Cantus' eyes

[Slackbot]

Fanfic is the reason I'm asking this! Before I write about something, I want to be sure I have all the data, otherwise I could be caught in embarrassing mistakes, and I'm too stinkin' proud to slack off on research. In this case, I want to be sure that there's nothing that proves that Cantus has decent vision before I introduce a subplot.

As far as books go, well, so many of them commit glaring errors that I just can't take them seriously. How many Fraggle books have I seen which have the Fraggles using clearly manufactured items like library bound books, #2 pencils, and beds with frames and mattresses? Yeesh.

 

[Collgoff]

Wow!

You can always fanfiction it up and take the risk that no one will go check (although when I wrote one about Beauregard's origins someone told me that there was a picture-book about that! So clearly one must check every avenue before setting up spin-off fiction! HA!)

Wow that's something!

 

[bazingababe24]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Cantus' eyes. (I do like to think they're violet, though.) Just as Gonzo's Hobbit mentioned, he has made direct eye contact with other characters on the show. I think it's because he prefers to listen, rather than to see, his environment that he doesn't place as great a value on where he happens to be looking at the time that he's listening. Only when there is wisdom to impart to one certain character will he actually look him/her in the eyes.

I'm not sure if anything I just said made sense.

 

[dwmckim]

Before I write about something, I want to be sure I have all the data, otherwise I could be caught in embarrassing mistakes, and I'm too stinkin' proud to slack off on research.

...But but...Slackbot, don't you have a name to live up to?

My take...when one does have a hindered sense, they make up for it other areas...blind people usually have sharper hearing. I don't think Cantus has anything wrong with his vision, but i think he's so focused on sound/listening, that he subconsciously doesn't put as much emphasis on looking. When he enters a new space unfamiliar to him, where most people would be looking around to see what's in there and avoid bumping into anything, Cantus is listening around because as far as he's concerned he can find out more about what's in this new space...and probably ends up with a kind of echolocation that would still keep from bumping into things because he can hear where things are.

What does one look at when they listen to a record? Probably not the record going round and round. Unless you're doing something else at the same time..if you're totally into listening to the record, you're sitting or lieing down and you may have your eyes closed or they may be open but it almost doesn't matter if they are one or the other. Your gaze goes off...you stop really looking at anything. Cantus seems to go through most of his life as if he's listening to the record of life.

 

[Gonzo's Hobbit]

It's funny, I was watching "Mokey and the Minstrels" just now and I was thinking about what you were saying about Cantus's eyes, Slackbot, so I was looking at them in particular. It's kinda interesting, the way they're made he's got eyelids and his pupils are more to the top of this eyes than in the center like the other puppets and they touch his eyelids which are also pretty high (as opposed to Mokey's which also touch eyelids but they look more centered.) Anyway, this does give him the appearance of looking off in the distance like you were talking about. But when he does go to make eye contact with someone this same design kinda gives him the appearance of squinting.

 

[Slackbot]

Sqiunting? I'd never noticed that. I'll have to rewatch that episode this weekend. Funny, I'd played with the idea of him being extremely myopic, so he'd have to squint to bring things into focus, then discarded that idea because he never seemed to be squinting; his face always appeared relaxed.

I'm glad that this isn't going to come into play for a few more chapters, so I'll have time to figure out how to handle it, if I don't come to my senses and decide not to use it at all.

 

[Collgoff]

The magic of wisdom!

It's funny, I was watching "Mokey and the Minstrels" just now and I was thinking about what you were saying about Cantus's eyes, Slackbot, so I was looking at them in particular. It's kinda interesting, the way they're made he's got eyelids and his pupils are more to the top of this eyes than in the center like the other puppets and they touch his eyelids which are also pretty high (as opposed to Mokey's which also touch eyelids but they look more centered.) Anyway, this does give him the appearance of looking off in the distance like you were talking about. But when he does go to make eye contact with someone this same design kinda gives him the appearance of squinting.

That is the magic of wisdom!

 

[Rose]

This is my 2c. Personally I think Cantus has alwys been a deep thinker and peobably ahead of his time. A lot like the way Jim Henson was. I never thought he had bad or imparied vision allthough that could be possible but I really don't think so.
I think Cantus is older than he seems probably 100s of years old always living. Maybe due to Magik or someting that can't be explained. I think he probably has healing powers as well but he only uses it in emergancy situations beceause it takes some of his straingh to peform the spell or whatever.
I think he plays more than music on that pipe of his. As for the ' not making eye contact. " He listens with his ears more than he listens with his eyes. I'm the same way I won't look directly at a person when I'm talking in generial but if I'm taling about something important then I'll look directly into that person's eyes.
I can almost tell what that person is thinking by just lookign into their eyes, and I believe Cantus is the same. Very old but very wise. Kind of like an old wizard or warlock or something of that nature.

 

[Collgoff]

This is my 2c. Personally I think Cantus has alwys been a deep thinker and peobably ahead of his time. A lot like the way Jim Henson was. I never thought he had bad or imparied vision allthough that could be possible but I really don't think so.
I think Cantus is older than he seems probably 100s of years old always living. Maybe due to Magik or someting that can't be explained. I think he probably has healing powers as well but he only uses it in emergancy situations beceause it takes some of his straingh to peform the spell or whatever.
I think he plays more than music on that pipe of his. As for the ' not making eye contact. " He listens with his ears more than he listens with his eyes. I'm the same way I won't look directly at a person when I'm talking in generial but if I'm taling about something important then I'll look directly into that person's eyes.
I can almost tell what that person is thinking by just lookign into their eyes, and I believe Cantus is the same. Very old but very wise. Kind of like an old wizard or warlock or something of that nature.

That might be odd but it's really understandable and also good.

 

[bazingababe24]

I think Cantus is older than he seems probably 100s of years old always living. Maybe due to Magik or someting that can't be explained.

I've heard this theory before, actually --- something along the lines of the magic pipe granting its owner immortality. Considering the way Cantus looks compared to the other Fraggles, he could very well be an ancient breed who received the pipe when the Rock was young. Or he just can't be bothered to shave (much like Jim!) But he's an enigma in and of himself, so I guess it's up to the fanfic writers to fill in the blanks.