He said/she said is a light-hearted debate on various topics that Andrew and Maria can’t agree on. In order to put the disputes to bed, this exchange will provide both viewpoints on an issue, and then let you, the reader, vote on who wins.
The rules are simple: we flip a coin and the winner decides if he/she wants the first word or the last word. Then, each person gets two blurbs to state their position on the issue. After its over, vote for who won the debate.
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Round 1: Mickey Mouse
Maria won the flip and elected for the last word.
He: Mickey Mouse is by far the worst cartoon character. He adds nothing to the world. For instance, the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote teach children to innovate and be creative or get caught by your enemies. Daffy Duck is a misanthrope who always gets the losing end of things, but continues to try again. Foghorn Leghorn is a fountain of old time knowledge and teaches us that the old ways are sometimes the best ways. The list can go on, but Mickey Mouse is excluded from it. Mickey Mouse teaches us nothing about the world, and his only purpose (especially in the Steamboat Willie days) is to blunder around–like a mousey Lindsay Lohan.
She: What kind of sad, deprived childhood did you have? To me, Mickey Mouse represents the best, nostalgic parts of my youth. I remember getting excited during Christmas time because that meant I got to watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol or A Walt Disney Christmas (my favorite collection of old Disney cartoons). Cartoons don’t have to teach you anything. Sometimes, it’s ok just to watch them because you want to have fun. And anyway, your argument that Mickey Mouse is like a “mousey Lindsay Lohan” is completely without merit. For example… have you seen Fantasia? Mickey is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Yeah, he’s bumbles around and screws things up by trying to finish his chores with magic, but that teaches kids that taking shortcuts usually isn’t the best way to accomplish things. Huh, that sounds like a valuable lesson to me!
He: My childhood was quite happy, mostly because it was devoid of any anthropomorphic mice telling me that the world is unconditionally cute despite clear evidence to the contrary. It’s true, cartoons don’t have to teach you something. In fact, they’re one of the worst ways to learn anything of substance (save for The Magic Schoolbus). However, I’d rather learn nothing than endure the ridiculousness of Mickey Mouse. He has no character development, no specific role in life, has no cool powers, and is a never nude. He’s always showing up and leading a gang of misfits into pointless adventures where nothing happens and everyone is happy. Mickey Mouse is the tyrannical dictator of the animated world, and we would all be better off without him and his half-naked mouse body telling our children that everything is cute and harmless. I’ll take Foghorn Leghorn any day.
She: It’s become abundantly clear to me that someone in a Mickey Mouse costume must have pooped in your cornflakes when you were a kid. This can be the only explanation for why you hold such an irrational hatred of a beloved children’s character. Just because you think Foghorn Leghorn is a better cartoon character doesn’t mean that Mickey Mouse has no value to society. Mickey teaches children that the world is a magical place. Mickey Mouse cartoons are fun and whimsical- heck, he even lives in the most magical place on Earth: Disney World. (A place that you refuse to go with me, by the way. Everyone should know that you inexplicably dislike all things Disney–not just Mickey Mouse.) His cartoons teach kids how to use their imaginations and about the importance of friendship. How many friends does Foghorn Leghorn have? He’s always getting in fights with other cartoon characters or yelling at someone. Mickey, on the other hand, has close relationships with Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and Minnie. I have fond memories of watching Mickey Mouse cartoons–as do countless other people. It’s fine to have a preference in cartoons, but your assertion that Mickey Mouse contributes nothing to society is just way too cynical.
Who’s right about Mickey Mouse? Cast your vote below.
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