Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was Emperor of France (1804-1814), King of Italy, mediator of the Swiss Confederation, and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. A famed military leader, Napoleon gradually led the armies of France against nearly every European power, and acquired large portions of the continent. His venture into Russia turned the tide against him, but he staged a brief comeback before finally succumbing to defeat at Waterloo.

In popular culture, Napoleon is best remembered for his large hats, short stature, and trademark pose, with his hand inserted into his vest and over his stomach (as preserved by such painters as Jacques-Louis David).

Appearances

• Napoleon was one of several historical/mythical figures to appear in "Lost in Time," the featured story in the May 1986 issue of the Muppet Babies comic book. The Emperor, depressed over the prospects in Moscow, summons Fwozzie, an ancestor of Baby Fozzie, to entertain him, with less than the desired results.

References

• In episode 108 of The Muppet Show, Kermit lists Napoleon as a famous person "who was small in size" like him and Paul Williams.

• Kermit the Frog appears as Napoleon alongside Miss Piggy as his Josephine in the March section of the Miss Piggy Calendar 1982.

• In The Tale of the Bunny Picnic, the story's central political figure, Mayor Bunnyparte, is named in reference to Napoleon.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Kermit Goes to Washington," Baby Gonzo envisions himself as the emperor of a rule-less society in France, going by the name of Gonzoleon.

• In the Sesame Street coloring book The Museum of Monster Art, Grover spoofs Jacques-Louis David's famous painting "Napoleon Crossing the Alps."

• In Muppet Classic Theater, Gonzo (as the Boy Who Cried Wolf) paints a portrait of the Big Bad Wolf in a typically Napoleonic pose, in an attempt to prove to the townspeople that the Wolf is indeed present.

• In Miss Piggy's Rules, Miss Piggy suggests the reader follow the lead of Josephine in keeping men quiet, for whenever Napoleon "started yammering on" she would say to him, "Tell them the one about Waterloo where Wellington beat you," allowing her to eat her napoleons in peace.

• In Sesame Street Unpaved, it's pointed out that Bert shares his astrological sign, Leo, with Napoleon Bonaparte ("who, like Bert, had an inferiority complex").

• In the Farscape episode "Jeremiah Crichton," Crichton calls Rygel XVI "Napoleon XVI."
  • Crichton again calls Rygel "Napoleon" in the Farscape episode "Through the Looking Glass."

Napoleon Crossing the Alps