Cultural depictions of penguins
Penguins are popular around the world for their unusually upright, waddling gait, their cuteness, their swimming ability and (compared with other birds) their lack of fear toward humans. Their striking black and white plumage is often likened to a white tie suit and generates humorous remarks about the bird being "well dressed". Penguins had a resurgence as figures in pop culture in the mid-2000s thanks to films like "March of the Penguins", "Madagascar", "Happy Feet", and "Surf's Up". As an April Fools' Day joke, on April 1, 2008 the BBC released a short film of  penguins in flight and migrating to the South American rainforest. Portrayals. The penguin is typically depicted as a friendly and comical figure, with considerable dignity despite its physical limitations. Perhaps in reaction to this cute stereotype, fictional penguins are sometimes presented as irritable or even sinister. Examples include the cute yet somewhat surly Sanrio character Badtz Maru and the penguins in the movie "Madagascar", intelligent creatures with devious schemes and plans, who are even capable of defeating humans. Penguins are also often portrayed as friendly and smart, for example in the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion", which features a warm-water  penguin named Pen Pen. Mythology. Yellow-eyed, Fiordland and little penguins are prominent in Māori mythology, where they are known as , and respectively. The in particular is associated with a myth in which it walked among humans until it revealed its divinity by wearing lightning, hence the explanation for the bird's yellow crest. Logos and mascots. The friendly, slightly comical image of the penguin has often been used by companies and organisations for logos and mascots. Penguins and polar bears. Despite what commercials and other popular sources may show, penguins and polar bears are found on opposite hemispheres. Polar  bears inhabit the Northern Hemisphere, while all penguin species live in the Southern Hemisphere.