Bear suit

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A group of polar bear suit-wearing Greenpeace activists protest global warming outside the White House. On the left side is a realistic two-person suit. Polar bear protest (10032082375).jpg
A group of polar bear suit-wearing Greenpeace activists protest global warming outside the White House. On the left side is a realistic two-person suit.

Bear suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a bear. The first bear suits worn by humans were used in shamanic ritual practices by native peoples. In the modern day, they are a popular choice of mascot, and both stylized and realistic bear suits are commonly used in film and on stage, due to the bear's prominent role in the arts and entertainment. Specific types of bear suits are also used in activism, such as polar bear suits to draw attention to the threat of global warming. Bear suits are also commonplace in the furry community.

Contents

History

A ritual bear suit used by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, as seen in the American Museum of Natural History. Nootka bear costume (23340262486).jpg
A ritual bear suit used by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, as seen in the American Museum of Natural History.

Masked bearskin costumes were used by shamans in ritual dances by native peoples of the Pacific Northwest, such as the Tlingit, alongside those of other animals. [1]

In Romania, dancers wearing real bearskins are a pre-Christian tradition that is meant to drive away evil spirits. [2]

Modern use

Bear suits are common as mascots for sports teams, such as Cornell University's Touchdown the Bear, which replaced an actual bear cub that was used up until the 1930s. [3]

Realistic and sometimes animatronic bear suits of all types are typically used in film, or as costumed characters. [4] For the nature film Born in China , the filmmakers themselves were required to wear panda suits in order to get close to pandas that had never seen a human before. [5]

A realistic two-person polar bear suit was created for the 2011 play Greenland by the Royal National Theatre, and was later purchased by Greenpeace for £4,000 via a donation campaign. [6] It was named Paula, and was used in short films and as a costumed character to draw public attention to global warming. [7]

In the Chessington World of Adventures amusement park, one show uses actors wearing animatronic panda suits created by Millennium FX. [8]

Bear suits have also been used in science, as researchers used one to study goats' response to predators both within and outside populated areas, [9] and to study the effects of the increasing presence of polar bears on muskoxen due to global warming. [10] In the Wolong National Nature Reserve in China, keepers wear panda suits to interact with cubs and teach them to live in the wild without relying on humans. [11]

Bear suits are used in the production of various children's television series, such as Bear in the Big Blue House . In Disneyland, the characters Kenai and Koda from Brother Bear (2003) are portrayed by performers in bear suits. The film Brigsby Bear (2017) revolves around a fictional fake children's television show featuring a performer in a bear suit, which the main character later wears in an attempt to create a movie. [12]

A recurring segment in Late Show with David Letterman featured a "Guy in the Bear Suit" played by Donick Cary, who attempted to perform mundane tasks like hailing a cab for comedic effect. [13]

The character of Smokey Bear is often portrayed by a bear mascot suit in order to spread awareness about wildfires.

According to Wikifur, bears are also a common fursona. They are often chosen for attributes relating to their gluttony or strength.

See also

Related Research Articles

Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people.

Mascot Representation of a human, animal, or an object intended to promote sponsorship of public identity

A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fictional, representative spokespeople for consumer products.

Audio-Animatronics

Audio-Animatronics is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. The robots move and make noise, but are usually fixed to whatever supports them. They can sit and stand but usually cannot walk. An Audio-Animatronic is different from an android-type robot in that it uses prerecorded movements and sounds, rather than responding to external stimuli. In 2009, Disney created an interactive version of the technology called Autonomatronics.

Animatronics Mechatronic puppets

Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.

Disguise

A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and objects. Hats, glasses, changes in hair style or wigs, plastic surgery, and make-up are also used.

Fursuit Costumes worn by members of the furry fandom

Fursuits are custom-made animal costumes owned and worn by cosplayers and members of the furry fandom, commonly known as "furries"; a furry who wears a fursuit is called a fursuiter. The term is believed to have been coined in 1993 by Robert King. Unlike mascot suits, which are usually affiliated with a team or organization, fursuits represent an original character created by their wearer, and are often better-fitting and more intricately crafted, with features such as a moving jaw. Fursuits are made in a wide range of styles, from cartoonish to highly realistic.

<i>Misha</i> Official mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow

Misha, also known as Mishka or The Olympic Mishka, is the name of the Russian Bear mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He was designed by children's books illustrator Victor Chizhikov.

Kuma and Panda Fictional character in Tekken fighting game series

Kuma, literally meaning "bear", is the name of two characters within the Tekken fighting game series released by Namco Bandai Games. Kuma I was introduced in the first Tekken and returned for Tekken 2, while Kuma II was introduced in Tekken 3 and has returned for all subsequent games. Both of them are tame bears, bodyguards to Heihachi Mishima, as well as father and son towards each other. The female Panda (パンダ) was introduced in Tekken 3 as a palette swap of Kuma, returning for subsequent games.

