The Distance Decay of Similarity
January 5, 2011 in The Fanciness of Bodies
It’s like that Mister Rogers bootleg video some buddies of mine had back in high school. They thought it was hilarious, but it just made me sad and anxious and nervous.
That episode where they replaced the Henrietta Pussycat puppet with a mummified human hand. Nobody at PBS noticed at first, and it ran in reruns for awhile until they pulled it and erased all mention from the syndication catalogue. It was one of the Planet Purple episodes, with Purple Panda talking to this mummified hand about how lying makes your friends feel bad and complicates matters.
I kind of remember that episode from when I was little, because I loved Purple Panda and all that, and the speech made me feel guilty and ashamed, like I was the liar.
But I remember Purple Panda talking to Henrietta Pussycat, not a mummified human hand. But there it was on the videotape–a mummified human hand living in that tree next to X the Owl.
DieterTheMasseur said on January 5, 2011
Viva, Lady Elaine Fairechilde!
Chillbear Latrigue said on January 5, 2011
Fred Rogers certainly seemed to be enjoying himself. Umm, good for him?
NefariousNewt said on January 5, 2011
The mind has an amazing capacity for editing memory, which is why eyewitness testimony is not necessarily so ironclad, and why “repressed” memories are suspect.
Rosie Cheeks said on January 5, 2011
that’s a tewwible scawy memowy, meow meow.
irishbreakfast said on January 5, 2011
I agree with ChillBear.
Vaquero said on January 5, 2011
Fred was happy to dance with Fred. That is, until Ginger showed up. Boy. I could totally punch her in the dead face. Women. They sure do fuck this world up with their stupid faces.