cute dogs, cats, and other animals

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Everybody look! (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by Facelikeapotato@lemmy.ml to c/aww@lemmy.ml

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[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 55 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If not friend, why friend shaped?

[–] Knusper@feddit.de 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have the same question, but reverse: Why are we making teddy bears bear-shaped?

[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because they are called teddy bears. It wouldnt make sense if a teddy bear would have the shape of the sun or a cat

[–] Knusper@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks, that perfectly explains why we decided to use an apex predator for our cuddly toys.

[–] curiosityLynx@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Teddy Roosevelt opted not to shoot a bear that someone caught for him to shoot (because it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel; iirc the bear was immobilised). The press at the time got hold of this story, turned it into a story about pity/mercy (neither applied, the bear was killed anyway, just not by getting shot by Roosevelt) and an enterprising individual made a toy based on it, which became more popular than expected.

The popularity of the toy was also a boost to Roosevelt's popularity, which is why at least one presidential candidate at the time tried to get something similar going for himself, but possums just aren't cuddly and a copy of a popular thing rarely manages to reach the heights of popularity the thing it tries to copy got.

[–] Knusper@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago

Huh, thanks. I didn't think there to be an actual answer. I figured, it was just a shape that's easy to manufacture and good for cuddling...