Spuds McKenzie was the marketing dog of the year in 1987 when he first showed up in a Bud Light Beer Super Bowl ad. By the end of the game, Spuds was a marketing sensation.
The sly ladies-dog (a Bull Terrier) existed not without his share of controversy. Shortly after Spuds' sensational rise to fame it was learned that "he" was actually a "she" (similar to Lassie, Benji, and many other show-biz dogs).
While this should not really have been considered controversial at all, it was, thanks to the American Media. At one point, in fact, Budweiser execs actually concealed "Spuds" from cameras, so as to hide her female genitals while she answered nature's call.
It also inspired a satire in the comic strip Bloom County, in which it was revealed that Rosebud the Basselope was actually female.
In 1989, the Center for Science in the Public Interest charged (along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving) that Anheuser-Busch was pitching the too-cool-for-monogamy-and-sobriety dog to children and the ad campaign was quickly put to rest.
Honey Tree Evil Eye (Spuds' real name) died of kidney failure on May 31, 1993 in North Riverside, Illinois at age 10.
