In January,Paddington 2hit U.S. theaters, earning universal raves and scoring Hugh Grant a much-deserved BAFTA nomination.
You would think that having two movies in one year about small fuzzy bears would be a good thing.
Some people, however, have already taken to drawing comparisons between the two.
Disney
Twitter is alreadyabuzzwith arguments over which bear is better.
There are accusations that Pooh is merely capitalizing on Paddingtons moment.
Before long, someone will probably mock up T-shirts with #TeamPooh or #TeamPaddington.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Which is why I am here to say: Let Paddington and Pooh be.
At first glance, its easy to see why you might conflate the two.
Both Paddington and Pooh are quintessential symbols of Britishness and beloved by children around the world.
For decades, they were both legendary figures in childrens literature before making the transition to the big screen.
Also, neither one wears pants.
There are, however, key differences between the animals.
Its Paddington who likes marmalade.
Perhaps most importantly, it is not in the spirit of either PoohorPaddington to create divisions.
Both bears share a philosophy of kindness and integrity.
As Paddington says, If we are kind and polite, the world will be right.
There is room enough in this world for two small, fuzzy, extremely polite British bears without pants.
Besides, its not like bears havent always dominated the entertainment industry.
Its an exciting time for bears in Hollywood!
Ted broke new ground as the first teddy bear to headline his own R-rated movie a few years back.
Thescreaming bear fromAnnihilationhas been earning rave reviews.
And of course, it was a bear who helped Leonardo DiCaprio win his Oscar forThe Revenant.
So let Paddington and Pooh live.
Paddington and Pooh would want it that way.
