10 Intriguing Details About Strawberry Shortcake

While Marcel Proust may have his madeleines, for Gen Xers and older Millennials, the nostalgic aroma of Strawberry Shortcake and her dessert-inspired friends instantly transports them back to cherished childhood moments. Despite being in her mid-40s, Strawberry continues to captivate younger audiences and remains a significant figure in pop culture, thanks to a Netflix series and a wide array of merchandise, much of which reflects the “classic” design. Discover 10 lesser-known facts about this beloved berry-themed cartoon franchise.

1. Strawberry Shortcake originally appeared on a greeting card.

The American Greetings Corporation introduced Strawberry Shortcake on a greeting card in 1979. A few years prior, executive Jack Chojnacki observed the popularity of strawberry-themed merchandise and tasked his Cleveland team with creating a strawberry-inspired character that would appeal to fans of the company’s iconic “Blue Girl,” Holly Hobbie. A Valentine’s Day card titled Girl with a Daisy, featuring a young girl in a large bonnet adorned with strawberries, became a bestseller. This design inspired “Strawberry Patches,” but the name was later changed to Strawberry Shortcake due to existing usage elsewhere.

2. She nearly vanished due to a legal battle.

By the early 1980s, the Strawberry Shortcake franchise had grown into a multimedia powerhouse, with sales reaching an estimated $300 to $500 million in 1981. In 1982, freelance illustrator Barbi Sargent filed a lawsuit against American Greetings. She claimed that Girl with a Daisy, the card that sparked the franchise, was her original creation. According to Sargent, executives approached her to design a pinker and more berry-like version of the character, which closely resembled the final product.

American Greetings argued that Sargent was not the sole creator but a subcontractor working as part of a larger team. However, the court sided with Sargent, ruling in her favor. Fearing the potential demise of Strawberry Shortcake, Sargent chose to return the rights to her former employer, emphasizing that her motivation was recognition, not financial gain.

3. Her ‘80s specials never made it to network TV.

The first Strawberry Shortcake special, 1980’s The World of Strawberry Shortcake, was turned down by major networks for failing to meet educational content guidelines for children’s programming. These guidelines were established in response to concerns from parent groups, who argued that toy companies were producing shows that essentially served as extended advertisements for their products. Although Kenner, the toy company funding the specials, never openly admitted to this practice, writer and voice actor Romeo Muller acknowledged it in 1981.

“I suppose the show is a commercial, in the broadest sense,” Muller told The New York Times. Kenner, however, circumvented the regulations by distributing the specials through independent stations. This workaround ended in 1990 with the introduction of the Children’s Television Act, which mandated that even independent stations adhere to the same rules.

4. She has ties to Disney and the ‘70s adult film industry.

The original voice of Strawberry Shortcake was Russi Taylor, who lent her talents to all six ‘80s specials. In 1991, Taylor took on the role of Minnie Mouse, becoming the seventh and longest-serving voice actor for the character. She even married Mickey—or rather, Wayne Allwine, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse from 1977 to 2009—in real life. Robert Ridgely, who voiced the villainous Peculiar Purple Pieman in the same specials, had his final onscreen role as The Colonel James in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights, a tribute to the ‘70s adult film era.

5. The Purple Pieman crossed paths with E.T.

In 1982, the Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak—or rather, his Kenner action figure—made a brief appearance in Steven Spielberg’s iconic sci-fi movie, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. In a scene set in Gertie’s closet, the camera briefly focuses on a shelf of toys, showcasing the Pieman’s distinctive hat and mustache.

6. Charles Schulz might have subtly criticized Strawberry Shortcake.

In 1986, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz introduced a short-lived character named Tapioca Pudding. Tapioca quickly irritated the other kids with her fixation on appearing on T-shirts and other merchandise. Sally Brown, in particular, was furious when Linus Van Pelt, her “sweet baboo,” invited Tapioca to the movies, leading Sally to complain to her brother Charlie about “Blueberry Muffin” stealing her crush. Fans of Peanuts were puzzled by the storyline and speculated that Schulz was poking fun at the Strawberry Shortcake franchise, notorious for its extensive merchandising. Ironically, Schulz himself was no stranger to licensing, and in 2017, the same company secured the rights to both Peanuts and Strawberry Shortcake.

7. She shares several links with My Little Pony.

Michael Vogel, the creative mind behind the latest Strawberry Shortcake revival, Berry in the Big City, also contributed to the My Little Pony reboot, Friendship is Magic, and its spin-offs. Many voice actors from his show have also lent their talents to My Little Pony. The ties between Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony date back even further. In 1991, Kenner, the original manufacturer of Strawberry Shortcake dolls, was acquired by Hasbro, the company behind My Little Pony. By 2008, Hasbro began producing Strawberry Shortcake dolls inspired by the franchise’s third reboot, Berry Bitty Adventures.

8. Over the years, she has matured, and her style has transformed.

In her debut TV special, Strawberry Shortcake turned six years old. Despite her young age, she displayed remarkable independence, managing her own home, bakery, and strawberry farm. The 2003 reboot aged her into a tween, replacing her iconic bonnet and dress with pants and a smaller hat.

The 2009 reboot reintroduced Strawberry in a more sophisticated dress, paired with a cap instead of a hat, and aged her further into her early teens. She became a café owner, with her friends running various businesses in Berry Bitty City. In the latest reboot, Berry in the Big City, Strawberry appears to remain a young teen but adopts a more relaxed style, featuring a jacket over her dress, sneakers, and her signature green and white striped tights.

9. Strawberry Shortcake and her companions have diverse interpretations worldwide.

Kenner granted licensing rights for their dolls to toy manufacturers worldwide. While many adhered strictly to the original characters and designs, some diverged. Notably, the Brazilian firm Estrela produced a series of 5-inch vinyl dolls called “Moranguinho” (Portuguese for Little Strawberry), which quickly deviated from Kenner's designs by altering outfits, hats, and even adding scents to better suit local preferences, resulting in creations like Little Guava and Little Pineapple. Additionally, they crafted floral-themed dolls such as Little Rose and Little Daisy, along with an international collection showcasing traditional attire. By the time Estrela discontinued the Moranguinho line in 1992, they had released 68 unique dolls, predominantly featuring original designs.

10. A character underwent a gender swap—more than once.

In the 1980 TV special The World of Strawberry Shortcake, a character named Plum Puddin’ was introduced. Plum was a highly intelligent boy who always kept a pencil behind his ear and had a passion for mathematics. Unlike other characters from the special, such as Huckleberry Pie, Plum was not turned into a doll and did not appear in the next three TV specials. However, Plum made a comeback in 1984’s Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name and was subsequently released as a doll. This time, Plum was portrayed as a girl, and no one, not even Strawberry, seemed to notice the change.

Fans have often speculated that the gender switch was due to the toy industry’s belief that boy dolls don’t appeal to girls. This notion seemed to persist, as Plum remained a girl in the next two reboots, with Berry Bitty Adventures even transforming her into a ballerina rather than a scientist. However, Berry in the Big City reverts to the original concept, portraying Plum as a boy and a tech enthusiast once again.

A.K. Whitney, a seasoned journalist in Southern California with experience in both print and online media, has contributed numerous articles to Mytour over the years. Recently, she authored a cookbook titled The Unofficial Strawberry Shortcake Cookbook, published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book serves as a heartfelt tribute to the fandom she adores and provides her with the opportunity to indulge in her love for desserts.