There’s something both freaky and cool about this official Nightmare Before Christmas mug. It’s official Disney merch, Truffle Shuffle sells it, and it glows in the dark.
I don’t think it’s the glow that makes the mug freaky. It’s the way Oogie Boogie has a snake sliding into his mouth. Or is it out of it?
The catch? The 330ml mug isn’t suitable for either the dishwasher or the microwave, and I suspect that’s down to the glow-in-the-dark paint.
Oogie Boogie isn’t just your standard-issue monster under the bed. He’s the big bad, the final boss, the archenemy that gives Jack Skellington’s skeletal grin a genuine reason to falter. While the rest of Halloween Town treats scares like a grand art form, Oogie Boogie plays for keeps. He is the genuine, sadistic villain in a world of playful ghouls.
While Geek Native will make pennies on mug sales, I should point out that there is controversy around the Oogie Boogie. The valid concerns are that the character is rooted in accusations that the character is a racist caricature. Critics cite his name as being derived from a racial slur, his pointed sack-like head as resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood, and his persona as a gambling, jive-talking villain, voiced by a Black actor in a style inspired by jazz performer Cab Calloway, as a combination that evokes harmful minstrel show stereotypes. While screenwriter Caroline Thompson strongly objected to the character on these grounds during production, director Henry Selick has defended the portrayal as an homage to jazz culture and not intended to be racist.
Quick Links
- Truffle Shuffle: Oogle Boogie mug.
