He's a big hit on CBeebies with the kids. But some adults also love him because they reckon 'cheese' is code for 'marijuana' . . .
Age: Unspecified. But his show has been on CBeebies since the end of January.
Appearance: Small. Furry. Big colourful hat. Slightly jerky but essentially chilled. Very much as you'd imagine a stop-motion Rastafarian mouse to be.
Things have changed since my day. Danger Mouse may have been a spy but he was still very much an establishment figure. James Bond-ish, public-school air, cavalier treatment of Penfold, unwavering faith in his own abilities . . . And very white.
Well, yes, that too. How has Rastamouse come about? He springs from the pages of Genevieve Webster and Michael de Souza's three books about the character and his crimefighting reggae band Da Easy Crew. They in turn sprang from Webster's realisation that, "Whenever I picked up a book that was for black kids it was, more often than not, very worthy with gentle watercolour illustrations and nobody seemed to be having much fun."
Has he gone down well with the kids? Yes, he's quite popular with them. But he's even more popular with the adults.
Stop there. I have a sinking feeling that you don't mean adults at all. I think you mean tiresome twentysomethings and possibly even more tiresome thirtysomethings who have seized on it in a knowing, ironic kind of way. I'm afraid so. Twitter has taken it to its heart and people are claiming that it is the most subversive thing on children's television since The Magic Roundabout.
With all due weariness and dread, go on. It's mostly based on their interpretation of the word "cheese" as a code for "marijuana", a drug commonly associated with the Rastafari movement.
And I suppose Button Moon was an ecstasy tablet? This is the kind of thing that makes me want to go generational culling. Calm down. That is not the way of Rastamouse. His philosophy is "Make a bad thing good" ? focus on redemption of evildoers, not revenge on them.
Are you sure? Have Jesus and Haile Selassie not left me a little room for manoeuvre between them? I'm sorry, no. You'll just have to let it be. Go and smoke some cheese.
Do say: "Rastamouse is bombastic!"
Don't say: "Oh, Penfold!"
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/feb/10/rastamouse-cbeebies-cheese-marijuana
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