A History of Chuck E. Cheese: Last Squeak Tonight with John Oliver (Web Exclusive)

Chuck E. Cheese's History and Concept:

• Chuck E. Cheese's was founded in 1977 by Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of Atari, with the aim of combining food, drinks, and games in a fun and entertaining environment.
• The original character, initially conceived as "Coyote Pizza," was changed to a rat due to a costume mix-up, and the restaurant's name was changed to "Chuck E. Cheese" to avoid negative associations with rats.

Evolution of Chuck E. Cheese Character:

• The early Chuck E. Cheese character was portrayed as a saucy, adult-oriented figure with a cigar and a Jersey accent, but was later toned down to appeal to a wider audience.

Recent Controversies and Underlying Factors:

• Chuck E. Cheese restaurants have gained notoriety for frequent incidents of violence and unruly behavior among adults, leading to negative press coverage and police involvement.
• The video suggests that these incidents may be rooted in the restaurant's origins as a response to primal human desires for food, drink, and entertainment, combined with the potential for alcohol consumption and the presence of animatronic characters that may trigger emotional responses in adults.

Competitors and Acquisition:

• Chuck-E-Cheese's success inspired imitators like Showbiz Pizza Place, which featured a band of full-body animatronic characters called Rock-afire Explosion.
• Showbiz Pizza Place was able to weather the video game industry crash of 1983, while Chuck-E-Cheese filed for bankruptcy.
• In 1985, Showbiz Pizza Place acquired Chuck-E-Cheese, but could not use the Rock-afire Explosion characters due to a rights dispute, leading to the retrofitting of animatronics to convert them into Chuck-E-Cheese characters.

Peak of Chuck E and the Gang:

• In the mid-1990s, Chuck E and the Gang were at their peak, producing music videos, educational content, and sketch shows.

Controversial Film and Declining Sales:

• In 1999, Chuck E. Cheese released a feature-length film called "Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000," which featured the characters engaging in sexual harassment towards human women.
• Chuck E. Cheese's sales declined in the 2010s, leading to a rebranding effort.

Rebranding and Financial Struggles:

• In 2012, Chuck E. Cheese's backstory was changed, claiming he was a mouse who grew up in an orphanage and ran away to New York City.
• In 2017, the company began phasing out the classic animatronic band, destroying Chuck-E-Cheese heads and other branded items when stores closed.
• The pandemic worsened the company's financial situation, leading them to operate a restaurant under the name Pascali's Pizza and Wings in Philadelphia.

YouTuber's Analysis and Suggestions:

• The YouTuber proposes that Chuck E. Cheese was successful due to its inherent meanness and boundary-pushing nature, which appealed to customers.
• The YouTuber suggests that Chuck E. Cheese adopt the original Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse, who will soon enter the public domain, to restore balance to the brand.
• Mickey Mouse could be transformed into a "shitalking" character who delivers hostile crowd work and confronts customers about the United States' violent history.