Understanding the Messages Within Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Image courtesy of DHMIS Wiki (http://dont-hug-me-im-scared.wikia.com/wiki/File:DHMIS_Love_Cult.png)
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Understanding the Messages Within Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
In the genre of horror, the exploitation of child-like themes and characters has become relatively popular in recent times. Children tend to lack the ability to understand the scope of dangerous situations, making them perfect in both being the perpetrator and/or victims of terrible situations and infants are perfect symbols of innocence, so when they are put in dangerous situations or seen as dangerous themselves, it arouses a primal outcry. The caveat to this is that using children for such roles can be incredibly taboo, with the visual of a child’s gruesome death in film being incredibly rare. There are ways around this, like how in the case of the YouTube series “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared,” the creators use puppets to give both a childlike feel and a way to get around the direct use of children in horror. The creators, Rebecca Sloan and Joe Pelling, have used this child-like setting which appeals to somewhat younger audiences of horror to effectively relay messages within their series.
One message within the series is that you should take caution when trusting others you that you cannot tell you can trust. This is seen with the “teachers” for each episode, which all give horrible advice for their lessons with an attached false dichotomy that they should be good teachers on their subjects because they are symbols for them. One of the greatest examples within the series is in episode 5 of DHMIS, which delves into the topic of healthy eating:
Spinach Can: What's that, a pizza slice? You're better off with plain white sauce!
Steak: What's that? Plain white sauce? Plain white sauce makes your teeth go grey!
Fridge: Does it matter? Just throw it away! Why not try something else on your tray?
*Fridge points to a microwave, with Duck Guy being cooked in a can.*
Steak: Oh, what's that? A lovely pie? But you're gonna end up sad inside! (DHMIS Wiki).
In the genre of horror, the exploitation of child-like themes and characters has become relatively popular in recent times. Children tend to lack the ability to understand the scope of dangerous situations, making them perfect in both being the perpetrator and/or victims of terrible situations and infants are perfect symbols of innocence, so when they are put in dangerous situations or seen as dangerous themselves, it arouses a primal outcry. The caveat to this is that using children for such roles can be incredibly taboo, with the visual of a child’s gruesome death in film being incredibly rare. There are ways around this, like how in the case of the YouTube series “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared,” the creators use puppets to give both a childlike feel and a way to get around the direct use of children in horror. The creators, Rebecca Sloan and Joe Pelling, have used this child-like setting which appeals to somewhat younger audiences of horror to effectively relay messages within their series.
One message within the series is that you should take caution when trusting others you that you cannot tell you can trust. This is seen with the “teachers” for each episode, which all give horrible advice for their lessons with an attached false dichotomy that they should be good teachers on their subjects because they are symbols for them. One of the greatest examples within the series is in episode 5 of DHMIS, which delves into the topic of healthy eating:
Spinach Can: What's that, a pizza slice? You're better off with plain white sauce!
Steak: What's that? Plain white sauce? Plain white sauce makes your teeth go grey!
Fridge: Does it matter? Just throw it away! Why not try something else on your tray?
*Fridge points to a microwave, with Duck Guy being cooked in a can.*
Steak: Oh, what's that? A lovely pie? But you're gonna end up sad inside! (DHMIS Wiki).
Image courtesy of DHMIS Wiki (http://donthugme.wikia.com/wiki/File:Spinach_Can_doesn%27t_like_yolk!.png)
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This part is one of the most confusing parts; the different teachers arguing with each other and contradicting but always coming to the conclusion that no food was healthy until they turned to Yellow Guy’s friend, Duck Guy, being prepared in the microwave. They also are mixing truths with half-truths, lies, and deceptive techniques. The most obvious deceptive technique is simple, outright lies, stating that eating food like pizza or “plain white sauce makes your teeth turn grey.” The more insidious one is an emotional appeal where the steak say that eating pie will make you “end up sad inside.” Following their advice is neither simple since it meanders so much nor seems to have any benefit, as they aren’t actually teaching healthy eating. In fact, they are attempting to trick Yellow Guy into eating Duck Guy, which works as the episode plays out. These “teachers” are not creatures you can trust, so it’s best to exercise caution with them, not trusting what they say. This constant in the show sets up an example, a lesson for audiences on how trust is important and how it can be twisted.
Another message in Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is to never let others tell you who you are and what you are capable of. Each episode, being a lesson, a “teacher” teaches the main characters on a topic with a more clandestine agenda of beating them into submission. The most obvious example of such is the first episode:
The notepad then states "Let's get creative!", and it cuts to a innocent montage of the puppets getting creative. However, suddenly, the camera zooms out, revealing the studio recording the short. The montage soon then grows disturbing, the music distorting and the previously innocent tasks now involve in human organs and death. The room then returns as it was before, and the Notebook states "Now let's all agree, to never be creative again". (DHMIS Wiki).
