Mickey Mouse Short: Feed the Birds

Season 4, Episode 11: “Feed the Birds” 1/21/2018
Starring: Mickey Mouse
An Appearance By: Donald Duck
Introducing: Tuppence
Setting: Mickey’s house
Plot: When Mickey builds a birdhouse for his pal Tuppence, a gang of bully pigeons try to move in on his turf.

​Short Stuff
Of course, the song Mickey is singing during the short’s open is “Feed the Birds” from the 1964 Walt Disney classic Mary Poppins.

Partaking in their home invasion/party, Donald Duck appears to be in league with the pigeons.

Appearing on Mickey’s television while the pigeons flip through the channels are the Martian Robot, Jafar, and Walt Disney.

While Walt Disney has yet to show up as an actual character, his likeness has appeared in Season One’s Tokyo Go as well as Season Four’s Nature’s Wonderland.

The pigeons vandalize the walls of Mickey’s house with a bevy of crayon coloured insults lobbied at the Mouse.  Most of them are calling him “dumb” while there is one “big jerk.”

Mickey’s speech (“To all who come to this magic place, welcome.  Birdland is YOUR land!”) is a direct take on Walt Disney’s Opening Day speech at Disneyland.

​Final Grade: B
I know this is his series but I’m growing a bit tired of Mickey.  It’s always been Mouse heavy but Minnie, Goofy, and Donald have at least gotten a few spotlight episodes.  Be that as it may, this short is a solid but pedestrian outing.  The one thing I loved was the inclusion of the dark and melancholy “Feed the Birds” playing throughout.  Since the episode’s tone does not match the song AT ALL, it provides an ironic and silly twist to the proceedings.