35 Examples of Rabbits in Pop Culture!


Ladies and gentlemen of all creeds and nationalities, everyone can agree that even if you don't believe in Easter, you believe in National Bunny Awareness Day. While many can interlock these concepts, it is important to note that our bushy tailed friends aren't just little creatures scurrying around trying to eat cabbage. With this in mind, I figured that it was time to make a compilation of 35 pop culture creations that are in some way influenced by bunnies. At very least, my goal is to make you aware of how adorable these little buggers are.

Since I know that most of you are looking at this in regards to Easter, I figured that I would open this piece with the question: why are Easter and rabbits almost synonymous? It isn't like Santa, where a rabbit went beyond the call of duty and rescued children from a drowning well. Actually, the reason is rooted in some sort of mythology that is quite simple. According to Wikipedia:
The idea of an egg-laying bunny came to the U.S. in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws"[11]).[12] "Hase" means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter.[13] In 1835, Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of the reconstructed continental Germanic goddess *Ostara.
While not incredibly deep, I encourage you to research the subject on your own time. It is time to move onto the main subject: pop culture rabbits! What exactly makes these creatures so beloved from the world of literature to movies and TV to advertisements? Rabbits almost outnumber cats and dogs in these regards. They have even won an Oscar! How many animals besides penguins can say that?
Without further ado, here is 35 pop culture rabbits that you may or may not have heard about.

WHO: Peter Cottontail
WHAT: The Thornton Burgess creation is probably one of the most famous rabbits of all time and with a catchy song ("Here comes Peter Cottontail/Hopping down the bunny trail"), it is no wonder that he has become a staple in the childhood collective. Starting at Peter Rabbit in a 26-chapter book, he is the most associated with Easter out of every rabbit mentioned today.


WHO: Little Bunny Foo Foo
WHAT: Another of the famous rabbits of folklore. This one also has a catchy song about picking up field mice and bopping them on the head. While it initially is written to feature a moral-heavy ending, it also succeeds in one of the ultimate rabbit puns ("Hare today/Goon tomorrow"). Including a melody, this childhood staple is another must for any child that you want to teach not to be abusive to field mice, or test women.

WHO: White Rabbit
WHAT: Majority of the world today is still familiar with Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." Whether it is through Disney's original animated film or the modern Tim Burton directed opus, there have been numerous installments of this tale, and it all is fixed on White Rabbit. He's late for a very important date, after all. Without him, the story wouldn't progress into Wonderland and get us into trippy visuals and weird concepts all meant to teach children how to do math as well as entertain.


WHO: The Velveteen Rabbit
WHAT: The Margery Williams-penned tale of how a toy comes to life when it is loved. It paved the way for numerous adaptations as well as similarly plotted films like Toy Story 2. It remains a childhood classic and teaches kids that sometimes the best toys aren't always the shiniest or most expensive.


WHO: Rabbit
WHAT: Based on the A.A. Milne series "Winnie the Pooh," this Rabbit is a farmer who has to deal with the silly old titular bear and his owner Christopher Robin. Since the creation, Rabbit has lived on through several books, movies, and a few TV shows. While not as beloved as Tigger, Rabbit is still a welcome member of the 100 Acre Woods and remains one of the moral compasses whenever it is necessary for the story.


WHO: Richard Adams - "Watership Down"
WHAT: Whether you remember Richard Adams' book or the movie that pushed animation forward, the story is unlike many you've probably read. Dealing with rabbits who fight for their freedom, this tale definitely reflects Adams' influence from his days in the British Army during World War II. It is more disturbing than most children's books, dealing with subjects of loss and death. However, the narration alone has made it an endearing piece of rabbits in pop culture, if one of the darkest.


WHO: The Trix Rabbit
WHAT: While possibly only topped by the Honeycomb mascot for most oddly fixated on cereal like a meth addict, he has been a welcome spokesperson to the company for several decades. With the catchphrase "Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids," he remains a mainstay in pop culture and continues to be the face of defeat whenever a kid beats him to a bowl of cereal. Also, he may have some of the more entertaining ads out there, thanks to that catchy slogan.


WHO: The Energizer Bunny
WHAT: In the 90's, do you know what you compared someone to if they had way too much energy? Energizer Batteries mascot the Energizer Bunny, that's who. It was a simple premise. To show just how powerful their batteries were, they used the bunny banging a drum to show how they would keep "going, and going and going..." until the ad was forced to stop. He was one of the best, if just because he was one of the most distinctive battery company mascots of all time.


