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Betty Boop Shirts- A Short History of Betty Boop
Betty Boop is a fictional cartoon character who first appeared in Dizzy Dishes in the year 1930 and appeared in several films produced by Fleischer Studios. The character was created by cartoon animator, Grim Natwick. Her character was fashioned after Helen Kane, a famous singer in the 1920s. Betty Boop has been around for eight decades now, and yet a lot of children still love her. Perhaps one of the most sold items with Betty Boop on it is the famous Betty Boop shirts.
A lot of children like Betty Boop as a character and they all love to wear Betty Boop shirts. However, it is unknown to many that Betty Boop's character was actually targeted at a more mature audience. During her first appearances, Betty was known for her sex appeal and she often donned sexy clothes. She was famous, for awhile, as one of the first sex symbols that appeared in an animated series. Betty's character was tamed after a few years due primarily to the legislation of the National Legion of Decency in 1933. It forbids any kind of sexual images or messages to be depicted on films and animated series. Betty Boop became popular with kids when Paramount sold the rights in 1955. Gone were the days of her sexy carefree attitude, from then on she was depicted with a more wholesome image. However, as new cartoons have risen to popularity, Betty Boop's shows fell.
In the 1980s Betty Boop was rediscovered, but instead of producing cartoon shows of her, manufacturers monopolized on her merchandise. Betty Boop's image was printed on Betty Boop shirts, bags, pens, caps, skirts, and lunchboxes. This is how most children of this generation have come to know Betty Boop; through her merchandise, through her famous Betty Boop shirts, and not through her cartoon shows.
Betty Boop is an iconic figure in her own right. Though her past is unknown to many, her merchandise is well loved by a lot of little girls. You would often see little girls or even adults sporting around Betty Boop shirts. Betty, as a character, has evolved a lot through the years; from being an icon for adults she has evolved to become a character loved by kids. A lot of her merchandise is being collected by kids. Adults, who have known her since her first release or those who have known her since they were kids, collect a lot of her collectible merchandise.
Though Betty does not appear on cartoon shows anymore, her image is still depicted in a lot of shows and there have been a lot of parodies of her on some TV shows. Betty Boop is a character known by almost everyone but very few know her history.
Regardless of Betty's History, she still receives the love and admiration of many kids and adults alike. For some people, every time they see Betty Boop shirts around the mall or worn by little girls, they remember the time when she was first seen in the early thirties. Betty Boop has indeed made history in her own little way.
About the Author
Just in time for Halloween.