Mickey Mouse Is 80?

Disney tends to over celebrate different occasions. Epcot turned 25 this year and now Mickey is 80. After a big celebration for Epcot, I'm quite surprised that there isn't a bigger celebration for the famed mouse. Back in 1978, he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It may be possibly due to the economic downturn; or he just doesn't want to emphasize that if he were human, he'd probably be sent to a retirement home.

Mickey was first seen back in Steamboat Willie, but nowadays he's seen very little on movies. It's actually disappointing, with Pixar doing interesting shorts, I don't see why Disney doesn't add a Mickey-based short to, say, Bolt.

The quality of Mickey, I guess, is deteriorating with age. The House of Mouse wasn't horrible, but Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is aimed towards little children. I think that Mickey should be seen more for younger viewers, because he is such an iconic symbol. The best use of Mickey clearly comes from the video game franchise, "Kingdom Hearts," and although he isn't a playable character, the whole game is believable in the Disney-mythos.

I grew up to Disney and Mickey as a child and I loved his get go attitude and positive thinking. He is a great icon for children to learn from because of his strong morals and inviting voice.

Mickey Mouse has made a large dent on many children and adults as an icon about childhood and dreams. There are so many pop culture references and it seems like everyone knows who the mouse is. The best factoid that I learned from celebrating Mickey's 80th? He often gets write in votes for U.S. president. I wonder how many voted for Mickey this year. I hope that Mickey continues to spark imagination to many more generations as he has with me. Happy Birthday you mouse, you.