WHO: Quiky
WHAT: The mascot for Nesquik milk mixes Quiky may not be as prolific with great commercials as his cohorts, but he undoubtedly is one of the most prominent. You may not use the mix, but his upbeat character sporting a letter "N" necklace is one of the most familiar mascots. If you really need comparison, just look at nearby competitor Yoohoo and see how what their mascot recognition ratio is. 


WHO: Reader Rabbit
WHAT: When computers began becoming more readily accessible, companies jumped on board to create educational materials. One of the leading companies, the Learning Company, introduced Reader Rabbit as a way to promote literacy through fun games that often challenged kids in the lower grades to find missing letters or look for errors. At very least, this paved the way for the Jumpstart series in the 90's and the general movement of educational computer games in general.


WHO: Jefferson Airplane - "The White Rabbit"
WHAT: In the 60's, Jefferson Airplane wrote what is still considered to be the most successful and well known rock songs with the word "rabbit" in the title. "The White Rabbit" is based off of "Alice in Wonderland" and while it explores themes from the book, lines like "one pill makes you larger" would imply that the recent drug phase was seeping into lyrics. With all of this established, nobody could deny that this acid trip of a song remains very catchy and possibly one of the most recognized songs of its era.


WHO: Harvey
WHAT: Theoretically, he is a pooka and is eight feet tall and invisible. However, he is most associated with the rabbit species and therefore qualifies. The most notable version of this tale based on Mary Chase's play is the 1950 adaptation starring James Stewart. Playing a lovable drunk, he forces us to believe that he is friends with an invisible rabbit in hilarious and clever ways that shows why Stewart was one of the best actors of his era. Also, landing on American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Films list cannot be all that bad.


WHO: Br'er Rabbit
WHAT: This one is an odd predicament. While its origins go back to tales told by Uncle Remus, he is most often associated with the Disney film Song of the South, which itself is banned for being slightly racist. However, along with the film's song "Zip-a-dee-doo-da," majority of people are aware of Br'er Rabbit's existence through other promotion. The most notable presence in the modern era is that of the Disneyland theme park ride Splash Mountain, which tells the tale of Song of the South minus the racist parts, and with a big water slide at the end. However, this trickster lives on through the ride as well as anyone who owns Disney tapes of him singing "Everybody's Got a Laughing Place," a very catchy song on the subject of making jokes.


WHO: Bugs Bunny
WHAT: The main ringer for the Looney Tunes cartoons. Usually seen eating a carrot and messing with hunter Elmer Fudd, he was the ultimate character when it came to violent slapstick and wisecracks. While many imitations has surpassed him, Bugs and his band of reckless endangerers remains a popular entity in society. Whether it be through merchandise or a new Cartoon Network show or even the occasional film, the Looney Tunes creations continue to entertain and prove just how valuable a rabbit can be with a well placed "What's up, doc?"


WHO: Babs and Buster Bunny
WHAT: In the 90's, when Steven Spielberg and WB had a deal to make children's entertainment, one of the first creations was this throwback to the Looney Tunes. Much like the Muppet Babies or A Pup Named Scooby Doo, this show took every character and made them super young and often "babies." Tiny Tune Adventures was one of the more successful and well regarded attempts at this, largely thanks to the main stars Babs and Buster Bunny. Equally as crazy as their older, Chuck Jones-voiced counterparts, they were a nice addition to the WB line-up and even had a popular movie called How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Madcap insanity ensues.


WHO: Louise
WHAT: Up until this point, I have referenced animals. However, as I stated in the opening, I am trying to look at bunnies in pop culture as well as their iconography. Nobody has been more prominent in recognizing the culture than Bob's Burgers character Louise. Along with having an episode based around her losing the trademark ears, she is the show's wild child, often screaming for her way. Also, she wears those ears with pride and it is hard to imagine her without them. She keeps the bunny love alive as well as hopefully starting a new head wear trend sometime soon.


WHO: Anya
WHAT: This Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a reputation for being scared of bunnies. She considered them evil to the point that in the episode "Once More with Feeling," she practically sung a whole verse about it. While it isn't a major theme in the overall show, it is a funny running gag and one that happened to appear in the opening credits for many seasons just to remind everyone of this silly little moment.


