JKR

Disney say Mickey is losing his appeal for youngsters: he’s making less money and he needs to get an edge. So they’re giving him one in his new video game. But is it true that kids can no longer like a purely benign character? Or that in the family friendly era of Wii, having an edge is essential? Or that by making Mickey more like every other character, he’s going to be more popular (as opposed to less unique)?

Wanting Mickey to be less “corporate” makes sense, but isn’t this a consequence of milking him as a voiceless smiling waving mascot (when he could have been given a role with far richer content), rather than because he is too nice? Making any well loved mascot get down with the kids carries the risk of being naff. But Mickey has transcended fashion for decades. Perhaps as Gloria Swanson said in Sunset Boulevard “I am big! It’s the pictures that got small”. And perhaps the lesson for any mascots’ custodians is to use them creatively and nurture them with a significant role if you don’t want their magic to wear thin.