Conservative commentator Candace Owens has accused Walt Disney Co. of putting its Minnie Mouse character in pants – rather than her iconic polka dot dress – to undermine societal values and distract Americans from failures by President Joe Biden’s administration.
“This is why people don’t take these people seriously,” Owens said on Wednesday in an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters. “They’re taking all of these things that nobody was offended by and feel like they have to get rid of them and destroy them because they’re bored, they’re absolutely bored. They are trying to destroy the fabrics of our society pretending that there are issues.”
Much of the goal, Owens said, is to divert attention from crises facing the country, such as the highest inflation in 40 years. “Look at Minnie Mouse. The world is going forward because we’ve got her in a pantsuit,” she said. “Never mind that you can’t get anything at the grocery store and you can’t buy a piece of bacon unless you’ve got $30 in your pocket. At least we’re addressing the real problem, which is Minnie Mouse.”
The rant came in response to a new Minnie Mouse costume that Disney created to mark the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris and to be worn only during Women’s History Month, which is March. A blue pantsuit with black polka dots and black shoes will replace Minnie’s signature red dress with white dots.
Disneyland Paris shared a sneak peek of the new costume on Tuesday. Designer Stella McCartney said she was “delighted” to be involved in putting Mickey Mouse’s girlfriend in trousers. “This new take on her signature polka dots makes Minnie Mouse a symbol of progress for a new generation. She will wear it in honor of Women’s History Month,” she said.
The latest branding controversy comes just one week after Mars Inc. stirred backlash by redesigning its animated M&M's mascots. The revisions included putting the female character in less feminine shoes, which Mars called a modern makeover for a “more dynamic, progressive world.”
Owens said sarcastically that girls have been traumatized by seeing Minnie portrayed as a female while they were growing up. “It goes back to what they did with the M&M’s, and now they are making her more masculine. I’m glad they are seeing that this needed to be addressed.”