Mickey Mouse in Manhattan
Around two years ago, I’m walking down Broadway and once again I encounter Mickey Mouse. (Not the actual Mickey—he’s either passed on to the rodent afterlife or is living in a fancy retirement resort on a golf course in Nevada). This version of Mickey I’m talking about (which disappeared during Covid) was a very large metal and plastic mouse serving as a mini-carousel ride for little kids. I liked watching the kids ride but, even when there were no riders, I was morbidly fascinated by this bizarre rodent manifestation. It seemed to have come from outer space or another dimension. The children whose parents dropped a quarter in the slot were too little and too modern to have any history with Mickey, so they couldn’t have registered any particular cultural... Read more...
