The Platypus.
Platypuses (which, by the way, is indeed the correct plural of “platypus”) were first discovered in Australia in 1799 by Dr. George Shaw. They technically existed before that, but they were only known by the colonists and indigenous people, who we all know don’t really matter. Scientists were baffled by this semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal. In American society, they were simply added to the list of Those Weird Australian Animals.
Almost 200 years later in 1993, platypuses took another form: Beanie Babies. Patti the Platypus was its name, and the purple stuffed animal changed the American view of the platypus from an exotic creature to an adorable, snuggly toy. When it became popular as a Beanie Baby, it became an icon of the uniqueness of animals from countries other than America.
In 2008, the platypus took a bigger, dramatic step up in the mainstream world. Patti was out and Perry was in. In the popular Disney show, Phineas and Ferb, Perry the Platypus is a cute, mild-mannered pet of two preteen boys. It is often said in the show that he “doesn’t do much.” However, Perry has a double life as a secret agent named Agent P, who fights evil on a daily basis. Both Perry and Agent P soon became very popular, and his billed face can be seen anywhere on merchandise from hats to PEZ dispensers. But why didn’t Disney decide to give Phineas and Ferb a normal pet, like a dog or cat? What’s with this fascination with platypuses?
As Americans, I think we just love strange things. Even though freak shows aren’t really popular anymore, carnivals still have those wavy mirrors where you can look at an image of your own distorted body and laugh. There are reality shows that also prove our attraction to the absurd, like My Strange Addiction, Hoarders, and even one called My Big Fat Gypsy American Wedding. We are addicted to the unfamiliar.
As I said before, platypuses are Weird Australian Animals. Children learn about them and are completely enchanted by the strangeness of them. When you turn them into a cute stuffed animal or an evil-fighting secret agent, they become even cooler.
Almost 200 years later in 1993, platypuses took another form: Beanie Babies. Patti the Platypus was its name, and the purple stuffed animal changed the American view of the platypus from an exotic creature to an adorable, snuggly toy. When it became popular as a Beanie Baby, it became an icon of the uniqueness of animals from countries other than America.
In 2008, the platypus took a bigger, dramatic step up in the mainstream world. Patti was out and Perry was in. In the popular Disney show, Phineas and Ferb, Perry the Platypus is a cute, mild-mannered pet of two preteen boys. It is often said in the show that he “doesn’t do much.” However, Perry has a double life as a secret agent named Agent P, who fights evil on a daily basis. Both Perry and Agent P soon became very popular, and his billed face can be seen anywhere on merchandise from hats to PEZ dispensers. But why didn’t Disney decide to give Phineas and Ferb a normal pet, like a dog or cat? What’s with this fascination with platypuses?
As Americans, I think we just love strange things. Even though freak shows aren’t really popular anymore, carnivals still have those wavy mirrors where you can look at an image of your own distorted body and laugh. There are reality shows that also prove our attraction to the absurd, like My Strange Addiction, Hoarders, and even one called My Big Fat Gypsy American Wedding. We are addicted to the unfamiliar.
As I said before, platypuses are Weird Australian Animals. Children learn about them and are completely enchanted by the strangeness of them. When you turn them into a cute stuffed animal or an evil-fighting secret agent, they become even cooler.