I’d always thought it was Smokey The Bear when I was young, and that’s how I’d always heard others say it. Then, when I was in about the fifth grade (1968), we had one of those fire prevention talks, and the speaker mentioned that it was supposed to be just ‘Smokey Bear’. And that’s how I’ve always seen it in print since then, though it never sounded right to my ears. And to the extent that I ever hear any one mention the critter in casual conversation, everyone still seems to call him Smokey The Bear.
And in fact, my antique World Book from 1960 (that guide and prop of grade-school essays), says that it’s Smokey The Bear.
Well, certainly a Google search indicates that his name was Smokey Bear, but I doubt that one boomer in several hundred thousand would say the name omitting “the.”
Interestingly, this site from the Oregon Department of Forestry (Adapted from USDA Forest Service Publication FS-551), debunks the “Smokey was injured as a cub in a fire” story still being promulgated by the “official” site that Uke found.
Baby boomer joke: Q. What’s Smokey the Bear’s middle name?
A. The
The “the” was dropped several year ago in a “makeover” and advertising maven Dick Orkin (remember Chickenman?) was hired to do a few spots the emphasize the disappearance of the “the.”
Smokey Bear! Smokey Bear! Just like it is not Super the Man, it is NOT Smokey the Bear! I’m sorry if it grates on your nerves, but imagine how much it must hurt poor Smokey’s ears to hear his name garbled. I know there was a song out there popularizing the ‘the’, but that has nothing to do with his real name. It was and always will be, simply, Smokey Bear.
From http://www.odf.state.or.us/Smokey/bearfaq.htm
And from the same site…
Note the way his name is written in the title of the law. FirstLaw and Access.gov don’t go back to the fifties, so I didn’t find the actual text of the law, but at http://www.fs.fed.us/people/employ/tep/2000_temp_va_100799.txt there is a listing of Federal jobs - scroll down the list and you’ll see two listings (see any extraneous 'the’s?):
It is not Homer the Simpson, not Monty the Python, not Darth the Vader… it is not Smokey the Bear.
Thanks for posting that link, Rhythmdvl…that was the one I was looking for when I got sidetracked by the wussy “official” one I ended up posting.
Check out Woodland Enterprises, folks! My 1999 calendar was a totally copasetic parade of magnificent Smokey images! *Drown your butts…crush your butts…drown your butts…crush your butts…
Jabba THE Hut
Mott THE Hoople
Winnie THE Pooh
Jimmie THE Greek
Jack THE Ripper
Bill THE Cat
Henry THE VIII
John THE Baptist
Oscar THE Grouch
Peter THE Great
Sam THE Sham
I’m 20, and as a kid I always heard and said Smokey the Bear. After the controversy became a cultural discussion, as mentioned above by javaman, I took on the belief that the bear’s actual name was Smokey Bear, and that any references to the bear meant “Smokey the bear.” Note the lack of capitalization on bear. Bear, in this usage, is a description of what he is, not who he is.
Name: Smokey Bear
Common Description: Smokey the bear
Just my opinion. I hope others my find solace and resolution thinking of it this way.
Sure, that’s what the Dept of Forestry WANTS you to believe. This website, Smokey THE Bear, contains a huge array of collectibles going back to the 1950’s (maybe earlier)–many of which show Smokey the Bear. Of course, other items do simply read “Smokey Bear,” but…um…that’s beside the point.
Regarding…
So…what makes you so positive that “Bear” is his last name? (Just because a government agency tells you so.;)) He could have been Smokey Smith, the Bear. Maybe he got tired of clarifying that his name was not “Bear,” he was a bear (or according to the cover of a 1955 comic he was “Smokey, the Fire Prevention Bear”). Maybe he got fed up so he just changed his last name to Bear to be done with it (or maybe its a government PLOT <insert sinister laugh>. It may not be “Homer the Simpson” but you wouldn’t call him Homer Idiot either. It would be “Homer Simpson, the Idiot.”
Just having a little fun and offering my 2-cents on the OP and an explanation of why so many of us REMEMBER him as Smokey The Bear (even though I’m later–that is, younger–than the babyboomers).
Your analogy’s not quite accurate, Rhythmdvl. It’s not Super the Man because the first word describes the second - he’s a man who is super. But we’re not discussing a bear who is smokey, are we? Do you see smoke coming out of his ears? Course not. He is (or was, at least) called Smokey the Bear because his name was Smokey… and he’s a bear! Simple as that.
Same with your other examples, too. I think we can all agree he was originally called Smokey the Bear, until a smartass marketeer decided the ‘the’ was superfluous.
He is (or was, at least) called Smokey the Bear because his name was Smokey… and he’s a bear! Simple as that.