, when Rob Riggle facetimes Pepe and sees he’s kidnapped Steph Curry for ransom. And if one things for certain, this bit proved that Pepe has some real chops. So maybe next year Muppet’s creator Frank Oz could get him to host the Oscars.
Read Next
About The Author
