Tommy wore dresses because his tail interfered with pants.

November 20, 2017 5:43 PM

Tommy Tucker was a male grey squirrel who toured the United States wearing women's fashions and selling war bonds to support America in WWII as well as other charitable endeavors. He died in 1949, was stuffed and was bequeathed to the Smithsonian in 2005. While the museum maintains an archive of Tommy Tucker related ephemera (and possibly dresses), the actual stuffed squirrel lives in the lawyer's office who had been handling the bequest according to this podcast. (prev, via)
posted by jessamyn (18 comments total)

aaah the one with the little couch
posted by theodolite at 5:46 PM on November 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

There's that small little space where a thing can be both creepy and cute at the same time. This fits in that space.
posted by Fizz at 6:23 PM on November 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

The Smithsonian isn’t sure they WANT him? Isn’t this what the Smithsonian is FOR?

This is an outrage. I am gonna write my senator or something.
posted by dirtdirt at 6:29 PM on November 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

dirtdirt if you do write your senator be sure to include a snapshot of your senator and Tommy so as to illustrate how snappily dressed and charming Tommy is

if you can make it look like the two of them are having a great discussion over pizza or ice cream a la Barack and Joe Biden I think that would be especially compelling
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:43 PM on November 20, 2017 [6 favorites]

Tommy died the day after my mom was born.

These two facts have nothing to do with one another...as far as I know.
posted by elsietheeel at 6:54 PM on November 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Aah! so he did get a wife. I wonder if he also got a knife?
posted by unliteral at 7:08 PM on November 20, 2017

I want to do this. My wife won't let me do this and has no good reason.

Rabies, hah!

Then she said the squirrels wouldn't be able to take the dresses off and they might get hurt. THEY ARE TREE RATS! WHO CARES?!

I would dearly love to see the neighborhood reaction to seeing squirrels all dressed up.

As a side note, we have a pet that pretends to be a cat (is actually a familiar) who was "helping" us with the gardening the other day. A wild squirrel appeared. Bugsy RAAAN to the squirrel and then... stopped. The squirrel ran a few feet. Bugsy ran a few feet. The squirrel ran to the base of a tree. Bugsy ran to the base of the tree. The squirrel stared at the cat. The cat familiar stared at the squirrel.

At this point we could see the squirrel's thought bubble.

"Wow, this one sure is dim, huh?" it read.

I want to see these pests dressed in doll clothes. I want my neighbors to question their history of psychedelic consumption.
posted by drfu at 7:14 PM on November 20, 2017 [7 favorites]

Juanita Weasel will do the baking for that tea party.
posted by delfin at 7:20 PM on November 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

This is like if the web existed in the 1940's.
posted by not_on_display at 7:26 PM on November 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

That second photo looks like he's doing the hand-jive
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 7:42 PM on November 20, 2017

Disturbing! Compelling! Disturbing! Compelling!
posted by latkes at 8:10 PM on November 20, 2017 [5 favorites]

but, does he put the lotion on?
posted by Nanukthedog at 9:29 PM on November 20, 2017

I love the prominent padlock on the display case because you're damn right people are going to want to take that li'l guy home
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 2:47 AM on November 21, 2017 [3 favorites]

What is this line?

Zaidee Bullis, a childless mother and wife to a dental surgeon....
posted by amanda at 3:10 AM on November 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

According to the letters page of the Squirrel Girl comic, squirrels don't carry rabies.
(But then according to that comic Squirrel and Girl somehow rhyme?, so... )
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:21 AM on November 21, 2017

(But then according to that comic Squirrel and Girl somehow rhyme?, so... )

The way I have always said “squirrel” there’s either only one syllable or the second is hit so lightly as to almost disappear. “Squirl” and “girl” definitely rhyme. I suppose there are places less sophisticated than Texas where people say Squirr-el with two distinct, ungainly syllables, but I’ve never visited such a land.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 5:06 AM on November 21, 2017 [3 favorites]

Burying the lede?

. . . when the couple took Tommy on tour, they drove in a Packard Touring Car, accompanied by a bulldog that had gold teeth and wore a fez.
posted by allthinky at 6:47 AM on November 21, 2017 [10 favorites]

I've wondered if the film Great Rupert, though released in 1950 was shot in 1948, was influenced or inspired by Tommy Tucker the Squirrel.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:26 AM on November 21, 2017