Winnie-the-Screwed

Last updated
"Winnie-the-Screwed"
Winnie-the-Screwed.png
The cover of the fictional book from the commercial
Based on Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds
Release date
  • January 2, 2022 (2022-01-02)
Running time
1 minute 29 seconds
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

"Winnie-the-Screwed" is a 2022 online advertisement published by Ryan Reynolds to promote the telecommunications company Mint Mobile, which he partially owned. It is a parody of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, and was created to commemorate the book entering the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2022, a day prior to the advertisement's release.

Contents

Content

The advertisement begins with Ryan Reynolds explaining that January 1 was Public Domain Day, and that Winnie-the-Pooh was one of the works that entered the public domain. He jokes that Mint Mobile would likely "be hearing from a certain mouse about this Pooh very, very soon" [1] before beginning to narrate a fictional book titled Winnie-the-Screwed, which uses repurposed illustrations by E. H. Shepard. [2] In the book, Winnie-the-Screwed (also called Edward Bear) [3] struggles with high bill prices from "big wireless", going so far as to bang his head against his table in frustration, unaware that Mint Mobile holds the solution to his problem. The narrator character then informs Christopher Robin that by switching to Mint Mobile, he could get three months of service for free. After finishing the narration, Reynolds jokes that he may have misinterpreted copyright law, and the final illustration shows Winnie-the-Screwed receiving a cease and desist order. [3] In a comment posted alongside the video on Twitter, Reynolds claimed that the advertisement "took some creative liberties", but stuck "pretty close to the source material". [1] [4]

Reception

The advertisement was the subject of multiple news articles, as it was the first major parody of Winnie-the-Pooh after the book entered the public domain. Michael Cavna from the Washington Post called it "the first prominent spoof of Public Domain Pooh", [5] and Drew Weisholtz from Today described Reynolds' performance as "very soothing". [6] Russ Burlingame from Comicbook.com commented that as a parody, the advertisement would have likely been legally protected even if Winnie-the-Pooh was not in the public domain. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. A. Milne</span> English writer (1882–1956)

Alan Alexander Milne was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winnie-the-Pooh overshadowed all his previous work. Milne served in both world wars, as a lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in the First World War and as a captain in the Home Guard in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigger</span> Fictional tiger-like character

Tigger is a fictional character in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books and their adaptations; an anthropomorphic toy tiger. He was originally introduced in the 1928 story collection The House at Pooh Corner, the sequel to the 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed toy animals. He appears in the Disney animated versions of Winnie the Pooh and has also appeared in his own film, The Tigger Movie (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)</span> Fictional character

Piglet is a fictional character from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books. Piglet is Winnie‑the‑Pooh's closest friend amongst all the toys and animals featured in the stories. Although he is a "Very Small Animal" of a generally timid disposition, he tries to be brave and on occasion conquers his fears.

<i>Winnie-the-Pooh</i> (book) 1926 book by A. A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh is a 1926 children's book by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The book is set in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, with a collection of short stories following the adventures of an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. It is the first of two story collections by Milne about Winnie-the-Pooh, the second being The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne and Shepard collaborated previously for English humour magazine Punch, and in 1924 created When We Were Very Young, a poetry collection. Among the characters in the poetry book was a teddy bear Shepard modelled after his son's toy. Following this, Shepard encouraged Milne to write about his son Christopher Robin Milne's toys, and so they became the inspiration for the characters in Winnie-the-Pooh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Reynolds</span> Canadian and American actor (born 1976)

Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian and American actor, producer, and businessman. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen soap opera Hillside (1991–1993) and had minor roles before landing the lead role on the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl between 1998 and 2001. Reynolds then starred in a range of films, including comedies such as National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002), Waiting... (2005), and The Proposal (2009). He also performed in dramatic roles in Buried (2010), Woman in Gold (2015), and Life (2017). He has starred in action films such as Blade: Trinity (2004), Green Lantern (2011), 6 Underground (2019), Free Guy (2021), and The Adam Project (2022) and provided voice acting in the animated features The Croods film series (2013–2020), Turbo (2013), and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019).

<i>The House at Pooh Corner</i> 1928 book by A. A. Milne

The House at Pooh Corner is a 1928 children's book by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. This book is the second novel, and final one by Milne, to feature Winnie-the-Pooh and his world. The book is also notable for introducing the character Tigger. The book's exact date of publication is unknown beyond the year 1928, although several sources indicate the date of October 11.

