What the cuteness of characters like Mickey Mouse can tell us about our world
Philosopher Simon May explains the power of cuteness
You may think of cuteness as silly entertainment, but a philosophy professor at King's College London argues it's a broader phenomenon that can tell us a lot about our world.
"If that was all cute was about, it wouldn't be the multibillion-dollar, international, continuous sensation that it is," Simon May told The Current's guest host Piya Chattopadhyay,
May has written about the success of characters like Hello Kitty, or artist Jeff Koons's balloon dog, in his book The Power of Cute.
He cites Disney character Mickey Mouse as another example.
Following the Second World War, the cartoon mouse evolved from a more aggressive character to a gentler one, he said.
"The participants in that war — especially the Western world and Japan — just felt that we need an alternative to might is right," he explained.
"Figures that embodied the power to persist but nonetheless who were gentle, there was … an attraction to that kind of figure, and Mickey Mouse changed in accord with that new change in atmosphere."
Click 'listen' near the top of this page to hear the full conversation.
Produced by Karin Marley.