The Swedish Chef

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The Swedish Chef.

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The Swedish Chef is the incomprehensible preparer of foodstuffs from The Muppet Show. A rather literal variation of the Live-Hand Muppet concept, the Swedish Chef is a humanoid character, with human hands rather than gloves. On The Muppet Show, Frank Oz performed the character's hands. The chef first appeared in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence in 1975, with Chinese subtitles for his dialog, and Richard Hunt performing the hands. Only in photo puppets used specifically for photo shoots does the Swedish Chef have standard Muppet hands.

According to Brian Henson in one of his introductions for The Muppet Show, "Jim Henson had this tape that he used to play which was 'How to Speak Mock Swedish'. And he used to drive to work and I used to ride with him a lot. And he would drive to work trying to make a chicken sandwich in Mock Swedish or make a turkey casserole in Mock Swedish. It was the most ridiculous thing you had ever seen. And people at traffic lights used to stop and sort of look at him a little crazy. But that was the roots of the character that would eventually become the Swedish Chef". Jim Henson had previously explored the idea of a funny foreign chef at the US Food Fair that took place in Hamburg, Germany in 1961, where Sam and Friends character Omar prepared a flaming salad while speaking in some quite comprehensible mock German that Henson and Jerry Juhl had previously scribbled down in phonetics.

Nearly all Swedish Chef sketches begin with him in a kitchen, waving some utensils while singing his signature song in a trademark mock Swedish, a semi-comprehensible gibberish which parodies the characteristic vowel sounds of Swedish. The last line of the song is always "Børk! Børk! Børk!" and is punctuated by the Chef throwing the utensils over his shoulder to crash into the crockery behind him. (Although the letter "ø" does not exist in Swedish—it is a Danish/Norwegian letter whose Swedish equivalent is "ö"—the Chef's trademark word is nearly always spelled "Børk.")

After this introduction, the Chef continues to speak gibberish while preparing a particular recipe. His commentary is spiced with the occasional English word to clue the viewer in to what he is attempting. These clues are necessary as he frequently uses unorthodox culinary equipment (firearms, tennis rackets, etc.) to prepare his dishes. The sketch typically degenerates into a slapstick finale, and he often winds up in pitched battle with his ingredients, from Lobster Banditos to a Japanese Cake. The Swedish Chef has also appeared, at least briefly, in every Muppet film to date. He was put in charge of running the film projector in The Muppet Movie and Muppet*Vision 3D. In A Muppet Family Christmas, he attempts to cook the Christmas turkey, then sets his sights on Big Bird instead.

The Swedish Chef's popularity led to his own cereal, Cröonchy Stars, in 1988. Commercials for the product featured the Chef, up to his usual antics. In the 1990s, the Swedish Chef appeared regularly on Donna's Day starting in the second season.

In episode 316, Danny Kaye, portraying the chef's uncle in a sketch, claims that the Swedish Chef's first name is Tom. However, since Kaye was not a blood relative in reality, this information may be considered apocryphal.

Casting History

Primary Performers

• Jim Henson - from The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) to The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)
• Bill Barretta - from Muppet Treasure Island (1996) to present

Other Performers

• David Rudman - The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
• Steve Whitmire - I Love Lucy Movie Mania Screen Test (1999)
• Victor Yerrid - From the Balcony: Episode 26 (2006)

Trivia

• The Chef's gibberish gained a life of its own with the creation of a Unix filter capable of converting standard English to Chefspeak in 1992. The filter quickly became a staple of hacker culture and eventually spread to the mainstream with Swedish Chef translators on several Web sites such as Google. In 2003, Opera Software published a special Bork version of its internet browser that turned the MSN Web site into mock Swedish. Mozilla Firefox also contains a popular add-on called Bork Bork Bork! that allows the selective translation of text from Web pages of the user's choice. It is also a display language there.

• As a one-note joke, it is revealed by Jean Stapleton (who speaks mock Swedish) in episode 306 of The Muppet Show, that the Swedish Chef's native language is mock Japanese. Others who have conversed in mock Swedish include Steve Martin, Danny Kaye, Fleet Scribbler, Carlton Cuse (in a "Lost Slapdown"), Statler (in episode 412) and Brenda Song (Studio DC Hosted by Dylan and Cole Sprouse).

• In episode 319 of Fraggle Rock, Sprocket does an impersonation of the Swedish Chef.

• There was a Swedish Chef sketch that was taped but not broadcast, in which the Chef prepared ratatouille.

• In A Muppet Family Christmas he manages to say "Merry Christmas" in Swedish, "Gledelig Jul".

• In The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, the name of his program is "Järnvägskorsning" (Railway Crossings).

• While The Swedish Chef normally has live human hands, he also occasionally has Muppet hands. Examples include:
  • The Muppet Show episode 218: following The Swedish Chef's sketch.
  • Muppets Tonight episode 101: During the meeting at the beginning of the show.

• A wedding ring has appeared on the Swedish Chef's left hand as early as 2006. In 2014, a plush version of the character donning his ring was released to coincide with the release of Muppets Most Wanted.

• The Chef is one of the few regular characters from The Muppet Show who's original dialogue from the English version remains the same in most Non-English speaking countries.

