Straight Up Reviews: Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

One thing about being in isolation during the pandemic, is that it often reminds me of similar situations in fictional mediums. Not so much the cause of isolation, but the idea that one or more people trapped in the same room together while insanity ensues, makes this both hilarious and harsher in hindsight. Case in point Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. The popular web video series that was all the rage lasting from 2011 to 2017 and thanks to the clever creators Rebecca Sloan and Joseph Pelling.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared is about three best friends, who go on an adventure to find a magic pirate ship and save the day.......At least that's what the creators say. Though watching it first hand, you wouldn't think that is what it's all about. Needless to say it was. Just kidding.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, is essentially a surreal horror comedy that parodies popular children shows. Specifically, children's edutainment and puppet shows like Sesame Street. It centers around three people, whom were obvious parodies of Jim Henson's muppet archetypes.

The first is The Red Guy, who is both a parody of the monster type muppets: Creatures whom are not based on any animals and depending on the character are either friendly or mean. The big examples being Elmo and Grover Red Guy is also a parody of the suit type muppets as well. Being the only character to be played by an actor wearing a suit. Similar to characters like Big Bird. Red Guy is essentially the board, older man of the group who often takes things in stride whether he likes it or not. He rarely expresses emotion, but later shows to be a caring individual especially around his friends.

The second is The Duck Guy. Who is a parody of the animal type muppets: Creatures whom are often based on one type of animal or another, yet are anthropomorphized and treated like everyday humans. Such as Miss Piggy or Kermit the Frog. Duck Guy. He is talkative and somewhat intelligent and often every now and then speaks in an autotune like voice.

Last but not least is The Yellow Guy. Who is a parody of the human type muppets: Creatures who are in essence human in puppet form, but often sometimes have distinctions that separate them from what society views as humans. Such as a non natural skin and hair color. Similar to characters like Walter. He is the youngest of the group, child like and somewhat dim-witted. He also serves as the mascot of the show even though by all intents and purposes it should be Red Guy. There's a reason for that.

The show itself has a simple yet, effective formula. With the exception of the third episode, the characters are mostly in the same house together, minding their own business. That is until a puppet, known in the series as a Teacher, would appear to give the lesson of the episode. However, said lesson often gets twisted and turned into a total mindscrew. Where weird things happen, the characters get hurt, maimed or even killed in some way and rather than it be played for comedy like you would expect in the Muppet Show, there is often an excess amount of blood and gore involved. The episodes repeat this formula until the end. But why does it happen. To answer that I will break down the episodes one at a time.

The first episode centers around the Teacher called Sketchbook. A living sketchpad that has arrived to teach the trio about the wonders of creativity. While it seems Yellow Guy has been following the lesson well, Sketchbook seems to insult him, citing the colour green as not a creative colour and destroying a well painted picture of a clown by dumping oil on it.  As the episode goes on, it takes a dark turn where the characters shift into various art forms of themselves from CGI to Yellow and Duck Guy spontaneously turning into Suit Muppets. All while the word "Death" is stamped out, a human heart gets covered in glitter and someone cuts a slice of cake to reveal human entrails inside. After the lesson is over, Sketchbook decides they should never get creative again before closing themselves out. As you can see for yourselves, we are in for a nasty surprise in the continuing series. When I first watched this. I initially dismissed it as nonsensical mindfuckery however when I went back to the series, I wished I followed it when it continued. The saddest thing though is, that this one is tame compared to what is coming next.

The second episode has them sitting in the living room, waiting for their show to come on. As they think of a way to pass the time, another Teacher appears. This time in the form of a talking clock named Tony. This one takes a more surreal approach as he teaches the trio about time. Taking them to the past, showing them the future and the effects time has on the world. Such as aging trees and rotting apples.  However when Duck Guy and Yellow Guy question the concept of time, Tony gets angry and turns into an alarm clock that makes the latter's ears bleed. In the last of the episode, Tony speeds up time. Causing the characters to age rapidly, with Yellow and Duck Guy rotting in agony. All before revealing that they were the show the Trio was trying to watch the whole time. The episode also introduces another character named Roy. The Father of The Yellow Guy, who later makes appearances in the show and even has his own special thanks.  One thing I noticed among most things, was that much like Sketchbook before, Tony seems to go out of his way to hurt Yellow Guy the most. Scrubbing him raw in the bathtub, making his ears bleed even though Duck Guy was the one that insulted him over time being an illusion and putting him in the most agony when he ages them. Why would these random puppets go out of their way to go after the poor guy?

