The Chipettes
Encyclopedia
The Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...

 chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...

 singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....

in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes. The title of the show was changed from Alvin and the Chipmunks to simply The Chipmunks in 1988 to reflect this reality. In the cartoon series and the accompanying feature films, all of the Chipettes were voiced by their creator, Janice Karman
Janice Karman
Janice Felice Karman is an American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist. She is the co-owner of Bagdasarian Productions with her husband Ross Bagdasarian, Jr....

, wife of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. is an Armenian-American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist and the son of the Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.-Life and career:...

, son of Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., originator of The Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...

. Karman also wrote and voiced the Chipettes' dialogue on their studio albums, while studio singers such as Susan Boyd, Shelby Daniel, and Katherine Coon provided their singing voices.

The first character designs for the Chipettes were drafted by Corny Cole for their 1983 debut. These were later revamped by Sandra Berez for The Chipmunk Adventure
The Chipmunk Adventure
The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated film featuring the characters from NBC's Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Chipmunk Adventure was directed by Janice Karman from a screenplay by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr....

and the later seasons of the show.

Brittany Miller

Brittany is the lead singer and eldest sister of the Chipettes, and is the female counterpart of Alvin. She has a pleasing facial and physical appearance, but at times can be vain and self-serving with the extreme desire to have whatever she wants. Often Brittany is happy to outdo others she dislikes, mainly this is shown when her arguments with Alvin grow into bets. This often establishes the plot of the episode. She has auburn hair which is seen in a stylized ponytail, blue eyes, and her signature color is pink. In the 2009 film, Brittany is voiced by Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate is an American actress. She is best known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children. Since then, she has established a film and television career, winning a Primetime Emmy and earning Tony and Golden Globe nominations...

.

Jeanette Miller

Jeanette is the tallest of the Chipettes. She is the female counterpart of Simon. She is the middle sister of the Chipettes. Jeanette has a high amount of intellect which she is often not afraid to use, and is considered the lovable klutz of the Chipettes. Her klutzy personality is shown in her outfits, and is often seen with her shoelaces untied, a strap on her dress shoulder crooked, etc.. She wears glasses due to extremely poor eyesight. Jeanette has brown hair in a bun, green eyes, and her signature colors are royal blue and purple. In the 2009 film, Jeanette is voiced by Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...

.

Eleanor Miller

Eleanor is the youngest Chipette. She is considered the female counterpart of Theodore, but is shown to be much more athletic. Out of the three Chipettes, she is the one who is most likely to willingly take part in a sports activity. Still, she is the chubbiest of the sisters due to her love for creamy food and cooking. Eleanor is much less timid than Jeanette, and is always happy to stand up to Brittany when she thinks something is not right. Eleanor has blonde hair, brown eyes, her hairstyle is a pair of blonde pigtails, and her signature color is spring green. In the 2009 film, she is voiced by actress Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...

.

Origins

The origins of the Chipettes can be traced to the 1982 Alvin and the Chipmunks album The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
The Chipmunks Go Hollywood is a 1982 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by RCA Records.- Side one :#"Eye of the Tiger" #"Tomorrow"...

(RCA, 1982). On this album, Alvin sings a duet with a female character billed as Charlene the Chipette. Charlene is featured on the song "You're the One That I Want
You're the One That I Want
"You're the One That I Want" is a song written by John Farrar for the 1978 film version of the musical Grease. It was performed by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John....

" from the soundtrack of the motion picture Grease
Grease (film)
Grease is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway...

. Charlene was depicted on the album cover as having a long, blonde ponytail, and seems to have been the basis for the later character of Brittany. She later made a visual appearance in 1990, in Rockin' with the Chipmunks
Rockin' Through the Decades
Rockin' Through the Decades is a live-action and animated television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Steve Karman, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, premiered on NBC in 1990, and released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video in 1992 as Rockin' with the...

, where she danced and lip-synced in the music video for "Crocodile Rock
Crocodile Rock
"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios, Château d'Hérouville in France. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the US, as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot...

" by Elton John.

Like the Chipmunks, the Chipettes were originally created for the musical medium, and later crossed over into cartoons. According to their creator, Janice Karman, she and Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., "...had been doing the albums at that point... We couldn't do the girl songs. I wanted to do female chipmunks that have counter personalities to the Chipmunks so we could do some girl tunes."

Bagdasarian also added in reference to the Chipettes characters, "It enables you to deal with issues that girls are going through that boys wouldn't necessarily be dealing with... We had a baby girl at the time. We wanted to let her know she can be president, or a soccer champion, or whatever... With the Chipettes we can handle those sorts of things."

It is worth noting, however, that the Chipettes of the cartoon series (Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor) appeared on the small screen before appearing on any albums. Their first appearance on the Chipmunks album was on 1984's Songs From Our TV Shows which was released on March 4, 1984, nearly seven months after the Chipettes debuted on the first episode of the Alvin and the Chipmunks television series on September 17, 1983.

