Friday, April 24, 2009

PERDIDOS Y PUPPETS

Do y'all understand the deal with puppets in Toobworld? Have I explained that recently?

Puppets are alive.

Taking my cue from the 2nd Century tome "True History" and its tale of the Isle of the Blessed, puppets are spirit beings who take visible shape by assuming the puppet shells. In doing so, they become what the shell represents.

For example: upon inhabiting the puppet body, the spirit being known as Kermit becomes a frog. Miss Piggy takes on the characteristics of a pig (the figurative ones anyway, like selfishness). Shari Lewis' friend Lambchop is a lamb. Chairy of 'PeeWee's Playhouse' is a chair. And Oliver Orbit of 'The Hap Richards Show' is a robot. ('The Hap Richards Show' was a local kids' show in Connecticut when I was growing up. I still have my certificate of citizenship in Joyville!)

However, Gordon Shumway - aka 'ALF' - is an actual alien. And as for ventriloquist dummies, they're not alive - unless magically, spiritually, or demonically possessed.

The living puppets exist side by side with humans in Toobworld, but there's a reason why we don't see them outside of places like 'Eureeka's Castle' and 'Sesame Street' - human prejudice. That's why no puppets served at the 15th Precinct on 'NYPD Blue', or on the starship 'Enterprise' - most humans don't want them around.

Anyhoo, every so often I feel the need to refresh memories about certain aspects of Toobworld. Plus, we're getting new visitors all the time and it's enough of a head-scratching excursion as it is without some kind of guide posted now and again.

I bring it all up now because I wanted to show you the latest discovery of puppet-celebrity interaction - and all the way from Spain!

Jorge Garcia, who plays Hurley on 'Lost' (or 'Perdidos' in Spanish), appeared on 'El hormiguero' with two puppets named Trancas and Barrancas. (I'm told their names mean "Thick and Thin" and/or "Leaps and Bounds".)

I don't speak Spanish, but it's pretty O'Bvious what Trancas y Barrancas got Garcia to do for them in this clip......





BCnU!
Toby O'B

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