The third episode is the only one of the series where they are outside of the house. The trio is in a forest enjoying a chicken picnic. Said picnic involves uncooked eggs and meat. Yellow Guy comes across a small butterfly admiring it before Duck Guy kills it, mistaking it for a bee. Upset, Yellow Guy retreats to a tree to cry alone when he meets a bigger butterfly. The third Teacher, Shringold.  Who has come to him to teach him about the concept of Love. Said lesson involves Yellow Guy being lead to a land in the clouds populated by love obsessed creatures. From people to animals to even a huge tree. Much like Sketchbook, they berate Yellow Guy for using the concept "Wrong" when he expresses love for inanimate objects.  Stating that he should save his love for his Special One. Whom is represented by a female counterpart to Yellow Guy. As they prepare him for Special One they introduce him to the dark side of their group. Revealing themselves to be a love cult that worships a gravel eating head named Malcolm. The Self Proclaimed King of Love.  While trying to persuade Yellow Guy to in their words "Change your name, clean your brain and forget about everything you ever knew." The whole thing ending with Shringold menacingly approaching Yellow Guy with a ring to initiate him. Thankfully the event seemed to only be a dream. Whilst Duck Guy and Red Guy find him to apologize. Saving the last egg to cheer him up. Inadvertently giving a good lesson about love. However the egg gives us all one last scare when a bloody yellow caterpillar hatches out of it, proclaiming Yellow Guy as it's father before Duck Guy kills it, mistaking it for a bee. While it's not explicitly stated, it's implied that the events were not only not a dream, but that Shringold may have had Yellow Guy raped to conceive said caterpillar. Adding it to the many abuses Yellow Guy has suffered.

The fourth episode is where things get more psychological than the usual gory/psyche mix we're used to at this point.  The trio is sitting down playing a trivia game when Red Guy draws a card which asks "What is the biggest thing in the world?" At this point they are so used to the Teachers popping up, that Red Guy intentionally tries to provoke a globe named Gilbert to appear to explain. Just when we think that it happens, the show takes a left turn when the real Teacher shows up. A talking computer named Colin.  Who steals the show, doesn't answer the question and instead crudely explains how a computer works.  When Red Guy tries to get a word in edgewise, he's rudely interrupted by Colin who tries to push the Trio into giving him their personal information.  When Red Guy has enough, he smacks the keyboard causing them all to be trapped into the digital world. A crudely CGI world where three things can happen: Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing. Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing.  Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing.  Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing.  Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing.  Graphs/Charts, Digital Style and Digital Dancing.  As demonstrated here, the three things are repeated in an endless loop as more digitized versions of the trio and Colin appear in an impromptu dance party, which I can only describe as a Rave if Stanley Kubrick got interested in doing a movie about a Rave. Red Guy was able to escape and finds himself following a red cord which leads him to a neighboring television set which happens to film a low budget version of their first episode. The resulting scene causes Red Guy's head to explode in glitter as well as give us the first clue to why this is going on. They are on TV and are forced to do the stuff that has happened in the past 4 episodes.

The fifth episode is where that clue becomes more of a reality. Duck Guy and Yellow Guy are in the kitchen and the only ones on the show now. Both of them realize something is missing, but don't realize it's Red Guy. Before they could ponder the situation further, they are visited by not one, but a group of Teachers called the Healthy Band. A group of food based puppets lead by a suit muppet in the form of a steak. They sing about a grossly inaccurate view on what is healthy and what isn't. Which as the song goes on, contradicts itself, while at the same time forces product placement entitled "Roy" brand foods. Which is mostly a plain food based diet of bread, cream, white sauce and aspic. The number itself gets interrupted twice by a phone call, which Duck Guy tries to answer. The first time showing him on a hospital bead with a strange helmet on his head, before returning to the kitchen.  Exasperated by the phone calls, the contradictions and the overall unsettling nature of the show, Duck Guy snaps and tries to escape. Knocking a camera and presumably the camera man operating it in the process. Cementing that they are on a TV show as hinted in the fourth episode. However Duck Guy didn't get too far as he finds himself back in the hospital bed, while giant can shaped puppets feast on his guts.  All while the band continues to torment Yellow Guy with their contradictions. This all culminates into the grand daddy of all mindfucks (So far.), which ends with Yellow Guy bloated with his mouth full surrounded by cans that have Duck Guy's face on them. Throughout the entire episode, the number was a smokescreen while the teachers force fed Yellow Guy, his only friend left. As he stands there in the dark, realizing what he did, the phone rings a third time.  The end credits revealing that Red Guy was trying to call them from the outside world. Now wearing a trenchcoat and carrying a suitcase.