• In recent productions, Steve Whitmire usually performs the Chef's hands.

Sketches

The Muppet Show Season 1
Picture	Title / Episode	Description
	Meatballs Episode 102	The Swedish Chef prepares meatballs, which bounce when dropped. He then grabs a tennis racket and swats the meatball into the audience. Statler volleys it back with a racket of his own. "Fifteen, love!" says Waldorf.
	Flapjacks Episode 105	The Chef prepares pancakes, which wind up stuck on the ceiling. He then grabs a blunderbuss and shoots them down.
	Spaghetti Episode 111	The spaghetti comes to life and attacks The Swedish Chef.
	Doughnuts Episode 114	The Swedish Chef uses a "boomashootn" (rifle) to shoot a hole through an English muffin to make a doughnut.
	Spicy Sauce Episode 115	The Swedish Chef's sauce is so spicy that his hat flies off, giving the audience a rare but brief glimpse of what the chef looks like without his hat.
	Japanese Cake Episode 120	The Chef adds cream and fruit to a chocolate cake, but as he goes to cut it, the cake loudly objects...in Japanese! The cake is instead dispatched by a "cakenschmooscher" (baseball bat).
The Muppet Show Season 2
Picture	Title / Episode	Description
	Fishie Chowder Episode 201	The Swedish Chef attempts to make fish chowder using a live fish.
	Salad, Brussells Sprouts, and Coconut Episode 205	In a two-part sketch, The Swedish Chef shoots lettuce with a gun, first creating a salad and then Brussells sprouts. Later, he tries to shoot a coconut, but instead shoots a rubber chicken and gets hit by a coconut.
	Lobsters Episode 209	The Swedish Chef tries to boil a lobster, but is attacked by a group of lobster banditos, who rescue their comrade from the pot.
	Bomb Egg Episode 212	The Swedish Chef wants eggs for his dish, but his chicken lays a bomb.
File:Pingpongballeggs.jpg	Ping Pong Ball Eggs Episode 214	The Swedish Chef prepares "egg der chef," but his chicken only lays ping pong balls. The Chef becomes angry and pursues the hen with a cleaver; this becomes a literal running gag throughout the rest of the show.
	Frog Legs Episode 215	Since Kermit rushes the Swedish Chef onstage (when he's not ready), the Chef takes Robin and tries to prepare frog legs.
	Salad Episode 216	The Swedish Chef makes a salad while Cleo Laine sings "You're Just in Love."
	Cow Episode 217	The Chef paints on a real live cow to demarcate the different cuts of beef.
	Coconut Episode 218	The Chef hammers and saws a coconut, trying to crack it. When he finally gets it open, he discovers a bomb inside it.
	Chocolate Moose Episode 220	Mickey Moose helps the Chef make "chocolate moose". Kermit interrupts this play on words.
	Pressed Duck Episode 221	The Swedish Chef tries to use the iron to press Ronald Duck, who grabs it and then drops it on him and flies away.
	Popcorn Episode 224	The Swedish Pig makes popcorn.
The Muppet Show Season 3
Picture	Title / Episode	Description
	Living Dough Episode 303	The Swedish Chef is attacked by living dough, which hits him with his own rolling pin. Note: This is the last Swedish Chef sketch to take place in the original kitchen set.
	Patient Swedish Chef Episode 309	What starts as a Swedish Chef sketch finishes with Veterinarian's Hospital, as the hospital staff discover the chef has a rare case of in-grown coffee pot.
	Chicken in the Basket Episode 311	The Swedish Chef throws a chicken through a basketball hoop.
	Banana Split Episode 312	While preparing a banana split, the Swedish Chef is continuously interrupted by Spanish dancers.
	The Chef and his Uncle Episode 316	The Swedish Chef is joined by his uncle (played by Danny Kaye), and they make a turkey.
The Muppet Show Season 4
Picture	Title / Episode	Description
	Squirrel Stew Episode 401	The Chef is out in the woods, trying to make squirrel stew.
	Hot Dogs Episode 404	The Chef prepares hot dogs. Miss Piggy, who is looking for Foo Foo, comes on-stage, asking the chef if he has seen her dog. The Swedish Chef, assuming the query is about the wieners, says that the dog is in the pot, causing Piggy to think that the chef is cooking Foo Foo.
	Turtle Soup Episode 405	Chef attempts to make turtle soup, but the turtle keeps pulling up into his shell when the Chef is about to hack off his head. Frustrated, the Chef threatens the animal with a blunderbuss, only to be met with a double-barreled miniature canon from within the turtle's shell.
	Home-Cooked Meal Episode 408	The Chef plans a home-cooked meal, but the turkey refuses to be skewered, the pig busts him in the face, and the "beef" stampedes over him. Even the vegetable stew is unsuccessful. Eventually, the Chef unveils his dinner -- vitamin pills.
File:No-Bananas.jpg	No Bananas Episode 412	The Chef sings "Yes, We Have No Bananas" with the Singing Food.
	Meat Loafers Episode 423	The chef puts meat into a shoe. The owner of the shoe, a pig, demands to have his shoe back, and puts it on, despite the fact that there is meat in it. He then gets chased by dogs.
The Muppet Show Season 5
Picture	Title / Episode	Description
File:Swedish-Lump-Bread-Puppetry.jpg	Swedish Lump Bread Puppetry Episode 508	The Swedish Chef makes a puppet using his hands and some bread dough as he sings "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in his native tongue.
File:Swedish-Chef Spring-Chickens.jpg	Spring Chickens Episode 512	The Chef makes spring chickens, which spring out of control. Note: This is the only Swedish Chef sketch where The Announcer introduces the act.
File:Swedish-chef-soup.jpg	Soup Episode 514	The Swedish Chef prepares soup, but gets interrupted by multiple Beakers.
	Soufflé Episode 522	The Swedish Chef prepares a lighter than air soufflé.
	Champagne Episode 523	The Chef goes flying when he pops a bottle of champagne.
Additional Sketches (Non-Muppet Show)
Picture	Title / Show	Description
	Sandwich The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence	In a three-part sketch, the Swedish Chef makes a sandwich, using many unusual ingredients. Eventually, the sandwich sprouts wings and flies away, but the chef shoots it down with a gun.
	Salad The Tonight Show (1976)	The Swedish Chef makes a salad using almost every bit of food (or otherwise) he has on his table. It explodes when he tries to flambé it.
File:SwedishChef-hensonhour.jpg	Cake The Jim Henson Hour (Episode 107)	The Swedish Chef attempts to make a cake, but is interrupted by Jaques Roach, who explains that roaches are indestructible because of their eating habits.
	Tacos The Muppets at Walt Disney World	The Chef prepares a taco for Bunsen and Beaker, which is so hot that it blows the pail that has been stuck on Beaker's head clear off... and back on again. Note: The closing for his opening song is "Olé" instead of the usual "Bork, bork, bork."
	Europe MTV Music Awards	Chef and Wyclef Jean perform on stage at the Europe MTV Music Awards on November 16, 2000 in Stockholm, Sweden.
	Daisy Dukes From the Balcony (Episode 4)	The Swedish Chef makes Daisy Dukes.
	Nachos Libre From the Balcony (Episode 26)	The Swedish Chef makes "Nachos Libre" with nachos, black pepper, a mask, a bell, eggs, and flour. It punches him afterwards.
	Cårven Der Pümpkîn Muppet viral video	The Swedish Chef attempts to make jack-o-lanterns out of two talking pumpkins for Halloween. The pumpkins then suggest that he use miscellaneous items that would not normally be used (i.e. a battle axe, a chainsaw, and a bazooka). After he gets out the bazooka, the pumpkins get blasted into two pumpkin pies, which the Chef titles "der pümpkîn pie a la bazookie", right before passing out from the explosion. This is then followed by a little heckling from Statler and Waldorf who have been watching the clip on their computer.
	Pöpcørn Muppet viral video	The Swedish Chef prepares popcorn shrimp to the tune of Hot Butter's "Popcorn." The video also provides captions, although the caption writer admits that they have no idea what the chef is saying; they just try to write it phonetically, which even the writer can't spell.
	Turkey The Muppets	The Swedish Chef attempts to prepare a turkey. Note: This scene was deleted from the film, but a very brief clip of it appears in a TV spot and a trailer.
	"The Poutine" Just for Laughs	The Chef gets a heart attack after eating his own poutine.

