- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
Interesting story in the Orlando Sentinel that compares the Orange Bird to Duffy.
Interesting story in the Orlando Sentinel that compares the Orange Bird to Duffy.
I still don't understand the animosity towards Duffy. I don't see what is so offensive about him. I'm not a particular fan - the only Duffy items I have are some stickers and buttons given to me in Tokyo and Hong Kong Disneylands, but I don't collect other Disney merchandise, either, really.
With the wealth of characters Disney owns, Duffy to me is just VERY generic. He looks like a character you might see walking around Joe's Amusement park. I know they tried to give him a story...Minnie made him for a Mickey to take on a trip or something, but he's still just generic to me and a way for Disney to compete with Build-A-Bear. I saw Meet n' Greet Duffy at Epcot when we were there and he's just blah with no established "personality" or characteristics like other characters. Plus I really liked the store they cleared out to sell all Duffy stuff all the time in WS.
Agreed. I have no animosity toward Duffy, it's just that it seems like it's just injected into the Disney Universe of characters with no real basis. Mickey and the gang had cartoons and comics as a foundation. Duffy just seems a little gratutiously merchandise-ey. He's cute and all, but he's just floating out there without any kind of history or anchor.
I guess Time Will Tell with the little guy... I know when my DH and I pass by a display of him, we yelp out "DUFFY!" so we're doing our part.
I was just reading Nikki's blog on the Orange Bird and I had the same thought of comparing him to Duffy.
Reading some of the previous posts about their nostalgic fondness for OB, I can't help but think that the Duffy-loving kids of today will be nostalgic for him when they become our ages....
I was just reading Nikki's blog on the Orange Bird and I had the same thought of comparing him to Duffy.
Reading some of the previous posts about their nostalgic fondness for OB, I can't help but think that the Duffy-loving kids of today will be nostalgic for him when they become our ages....
Interesting story in the Orlando Sentinel that compares the Orange Bird to Duffy.
Haven't read the article, but here's my comparison: The Orange Bird was created by Disney for the Florida orange growers; Duffy is the spawn of Hell.
Haven't read the article, but here's my comparison: The Orange Bird was created by Disney for the Florida orange growers; Duffy is the spawn of Hell.
I think the animosity for Duffy comes from the fact that he was forced upon us. He was thought up by marketing stuffed shirts just for the purpose of selling him, not by storytellers with a story to tell. And he doesn't even look special. He looks like every other teddy bear out there. I guess I feel a little insulted that they think I will go crazy over him just because he's "Disney".
To me that is completely different from bringing back an old product icon. The orange bird makes you stop and think about your childhood (like the Tootsie Pop owl). Disney didn't invent the orange bird in order to sell orange birds and turn him into "Mickey's bird". Big difference. Why is Duffy so popular in Japan? I have no idea except to say its a different culture. I don't know why they brought him over here.
Now, here's a thought... If they had left Duffy in Japan and he was something you could only get if you went there, it would be cool to bring him back. You could show him off and point out that it's a Japanese thing and you can't get him anywhere else. That would have made him more "exotic".
This is it exactly. Much more eloquent than my post.