WHO: Mr. Honey Bunny
WHAT: Bart Simpson's beloved childhood doll, Mr. Honey Bunny was a central plot point to the episode "Lisa on Ice" in which the two siblings spend the entire episode tormenting each other on who is better at hockey. Mistaking his cherished possession for Lisa's he rips the head off of this doll, only to cause Lisa to wear it as a necklace to bother him. While rabbits have appeared numerous times as a theme, this is probably the most prominent example of the show's interest in the creature.


WHO: Daisy
WHAT: In an episode of Spaced in which the group tries to understand outside art, Daisy ends the entire episode with one of the most absurd concepts imaginable. She screams "Rabbit!" repeatedly while a naked torso dangles in the background. At very least, it is the finishing touch on an episode riddled with trying to explain the explainable  It may not make a lot of sense, but it does manage to be one of the show's most popular and quoted moments from its brief existence.


WHO: Swift Heart Rabbit
WHAT: From the Care Bears universe, this lovable little rabbit was an early creation in the series. Her notable traits include being able to run really fast, leaving a long blue blur. She is one of the hardest working characters and very loyal to her friends. While not as well known as other characters, she definitely has a place in the series, including numerous appearances in the multiple movies that followed the series.


WHO: Ralphie
WHAT: TBS' go-to Christmas movie, A Christmas Story's most infamous scene is not the B.B. gun concept or getting a tongue stuck to a lamp post. It is the bunny costume that Ralphie receives from Aunt Clara. Besides contradicting the Christmas spirit with a bunny outfit, it makes for a hilarious moment of embarrassment for the character. It also has become a long lasting iconography to the film, as the outfit is generally referenced to having come from this film.


WHO: Bean Bunny
WHAT: While he is not as well known as his counterparts in the Muppets, Bean Bunny has his place in the collection. However, Brian Henson has claimed that he is the character that the staff loves to hate. While he first premiered in the Jim Henson Hour, his most notable role came in the Muppet Christmas Carol. He may not be as endearing as most of the other characters, but he must be doing something right to keep appearing in the Muppets productions time and again.


WHO: Rabbit of Caerbannog
WHAT: Monty Python and the Holy Grail has a lot of memorable, iconic moments in the medieval satire. Next to the Black Knight who screams "It's just a flesh wound," the most likely contender for pop culture recognition is the Rabbit of Caerbannog, whose very existence is a gag. He is a cute little rabbit who ends up becoming a carnivorous killer when fighting the knights. It is hilarious just to watch him take down an entire fleet that eventually leads to use of the Holy Hand Grenade. As far as pop culture rabbits in film goes, he ranks among the most memorable.


WHO: Rabbits
WHAT: Night of the Lepus may be mocked as far as horror films go, but I just couldn't let Monty Python and the Holy Grail get the singular credit for killer rabbits. However, because of the film's notoriety, it has somehow withstood the test of time, if just as a pop culture reference. However, if you are scared of rabbits, this may be more demented than you'd ever imagine.


WHO: Roger Rabbit
WHAT: In this film noir tale that is essentially a botched sequel to the Two Jakes, Roger Rabbit is framed for murder. The result is one of the original films that blended animation and live action is such a ground breaking way that it helped to put Robert Zemeckis on the map and turned Roger Rabbit into a mainstay character in the Disney collective. In fact, his time in Toon Town in the film isn't the only time he's been to a Disney theme park. He has his very own ride at Disneyland.


WHO: Frank
WHAT: Theoretically, Frank is just as vicious as the other rabbits, but in a Charles Manson way. He convinces the protagonist of Donnie Darko to do things. While it is Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as a teen angst kid trying to make it through life that makes the picture great, the surreal element of this weird rabbit turns Richard Kelly's work into a much buzzed about film. Also dealing with time travel, this film exceeds just the film medium, including an extended director's cut, a book detailing missing elements, and a terrible sequel called S. Darko. Not bad for an eerie film that popularized Tears for Fears' "Mad World" for a new generation with a Gary Jules cover.


WHO: Bunny Boy
WHAT: Director Harmony Korine's Gummo may be one of the oddest, most uncomfortable films because it doesn't really have a narrative. It is just about people living in a post-tornado zone 20 years on. It hasn't been fixed up and is instead a place that is rotting. One of the characters in this tale is the silent, shirtless Bunny Boy. Like the rest of the film, not much is known about him, but he does place accordion at one point. He is easily the most associated with iconography from the film and without a single line of dialogue, provides some of the most ominous, quiet shots in the film.


