I've paid a lot of attention to Kermit and Piggy's relationship, past and present, on account of the fact that it fascinates me. I'm aware that Piggy herself has, on rare occasions, implied that they're not married, and that the official company line is that they aren't married.
However... I do absolutely believe that wedding was real, and that Jim Henson himself intended on having the marriage be real. His untimely death really muddled things on that account, sadly. Well, that was sad for many many reasons, the effect on Kermit and Piggy's relationship being one of the least important.
I believe in the wedding, not just because of the wedding itself, but because of the publicity leading up to the wedding, and the aftermath of the wedding, all of which very much implied it was real.
Even Kermit has not been perfectly consistant in denying the marriage, and there are interviews out there from before Jim's death where he seems to be settled into married life. The first example that pops into my mind being his announcing that Piggy "is an interesting sight in lingerie." I also remember the screen test from the muppet movie, which admittedly was before the wedding itself, which even makes me wonder if they weren't married BEFORE MTM... but that's a totally different area of speculation. I don't really want to write a whole essay on the subject at the moment... but I could.
I DO have a semi written fanfic on the subject of the effect Jim's death had on Kermit, and Piggy. I'll post it, if I ever finish it.
And, I'm really rambling here. Sorry 'bout that.
I agree completely with the theory that Piggy may well have agreed to back off on the married talk in return for Kermit backing off of the professional relationship joke.
I'd also like to point out that Kermit is, in a fictiony sort of way (and why shouldn't I talk like that... we all are. Technically, they are puppets, if you want to stay out of imagination, and don't even know they exist, or anything else.) in charge of the company. He sold it out from under her nose (and what a nose!) as she complained at Muppetfest. Naturally, they would toe the frog's line.
I guess it's ultimately up to you what you'd like to believe about their relationship. Personally, I think the frog, as sensible as he seems, is more delusional than the pig ever was. She has, at the least, been more honest about her feelings than Kermit has about his own. (That he has feelings for her at one point or another, at least, is pretty hard to deny... and he has.) I think the biggest disservice the company ever did the muppets, and the muppets ever did themselves, was making Piggy into a clown. She is certainly bigger than life and overwhelming at times... but she's still a muppet, and she still has a good heart, worthy of respect. When the other muppets, Kermit especially, started treating her like an embarassing relative at a party, instead of with a kind of respectful teasing as there is between family and friends, then the world lost respect for them too. Not just Piggy... but Kermit. Hardly good for their popularity.
Of course, what with reality shows being so popular, maybe the days when respect counted for something in celebrity are dead.
I hope not, though, as I think they are finally back on track with the Muppets, and Kermit and Piggy's relationship. There's hope in the air, and it thrills me.
Suntan lotion... a Caribbean vacation for two. (Piggy would NOT be so pleased with that trip if they wereen't going alone!) They seem more than just flirting. It's an established relationship that feels very real, at least to me, and not like acting. (But then, Kermit's denials have felt more like shyness or acting to me.) That's a biiiig shift and I very much have felt like SOME change was coming. I wasn't sure whether it would be this way, or the oppostie way... them being just friends now. I much much prefer this way. Hooray! And I don't believe it's going away anytime soon. I think a lot of fans have gotten very tired of the "he says she says" thing, and I think Disney has heard that. I think this is a planned change, and I think that's why Kermit had a little psychology session with Dr. Phil. (Otherwise, it seems like an odd choice of show to plug the special) In any case, I'm very very happy about it.
So much for not writing an essay... admittedly, it's not thorough OR organised and so I wouldn't get a good grade. I'm enjoying this discussion though, so hopefully at least some of it will be thought-provoking.