The sixth episode ends with Yellow Guy in his bedroom. Crying and looking over the beds and photos of his two missing friends. Before he could go to bed, the next Teacher appears in the form of a Lamp puppet. In a surprising twist, Yellow Guy, whom despite the abuse wrought out on him has been very cooperative in each episode; turns the light off in defiance. Unfortunately that doesn't stop the lamp from tormenting him anyway. Forcing this video's lesson on him. In this case dreams.  Said lesson has been in the form of a 2-D animated sequence where Yellow Guy is dragged off against his will as the Lamp wrongfully describes what dreams are. Yellow Guy wakes up in an effort to escape only to find himself drowning in a pit of oil similar to how his animated dream sequence ended. The series then cuts to Red Guy, whom between episodes 4 and 5, has found himself in a world mostly populated by people like him.  Albeit clothed and running about their daily lives in the most boring way imaginable. He tries to strike up a conversation with a co-worker, invoking an idea for a puppet based on a file. Only to be rebuffed as boring by said co-worker.  Later on, he attends a nightclub where he gets drunk, strips back to his normal self and tries to sing the Creativity song. Only to be met with boos from the crowd. Among the see of Red boos, Roy appears and Red Guy finds himself in a mock sound stage, where his microphone and stereo have turned into puppet versions of them. As he wanders the room he finds what can only be described as a mix between an editing station and a super computer. With the main screen displaying the lamp continuing to torment Yellow Guy. In an attempt to stop it, Red guy messes with the buttons which cause the Lamp to change places with other puppets. First starting with the previous teachers. Then showing Duck Guy briefly resurrected. Last but not least it shows puppets that could have been their Teachers had the show continued from this point. All of which further tormenting and traumatizing Yellow Guy, until Red Guy scrambles the controls causing them to switch more rapidly.  Before he could try to fix his mistake a long arm grabs him. Which is attached to Roy. Revealed to be the mastermind behind all the events.  In a last ditch effort, Red Guy approaches the plug attached to the computer and pulls it. The result resets the show to the first episode, only everything seems peaceful and they become their favourite colors. Red Guy being Blue, Duck Guy being Red and Yellow Guy being Green. Sketchbook then reappears again making it ambiguous to whether or not they are safe from the TV world.

As for why Roy would do such a thing, especially to his own son. It's explained in this interview:

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared Interview

Which to summarize, in Roy's only speaking role he says "My silly boy has allowed his eyes to grow arrogant and rude, for this I will take him on a trip to punish land." Now thinking back to the entire series, while twisted it makes sense. What he did as gruesome as it was, was all to convey a severe punishment. Now the question remains. "What did yellow guy do to deserve this?" There is one clue, in which was briefly shown. In the second episode, which introduced Roy, there was a scene where Yellow Guy walks in on him while he is on the computer.  Where it's not so subtly shown that Roy was looking at porno. When Yellow Guy mentions the iconic line "My dad is a com-co....computer." Roy is shown staring at the camera, breathing heavily.  Now does this justify what he did? No, but at the same time it's easy to understand why he would want to punish his son. However if you go by that scene alone, it doesn't show Yellow Guy being arrogant and rude. Or does it?  One thing I never understood was why Yellow Guy would stammer at the word computer. One could theorize this was meant to be a reenactment of his younger days. Which would make sense because when kids learn to talk, they often struggle with some words before getting used to them. However there may be another layer to it. While it could have just been me hearing things, the way he stuttered "Com." almost sounded similar to the profanity "Cunt." Did Roy think his kid called him a cunt and simply took things too far in said Punish Land? I think so. As for why Duck Guy and Red Guy got it too, there are three reasons. 1. They simply stood in the way in his eyes. 2. They tried to put a stop to it. and 3. As part of said punishment, Roy took his friends away one at a time. To further make him suffer.  While it's implied Red Guy left on his own volition, all the things Roy did to him could factor into his leaving.  Whilst Duck Guy had the unfortunate luck of being fed to Yellow Guy. With Yellow Guy isolated and alone, Roy was free to torment Yellow Guy for as long as he wanted. That is until Red Guy pulled the plug. Not to mention while episode 2 and 6 focused on him greatly, the episodes between merely had him shown in background events. Implying he was working behind the scenes of every torture.  Now where did Roy get that kind of power and freedom? If you look closely in episodes 4 and 5, you'll notice there are food products littered all over the show with Roy's name on them. Meaning he was the show's sponsor.  Meaning he put all the time and money he made plus the increase of sales, into making his Punish Land.  To further hammer it in, as mentioned before, he was also featured in the special thanks of every end credits. Which is ultimately why I believe the ending is a happy one. The new home, no longer has his products all over.  Meaning his influence was no longer there.

When this series ended, people thought we seen the last of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. However in 2018 the official Youtube Channel posted this:

A trailer entitled "Wakey Wakey." Which showed a new world, new puppets, new animation and most of all, a huge hint that something new was on the horizon.  Which it was. In 2019, Rebbeca Sloan and Joseph Pelling released a 23 minute pilot episode of a potential Don't Hug Me I'm Scared TV series.  The pilot was released only in the Sundance Film Festival and the series is currently being worked on. I have not seen the pilot episode to warrant an opinion on it, but rest assured I will.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared is a great series. Great puppetry, great effects, superb music, horrifying scenes and is an overall work of art. With themes of friendship, family and freedom. It's worth the watch especially around this time, because if you're gonna isolate yourself and worry about going crazy, then this might either scare the crap out of you or make you believe your life isn't worse off as you think. When Robin Williams rampaged on Death To Smoochy he referred to the titular rhino as a "Muppet From Hell."  These are the real Muppets From Hell.