Pop culture is full of cute, smart, and talented pigs that we love. Sure, you adore bacon, but this list is going whole hog! One thing you won’t find here is swine flu, because we don’t love that.
10. Pink Floyd’s Flying Pig
How about swine flew? First appearing on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals, the flying pig has become the most famous rock-and-roll prop ever. The inflatable pig has escaped from concert venues quite a few times, most recently at the 2008 Coachella Festival. The band was far from the first to contemplate a flying pig.
9. Arnold Ziffel
Arnold Ziffel was a pig belonging to farmer Fred Ziffel. Fred was a resident of Hooterville, the setting for the TV show Green Acres. Arnold was a member of the family. The Ziffel’s treated him like a son, giving him money for mail-order merchandise and piano lessons.
8. Napoleon
Napoleon is the leader of the farm animals featured in the book Animal Farm by George Orwell (which you can read online in its entirety). Napoleon indoctrinated the other animals, defeated his rival Snowball, and then declared that “some animals are more equal than others”. Those who were students during the Cold War all know that Napoleon is the porcine equivalent of Josef Stalin. Photograph by Flickr user byronv2.
7. The Three Little Pigs
Of course you remember the story of the Three Little Pigs who built their houses out of straw, sticks, and bricks. Only the brick house kept the big bad wolf out, but the two lazy pigs still came out OK thanks to the generosity of their hardworking brother. You can see the Disney version of the story on YouTube.
6. Babe
Babe, the star pig of the 1995 movie of the same name, aspired to be a shepherd. He figured herding sheep would make his adoptive father the border collie proud and keep himself from becoming Christmas dinner. The movie was based on the book The Sheep-Pig. Babe also starred in a 1998 sequel to the movie called Babe: Pig in the City.
5. Porky Pig
Making his cartoon debut in 1935, Porky Pig was an excuse for Mel Blanc to use a voice that was distinctive because of a stutter. Porky took a while to say what was on his mind, but when he did, you could understand him, even when he didn’t use kid-friendly language.
4. Pumbaa
Pumbaa the warthog starred in the movie The Lion King and its various sequels. Pumbaa is an outcast from his original group of warthogs because of a flatulence problem. He and his partner Timon the meerkat lived by the philosophy of Hakuna Matata, which means “no worries”. Pumbaa and Timon were recently photographed in their natural habitat.
3. Piglet
Piglet is a stuffed toy belonging to a young boy named Christopher Robin in the Winnie-the-pooh book series by A.A. Milne. Piglet is also Pooh’s sidekick. He’s very small and not too bright, just like a young child finding his way in the big world. But Piglet can be very brave when he needs to be. Piglet finally starred in his own movie from Disney in 2003. See more of the original Pooh and Piglet illustrations at BibliOdyssey.
2. Wilbur
Wilbur is the beloved central character of the book Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. In the story, sweet, naive Wilbur’s life is saved by the hard work and intelligence of the spider named Charlotte. Charlotte’s Web was made into an animated feature in 1973 and a live-action movie in 2006.
1. Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is the diva of the Muppets. She began her career in 1976 in the chorus line of The Muppet Show but quickly became a crowd favorite and star of the show. She also starred in six Muppet movies. Her alter ego is master puppeteer and film director Frank Oz.
Honorable mentions: Gordy, Piggly Wiggly, Hamm, and the venerable piggy bank. Readers also love Freddy, Manbearpig, Spiderpig, Salomey, and Olivia. I simplified this list by intentionally not including groundhogs, whistle pigs, guinea pigs, or male chauvinist pigs.
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What about Olivia, the pig in the books by Ian Falconer? She’s pretty popular and quite adorable.
posted by Judy on 8-27-2009 at 8:38 am
I get it… “swine FLEW”… because it’s flying and it sounds like “swine flu” the disease. Yeah that’s funny.
posted by TBV on 8-27-2009 at 9:19 am
A couple year back at the Roger Waters concert in Tampa, the pig escaped again and got caught in the rafters of the Ford Amphitheater! Wish I had a recording of Waters asking “And would someone please catch the pig”, before he left the stage!!
posted by Gretchen on 8-27-2009 at 9:21 am
Hey! What about Freddy the Pig? What other pig can claim to be a pilot, detective, magician, poet and astronaut?
posted by Michael on 8-27-2009 at 10:57 am
Miss Piggy definitely deserves the number 1 spot. Best. Pig. Ever.
posted by Rachel on 8-27-2009 at 11:23 am
Hey, what about ManBearPig,
and Spider pig?
posted by Reuben on 8-27-2009 at 12:06 pm
Or how about Salomey, from the Lil Abner comics? The last surviving member of the ‘Hammus Alabammus’ species, and beloved pet of the Yokum family.
posted by Mama9cats on 8-27-2009 at 12:22 pm
hey you missed empress of blandings from p g wodehouse
posted by tunafish on 8-27-2009 at 12:54 pm
I definitely agree with your top 10 favorites, but might I suggest another version of the Three Little Pigs? It’s one of my personal favorites!
There’s a 1957 Looney Tune directed by Fritz Freleng called “Three Little Bops”. It tells the same classic story of course, but with that Looney twist. The three pigs are jazz musicians and all the poor wolf wants to do is join their group! It’s absolutely brilliant and the music is very catchy– It’ll definitely be in your head. I highly suggest youtubing it!
Also, I’m glad you didn’t put “Gordy” in your top ten. Even as an eight year old I thought it was a rip-off of “Babe”.
“Baa-ram-ewe!” Hah! Love it.
posted by Claire on 8-27-2009 at 12:54 pm
Picking up from Claire’s other versions of the Three Little Pigs, how about the Green Jelly version from 1992?
posted by gmsc on 8-27-2009 at 2:19 pm
I was at Coachella 2008 when Roger Waters brought out the pig and was so set on cathcing him when he “escaped” (for the reward! haha.) I almost wish
I had, just for the adventure of saying I caught the PINK FLOYD’S PIG!
I never realized how many piggy characters I used to like and remember from growing up, a pig is not the most cute and adorable creature but these are all so lovable.
posted by Krystal on 8-27-2009 at 3:43 pm
Where is Spider Pig
posted by Frog on 8-27-2009 at 4:13 pm
@Claire – Yes, the Three Little Bops! I loved all Looney Tunes when I was younger and that episode was one of my favorites too. Thanks for mentioning it!
posted by EL on 8-27-2009 at 4:26 pm
The pigs I most remember from my childhood was two brothers named Toot and Puddle who travelled. Originally a book series, I do believe that they made a cartoon about them.
posted by Kali on 8-27-2009 at 9:45 pm
Anyone like to play Pass the Pigs?
A leaning jowler, yeah, 20 points!
posted by Tex on 8-27-2009 at 10:41 pm
You got all 5 of the best pigs wrong. My mom (and yours too) would be surprised at you! C’mon, think about it. One of them went to market, one of ‘em stayed home, One little piggy wanted roast beef (he’s my favorite piggy. Roast beef. MMMMMMMMM), another piggy had none, and I believe the last one cried his little ass off or something.
posted by Brady on 8-31-2009 at 10:09 pm
I was also kind of hoping that ‘spider pig’ would get a mention. All kidding aside, nice overview.
posted by Dan the Music Master on 9-12-2009 at 9:22 am