The notepad, the “teacher” for this lesson on creativity, is directly influencing the protagonists, the scene literally distorting, cutting back from what appears to be Red Guy And Yellow Guy having seizures (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared). What is truly happening in the scene is more debatable, a hodgepodge of reality and another more insane, surrealistic version of reality which is seen, if not experienced, by the protagonists. This shift in the episode is directed by the notepad. Forcing this situation onto the main characters serves a single narrative: control. However, it is not the notepad who wants control. Ironically, the notepad is a puppet of Roy, Yellow Guy’s father, controlled by a machine (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 6). In an interview done with the characters of DHMIS, the only thing Roy had to say was this: “My silly boy has allowed his eyes to grow arrogant and rude, for this I will take him on a trip to punish land.” With this knowledge, it is safe to assume that each episode is way of taking Yellow Guy to “punish land”, being both the physical and psychological torment the protagonists are faced with in each episode. All of this drives the point that it is not wise to blithely accept such tortures, but also that you yourself have to stand up for what you believe, not letting an oppressor to tell you whether or not you can be creative, and ultimately be yourself.
Another message in Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is to never let others tell you who you are and what you are capable of. Each episode, being a lesson, a “teacher” teaches the main characters on a topic with a more clandestine agenda of beating them into submission. The most obvious example of such is the first episode:
The notepad then states "Let's get creative!", and it cuts to a innocent montage of the puppets getting creative. However, suddenly, the camera zooms out, revealing the studio recording the short. The montage soon then grows disturbing, the music distorting and the previously innocent tasks now involve in human organs and death. The room then returns as it was before, and the Notebook states "Now let's all agree, to never be creative again". (DHMIS Wiki).
The notepad, the “teacher” for this lesson on creativity, is directly influencing the protagonists, the scene literally distorting, cutting back from what appears to be Red Guy And Yellow Guy having seizures (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared). What is truly happening in the scene is more debatable, a hodgepodge of reality and another more insane, surrealistic version of reality which is seen, if not experienced, by the protagonists. This shift in the episode is directed by the notepad. Forcing this situation onto the main characters serves a single narrative: control. However, it is not the notepad who wants control. Ironically, the notepad is a puppet of Roy, Yellow Guy’s father, controlled by a machine (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 6). In an interview done with the characters of DHMIS, the only thing Roy had to say was this: “My silly boy has allowed his eyes to grow arrogant and rude, for this I will take him on a trip to punish land.” With this knowledge, it is safe to assume that each episode is way of taking Yellow Guy to “punish land”, being both the physical and psychological torment the protagonists are faced with in each episode. All of this drives the point that it is not wise to blithely accept such tortures, but also that you yourself have to stand up for what you believe, not letting an oppressor to tell you whether or not you can be creative, and ultimately be yourself.
Image courtesy of DHMIS Wiki (http://dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Roy)
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Yet another lesson to be learned from this series is that fighting against your oppressors may be challenging, even dangerous, but is sometimes a necessity. The first conscious instance of this is in episode 4, when Red Guy begins to challenge the “teacher”, Colin the Computer:
Colin: What's your favorite color?
Red Guy: Stop talking
Colin: Do you like cow's or goat's milk?
Red Guy: Be quiet
Colin: Do you have brown hair? What is your blood type? Are you allergic to--
Red Guy: Shut up! (DHMIS Wiki).
Although there were other transgressions against the “teachers” in previous episodes, it was not a conscious decision as much as not understanding what is expected . For the first time, Red Guy breaks the mold and literally tells Colin to “Shut up!” Suddenly understanding that he can’t take anymore of this, Red Guy bides his time as Colin lashes out, absorbing the crew into the Digital World, but eventually, Red Guy breaks free from its control. However, Yellow Guy and Duck Guy are still captured. (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 4) In effort to understand what’s happening, he follows a cord, showing a cheapened set of DHMIS, and then Red Guy head explodes. It is revealed in the credits of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 5, though, that he is alive, revealed to be the one calling out to Duck Guy and Yellow Guy in effort to help them. This drives the story of the sixth episode, in which Red Guy finally unplugs the machine which controls the “teachers” which then cuts to a different version of the first episode. In this set, there is less clutter, seeming to be lower-budget. Also the date changes from June 19th. Another noticeable aspect is that all the characters are their favorite colors from the first episode, indicative that this is a better place. Had Red Guy not have been brave enough to defy the system, none of this would have happened. Duck Guy would have remained dead, Yellow Guy remaining suffering, and Red Guy likely disposed of. Instead, the bravery to fight for their oppressors and freed them from horrible fates. This, directly is the message, to do what you have to, even if scared.
