1274 – Stuffed Animal Planning

Episode 1274 – Stuffed Animal Planning

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is a podcast that’s here to cheer you up, in a sense. Not directly; not in the traditional sense of cheer you up. I don't know, have you ever got the sense…? Do you ever feel pressure…? If someone says they’re gonna cheer you up, does that make you want to crumble with expectations like me? You say, I don't know if I could handle you coming over and cheering me up. That’s way too much pressure on me. How about this; we just agree not to…like, you keep your cheer. I’m aware you’re cheery, and I’m pretty…I’m glad you reached out to me to schedule a time to cheer me up. Is this what…? Eeyore is friends with Winnie the Pooh and stuff.

 

I wonder if this is…do they ever have these kind of conversations alone, or does Eeyore ever wish they had their own podcast and they’re like, I wish I had a podcast where I could just be honest with people? They’d say, Eeyore, you’re always honest. Eeyore, what’s a podcast? There you go again, Eeyore. We’re coming over to cheer you up. I say, well, as a matter of fact, you get honey everywhere. I do have a point. I realize that…but if we’re stuffed animals, as one of the theories goes, we shouldn't have anything to do with honey. I mean, come on. So, anyway, if you’re new, you may be like, this dude has no idea what he’s talking about on so many levels. I’d say, you’re probably right, but I really am here to do the bedtime equivalent of low-pressure cheering you up, which is barely…I’m cheerish.

 

I’m on the quiet side of cheer. I think that’s…except I talk nonstop. So, I’m glad you’re here. If you are new, this show is very different. It’s called Sleep With Me. It’s a podcast to put you to sleep. I’ve been doing this about ten years and what I’ve found is, one, it’s an honor to be here to try to put you to sleep, and two, I’m really here to take your mind off of stuff and keep you company so you could fall asleep, just like I’m not here to cheer you up or cheer, cheer, cheer for the home team if they don’t win. Why do they use that word in…? But, you know what I’m saying. I’m here to keep you company, to be your friend in the deep, dark night. It does take some getting used to.

 

‘Cause before I made Sleep With Me, the idea of sleep audio was that it’s supposed to put you to sleep in some sort of direct manner instead of the idea of like, hey, could I just call a friend and they talk to me about nothing and then they get confused and then they posit…wait a second, this…? Because part of it does make sense, right? I’m not positive about any of it. But it’s like, if you’re a stuffed animal and you’ve become sentient and you have a degree of independence…you say, I’m a stuffed animal. Somehow I became conscious and sentient and mobile and I think I’ve been anthropomorphized, and I’m living independently. So, I don't want to have anything to do with honey. Anything sticky, keep it away from me. I’m trying to maintain a degree of mobility, cleanliness, and not just being sticky, right?

 

Like, what if I want…what if I…what…? I don't know. There probably aren’t magazines anymore in this world I’m imagining, but if there were, I can imagine…oh, wait, I’m supposed to be…I’m supposed to introduce a sleep podcast. I gotta get to…sorry, sorry Eeyore and whatever plush-based beings I’m speculating on. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. I’m glad you’re here. Give it a few tries. Structurally what we got; support, that’s how we let people…we got sponsor support first and that’s how most people like to listen, is this ad-supported, free version of the show, and they listen linearly. After the support is a long intro. It’ll probably be a little bit shorter because I’ve gone on so much already, but that’s meant to ease you into bedtime. Then there will be sponsor support, then I guess I got an idea for an episode from this intro, so we’ll see where that goes. I thought it was gonna be about something, but now it’ll be about something else. I’m glad you’re here and thanks for making this possible, my bore-friends.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts on your mind, like things you’re thinking about about the past, the present, the future, literature, children’s literature or whatever…I don't know what…that was Winnie the Pooh, right? Not sure if that was a children’s book or not. I’m not the brightest bulb, obviously.

 

But whatever’s keeping you awake; it could be thoughts, it could be feelings like emotions related to thoughts or feelings that are there from the…about something coming up or just passed, could be feelings that…you say, where did these come from? It could be feelings about plush-based beings, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine. Whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. The reason I make the show and I run through some of the things that might be keeping you awake isn't to point them out so much as to point out the fact that you’re not alone.

 

I am here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff and tell you a story, and here’s the other great thing; since I’ve been making the show, there’s tons of other sleep audio content, more and more every day. You could check out some of that at sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. So, if you already know this podcast won't work for you, check some of that stuff out. But the thing is that most people this show works for on the first and second and third listen, they didn’t like the show either 'cause they were like, this is not what I expected. But the people that have been listening for a long time and the people the show helps, they said, oh, I had no idea I was looking for something like this.

