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Cracker Barrel could potentially find itself in hot water soon with the House of Mouse. The American-themed restaurant chain has had a fair share of disdain directed at it this year. However, no one could have predicted that accusations of stealing Disney’s intellectual property would be on the cards for them in 2023.
Disney is notorious for fiercely protecting its trademarks, which include iconic characters, films, and franchises. The company actively defends its rights against unauthorized use or infringement. Considering this, it’s not far-fetched to think that Disney might go after a company like Cracker Barrel if they misstep. Let’s delve into the details of what has fans scratching their heads and how assumptions rose that Disney could accuse Cracker Barrel of intellectual property theft. After watching the video below, you can decide for yourself if there is something here, or just a harmless similarity.
Credit: Disney/Pixar
You Got a Friend in Your Store
The incident in question was brought to light by a TikTok user named Disney Dan. It is important to note that he did stress that the video was meant to be a joke for his TikTok fans and not an actual attack on Cracker Barrel.
While exploring a Cracker Barrel old country store, he stumbled upon a section filled with space-themed items and gadgets. At first glance, the shelf seemed ordinary until the unmistakably copied character caught his eye. One of the salt and pepper shakers on display resembled the aliens from Pixar Studios’ Toy Story franchise. The uncanny similarities left the TikToker laughing in disbelief.
“What is this? This is the little green man from Toy Story,” he exclaimed, “But it’s not Pixar.” The box indicated no connection to Pixar or Disney, yet the likeness was glaringly obvious.
Credit: Cindy Veronica, Flickr
The video shows that the salt and pepper shaker is a stubby alien with green skin, three googly eyes, pointy ears, and antennae—much like the aliens from Toy Story. While these are common characteristics in alien design, the resemblance is too close to be merely coincidental. To further solidify the connection, the creature is dressed in a purple jumpsuit with a belt and symbol, mirroring the outfit worn by the Toy Story aliens. The only difference is the color of the outfit.
The box even goes as far as to claim that the product is exclusively made for Cracker Barrel and distributed by them.
Still skeptical? Watch the evidence for yourself below.
@disneydanyoutube WHAT IS HAPPENING AT @Cracker Barrel??? @Pixar #toystory #crackerbarrel #saltandpepper #bootleg #toys #collectibles
Related: Disney Loses Supreme Court First Amendment Case
Cracker Barrel Might Be Getting a Visit from the Claw
It’s hard to believe that such a blatant resemblance managed to slip past the company’s attention. The Toy Story franchise and its beloved aliens are widely recognized as Disney’s intellectual property. Though we still stress that this TikTok video was uploaded as a joke, not to condemn Cracker Barrel.
What Disney chooses to do from here is anybody’s guess. If the past is any indication, however, Cracker Barrel might have a lawsuit coming for it soon. As Sheriff Woody says, “Reach for the sky!”