Although the Chipettes featured prominently on many Alvin and the Chipmunks albums, they received equal billing with the Chipmunks only on 1988's Born to Rock.

The Chipettes appear in the 2009 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Betty Thomas. The film stars Zachary Levi, David Cross, Jason Lee, and the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler, Christina Applegate, Amy Poehler, and Anna Faris...

. In the movie, Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate is an American actress. She is best known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children. Since then, she has established a film and television career, winning a Primetime Emmy and earning Tony and Golden Globe nominations...

, Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...

, and Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...

 voice the Chipettes. “There has been a lot of talk about it,” noted Janice Karman, one of the film’s producers. “A lot of people have been asking about the little girls."

Fictional character history

Like their counterparts the Chipmunks, the Chipettes seem to have been born in a single litter, or in human terms, as "triplets".

Alvin and the Chipmunks TV Series

The Chipettes were born in Australia and orphaned as babies, but were adopted by a young orphan named Olivia who lived in an orphanage owned by a cruel woman named Miss Grudge. The girls matured, seeing as they were able to walk as infants, and they were also gifted with lovely singing voices.

When Miss Grudge, who was searching for orphans under her care with good singing voices whom she could exploit, heard that Olivia was secretly raising anthropomorphic baby chipmunks with fantastic singing voices, she hid the little girls from Olivia on the day she was adopted so Miss Grudge could keep the Chipettes and make money off of them. However, the infants escape Miss Grudge's clutches to a ship sailing to the United States, which they have heard about through Olivia.

There, the three young chipmunks take on a series of occupations, all of which do not last for long. However, the Chipettes soon see a poster advertising the fact that a hotel in California is calling for singers to perform at it. So the girls hitch a ride to the hotel, where they soon manage to convince a record dealer that they can handle the job and are made into singers, calling their group "the Chipmunks." However, when they run into the original chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, conflicts begin over the name until Alvin and Brittany come up with the name "The Chipettes."

After the conflicts subsided, the Chipmunks and the newly-named Chipettes become fast friends, and the Chipettes go to live in a well-furnished tree house and are sent to school with the Chipmunks. However, the school officials soon find out that the girls live alone and are ready to have them reported to an orphanage unless they may be adopted soon. Brittany tries to pose as the mother of the group, only to have the attempt fail.

When Dave decides to take them in, things rather go smoothly as the two groups constantly bicker. However, Miss Beatrice Miller, Dave's neighbor and the Chipmunks' babysitter, decides to adopt the Chipettes and lets them into her home. At first, the Chipettes and their new guardian have a rough relationship due to Miss Miller's old-fashioned tastes and rules (for example, she at first would not let them go to school unless their skirts went down to their ankles), but they later got along better when the Chipettes learned that she shared their love for music and showing off.

Physical appearance

Unlike their male counterparts the Chipmunks, the Chipettes have no fur covering their entire bodies but instead possess humanlike hair on their heads, which can be styled into different hairstyles for each girl; a stylized ponytail for Brittany, a bun for Jeanette, and two pigtails for Eleanor. However, in the Squeakquel, the Chipettes had to be redesigned yet again so they would better resemble real chipmunks, so they were given full fur coats, but their animators and designers still left a small amount of humanlike hair on the girls' heads, though the Chipettes' hairstyles differed slightly from their usual hairstyles in the animated series. Now Jeanette had a ponytail that was slightly shorter than Brittany's and on top of her head more, but each Chipette's new fur coat was made the same color as their hair in the series, though not exactly the same shade.

Discography

With the exception of 1988's "Born to Rock", the discography of The Chipettes consists of featured appearances on Alvin and the Chipmunks recordings.

Albums

  • 1982: The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
    The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
    The Chipmunks Go Hollywood is a 1982 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by RCA Records.- Side one :#"Eye of the Tiger" #"Tomorrow"...

  • 1984: Songs from Our TV Shows
  • 1987: The Chipmunk Adventure
    The Chipmunk Adventure
    The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated film featuring the characters from NBC's Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Chipmunk Adventure was directed by Janice Karman from a screenplay by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr....

  • 1988: The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock
    The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock
    The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock is a music album by The Chipmunks and The Chipettes, released in 1988 on LP and in 1990 on CD and cassette by Quality Special Products...

  • 1990: Rockin' Through the Decades
    Rockin' Through the Decades
    Rockin' Through the Decades is a live-action and animated television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Steve Karman, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, premiered on NBC in 1990, and released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video in 1992 as Rockin' with the...

  • 1992: Chipmunks in Low Places
    Chipmunks in Low Places
    - Musicians and vocalists :* Alvin Chipmunk – vocals* Simon Chipmunk – vocals* Theodore Chipmunk – vocals* Brittany Miller – vocals* Jeanette Miller – vocals* Eleanor Miller – vocals* B. James Lowry – guitar* Roy Huskey, Jr...

