Jim Hill
Page 2 of 3
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani holds the
original Winnie the Pooh
Giuliani - who already had a reputation for being a bit of a publicity hound - rode the Winnie the Pooh crisis for all it was worth. The Mayor’s office even issued a press release following Rudy’s visit to the library, where Giuliani offered his assurances to the children of New York that "no foreign government" would ever rip Pooh & pals from the loving bosom of the Big Apple. In this semi-serious press release, the Mayor’s office stated that "like millions of other immigrants, Winnie the Pooh and his friends - Tigger, Kanga, Piglet and Eeyore - came to America and New York to build a better life … "
Giuliani then persuaded New York Governor George Pataki to chime in on the subject. The governor stated his belief that the real Pooh & pals should remain on display at NYC’s Donnell Library Center. Citing the 750,000 people who annually visit Edward Bear there, Pataki went on to say that "there’s no better place in the world for this kind of exhibit."
Of course, when Dunwoody got word of Giuliani and Pataki’s responses, she was somewhat miffed. The governor’s statement reportedly rubbed Gwyneth the wrong way. "What utter nonsense," she was alleged to have said. "Of course there’s a better place in the world for a display like that: Back here in the U.K. Where the toys originally came from."
The war of words escalated from there. Dunwoody officially responded to Giulani’s statement by saying "Fair enough. (I’ll be) Happy to do battle with the Mayor of New York … any day he likes."
But - to even up the odds a bit - Gwyneth then recruited the Fourth Estate: Britain’s notoriously combative press corps. When they got wind that Rudolph Giuliani had no intention of ordering the New York Public Library to return the "Pooh Five," the gloves came off.
Of course, the British tabloids had a field day with this story. They’re the folks who cooked up the previously mentioned, groan-inducing headline "The Battle of WaterPooh." The staff at the Sun actually threatened to kidnap American icon - and Disney favorite - Buzz Lightyear if the U.S. didn’t forked over the "Pooh Five" pronto.
Even President Clinton weighed in on the subject. With tongue firmly planted firmly in cheek, Clinton - after a member of the White House press corps asked him where he stood on the Pooh issue - responded by saying "the loss of (Winnie the) Pooh would be utterly unbearable."
Then - just as quickly as the"Pooh Five" crisis arose - the furry furor suddenly seemed to blow itself out. How so? Well, when U.S. reporters contacted the British Intelligence Service to ask about the status of the Pooh repatriation effort, they were told that - in spite of Dunwoody’s claims -- there was no serious effort underway to reclaim the stuffed animals.
Indeed, when Tony Blair made his first trip to the United States as Prime Minister in early February 1998, Tony told CNN that he doubted that the repatriation of the real Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Piglet would "feature prominently in my talks with President Clinton."
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