Mickey Mouse is universally loved. He’s also seen as a child-friendly cartoon and has been the face of a worldwide empire for decades.
But things haven’t always been so rosy for Mickey. Though it sounds strange, Mickey Mouse has faced several prohibitions.
Let’s check them out!
9. Banned in Romania
Large-scale film showings were still new to Romania in 1935.
The government figured that children could be scared of Mickey Mouse because he’s a cartoon version of a rodent, and decide to ban him as a precautionary measure.
Photo Credit: Pexels
8. Banned in Germany
In 1929, Disney innocently created a cartoon army of cats wearing a helmet styled after the German pickelhauben helmets of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Needless to say, the army was offended.
7. Banned in Germany… again!
A German newspaper criticized children’s love of Mickey because they didn’t understand why children would like a mouse.
And yes, Mickey was banned in Nazi Germany but became popular there anyway.
6. Banned in Iran… kinda
Mickey himself wasn’t banned from the country, but the country’s Organization for Supporting Manufacturers and Consumers forbade school supplies featuring “demoralizing” characters.
Along with Mickey, school supplies featuring Sleeping Beauty, Winnie the Pooh, and Pixar’s Toy Story were banned.
Photo Credit: Pxhere
5. Banned in Germany… yet again!
East Germany banned Mickey Mouse in 1954 because they considered him to be an “anti-Red” insurgent.
4. Banned in Yugoslavia
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 1937, Disney comic strips were banned in Yugoslavia because they depicted events that were considered a threat to their 14-year old king, Peter II.
You can read more about it here. Needless to say, it’s complicated.
3. Banned in Ohio
The state of Ohio banned a Mickey Mouse cartoon in 1930 because one of its characters, Clarabelle Cow, was reading a romance novel by an author called Elinor Glyn.
You can see it below at 1:05.
2. Banned in the 1988 Seoul Olympics
In 1988, Disney contacted prominent athletes at the Olympics and asked them to say the famous line “I’m going to Disneyland!” in case they should win.
However, the East German athletes complained and the Olympics didn’t air athletes saying this line.
1. Banned in Seattle Liquor Stores
The Washington State Liquor Control Board banned Mickey and other wholesome cartoons from appearing in liquor stores as a marketing ploy in 1993.
They argued that these characters shouldn’t be used to sell alcohol.
Which of these bans surprised you the most? Do you know about other surprising circumstances under which Mickey Mouse was banned?
Share them below!