  • 1994: Here's Looking at Me!
    Here's Looking at Me!
    Here's Looking At Me! is a compilation music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was released on CD and cassette by Sony in 1994, and was one of two 35th anniversary compilation albums by The Chipmunks, despite being released 36 years after the group's debut...

  • 1995: When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk
    When You Wish Upon A Chipmunk
    When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk is a 1995 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Sony Wonder, and contains 10 tracks.The album features the Chipmunks singing songs from Disney's full-length animated feature films. The Walt Disney Company neither sponsored nor endorsed the album...

  • 1995: A Very Merry Chipmunk
    A Very Merry Chipmunk
    A Very Merry Chipmunk is a 1994 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Sony Wonder. It is their fourth Christmas album. The album reached #147 on the Billboard 200. It was the first in a series of 25 Christmas compilation albums put forth by Turner Broadcasting company...

  • 1995: The Very Best of The Chipmunks
    The Very Best of The Chipmunks
    The Very Best of The Chipmunks with David Seville is a 1975 music album by The Chipmunks, released by United Artists, containing ten tracks, and apparently re-released in 1995 by Capitol Records containing nine tracks.-Side One:...

  • 1996: Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes
    Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes
    Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes is a music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks and was released by Sony Wonder. The album was released on October 6, 1996 and contains cover versions of popular pop/dance songs, oldies and a Spanish version of "Macarena"...

  • 1998: The A-Files: Alien Songs
    The A-Files: Alien Songs
    The A-Files: Alien Songs is a 1998 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Sony Wonder. The album's concept parodied the 1993–2002 FOX series The X-Files.-Track listing:# "Purple People Eater" – 3:35# "Men in Black Movie Theme" – 3:46...

  • 2004: Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks
    Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks
    Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks is a 2004 direct-to-video film based on the Chipmunks' 1983-1990 television series, Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was written and created by Janice Karman, produced by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and directed by Jerry Rees. It was produced by Bagdasarian Productions, and...

  • 2009: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the licensed soundtrack based on the 2009 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel...


Singles

  • 1993: "Achy Breaky Heart
    Achy Breaky Heart
    "Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart", its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and...

    " (Billy Ray Cyrus
    Billy Ray Cyrus
    William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...

     cover; 45, 1993, Epic 74776) (#72 Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks)
  • 1994: "I Don't Want To Be Alone For Christmas (Unless I'm Alone With You)" (actually performed by James Ingram
    James Ingram
    James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards...

    )
  • 1996: "Macarena
    Macarena
    -Places:* Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de la Macarena , a church in Macarena, Seville* Macarena, Seville, a neighborhood in Seville, Spain, where "La Macarena" is located* Serranía de la Macarena, a range of mountains in Colombia...

    "
  • 2009: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
    Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
    "Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

    "
  • 2009: "Hot n Cold
    Hot N Cold
    "Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written and composed by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Perry for her major mainstream debut album, One of the Boys. The track was released as the album's third single...

    "
  • 2009: "Put Your Records On
    Put Your Records On
    "Put Your Records On" is a song by English soul singer–songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae from her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae . Written by Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou, it was released as the album's second single in February and early March 2006 throughout Europe and as the lead single in...

    "
  • 2009: "So What
    So What (Pink song)
    "So What" is a song written by American pop rock singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album, Funhouse. Pink performed "So What" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and the song was used to promote the 2008 MTV...

    "

Filmography

  • The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
    The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
    The Chipmunks Go Hollywood is a 1982 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by RCA Records.- Side one :#"Eye of the Tiger" #"Tomorrow"...

     (1982)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks
    Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
    Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....

     (1983–1990) - TV series
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Amazing Computer (1985) - Stage Show
  • The Chipmunk Adventure
    The Chipmunk Adventure
    The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated film featuring the characters from NBC's Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Chipmunk Adventure was directed by Janice Karman from a screenplay by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr....

     (1987)
  • Rockin' Through the Decades
    Rockin' Through the Decades
    Rockin' Through the Decades is a live-action and animated television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Steve Karman, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, premiered on NBC in 1990, and released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video in 1992 as Rockin' with the...

     (1990)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
    Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
    Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman is a 2000 animated horror-themed direct-to-video film, produced by Bagdasarian Productions and Universal Animation Studios, distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks...

     (2000)
  • Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks
    Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks
    Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks is a 2004 direct-to-video film based on the Chipmunks' 1983-1990 television series, Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was written and created by Janice Karman, produced by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and directed by Jerry Rees. It was produced by Bagdasarian Productions, and...

     (2004)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Betty Thomas. The film stars Zachary Levi, David Cross, Jason Lee, and the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler, Christina Applegate, Amy Poehler, and Anna Faris...

     (2009)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is an upcoming 2011 American comedy film. The film stars Jason Lee. It is to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, and produced by Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Productions...

    (2011)

External links

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