|
|
rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
Scary photos of antique vent figures and their victims ... uh, I mean their humans. SEE IT HERE
|
manal Inner circle York ,PA. 1412 Posts |
I should have bought 2 old bed pans, a pound of horse glue and a potato sack instead of Basswood?
Thanks for letting me know Ross Jim |
MagicalArtist Veteran user Hobart, Indiana 378 Posts |
A lot of people seem to have a sort of subconscious fear of ventriloquist figures. It’s called Automatonophobia, the fear of ventriloquist dummies. That same fear doesn’t seem to apply to the soft puppets, only the hard figures.
Actually, I think the fear seems to be of the ventriloquist as much as the figure–as if there’s just a hint of insanity lurking below the surface of most ventriloquists. I don’t know why this is so–whether it’s the movie portrayals of ventriloquists or whether it’s because ventriloquists are seen as kind of shy, loner type individuals who have the need to talk through their “dummies” rather than being able to do it themselves. Some ventriloquist books have actually made the problem worse by suggesting that ventriloquism is a good thing for shy people to take up because it allows the figure “to say things that they don’t feel comfortable saying.” This is a good recipe for what happened to Kevin Spacey in the recent film “The Ventriloquist.” LOL Actually, I think a clever ventriloquist could make good use of this perception among the general public and incorporate The “crazy ventriloquist” theme into his act for good comedy effect. |
Dickens & Dave Inner circle North Central Florida 1813 Posts |
Mostly it's the movie portrayals I think.
http://dickensndave.bravehost.com/index.html
"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." |
Servante Inner circle 1330 Posts |
When I was a kid and the image of "ventriloquist dummy" was Jerry Mahoney and Charlie McCarthy, people seemed mostly intrigued by my vent figures. There was a film called "Dead of Night" that featured a recalcitrant figure...and there was a Hitchcock TV installment with an odd switch. But mostly the fear wasn't there.
Then we did get a lot of "evil dummy" films and books. And it seemed to change. Sigh. -Philip |
MagicalArtist Veteran user Hobart, Indiana 378 Posts |
Yeah, it probably was the movies. The movies can be very powerful. For example, a lot of people still think Houdini died in the Water Torture Cell, just because it was portrayed in the 1953 movie with Tony Curtis. Ironically, even Paul Winchell made one of those "evil dummy" films, with a very sinister looking figure.
|
manal Inner circle York ,PA. 1412 Posts |
Sometimes the figures themselves are scary. Look at the first and 3rd figures on that site. The first looks like a giant Lady Elaine Fairchild ( the small one on Mr. Rodgers was scary enough).
I love the 3rd figure. A standing figure that looks like something from a Tim Burton movie. Is it a butcher boy, a grocer or a young Jack the Ripper? Anyone know anything about this figure? |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » I'm a real boy! » » Please don't let them get me! They come alive when I'm asleep! (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |