Comments on: Puppets? I hate puppets.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:07:17 +0000

Oof. Until Dad said that, I just thought the kid was warding off the scary thing with the stool.

By: -e-

-e- — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:12:26 +0000

Also frightening- adults that appear to be supervising, ( oriented towards the kids, not the stage), continue to smile blithely while this child screams, attacks the hair of his neighbor, and then (yes, you may be right -d-) Starts hitting himself in the head with the stool.

Less money on vests, more money on appropriate therapies and teachers!

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:26:39 +0000

Oh, that poor child. I was pretty scared of puppets when I was that age, but I don’t recall ever beating myself over the head with anything. My autistic kids freak out regularly when something catches them by surprise, but I can honestly say that I’ve never seen that kind of terror from them.

By: -d-

-d- — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:05:41 +0000

It looks to me like he is beating the stool against his head. I think that kid is the scary part. You have to feel sorry for his parents.
That said, Rob is probably right.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:25:58 +0000

I have no idea. There’s just that one shot of the Princess puppet, which looks pretty innocuous. The rest of the kids look like they’re having a good time and that it’s sort of a standard “It’s behind you!” moment.

Rob says that when the alien overlords actually do land here that’s how it will be. Everyone will be laughing and enjoying themselves and there will be one soul who recognizes the evil and can only wave a stool at it.

By: -e-

-e- — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:20:50 +0000

OMG! it is traumatizing to watch that poor kid go through that. There is no overage of what is actually happening on stage though… Does a severed horse head suddenly appear? What kinds of actions in puppet shows are known to cause that sort of reaction?

Wow, I am still upset. Thank you, Mary, for using YOUR puppeteering skills for good, not evil.