Watch the video of Jimoty, the mysterious round raccoon
With his unusual shape, Jimothy the raccoon has inspired an entire subreddit of his own, attracting thousands of visitors.
It’s been just over a week since the beefy, burly raccoon captured the internet’s heart, and Jimothy’s craze shows no signs of slowing down.
From Google to Roku City, bobbleheads to murals, Jimothy is everywhere.
We will introduce you to the places where Jimoty infiltrated.
Who is Jimoty?
Here’s a quick rundown of the internet’s newest quirky animal star, Jimothy.
Jimmy the raccoon, considered by many to be Seattle’s unofficial mascot, recently became an overnight social media sensation thanks to an Instagram video that showed him running through grass before hiding in nearby shrubbery.
But Jimoty is more than just a wild raccoon, and has been talked about with an apparent birth defect that affects the length of his spine. The result is a bulbous body covered in rough fur on four elongated legs, a sturdy head, and almost no neck.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the various places that have appeared in Jimoty over the past week.
Jimoty takes over Google Search
To celebrate our love for Jimothy, Google released a new animation in its search bar on July 22nd. When a Google user searches for “Jimothy” or “Jimothy the Raccoon,” an animated version of the underdog Underdog, or Underraccoon, plays on screen.
For those who aren’t cute enough, there are raccoon footprints at the bottom of the screen that, when clicked, will cause the silly creature to run across the screen again. By July 24, the feature had been used nearly 10 million times.
Jimoty visits Roccity
Jimothy may call Seattle home, but he seems to enjoy the occasional vacation. On July 21, streaming platform Roku announced in a Facebook post, “Jimoty has come to Roku City.” This is a reference to Panning, a screensaver that depicts a city full of pop culture Easter eggs and other hidden gems.
“It’s true, I finally found him on TV!” one commenter wrote. “He’s everywhere. No one can hide from Jimothy,” another wrote.
“Loading my Roku right now. Hope to see Jimoty in the background,” another person wrote, along with a crying-laughing emoji.
Jimoty joins Minecraft Naturalist
From Seattle to Roccity to Minecraft Naturalist, Jimothy is really on the move.
On July 23, Starfish Studios, an official Minecraft partner that creates unique worlds and game modifications, announced the arrival of the Naturalist add-on pack for Jimothy.
Although the production company has not announced an official release date, fans are already excited.
“Jimothy! Long live Jimothy,” one player wrote. “Love you Jimoty,” another added.
Jimoty receives bobblehead treatment
Outside of the digital realm, Jimothy has officially earned the bobblehead treatment, an honor usually reserved for the most elite athletes, celebrities, world leaders, and cultural icons.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a new Jimothy figure on July 21st.
The figure immortalizes Jimothy’s unique appearance “in a running pose, looking ahead to his next adventure in the Emerald City,” the museum said in a news release.
Jimoty inspires artists across the country
Jimothy has been an inspiration to many. This is evidenced by the fact that all of the artists pay homage to him in their chosen medium.
From murals to blown glass figurines to trading cards, there’s no limit to what this tireless little creature will do next.
Greta Cross/USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
