Summarizing the "A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse" kept me up at night. It helped to have a wealth of experience to draw on. At first
glance, “A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse,” by author and Harvard
professor Stephen J. Gould, appears to be about Mickey Mouse. However, a
closer look reveals it to be an allegory of human interaction with
children. Neotany is the retention of juvenile features, which Gould
discusses in his article. Gould was influenced by researcher Konrad
Lorenz, who postulated that juvenile features automatically trigger an
instinctive response in humans to nurture babies. This response is
important to the continuation of humanity.
Mickey’s
appearance changed as he reached new audiences. Audiences viewing the
“Steamboat Willie” (1928) debut demanded better than to see Mickey beat
on cows. By his fiftieth birthday, his behavior improved and his
sharp-nosed, small-eyed appearance metamorphosed into that of a big-eyed
toddler. Mickey’s suspenders became baggy clothes. The neotonic
transformation included creating a softer face by moving the ears back
on the head, a shorter nose, and rounded jaw line, giving him a more
childlike somatotype. Mickey looks like a child, therefore we relate to
him as a child.
Because humans are lifelong learners,
toy industry researchers are keenly interested in making dolls more
appealing; Mickey is no exception. To explore the transformation, Gould
scientifically compared three versions of Mickey to Mickey’s
less-popular cousin “Morty Mouse.” Except for head length, Morty
retained adult features while Mickey appears younger now than at the
debut. Ultimately, it is the transference of human emotion onto
inanimate objects that enables us to form a lifelong appreciation of
Mickey Mouse.
