August 14, 2007

Idea: Breed a “Mickey” Mouse

Mickey MouseWalt Disney should add a new division of scientists (biological imagineers) to its company with the goal of breeding “Mickey” mice — real mice, selectively bred for their big round ears and black facial coloring which makes them resemble a certain famous cartoon mouse. Then they can sell them as pets in pet stores.

If they start now, this could be the next big craze come Christmas.

Comments

I’m thinking that Disney would go for it but only if they could retain intellectual property rights for each individual mouse.

Dang, that would be so amazing and so awful at the same time. Get on it, Disney!

Wouldn’t that be ironic! I mean, given that Mickey’s dark-faced and light-mouthed markings made him just one of the many early cartoon characters developed from earlier minstrel-themed Negro caricature, and given Walt Disney’s alleged recist leanings, then the idea of the inheritors of the Disney legacy using eugenics to breed a mouse that…
…I’m sorry, I know I had a point in here somewhere.

I bet the tricky part will be breeding the red short pants…

For Donald, you could breed ducks with an emphasis on poor temperament! And for Goofy, you could breed.. uhm… whatever he is to look like him, too!

But what about all of the mice that are then born with slightly irregular ears or discoloring? Any mouse that popped out with recessive traits would have to be killed for not meeting the corporate spec sheets.

Great idea!! But I think Katie might be onto something. OH! Maybe they can use the rejects for fertilizer at Disney World.

Lol! Brilliant! If only Walt was still around to try and make this happen, I’m sure he’d be up for it.

No, because next thing you know they’ll be using cloning and genetic manipulation to create chimpanzees that look like Doc and Dopey.

I can see the advertising now, “Collect all Seven!”

David - Cloning is not needed in advertising or atleast in animate characters.

The mickey mouse is brilliant though.

Cool!
But is this a real photo ? What is the name of this mouse ? Where can we find it ?

Forget about Mickey Mouse. I just want to exactly what kind of dog Goofy is.

When I was a kid I saw Mickey Moo, a cow with a spot that looked like the mouse ears on its side. But that was just a weird coincidence. Or was it?

I thought Goofy was a cow. If Goofy is indeed a dog & Pluto’s a dog too - why then why can’t Pluto talk? Hmmmmm I say…..

But you know that someone’s going to twig onto the idea that these would be the highest shock value ‘feeder mice’ for people with pet snakes.

Payback for decades of demonizing their beloved friends in the such feature films as The Jungle Book and Aladdin.

i think that is so cute. they should sell them at disney world. i know a lot of people that would totaly buy one (including me). i also think you should try to get the red pants. people would so buy that! well email me back if get anything new. i won’t tell if you don’t want me to.

i think goofy is like some kind of mouse,sheep,dog,or even a cat. but you should definently work on pluto. he’s my favorite !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol

Interesting that I stumbled on this when I read today in one of those “did you know?” things that Walt Disney himself was actually terrified of mice. I wonder why he came up with Mickey Mouse – maybe that’s why Mickey Mouse is, actually, in the original cartoons as scary as what he is. He really is a strange and scary character. To be honest, I don’t think he is an amazing character at all. He’s just lucky to have been one of the first animated cartoons.

If ever this is true, hope Walt Disney won’t forget to tell the scientists to breed “Mickey” mice that do not contribute to leptospirosis disease. This will surely become a hit if this will materialize.

I’m with Katie what would happed to the “extras”?!?

Speaking of murine engineering, I think someone has to partly undo 75 million years of evolution and find a way to make human beings more similar to mice. Then all those medical breakthroughs which are often reported only to work in mice will be effective.

Makes me think of the real life Pokémon contest.

Im actually crying Im laughing so hard at these comments.