They have millions of fans worldwide thanks to YouTube but the oddly perverse video series, “Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared” is still considered to be an underground phenomenon. Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling, the British creators of “Don’t Hug Me…” have only created three videos in the series since 2011 but a recently successful Kickstarter campaign means they can increase their output, as the pair also works on larger corporate projects for the likes of Nickelodeon and the BBC. It’s not surprising that the two have found success; the shorts are clever and witty and visually, the films are a surrealistic DIY treat showcasing a world constructed out of cardboard, felt and anything found at the bottom of a crafting cupboard. It’s a delight for the eye and the psyche.
Here’s episode 3 of the series which focuses on “Love”, though, like the other videos in the series, it’s much more than that as it quickly ventures into deeper, darker and danker waters. “Don’t Hug Me” is a quirky mix of Sesame Street and The Outer Limits, with a tone familiar to fans of the equally bizarre kids show parody, Wonder Showzen which eked out 16 episodes on the MTV 2 network back in 2005/2006. As in the first two installments, the short stars “Red Guy”, a costumed hippy like doofus with hair covering his face; “Yellow Guy”, a muppety puppet with a low IQ; and “Green Bird”, another puppet and vaguely crow-like and seemingly a bit more intelligent than the other two. In this third video, “Yellow Guy” goes on a strange adventure with a butterfly who attempts to teach YG a thing or two about love…until things turn creepy.
Enjoy! Unless the sight of raw chicken makes you ill!
