Writer of Pop Culture

Mickey Mouse Toys and Mouse Ears

Mr. Mouse has been representing the world of Disney since he first appeared on the big screen in 1928’s Steamboat Willie. It was during that time that the first Mickey Mouse toy was produced – a children’s pencil tablet. In 1932, designer Charlotte Clark designed the first Mickey Mouse stuffed mouse.

Perhaps the most iconic Mickey product of time has been the Mickey Mouse Ears Hat. It was inspired by a scene from the 1929 cartoon short, The Karnival Kid. The scene features Mickey greeting Minnie and tips his ears like a hat.

All of the Mousketeers wore Mouse Ears on The Mickey Mouse Club TV series in 1955. That was the same year that Disneyland opened. And wouldn’t you know it, they were made available there too.

Princess Power

Star Wars is often credited for creating mass merchandising, but actually, it was a Disney princess that led the way. Released in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first to offer movie-related merchandise. But not in the way that you think. In addition to extra revenue for Disney, they also served as a form of advertising before the movie opened.

Emily Zembler, author of Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara, told Looper that the types of merchandise varied. Some items released at the time included ham, bleach and lamps. “If you wanted something, you could get it with Snow White or a dwarf on it,” said Zembler.

A Hat Like No Other

In 1955, Davy Crockett adventures were just as popular as some superheroes are today. The five-part miniseries, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier aired during the Walt Disney’s Disneyland TV series. Fess Parker, who played Crockett, became a household name by the end of the third episode. Boys everywhere wanted their own (artificial) coonskin hat. According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, an all-white coonskin hat was marketed to girls too. So popular were these hats that it has been estimated that there were 5,000 sold each day.

Shaggy Dogs, Dalmatians and Chihuahuas

According to WellBeing International, it is nearly impossible to link an increase in the popularity of a dog with a popular movie or TV show. Yet, 1959’s The Shaggy Dog and the 1985 re-release of the animated 101 Dalmatians, “are the exceptions rather than the rule.”

In the eight years after 101 Dalmatians opening, the annual number of Dalmatian registrations jumped from 8,170 puppies to 42,816. In the case of the Shaggy Dog, Old English Sheepdog registrations grew 100-fold over 14 years following that movie’s release.

In December of 2009, CBS News reported that California shelters had been “overrun” with Chihuahuas. They blamed much of the increase on Beverly Hills Chihuahua which opened in theaters a year earlier. Cute puppies can grow up to become aggressive or have health problems. Many were dropped off at these shelters.

Frozen-Inspired Norwegian Tourism

In 2013’s Frozen, sisters Elsa and Anna lived in the kingdom of Arendelle. While the town is fictional, its surrounding were inspired by Norwegian nature, culture and traditions. Time reported hotel bookings in Norway had increased 37% and a rise in tourism reached 40% after the release of 2013’s Frozen. Movies like Lilo and Stitch and Moana have not had such an influence for Hawaiian tourism.

Hunters vs. Bambi

Walt Disney had wanted 1942’s Bambi to be as realistic and dramatic. The most devastating moment in the film is when (spoiler alert) Bambi’s mother got shot by “man.”

Unintentionally, the film became a public service announcement for deer. Some hunters were no longer interested in hunting deer while others saw the film as an “anti-hunting” film. An editor for Outdoor Life was quoted saying that the movie was “the worst insult ever offered in any form to American sportsmen.” Some have reported that the number deer hunted the following year dropped by almost 50%.

The Way Pirates Talk

It seems that pirates have their own accent. Believe it or not, that is thanks to 1950’s Treasure Island. Robert Newton won the role of the iconic Long John Silver. It was his exaggeration of his own West Country accent (from Southwest England) that sealed the deal. Since that time, this stereotypical speech pattern has been used over and over again in movies and TV shows. This includes the characters Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Bug of Love

Autoweek once reported that in 1968, Volkswagen sold 390,079 new Beetles, the same year the romantic comedy, The Love Bug was released in theaters. Sales remained in the range of 318,000 to 360,000 until 1972. In 1974, Disney released Herbie Rides Again and Volkswagen was looking for a boost in sales, but it didn’t happen.

From Pigs to Bruno

One of the earliest hit songs for Disney was “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” the Silly Symphony short, The Three Little Pigs. Released in 1933, it was also an anthem to stand up to the “big bad wolf” of The Great Depression.

Fast forward to 2022: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto became the first Disney movie song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from 1994’s The Lion King. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, 30,000 copies of Bruno have been sold. Something worth talking about.