WHO: The Matrix
WHAT: In the Matrix, Neo is told to "Follow the white rabbit." While it is conceptually taken from "Alice in Wonderland," it is another crucial plot device. One of the most well known from the film, an unknown person helps to lead Neo out of his building by telling him how to avoid men who are trying to kill him. The result is an intense chase through hallways that ends with jumping off of a building. In case you were wondering, he survives long enough to make another hour of the film and two other sequels. All because he followed the white rabbit.


WHO: E. Aster Bunny
WHAT: The most recent addition to the pop culture bunny fleet, this Rise of the Guardians character originally appeared in William Joyce's take on the iconic holiday characters. Still, along with a slightly dark edge, this tough-talking character is easily one of the film's most memorable. While it is too early to predict his place in pop culture, it is nice to know that there are still those out there wanting to turn bunnies into tough fighting creatures.


WHO: Were Rabbit
WHAT: Wallace and Gromit has been a long time popular stop motion series. However, what makes the Curse of the Were Rabbit entry an exceptional film is that it is to date the only one in the series to win a Best Animated Feature Oscar. In fact, it is the only stop motion film to win in that category as well as the only on the subject of rabbits to even be nominated. While penguins had March of the Penguins and Happy Feet double whammy one year, it is nice to see that of all animals, rabbits are the ones who can make for compelling, award winning entertainment the most.



WHO: Playboy
WHAT: Has there ever been any other publication in the history of publications that has effectively used bunnies to revolutionize the industry? Thanks to Hugh Hefner, even people who don't subscribe to pornography are at least aware of their logo. Along with jazz events at the Playboy Mansion, this particular bunny logo dons many t-shirts of ladies wanting to get attention. Playboy Bunnies have even been the topic of numerous films, including the House Bunny and Miss March. While neither are particularly as revolutionary as their publication, it is just a testament to how much of a household name something in the print media that not everybody reads can be. Maybe it is because of the articles, who knows.


WHO: Blink-182
WHAT: This pop punk band has been well known to use rabbits in their artwork. Of course, during their reunion tour in 2009, they sold limited edition bunnies at every show that looked like the one pictured above. For those lucky enough to get it, it is a piece of memorabilia that sits upon shelves across the world, reminding everyone that before they botched their comeback with "Neighborhoods," they had some pretty wacky merchandise.


WHO: Matt Groening
WHAT: Before creating the widely successful show the Simpsons, he created this weekly comic titled "Life in Hell," in which he followed a one eared rabbit (often mistakenly disassociated with its origin on the Simpsons) through his life. The series lasted up until 2012, when creator Matt Groening decided to stop making them. However, thanks to his dedication, there are numerous volumes of back catalog that are ready for your consumption. I assure you, they are pretty good.


WHO: Happy Bunny
WHAT: While the sensation has died down, one of the 00's biggest trends was to own a one sheet in which a smiling bunny would usually say wickedly sarcastic things. It wasn't very deep, but meant to create humor through a juxtaposition of happiness and cynicism. For many, it was a great way to relieve anger at a frustrated world. For the rest, it was an awkward period in which these appeared everywhere, whether as bumper stickers, key chains, or book collections. Still, Happy Bunny is one of the oddest phenomenons that struck the 00's and definitely remains one of the most recognizable.


WHO: 30 Second Bunnies
WHAT: Don't have time to watch the movie? Guess what, this animated series will help you get everything you need to know on any film in 30 seconds flat. 30 Second Bunnies was a program that started as an internet phenomenon in which popular movies were told in 30 seconds, but through ridiculously fast talking bunnies. It often came across as hilarious and was resolved somehow within the time limit. Even after being picked up by the Starz network, it remains highly successful and paved the way for future short attention span programs of the internet.



There you have it. 35 examples of rabbits in pop culture. I hope you enjoyed this, and possibly learned a thing or two. Whether or not, it is undoubtedly obvious just how much respect we need to pay to rabbits, especially on National Rabbit Awareness Day. Even if you don't own one, please take some time to find a way to say "thanks" for the countless decades of contribution that they have given us.

Comments