Raccoons have gotten a bad reputation over the years. Their diet of trash and resistance toward domestication makes them hard to love for many people. However, not everyone is a hater. Some of us developed our love for raccoons through their brief yet impactful appearances in the movies. Pocahontas’s bestie Meeko was stellar representation of a sweet and loyal raccoon. In the cult-classic documentary Grey Gardens, Little Edie feeds the raccoon living in her attic two bags of Wonder Bread, refusing to call animal control. What an ally! And who could forget the seminal Dream Works masterpiece, Over The Hedge (2006)? We really didn’t deserve Brue Willis voicing a raccoon character. That was his greatest gift to us. 

Movies aren’t the only places raccoons have had shining moments. Memes honoring the animal have boomed in popularity. While less controversial animals are sometimes hailed as the queens of memes (looking at you, cats), raccoon memes are not going anywhere!