Has your TikTok, Instagram Reels, or dare I say YouTube Shorts feed been taken over by a beagle? Mine too! Do you, too, find yourself browsing the aisles of CVS in search of that beagle and his little yellow bird friend? My little maximalist heart couldn’t be more thankful for my Snoopy mug, my other Snoopy mug, my Snoopy hot cocoa to go in my Snoopy mugs, my Snoopy jammies, my other Snoopy jammies, my Snoopy hoodie, my Snoopy plushie, my Snoopy travel set, my Snoopy figurine, Snoopy socks, other Snoopy socks, my Snoopy snacks, my new Snoopy tattoo, and oh my god I think I’m obsessed.
Gen Z has become obsessed with Snoopy…I thought it was just me. As Rachel Treisman from NPR puts it, “It’s Snoopy’s world, and Gen Z is just living in it…” Snoopy is a hot topic! Trust me, I’m not mad about it at all — but why did the Peanuts’ beloved Snoopy disappear, and how did he make his well-deserved comeback?
The Peanuts franchise was successful long before 2025. However, social media has played a critical role in making Snoopy hyper-popular again. According to Treisman, “...old-school Snoopy has reached whole new heights of fame in recent months." As it turns out, four-panel comic strips translate well into social media content because they are essentially memes of their own; it’s easy to turn a short comic or a scene from a relatively short film into short-form video content.
At first sight, Snoopy is just an adorable cartoon dog with a mischievous smile. Charles M. Schulz drew Snoopy in 1950, inspired by his childhood dog, Spike. In his signature simplistic art style, Snoopy is able to express a wide range of emotions with his face and body language.
Sure, we can relate to Charlie Brown’s defeats and losses, but according to Treisman, Snoopy is who we want to be. Snoopy is cute but complex — a li'l guy we can all relate to. He “plays pretend and dreams big, while finding joy in little wins such as receiving a full bowl of food.” Snoopy’s life is not perfect, but he handles his ups and downs like a real champ; sometimes he’s the hero, sometimes he’s the problem, and sometimes he’s just living in his own little world. When Gen Z is angry or scared or just plain sad and in need of comfort, (which to be honest, I think we all need), we turn to Snoopy, who reminds us that it’s okay to be melodramatic. We can find beauty in the small things, and when we do, why not dance?
Recently, social media users have circled back to their childhood roots, seeking to “heal their inner child,” using trendy phrases like “he’s just a li'l guy,” and “I’m just a girl.” Cute, right? The “girl” rhetoric can be quite harmful when it essentializes women as naive, incompetent, and immature. Snoopy, on the other hand, helps us build a relationship with our inner child without infantilizing ourselves. Snoopy doesn’t use his dramatic outbursts or cuteness to excuse bad behavior, neglect himself, or make himself appear naive — he just shows us that it’s okay to be silly and imperfect.
This article was much longer before I deleted half of it…maybe there really isn’t that much lore behind the trend, and maybe that’s okay! As the intimidating, tall, bald, thick-accented Italian man who tattooed Snoopy on my arm said, “He’s perfect. He’s beautiful.” And maybe that’s enough.