File:Swedish Chef wedding ring Gaga xmas.jpg

Close-up of Chef's wedding ring.

The Muppet Show Comic Book

• Meet the Muppets: Because everyone is trying to cheer Kermit up, Robin tries to get the Chef to make Lily Pad Goulash. The Chef fails to understand him and thinks he wants Frogs' Legs Goulash, then takes Robin to make the dish. Onstage, Robin talks the Chef into stopping, and leaves.

• The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson: Because the Chef is making onion soup at the same time that a toast-hurdling contest is happening, toast flies out of the pot as soon as the recipe is complete.

Filmography

See The Swedish Chef Filmography

Video game appearances

• The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside
• Muppet RaceMania
• Jim Henson's Muppets
• Muppets Party Cruise
• The Muppets: On with the Show!
• Muppet Monster Adventure
• My Muppets Show

Book appearances

• The Muppet Show Book
• The Comic Muppet Book
• Two for the Show
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill
• Muppets at Sea
• Robin Hood (1980)
• Muppet Picnic Cookbook (1981)
• My First Muppet Dictionary (1988)
• Muppet Time (1996)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009)
• Muppet Robin Hood
• The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson
• Muppet Snow White
• The Muppets Character Encyclopedia

Swedish Chef at the Smithsonian

See also

At the Dance Bear on Patrol Blackouts Cold Open The Electric Mayhem An Editorial by Sam the Eagle Fozzie's Comedy Acts Gonzo's Stunts Muppet Labs

Muppet Melodrama Muppet News Flash Muppet Sports Musical Chickens Panel Discussions Pigs in Space Planet Koozebane A Poem by Rowlf Rowlf at the Piano

The Swedish Chef Talk Spots Talking Houses UK Spots Vendaface Veterinarian's Hospital Wayne and Wanda