 Snuggle
Bear - Cuddly beige spokes-bear for Snuggle Fabric Softener manufactured
by Lever Brothers Company (Unilever). The Snuggle bear puppet was designed by
Kermit Love (who created the costume of Big Bird for PBS's SESAME STREET). The
Snuggle puppet used in the 30-second TV spots needs three puppeteers to operate
it, among them Love's partner, Nikki Tilroe.
The Snuggle Bear voice was provided by veteran voice actor Corinne Orr. Her Snuggles' voice was based on a previous
character called Spridle's, a little boy character on the animated Tatsunoko Production cartoon series SPEED RACER/SYN/1967. However, Spridle's voice is a
bit hoarser.
Since his debut, the Snuggle Bear has been the subject of some humorous
stories like the Grudge Match between Snuggle and Winnie the Pooh. And then,
there was THE DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW that featured the Top 10 Fears of Snuggle the
Fabric Softener Bear on November 29, 1988. (per The Book of Top Ten Lists,
1990). They included:
|
10. |
Might someday have to
chew own leg off to escape from lint trap. |
|
9. |
Sleeping in laundry
basket exposes him to attack by housecats. |
|
8.
|
He may wind up in a
washer with Al Sharpton's undershirts. |
|
7. |
People will find out
about that mauled camper back in '78. |
|
6. |
Excess softener will
leave him unable to perform as a male. |
|
5. |
First wife Joey
Heatherton will write book claiming he beat her regularly. |
| 4 |
Winnie-the-Pooh will
get drunk at family gathering and start loudly suggesting that he
should be the fabric softener bear. |
|
3. |
Something might happen
to George Bush. |
|
2. |
Company doctors will
perform some kind of surgery to insure he remains "snuggly" forever. |
|
1. |
The Pillsbury Doughboy
will ask him to poke lower. |
|
TRIVIA NOTE: The Unilever corporation sued 3DO
Entertainment to pull their TV commercials for BattleTanx and BattleTanx: Global
Assault. In 1999, a federal court found that the "Treddy Bear" used in the
commercials resembles the Snuggle fabric softener bear. Reportedly, Unilever
said that they didn't want their teddy bear trademark associated with
"kidnapping children, cities destroyed, and violence abound." The TV commercial
for the original BattleTanx showed a tank running down a bear who resembled
Snuggles the Bear.
In 2002, the US. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled four million
Snuggle teddy bears given away as a promotion because of potential choking
hazards regarding the Snuggle teddy bear's eyes and noses coming off. The bears
were distributed free with the purchase of the Snuggle fabric softener between
May 1997 and December of 2001. In Germany, Snuggle is called Kuschelweich.
External Links
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