I’m not here to rail against cartoon/puppet birds from the past.

They all sort of have this place in all of our childhoods. Whether it be The Roadrunner, Woody Woodpecker, Big Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, the Chicken Hawk, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, Toucan Sam or Woodstock.

But there’s something about one in particular that I don’t quite understand. Namely, how has Tweety become this sort of iconic mascot for adult generations? Google “famous cartoon birds” images and you get results largely dominated by the diminutive bird with a huge head and a strange dialect (who replaces “s” with “d”?).

Driving down the road, if a wheel cover has a bird on it, there’s a damn good chance that bird is Tweety. And naturally, none of these vehicles are driven by toddlers. And the adult obsession with this little bird goes even further. You see tattoos of the bird constantly.

Pillows, blankets, sneakers, motivational posters with language that is not intended for children – you name it, Tweety is on it, and entirely aimed at an adult audience.

Why the hell is the little Yellow Canary so goddamn popular with people 20 years removed from the age in which the bird was supposed to matter? Hell, even Banksy has included Tweety in a piece of work.

And it’s not as if it’s a problem. You can like whatever the hell you like. But I don’t see people with Big Bird shirts or Daffy Duck mudflaps or Roadrunner lamps. What the hell captivates everyone about the little shit?

And I know it’s all about perspective. Believe me, if the cosmos mystify anyone, it’s me. But stuff like this confounds me nearly as much.