Editing Chester Cheetah (section)

===1986–2003: Traditional animation===
Cheetos' original mascot was the Cheetos Mouse,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wafflewhiffer.blogspot.com/2006/03/cheetos-mouse.html|title=[:::] Waffle Whiffer Zone: The Cheetos Mouse|first=Waffle|last=Whiffer [brandon|date=March 31, 2006}}</ref> who debuted in 1971 and disappeared around 1979. In 1986<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trademarks.justia.com/736/15/chester-cheetah-73615636.html |title=CHESTER CHEETAH - Trademark Details |website=trademarks.justia.com |access-date=2023-01-28}}</ref> Chester Cheetah was created by Brad Morgan, who art directed the commercials and designed the character, and Stephen Kane who wrote the original scripts for [[television advertisement|television commercials]]. The original 24-[[film frame|frame]] animation was done by [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]]. After Chester's introduction, the sly, smooth voiced cheetah began starring in more commercials and eventually became Cheetos' official mascot. He used the slogans "It's not easy being cheesy" and "The cheese that goes crunch!" from 1986 to 1997,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elliot |first1=Stuart |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Commercial Cartoon Furor Grows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/05/business/the-media-business-advertising-commercial-cartoon-furor-grows.html |access-date=May 2, 2023 |date=March 5, 1992 |work=New York Times}}</ref> until it became "Dangerously cheesy!" from 1997 onward.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trademark.trademarkia.com/dangerously-cheesy-75226133.html|title=DANGEROUSLY CHEESY Trademark of Frito-Lay North America, Inc. Serial Number: 75226133 :: Trademarkia Trademarks|website=trademark.trademarkia.com}}</ref>

From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, television adverts often featured Chester's desperate attempts to eat other people's Cheetos. The self-described "hip kitty" would often speak in [[rhyme]] and sneak up on an unsuspecting stranger at a beach or public park. The result would always involve [[cartoon physics|cartoon violence]] in the vein of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'', such as Chester riding a motorcycle off a bridge, getting thrown to the top of a coliseum, or plunging miles through the air to unwittingly grab a hang-gliding bodacious babe, only to cast her aside in favor of Cheetos. These spots were first directed by Keith Van Allen and later by ''[[Cow and Chicken]]'' creator [[David Feiss]].

In 1992, Chester's own television program called ''Yo! It's the Chester Cheetah Show!'' was under development for the [[Fox Kids]] Saturday morning fall lineup. However, an ethics debate erupted over Chester's status as an advertising character, and likely due to the protests of [[Action for Children's Television]], the show was prevented from airing.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schorow |first1=Stephanie |title=Chester Cheetah show angering TV activists |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19920319&id=gtorAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WGQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6027,1663039 |access-date=15 August 2023 |work=Kentucky New Era |date=19 March 1992}}</ref> Their petition marked the first time that the organization protested something before it actually became a program. In 2019 a petition appeared on [[change.org]] for someone to make the series happen sometime for [[Nickelodeon]].

Chester's character underwent slight revamping in 1997. With the introduction of the "Dangerously cheesy!" slogan and Pete Stacker replacing Joel Murray as his voice actor. Chester began appearing in [[Live-action animated film|live-action/animated]] hybrid advertisements where he entered the real world. During this time, the ads began portraying him in a less [[antagonist]]ic manner; he went from being bumbling to suave and cool, and he actually managed to eat Cheetos unlike in the older commercials.