Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a fictional character and mascot from the American late-night talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Based on the Disney character of the same name, the character was created to taunt the Walt Disney Company preceding Disney's version of Mickey Mouse imminently entering the public domain in 2024. The character first appeared in season 10, episode 6 (episode 275 overall), in which the show's host John Oliver publicly dared Disney to take legal action against him. Creation The show's April 2, 2023, episode ("Solitary Confinement") featured a segment examining the imminent expiration of copyright for Disney's Steamboat Willie and past actions taken by Disney to protect their mascot, such as lobbying in favor of extending copyright duration in the United States. Oliver suggested that without copyright protection to stop the unauthorized use of Mickey Mouse, the Walt Disney Company would likely use trademark law to achieve the same results, potentially arguing that Mickey Mouse is so closely associated with their brand that any unauthorized use would cause consumer confusion. Oliver then revealed that Last Week Tonights opening titles had been using an image from Steamboat Willie since the start of the season and that he would begin to use his own version of Mickey Mouse as a mascot of the show. He stated: Oliver also debuted a costume of Mickey Mouse in the episode, which he stated would be available for birthday parties, funerals, theme park openings, and sex dungeons beginning on January 1, 2024. He concluded by saying that while Disney likely has many legal arguments to defend Mickey Mouse, they would only become apparent "if and when" they sue him. Characterization Last Week Tonight's version of Mickey Mouse contrasts heavily with the original Disney character, and regularly makes inflammatory political comments. The character has several catchphrases, including "Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself", "Where's Shelly Miscavige?", and "I hope Henry Kissinger dies soon".