Rats in the Media

OK, most people are familiar with horror movies that have those 'awful, dirty, evil, squeaking rats' in them. As you may have gathered, I don't think that rats are, by nature, 'awful, dirty, and evil.' However, you do not need my opinions to know that rats, in general, DO NOT SQUEAK (you rat owners out there know what I mean). Sure, they 'silently' echo-locate like bats, and the may emit a plaintive squeal when stepped on or bitten, but they NEVER EVER wander around squeaking malevolently for no good reason!

Because of this blaringly inaccurate public perception, I am putting together a list of all the movies, TV shows, and what-have-you that feature those mythical, non-existant, and scientifically bogus 'squeaking rats.' Let the re-education begin!

As you can tell, this list is far from complete. If you can add to this list, please e-mail me your entry.

Here it is:
List created August 14th, 1995.
Last updated on October 7th, 1996.

  • The Abyss - "A Positive rat role model" [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls - "Yes, a squeaking rat pops out of a couch...and this claims to be a 'true' nature film. Hah." [submitted by mleavitt@tiac.net]
  • Ben - a classic. No explanation needed.
  • Burial Ground - no comment offered [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • The Critic - One episode features an 'in-box' full of happy, squeaking rats.
  • Food of the Gods I and II - no comment offered [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • From Dusk Till Dawn - "Maybe a mutant rat... kinda hard to tell" [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • Goosebumps - The Phantom. "....one sucky rat jumps out at the boy." [submitted by The Ross Family]
  • Graveyard Shift - "The squeaking rats thing, but you get to see some surf!" [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • Hellraiser - "(1987) directed by Clive Barker. A rat is the victim of the raised from th dead black sheep brother who flays it open in a scene. (poor little ratty.)" [submitted by Li Xian Ming]
  • The Indian in the Cuboard - "...there is a pet rat that squeaks constantly as it runs around in one of those exercise balls." [submitted by Ann Nicholls]
  • Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade - A sewer filled with squeaking rats. Please.
  • Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark - "...the Rat in the ship transporting the Ark, squeaking and twisting as if in severe pain. The classic rat shot of the century!" [submitted by mleavitt@tiac.net]
  • Interview with the Vampire - Another sewer scene with squeaking rats. So much for originality.
  • The Jacksons - (TV mini-series) - "...Michael is shown "talking" with a rat in the kitchen. The rat is actually a mouse but he calls it "Mr. Rat". And it squeaks the whole time. Eventually it gets caught in a trap that the father set and that's supposed to explain why he's so freaky now." [submitted by Michelle (depesa@unix1.gcc.mass.edu)]
  • Mission Impossible - Another rat scuttles around in a decidedly non-ratlike (evil) manner.
  • Murphy Brown - "The rat in that episode was actually Ben the 16th!" [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • News Radio - "No actual rats seen, but they based an entire episode on their 'office mascot' rat." [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • Night Eyes - no comment offered [submitted by lulu@primenet.com]
  • Pretty Baby - (with Brooke Shields) "...she sees a rat at the foot of her bed that squeaks every time the camera is pointed at it." [submitted by Michelle (depesa@unix1.gcc.mass.edu)]
  • Star Trek II - a solitary rat scuttles down a space station hallway, squeaking as it goes.
  • Total Recall - a group of squeaky rats run around in an abandoned building.
  • Of Unknown Origin - "(1983) directed George Cosmatos. Starring Peter Weller. Giant rat terrorizes a man in his apartment." [submitted by Li Xian Ming]
  • "V" - (old TV scifi miniseries) "In the movie, they ate birds, guinea pigs, mice and rats. I guess they wanted a well-balanced diet." [submitted by SPINAL@bcvms.bc.edu]
  • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane - Bette Davis serves her sister (played by Joan Crawford) a rat on a silver platter. [submitted by Kenneth A. Longo]
  • Willard - do rats live anywhere else besides sewers?
  • Wings - (TV show) "In the episode, 'Ready, Teddy, Go,' a 'pet' rat is coddled and cooed over, even while it is squeaking." [submitted by mleavitt@tiac.net]
  • The X-Files - "Teso Dos Bichos" features a toilet full of squeaking rats. I think they were chocolate selfs! [Episode name submitted by Lina Jin and aras@acs.bu.edu]

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