<i>Now We Are Six</i> Collection of childrens verse by A. A. Milne

Now We Are Six is a 1927 book of children's poetry by A. A. Milne, with illustrations by E. H. Shepard. It is the second collection of children's poems following Milne's When We Were Very Young, which was first published in 1924. The collection contains thirty-five verses, including eleven poems that feature Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations.

<i>Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree</i> 1966 film directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree is a 1966 American animated featurette based on the first two chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions, and released by Buena Vista Distribution on February 4, 1966, as a double feature with The Ugly Dachshund. It was the last short film produced by Walt Disney, who died of lung cancer on December 15, 1966, ten months after its release. Its songs were written by the Sherman Brothers and the score was composed and conducted by Buddy Baker.

<i>Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore</i> 1983 animated short film directed by Rick Reinert

Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is a 1983 American animated featurette based on the sixth chapter of both books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, the short initially received limited release on March 11, 1983, before expanding to a wide release on March 25 as part of a double feature with the re-issue of The Sword in the Stone (1963), which it accompanied in most countries except Australia where it accompanied a reissue of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Directed by Rick Reinert, the featurette featured the voices of Hal Smith, John Fiedler, Will Ryan, Ralph Wright, and Paul Winchell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down on the Corner</span> 1969 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys (1969). The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 December 1969. The flip side, "Fortunate Son", reached No. 14 on the United States charts on 22 November 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnie-the-Pooh</span> Fictional character created by A. A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name in a children's story commissioned by London's Evening News for Christmas Eve 1925. The character is inspired by a stuffed toy that Milne had bought for his son Christopher Robin in Harrods department store, and a bear they had viewed at London Zoo.

<i>Winnie the Pooh</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

Winnie the Pooh is a media franchise produced by The Walt Disney Company, based on A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard's stories featuring Winnie-the-Pooh. It started in 1966 with the theatrical release of the short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

Mint Mobile, LLC is a mobile virtual network operator owned by T-Mobile US. Mint Mobile offers users the option to buy either a physical SIM card or an eSIM online. They charge users in increments of 3, 6, or 12 months, with discounts that vary depending on the length of the subscription.

The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain on 1 January 2022. When copyright expires in a creative work, it enters the public domain. Since copyright terms vary from country to country, the copyright status of a work may not be the same in all countries.

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<i>Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey</i> 2023 British film by Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is a 2023 British independent slasher film produced, directed, written, and edited by Rhys Frake-Waterfield. The first installment of The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU), it serves as a horror reimagining of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh books and stars Craig David Dowsett as the titular character, and Chris Cordell as Piglet, with Amber Doig-Thorne, Nikolai Leon, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, and Danielle Ronald in supporting roles. It follows Pooh and Piglet, who have become feral murderers, as they terrorise a group of young university women and Christopher Robin when he returns to the Hundred Acre Wood five years after leaving for college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Frake-Waterfield</span> British filmmaker

Rhys Frake-Waterfield is a British filmmaker who became known for his 2023 independent horror film Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its 2024 sequel. It was the first theatrical film of his career, as well as the first for his production company, Jagged Edge Productions.

Ronald Gladden is an American television personality, best known for appearing as himself in the reality hoax sitcom Jury Duty (2023).

References

  1. 1 2 "Ryan Reynolds uses Winnie the Pooh in mobile ad as character joins public domain". The Independent. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  2. "Ryan Reynolds Makes Winnie-The-Pooh Parody After Public Domain Day". ScreenRant. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  3. 1 2 "Ryan Reynolds Just Ruined Winnie-the-Pooh Worse Than Disney". Fatherly. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  4. Lacey, Kellie (2022-01-03). "Ryan Reynolds Takes Advantage of Winnie-the-Pooh's Public Domain Status for Mint Mobile Ad". CBR. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  5. Cavna, Michael (2022-01-12). "'Winnie-the-Pooh' just entered the public domain. Here's what that means for fans". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  6. Weisholtz, Drew (2022-01-03). "Ryan Reynolds' 'Winnie-the-Screwed' ad nails struggles of expensive phone bills". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  7. Burlingame, Ross. "Ryan Reynolds Debuts Winnie-the-Screwed After Public Domain Day". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.