Who Moved My Cheese?

Who Moved My Cheese? is a late 1990s self-help novella by Dr. Spencer Johnson about noticing and adapting to change. Its easy reading level, fable delivery, and short length led to several parodies.


 * Acquired Situational Narcissism: After the littlepeople discover Cheese Station C, they change their habits to rely on its cheese to an unhealthy extent.
 * Affectionate Parody: I Moved Your Cheese by Deepak Malhotra refers to WMMC as "the good book".
 * An Aesop: Watch for signs of change, and be ready to change your actions when change happens around you.
 * Animated Adaptation: There have been two versions, the old VHS version in 4:3 and the new DVD version in 16:9.
 * Capital Letters Are Magic: "Cheese" and "New Cheese" are written with initial caps when referring to the littlepeople because "Cheese" represents what people desire in life.
 * Deconstructive Parody: The book has become the target of several parodies that explore what would happen if the mice were replaced with rats.
 * Who Cut the Cheese? (2000) by Stilton Jarlsberg
 * Who Cut the Cheese? (2000) by Mason Brown
 * Who Stole My Cheese?!! (2002) by Ilene Hochberg
 * Dungeon Bypass: Hem and Haw chisel holes in the wall of Cheese Station C to see if more cheese is behind the wall.
 * Fauxtivational Poster: Haw has a habit of drawing (straight) motivational graffiti on the walls, both to motivate Hem and to act as a landmark when searching the maze for New Cheese.
 * Framing Device: Someone tells the story of "Who Moved My Cheese?" at a high school reunion.
 * Heroic BSOD: Hem's outbursts when he realizes the cheese is gone.
 * Lilliputians: The littlepeople Hem and Haw.
 * Partially-Civilized Animal: The mice Sniff and Scurry still act on mouse instinct and can't talk to Lilliputians other than through gestures, but they wear (and can tie) shoes.
 * Rags to Riches: The discovery of Cheese Station C.
 * Stock Animal Diet: Cheese and mice. Downplayed as the cheese is metaphorical.
 * Title Drop: Hem shouts "Who moved my cheese?" after there is no cheese left in Cheese Station C.