Do others break your puppets?

[Was Once Ernie]

I'll tell you what Jim Henson told me when I asked if I could put the puppets on: "Sorry, we have a blanket policy that no one but us can put on the puppets. It's nothing personal, just our policy."

Now I'll tell you what Frank Oz said when he caught us handling the puppets while everyone was gone on lunch break: "Be careful with those. Some of them cost as much as $10,000!" We promised we would be careful. (By the way, that was $10,000 in the early 1970's!)

The Frank Oz story corresponds to when I put my hand into Sesame Street Kermit and found he was lined in either silk or satin... very smooth and nice!

 

[Was Once Ernie]

It seems like a lot of kids just like to punch puppets. Is that a reflection of the world we live in now?

Although we as a society are definitely getting more rude, kids punching puppets is not new.

In the late 60's, Sears was having a promotion on Disney Winnie the Pooh clothes. I was working at a summer theater and they put on a fashion show as part of one of their children's plays. Disney sent over the Disneyland walk-around Pooh costume, but they needed someone to wear it, so I volunteered. A handler helped walk me out to meet the kids and they immediately mobbed me and started punching the costume. Why would kids punch Winnie the Pooh? I couldn't make sense of it then or now, but at least it seems by your comment, Steve, that it's some sort of universal reflex. I sure don't understand it, though.

 

[spcglider]

Its a fear-based monkey-brain reaction. Their reality is challenged by this puppet/costume/whatever and so they attempt to assert dominance. Its a very complex and deep-seated reflex thing. I believe that the violent response is diferent than that of the finger-stuffing response.

Its kind-of like the "Hooray! My team just won a game and I'm so overwhelmed that the only thing I can think of doing is riot and damage property and harm others!" response.

Either way, it's gotta be something of an emotional/ego-based short-circuit of the societal veneer. The brain skips a groove and comes back down smack dab in the monkey-brain who's reactions are largely fear based.

Or maybe they're just little jerks.

-Gordon

 

[Phantom]

In the late 60's, Sears was having a promotion on Disney Winnie the Pooh clothes. I was working at a summer theater and they put on a fashion show as part of one of their children's plays. Disney sent over the Disneyland walk-around Pooh costume, but they needed someone to wear it, so I volunteered. A handler helped walk me out to meet the kids and they immediately mobbed me and started punching the costume. Why would kids punch Winnie the Pooh?

I'm sorry man. I was just seeing if you were truly tubby, cubby and stuffed with fluff. Then I realized there was a man inside and that Winnie the Pooh was really a ruthless, blood-thirsty, man eating killer.

Scarred for life.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

not if it makes any difference my little sister used to bite puppets while they were talking to her...i was mad about damagge but man that hurts

 

[biblebetty]

At our last performance we had someone see a puppet I builded (he's a bible puppet named Mr. B) he's very lgr (I'll show a picture as soon as I can figure out how to do that?) and didn't know if it was an anomatronic puppet (I know that is spelled wrong) or that there was a puppeteer in the back so he came back stage and pick up the curtain where my husband was working the puppet to look. We had his escored of the stage. People are amazing sometimes. Has anyone ever had anything like that happen? and yes I've had to tell people not to touch the puppets. I've also had to talk to other puppeteers and ask them to put puppets back on stands and not on the floor when they are done performing.

 

[Jinx]

I have never apologized for not letting people man-handle my puppets. Only other, established puppeteers are allowed free access to them. I also do not feel obliged to volunteer a reason for not letting them. If asked I will respond that puppets are tools, not toys, and these are very delicate tools, and only people trained in the use of the tools are sllowed to handle them.

As to the whole fingers-in-the-mouth thing, I don't think we'll ever understand that one. If it happenes during the xourse of a performance type situation I simply do not allow it to happen. As soon as I see a hand moving in the direction of the puppet's head, the puppet backs off. If it happens while offering a demonstration (not a performance situation). the the puppet is immediately withdrawn behind my back, the character disappears and I address the offender directly and let them know that it is not acceptable behavior.

You will often find this to be the case when training younger puppeteers who are new to puppetry. When I have taught teams (ie. for church ministries and the like) we begin with just the ping-pong ball eyes on the hand to establish the basics. Then before a puppet proper makes its first appearance I make it crystal clear that anyone who bites with a puppet, or anyone who uses a puppet as a boxing glove is immediatley removed from the team. And usually permanently. This is a zero tolerance policy. In some instances, the only way they're allowed to use a puppet at all is if they themselves either raise the funds to purchase a puppet or in some cases buy it themselves. This seems to be a good way to get them to realize that these things are not two-a-penny. It can seem harsh, but when it is established from the beginning there is a much higher likelihood that the whole craft of puppetry will be taken seriously, and ultimately produces much better puppeteers.

Just my 2 cents' worth!

 

[spcglider]

And an excellent two cents it is.

-Gordon

 

[whatadoddle]

Hi, I work alot with special needs kids and adults, and the touch feel and have a go side of things is part of the puppet experience. I have 100 workshop puppets that are for general use, and the rest are stored separately for puppeteers only! Armrods can be dangerous. Funnily enough, these kids rarely get violent with our puppets!

 

[MeepBorkMeep]

My dad's friend tried to light my puppet on fire once...