Top Squirrel Moments that Defined the Decade

While a lot of attention is being given to the people, events and developments that have defined the last decade, I think one important category has been overlooked. When I think back on all of the things that occurred from 2000 to 2009, the thing that stands out the most, that had the biggest impact on the world, the thing that will be remembered for years to come is… squirrels*.

(* I’m lumping squirrels and chipmunks together. If this offends you… you may have bigger problems.)

Forget world events, forget technology, the past ten years has been dominated by, nay defined by sciurids. These lovable (yet inscrutable) creatures have captured our hearts and made us laugh. Yet their fragility and propensity for running in front of cars have touched our deepest fears becoming a metaphor for the frailty and absurdity of our own lives. Without a doubt, these bushy-tailed critters have intruded upon our national consciousness in ways that no other animal ever has.

So join me as I look back at the Top Squirrel Moments that Defined the Decade:

EDS Running with the Squirrels Superbowl Commercial

The squirrel craze began in 2001 when EDS aired their Running with the Squirrels commercial during the Superbowl. For the first time someone said publicly what everyone was thinking privately: “Squirrels are scary.”

Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel

Arguably, Twiggy’s popularity began well before the year 2000, his act was established in 1978. But it wasn’t until video of Twiggy’s incredible waterskiing act appeared on the internet that his fame really blossomed. In many ways Twiggy became an ambassador for squirrels, working to dispel the belief that squirrels are dirty, scary creatures. Instead, Twiggy showed the world that squirrels can be fun and adorable.

Dramatic Chipmunk

Arguably the most defining moment in sciurid history, the Dramatic Chipmunk became an instant internet sensation and quickly became the poster child for a generation. Dramatic Chipmunk sparked renewed interest in squirrels and soon they were popping up everywhere.

Squirrel Crashes Picture

Literally. Riding on the coattails of the Dramatic Chipmunk, this curious little fella became an instant hit and soon started showing up photoshopped into all sorts of pictures.

UCLA Students Help Baby Squirrel Climb a Wall

The pinnacle of squirrels’ reign as “America’s most favoritest rodents” came in April of 2009 when students at UCLA discovered a baby squirrel who was in danger of being separated from it’s mother because it could not climb a two foot wall. The students quickly came to the rescue and helped reunite the little guy with his mother. They also filmed the whole thing, added captions and posted it on the internet.

Star Wars Chipmunks

Having been portrayed as cute and harmless creatures by the liberal media, sciurids soon became an object of ridicule. In June of 2009, photographer Chris McVeigh combined our national obsession with sciurids with national obsession with Star Wars in a series of hilarious photographs.

Little did we know that these photos would be the proverbial straw that broke the squirrels back. While we were laughing at the caricature that our culture had made of squirrels, somewhere in the woods outside our towns and in the walls in our attics, a deep anger was festering that would soon boil over in dramatic fashion.

Karate Squirrels

Tired of constantly being ridiculed, the squirrels decided to show the world just how scary they can be. A gang of squirrels living in Etosha National Park in Namibia staged a huge Fight Club-esque brawl which British photographer David Slater captured. And thus the decade ended the same way it started, with squirrels displaying their aggression, striking fear in the hearts of bird-feeder owners everywhere.

Jedi Squirrels

Of course, it’s impossible to shake off the effects of a decade’s worth of being portrayed as harmless by the media. Despite their best efforts to reestablish their persona as menacing and dangerous creatures, squirrels have yet to recapture the reverent fear they once commanded.  And to a generation of photoshopping, Star Wars fanboys, squirrels are still just objects of ridicule. I am fearful of how far squirrels might go to get their point across. Hopefully in 2010, human-squirrel relationships can be mended before either side does something that we all regret.

Bonus Squirrel Moment: Bob Ross Feeds a Baby Squirrel

Now this didn’t occur in the past decade but I couldn’t leave it out. Bob Ross feeding a baby squirrel. I mean, come on! How awesome is that. In many ways, this video captures that exactly why squirrels have forever earned themselves a special place in our hearts. Enjoy!

Wishing you a wonderful New Years from Kingdom Strategist. See you all (both of you) in 2010. – Kevin