Dan Green (voice actor) American voice actor

James Hadley Snyder, better known as Dan Green, is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter. He is best known for being the voice of Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi for Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, the anime series version of Yu-Gi-Oh!, as well as all of the character's U.S. series appearances.

Gorillas in popular culture

Representations of gorillas are common in popular culture in the Western world with the full range of electronic media having gorillas as mascots, gorillas behaving like humans, and humans behaving like gorillas.

Cat suit

Cat suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a cat, or any member of the Felidae. They are one of the most popular choices of mascot, and both stylized and realistic cat suits are commonly used in film and on stage, due to the cat's prominence in human culture. They are also used for advertising, entertainment and educational purposes.

Gorilla suit Creature suit

Gorilla suits are a type of creature suit resembling a gorilla. The gorilla suit is a popular Halloween and costume party costume, and is also used as a source of humour, while more realistic suits have been used both to represent real gorillas in film and on stage.

Costumed performer Meetable or cartoon costumed performers

A costumed performer or suit performer wears a costume that usually, covers the performer's face, typically to represent a non-human character such as a mascot or cartoon character. These range from theme park "walk-around" or "meetable" characters, the mascots of corporations, schools, or sports teams to novelty act performers. Some costumes cover the performer's face especially those in theme parks.

Jim Hensons Creature Shop British special/visual effects company

Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: The Silver Eyes</i> 2015 horror mystery novel written by Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley

Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes is a 2015 horror mystery novel written by Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley. It is based on Cawthon's bestselling horror video-game series Five Nights at Freddy's, and is considered by Cawthon to be separate-canon to the events that occurred in the game series, as well as his and her debut novel.

Creature suit Type of realistic costumes

Creature suits are realistic costumes used to disguise a performer as an animal, monster, or other being. They are used in film, television, or as costumed characters in live events. Unlike mascots, they are often made with a high degree of realism. In contrast with prosthetic makeup, which is applied to an actor's skin, the wearer is not normally visible outside their movements controlling the costume, although in some cases, part of the wearer's body is still visible.

<i>Brigsby Bear</i> 2017 film by Dave McCary

Brigsby Bear is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Dave McCary in his feature directorial debut, written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, and starring Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Matt Walsh, and Michaela Watkins. It tells the story of a captive man raised in a bunker since he was a baby being rescued by the authorities where he obsessed over a children's television program titled Brigsby Bear. When he realizes the show was created by his captor that he called his dad, his fascination leads him to finish the storyline himself.

Dinosaur suit

Dinosaur suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a dinosaur. Dinosaur suits are also called dinosaur costumes. Such costumes were used in film and television and as mascots for decades, reflecting dinosaurs' prominence in the arts and entertainment. Usually operators use two cable-pulled handle to control the motions. Realistic dinosaur suits also gained popularity for live shows following the success of Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular. An experienced performer can make lifelike movements with a dinosaur suit. They are also used in theme parks and in an educational context at various museums. Inflatable dinosaur suits have been used for pranks, gags, and protests.

References

  1. ↑ "Tlingit Masks". AMNH. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  2. ↑ "Romania's bear dancers | CNN Travel". CNN Travel. 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  3. ↑ "Inside the Suit: The Students Within the Big Red Bear | The Cornell Daily Sun". cornellsun.com. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  4. ↑ "Un-bear-lievable! Animatronic polar bear delights families in town centre appearance". The Bolton News. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Check out the required panda suits 'Born in China' filmmakers wore to shoot up close". USA Today. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  6. ↑ "Greenpeace Hopes to Purchase Polar Bear Costume With Donations - Canada Polar Bear Tour News". www.canadapolarbears.com. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  7. ↑ "Homeless Polar Bear for Greenpeace". Luerzer's Archive - Advertising worldwide. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  8. ↑ Alexander, Stian (2016-02-21). "Theme park wants LAZY people to apply for jobs as pandas". mirror. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  9. ↑ Mitka, Nate (2017-08-04). "Scientists In Bear Suits Study Human Pee-Goat Link". GearJunkie. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  10. ↑ "Meet the Arctic's Muskoxen-Chasing Cosplayer". Inverse. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  11. ↑ "Does this panda cuddler have the best job in the world? – video". The Guardian. 2017-07-25. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  12. ↑ "'Brigsby Bear': 'SNL' Vets' Quirk-Com Gives Us a Manchild With a Soul". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  13. ↑ "Guy in the Bear Suit | BU Today | Boston University". BU Today. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
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