This Week's Short Film Obsession

 

This Week’s Short Film Obsession

"Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared"

 "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared” starts off with the appearance of a cute child friendly show, but soon takes a dark, gory turn. Similar to the twist of an old animated series, “Happy Tree Friends,” when what starts as a harmless, fun animated world becomes unsettling when you least expect it.

​There are fuzzy puppets, cheerful songs, and a childlike/Jim Henson vibe, but then slowly things start to shift. The music gets weird, then the lyrics turn dark, and before you know it, the colorful talking puppets transform into a nightmare full of gore and bizarre messages.

The first short starts with creativity. A talking notepad that tells the three main characters“get creative,” and everything seems fun at first. They draw, sing, and make crafts. But soon, the rules of creativity become strange. The characters try to think outside the box, but the notepad literally won’t let them. By the end, everything descends into chaos, and the bright puppets begin to rot and decay quickly turning into a nightmare.

That’s kind of the vibe of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared. It’s not just the shock factor, but it's also making a point. Each episode takes educational topics and twists them into something that comments on how society handles those ideas. For example, the “Time” episode shows how obsessed people are with aging, while the “Love” one hints at how cult like some beliefs can become in today's society.

Even though it is disturbing, the plots and catchy songs always keep people wanting more. The creators, Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling, first started the series in 2011, where they created an addictive mix of horror, humor, and nostalgia. Even when the gore leaves you kind of wanting to look away, there's something about it that pulls you back in. It’s the kind of short film series that's so bizarre you'll always remember it.
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