In the world of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, the creators have interspersed into the story life lessons. The teachers serve as a reminder to exercise caution when trusting people because even if people present themselves as trustworthy, they might not be telling the truth. The truth can be hidden in plain sight, if you’re willing to understand the darkness. The lessons taught in each episode tend to be contradictory and point to the fact that it is easier to simply be yourself. Sometimes, it can be painful, but it is better to live knowing you lived as yourself and not a puppet. The main characters, particularly Red Guy, exemplify the importance of bravery, that being brave is not an easy choice when you’re staring down the barrel of a gun, but if there is something that is important that must be done, hesitation will likely lead to suffering. These messages serve to teach Becky & Joe’s audience about the difficulty of life and how to cope it.
Works Cited
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared - an Exclusive Interview with Duck, Red Guy and Yellow Guy.” It’s
Nice That, 3 May 2016,
www.itsnicethat.com/features/dont-hug-me-im-scared-interview-030516.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 1.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_1.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 4.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_4.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 5.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_5.
tthisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 July 2011,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_HReR_McQ.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 4.” YouTube, YouTube, 31 Mar. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9FGgwCQ22w.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 5.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Oct. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_Xq7gSCBM.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 6.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 June 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbL-NSkXnl8.
Colin: What's your favorite color?
Red Guy: Stop talking
Colin: Do you like cow's or goat's milk?
Red Guy: Be quiet
Colin: Do you have brown hair? What is your blood type? Are you allergic to--
Red Guy: Shut up! (DHMIS Wiki).
Although there were other transgressions against the “teachers” in previous episodes, it was not a conscious decision as much as not understanding what is expected . For the first time, Red Guy breaks the mold and literally tells Colin to “Shut up!” Suddenly understanding that he can’t take anymore of this, Red Guy bides his time as Colin lashes out, absorbing the crew into the Digital World, but eventually, Red Guy breaks free from its control. However, Yellow Guy and Duck Guy are still captured. (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 4) In effort to understand what’s happening, he follows a cord, showing a cheapened set of DHMIS, and then Red Guy head explodes. It is revealed in the credits of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 5, though, that he is alive, revealed to be the one calling out to Duck Guy and Yellow Guy in effort to help them. This drives the story of the sixth episode, in which Red Guy finally unplugs the machine which controls the “teachers” which then cuts to a different version of the first episode. In this set, there is less clutter, seeming to be lower-budget. Also the date changes from June 19th. Another noticeable aspect is that all the characters are their favorite colors from the first episode, indicative that this is a better place. Had Red Guy not have been brave enough to defy the system, none of this would have happened. Duck Guy would have remained dead, Yellow Guy remaining suffering, and Red Guy likely disposed of. Instead, the bravery to fight for their oppressors and freed them from horrible fates. This, directly is the message, to do what you have to, even if scared.
In the world of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, the creators have interspersed into the story life lessons. The teachers serve as a reminder to exercise caution when trusting people because even if people present themselves as trustworthy, they might not be telling the truth. The truth can be hidden in plain sight, if you’re willing to understand the darkness. The lessons taught in each episode tend to be contradictory and point to the fact that it is easier to simply be yourself. Sometimes, it can be painful, but it is better to live knowing you lived as yourself and not a puppet. The main characters, particularly Red Guy, exemplify the importance of bravery, that being brave is not an easy choice when you’re staring down the barrel of a gun, but if there is something that is important that must be done, hesitation will likely lead to suffering. These messages serve to teach Becky & Joe’s audience about the difficulty of life and how to cope it.
Works Cited
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared - an Exclusive Interview with Duck, Red Guy and Yellow Guy.” It’s
Nice That, 3 May 2016,
www.itsnicethat.com/features/dont-hug-me-im-scared-interview-030516.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 1.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_1.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 4.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_4.
“Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 5.” DHMIS Wiki,
dhmis.wikia.com/wiki/Don%27t_Hug_Me_I%27m_Scared_5.
tthisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 July 2011,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_HReR_McQ.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 4.” YouTube, YouTube, 31 Mar. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9FGgwCQ22w.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 5.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Oct. 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_Xq7gSCBM.
thisisitcollective. “Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 6.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 June 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbL-NSkXnl8.