I have wanted to add something to your pages for some time now, but every time I think I have something not yet covered, someone else has already unearthed it as their Traumafession. So in place of my own kindertrauma I offer one for my 4-year-old daughter…
A few weeks back my daughter was watching TV in the upstairs room and we could hear her talking to the TV and interacting with the preschool type shows as she does, yelling out letters and numbers and colors and the like. About 5 minutes later I noticed it was quite quiet and went upstairs to find her backed against the wall in terror. I turned to see what she was watching, thinking she had wandered off the pre-programmed favorites somehow and saw this….
"TIPI TALES – are adventures in story and song, where Elizabeth, Junior, Russel and Sam play, laugh and grow together in the forest." – from the tipitales.com website.
Not sure if they have it in your neck of the woods, but here in Canada it runs on one of the kids channels. It looks harmless enough but when I went to look up TIPI TALES on YouTube the preview picture for the above clip perhaps sheds some light. Maybe it's just me but that face gives me the creeps…….
AUNT JOHN SEZ: Sonny, first of all, thanks for bringing this future TRAUMAFESSION catalyst to our attention. While I don't think it has crossed the border onto American airwaves, I could be wrong. Have any of you readers seen this program? If so, feel free to sound off in the comments or, better yet, report it to your local office of Homeland Security. Clearly, the last thing America needs is more childhood nightmares caused by children's television puppets. I'm looking at you LADY ELAINE FAIRCHILDE and SESAME STREET EGGMAN!
Since we're on the topic of frightening puppets, I'd be remiss not to mention the original, old school terror LITTLE MARCY who has agreed to demonstrate her unmatched powers of creepiness in a song. Hit it LITTLE MARCY:
Tipi Tales is, indeed, traumatizing!! The first time my sister and I caught it on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, we thought the milk in our cereal had gone bad!!
When will people learn that puppets (marionettes) are truly terrifying? I despise them! That Tipi Tales show would have frightened me as a child. Aunt John, I loved Mister Rogers (I even cried when he died), but I hated the land of make believe because of the puppets that inhabited the place. By the way, Little Marcy is very creepy. Perhaps I shouldn’t speak on his behalf, but I think Jesus would agree that she is super creepy.
I guess this song was the inspiration for the Vaselines' song (later covered by Nirvana) "Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam." Too funny.
Even creepier in the Little Marcy video is that sunbeam comes out sounding like zombie!
Hopefully the forewarning about Tipi Tales can save a few others from a similar fate. I wish I could convey the absolute terror that was in my daughters eyes when watching that. Her fear was confirmed a few days later when she literally sprinted from the living room within the first 3 seconds of it coming on again. The only other time I witnessed anything close to that was when she had flicked onto one of the movie channels by mistake and come across the opening of Thirteen Ghosts. (Hence, the pre-programmed channels now)
About Marcy, I admit I am a Born Again Christian, accepted Christ as my personal savior back in 2004. But why oh why are so many (in other words all) Christian themed shows for kids such utter garbage? Yes, Jesus would find Marcy creepy.
David, I couldn't agree with you more on the topic of Christian themed shows for kids (one exception would be Veggie Tales). My husband and I (we are both Christians) have talked about it many times before. I am glad that you agree that Jesus would find Marcy creepy.
Little Marcy! OMG! I have a Strawberry Shortcake record from 1980, and Strawberry sounds exactly like that creepy little puppet.