Crunchy Frog
Encyclopedia
"Crunchy Frog" is a fictional sketch originating from a Monty Python
sketch titled "Trade Description Act", inspired by the British law Trade Descriptions Act 1968
.
) is approached by two members of the "Hygiene Squad", Inspector Praline
(John Cleese
) and Superintendent Parrot (Graham Chapman
), who confront him about the odd flavors that are used in the Whizzo Quality Assortment, accusing him of violating the Trade Descriptions Act through inadequate descriptions of his products, like for instance, his Crunchy Frog. It consists of an entire frog
that has been coated with chocolate
. Mr. Milton describes the sweetmeat as using only the finest baby frogs, which are dew-picked and flown from Iraq
, cleansed in finest-quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss
quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope and lovingly frosted with glucose
. Circular reasoning
is employed to explain why the bones are not removed: "If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?"
Other flavours include Ram's Bladder Cup (which is made of fresh Cornish
Ram's bladder, emptied, steamed, seasoned with sesame seeds, whipped into a fondue
, and garnished with lark
's vomit), Cockroach
Cluster, Anthrax
Ripple
, and Spring Surprise (chocolate wrapped around two stainless steel bolts that, upon the melting of the chocolate, spring outward and pierce straight through both of the victim's cheeks). At the end of the scene Milton is arrested, and the Superintendent, who has been vomiting during the entire conversation (it's stated that he ate a Crunchy Frog and implied that he tried some of the others), faces the camera and warns the public to take more care when purchasing their sweeties.
also contains a performance of this sketch, with Chapman as the Inspector and Terry Gilliam
as his assistant. The assistant is now called Constable Parrot, and while he too periodically leaves the room to fight off his nausea, he remains onstage during his last attack of sickness and vomits into his helmet - which he is then forced by his superior to put back on his head. (Gilliam filled his mouth with cold beef stew when he ran off stage during the scene.)
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch titled "Trade Description Act", inspired by the British law Trade Descriptions Act 1968
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
The Trade Descriptions 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which prevents manufacturers, retailers or service industry providers from misleading consumers as to what they are spending their money on....
.
The sketch
In this sketch, Mr. Milton, the owner of the Whizzo Chocolate Company (Terry JonesTerry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
) is approached by two members of the "Hygiene Squad", Inspector Praline
Mr Praline
Mr Eric Praline is a fictional character from the television show Monty Python's Flying Circus, played by comedian John Cleese.-Appearances:The Monty Python team consciously decided to avoid recurring characters...
(John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
) and Superintendent Parrot (Graham Chapman
Graham Chapman
Graham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
), who confront him about the odd flavors that are used in the Whizzo Quality Assortment, accusing him of violating the Trade Descriptions Act through inadequate descriptions of his products, like for instance, his Crunchy Frog. It consists of an entire frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
that has been coated with chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
. Mr. Milton describes the sweetmeat as using only the finest baby frogs, which are dew-picked and flown from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, cleansed in finest-quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss
Swiss chocolate
Switzerland's chocolates have earned an international reputation for high quality.The famous Toblerone came from Switzerland; a man named Jean Tobler started the business in 1867.-History:The 17th century saw the start of chocolate processed in Switzerland...
quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope and lovingly frosted with glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
. Circular reasoning
Circular reasoning
Circular reasoning, or in other words, paradoxical thinking, is a type of formal logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proved is assumed implicitly or explicitly in one of the premises. For example:"Only an untrustworthy person would run for office...
is employed to explain why the bones are not removed: "If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?"
Other flavours include Ram's Bladder Cup (which is made of fresh Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
Ram's bladder, emptied, steamed, seasoned with sesame seeds, whipped into a fondue
Fondue
Fondue is a Swiss dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot over a spirit lamp , and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese...
, and garnished with lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
's vomit), Cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
Cluster, Anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
Ripple
Raspberry Ripple
Raspberry Ripple is a popular flavour of ice cream in Great Britain and elsewhere. It consists of raspberry syrup injected into vanilla ice cream....
, and Spring Surprise (chocolate wrapped around two stainless steel bolts that, upon the melting of the chocolate, spring outward and pierce straight through both of the victim's cheeks). At the end of the scene Milton is arrested, and the Superintendent, who has been vomiting during the entire conversation (it's stated that he ate a Crunchy Frog and implied that he tried some of the others), faces the camera and warns the public to take more care when purchasing their sweeties.
In film
The film Monty Python Live at the Hollywood BowlMonty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a 1982 concert film in which the Monty Python team perform many of their greatest sketches at the Hollywood Bowl. The show also included filmed inserts which were mostly taken from two Monty Python specials, Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, which had been...
also contains a performance of this sketch, with Chapman as the Inspector and Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
as his assistant. The assistant is now called Constable Parrot, and while he too periodically leaves the room to fight off his nausea, he remains onstage during his last attack of sickness and vomits into his helmet - which he is then forced by his superior to put back on his head. (Gilliam filled his mouth with cold beef stew when he ran off stage during the scene.)
Other appearances
- In Monty Python's Big Red BookMonty Python's Big Red BookMonty Python's Big Red Book is a humour book comprising mostly material derived and reworked from the first few years of the Monty Python's Flying Circus BBC television series. It was first published in 1971 by Methuen Publishing Ltd....
there is a page designed as a chocolate box insert, with descriptions of all the sweets in the Whizzo Quality Assortment.
- In J.K. Rowling's Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series, two kinds of sweets seen eaten by the characters are Chocolate Frogs and Cockroach Clusters.
- In the video game FableFable (video game)Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
, the food item "Crunchy Chick"'s description says, "It's the bones that make them crunchy.", a possible reference to Crunchy Frogs.
- In Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard EntertainmentBlizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
's popular MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
World of WarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, Crunchy Frog can be bought as food at the Darkmoon Faire, a traveling carnival.