Mickey Mouse (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver)
Mickey Mouse is a parody of Mickey Mouse from the American late-night talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He is based on the version from Steamboat Willie, which entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.
| Mickey Mouse | |
|---|---|
| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 10, Episode 6 |
Creation
changeA part of the show's April 2, 2023 episode ("Solitary Confinement") talked about Steamboat Willie's copyright ending soon and what Disney has done to keep it.[1] John Oliver said because they and Mickey Mouse are so closely known, they would say any unofficial use of Mickey would confuse some people. John then revealed the season's opening titles use an image from Steamboat Willie and his version of Mickey Mouse is now the show's mascot. He said:[2][3]
We are staking our claim to Mickey Mouse right now and, I know Disney’s lawyers might argue that this Mickey is closely associated with their brand, although they should know that he's pretty associated with our brand now too.
John also said a Mickey Mouse costume would be released on January 1, 2024. It could be used for birthday parties, funerals, theme park openings, sex dungeons and other purposes.[4] He then said Disney would have to sue him so he knows what they will do to keep Mickey Mouse's copyright.[2][5]
Personality
changeMickey Mouse often says bad things about notable people, such as "Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself", "Where's Shelly Miscavige?", and "I hope Henry Kissinger dies soon".[6]
References
change- ↑ Gonzalez, Elisandro (April 3, 2023). "John Oliver Calls Dibs on Mickey Mouse When He Enters Public Domain". Inside the Magic. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "John Oliver 'riskily' taunts Disney with Mickey Mouse stunt on Last Week Tonight". The Independent. April 3, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ↑ "John Oliver Dares Disney to Sue Over Use of Mickey Mouse's 'Steamboat Willie' Image". Vanity Fair. April 3, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ↑ Harrington, Kayla (April 12, 2023). "John Oliver Just Took On His Biggest Foe Yet". The Mary Sue. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ↑ Tinoco, Armando (April 3, 2023). "John Oliver Tests Disney's Lawyers By Staking Claim On Mickey Mouse Ahead Of 'Steamboat Willie' Version Entering Public Domain". Deadline. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ↑ Lang, Jamie (April 3, 2023). "Mickey Mouse Joins 'Last Week Tonight' As The Show Aims To Provoke Disney's Copyright Lawyers". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 16, 2023.