“Mickey was born out of revenge,” Disney fan and radio DJ Michiel Veenstra told NU.nl. By that he means that the rights to an earlier Walt Disney character were stripped out of Disney’s hands by the distributor. Walt Disney considered extending his contract, but the distributor was already working on an acquisition of Disney’s popular character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt Disney was living on his last pennies when he invented Mickey Mouse on the Train.
Possibly literally: Mickey’s head shape is made up of just over two and a quarter cents. The simple mouse, always in a good mood, was soon brought back to life in an animated film. Which completely failed. Mickey has had to overcome many obstacles to become the Disney figure he is today.
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“Disney is a master at dismissing scandal”
The billion-dollar company Disney has turned out to be very good at building Mickey Mouse’s reputation. Jeff Malmberg made a documentary about it: Mickey Mouse: The Story of a Mouse. The film can be seen worldwide on the Disney+ streaming service from Friday. In addition to rave reviews, the work also received criticism, namely that “dodge the big questions about Mickey and Walt Disney’s past” in “a shameless display of Disney self-aggrandizement” is.
“Disney is a master at this,” Veenstra explains. “They hide the scandals so they can hardly be found anymore. But everything they don’t want to show is online somewhere. And these things have happened.” List some Mickey Mouse riots for NU.nl.
That time Mickey was abusing animals, he was homophobic and racist
“Mickey did a lot of things that really aren’t acceptable anymore,” says Veenstra. In the very first Mickey Mouse movies, the mouse pulls on the tails and necks of various animals to make noise. “It was funny then, now we just think it’s animal abuse.”
Veenstra knows of many other examples of Mickey Mouse movies that haven’t kept up with the times. “Films in which he smokes, kicks a homosexual character or wears blackface, for example. Or the countless attempts to seduce Minnie, forcing each other with kisses and hugs. Back then it was still possible, because people who took offense were ignored. But really not you find this stuff on Disney+ these days.”
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That time Mickey Mouse spread war propaganda
“Mickey Mouse is the symbol of Walt Disney, and therefore of America,” continues Veenstra. The rat was therefore described by Germany as the source of all evil during World War II. This war of images has also been waged in reverse. “Throughout several wars, Mickey has been deployed alongside other famous Disney characters to support American troops.” Minnie Mouse, for example, made explosives from bacon grease in his kitchen.
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That time Mickey Mouse sued a kindergarten teacher
It’s not just Mickey’s actions that are causing a stir. Real-world events surrounding the popular character have also generated controversy. “In the late 1990s, there were three kindergartens where Mickey stood life-size in the window,” says Veenstra. “The kindergarten teacher probably enjoyed drawing it. Very innocent.” Disney didn’t think so. The company threatened legal consequences if the designs weren’t removed immediately.
“As a symbol of a giant billion-dollar company, copyrights are very important,” says Veenstra. However, this Disney action has come under much criticism. Veenstra: “The Mickey Mouse character was already very successful and profitable. Now he has become a symbol of stinginess in the business world.”
That time Mickey Mouse had to share his underwear
The scandals don’t stop. In 2001, it emerged that a number of Disney’s Mickey Mouse entertainers were not permitted to wear their own underwear while performing their jobs. They were forced to wear ordinary underwear that was washed by the amusement park. But the latter was questioned by the workers. Employees claimed that the underwear smelled bad and was giving them pubic lice and scabies. It took two months of consultation before it was decided that employees could wear their own underwear.
Veenstra understands why audiences have received so little from this side of Mickey Mouse. “Mickey is a born optimist, conceived at the end of the Roaring Twenties and just in time for the great American economic crisis. So it was a welcome, almost necessary distraction right from the start.” This ensured that Mickey couldn’t know any negativity from birth.
“You can actually see it when you enter a Disney park. Big grassy hills have been built on all sides of the park, so you don’t see the outside. It’s a perfect dream world. And Mickey Mouse is the host.”