 

But it comes back to that fact that whatever’s keeping you awake, maybe not everybody in your regular life understands, but we understand here. Not only do we understand what it’s like physically, what it’s like mentally, what it’s like emotionally…I think there’s a lot of people listening right now nodding their heads and know what it’s like at a deeper level, how it feels at a deeper level. Whatever it is you’re going through, I can maybe relate to how it feels. I’m pretty sure I can relate to at least some of the feelings.

 

But the great news is that someone listening right now somewhere in the world that we all share…there is someone out there, and they’re sitting up in bed right now or at least doing the equivalent of lying in bed but sitting up figuratively, and they’re nodding their head because they are glad you’re here, because they know exactly how you feel or pretty much how you feel, 'cause they’ve been through something similar. They’re like, man, I hope this show helps you, too, and that one day you could be that person figuratively nodding along when someone else new comes, because this show has brought me relief. Or maybe you find something else. So, you’re important and that’s important to point out, and you deserve a good night's sleep.

 

You deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need without any rigmarole, the rest you need so your life is more manageable. You deserve that, and it’s something we all wish for you. Maybe you develop a bedtime routine and listen to this podcast or something else and you start getting a little bit more sleep on a regular basis. That’s really important. Now, what I’ll do here is I’ll send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’ll use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which means I’ll go off-topic, I’ll get mixed up, I’ll forget what I was talking about, then I’ll say, what was I talking about? Yeah, I’ll get confused and all that. So, that’s pointless meanders and superfluous tangents. I already did a few.

 

Creaky, dulcet tones means my voice is not traditionally soothing, but it’s kind of like a friend you call. This is a show. It does take a few tries to get used to, as I said earlier. That’s just 'cause if you’re like me, you’re probably skeptical or doubtful. Maybe you heard about this podcast. Maybe you were searching for something and you were like, is this thing really gonna help me? I’m not so sure. So, I hope it does. This is a podcast that you just kinda barely listen to, almost like background noise or a TV on in the other room or some soothing sound at a distance. It’s just out of focus, but you can listen to it. This is also…even though it’s the podcast that puts you to sleep, I don't put you to sleep directly. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show.

 

The reason the episodes are over an hour is I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep. There’s people who listen who can't sleep at all, and I’m here to keep them company to the very end and just take their mind off of stuff. So, I really hope the show can help. I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your Borebie, your bores, your bore-bruh, your bore-friend, your friend in the deep, dark night to keep you company. So, I hope I can do that for you. What else do you need to know? Bore-friend…no pressure to fall asleep, no pressure to listen…if you need a break during the day, you could listen to the show. The structure of the show also throws people off and the show’s structured in a specific way, but you can adjust how you listen.

 

So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, I might be able to check that podcast out. He did say a bunch of silly stuff. He tried to make one point, then he got distracted, then he went on a tangent of some sort of qualifications or whatever, levels of being. The new Eeyore story, Levels of Being Plush. By the way, I’m not a plush. I’m probably made from…I would say, are you made from burlap? This isn't meant to hurt you or anything. I’m just imagining. I know you’re purplish-grey, and that’s fine. I think burlap would be the perfect thing for Eeyore, but maybe you’re made from something…I say, I got no strings to hold me down? No, no, that was somebody else, Eeyore. I’m sorry.

 

I don't think Eeyore wanted to know about being burlap or not. That was a little bit too…sorry, Eeyore. I’m gonna try to change the subject, but I’m not really good at changing the subject when I’m imagining your autobiography. But we’ll…the episode will somehow be barely tangibly related to this. I was gonna talk about the structure of the show. So, that’s the greeting. You say, okay, I could check that podcast out. Then there’s sponsor support so the podcast is free, paying for it’s optional…if you decide you want a version without sponsors, you could pay on Sleep With Me+ or Apple Podcasts, or you could join our referral program, refer people to the show, and get ad-free episodes for free just by doing a little spreading of the word. But for most people, they like listening to this ad-supported version linearly.

 

I’ve heard from them, and it gives me…an honor to be able to do this. But the support is only one part. Then after the support is what we’re doing now which is a long, meandering intro which is separate from the support. It’s a show within a show meant to ease you into bedtime. That’s why it lasts about twenty minutes. It’s meant to ease you into bedtime and help you slowly wind down and explain what the podcast is, go off topic, and take a bunch of time to do it so that you can listen as you’re getting ready for bed, you’re doing a chill activity, you’re in bed getting comfortable, you’re petting your pets. I pander…you know what? I love pandering to pets by telling everybody to pet their pets. It’s just a friendly reminder that if pets rule the world, don’t forget who mentioned you multiple times on my sleep podcast.

 

Don't worry, when I say ‘petting your pets’, I mean even the pets that aren’t pet-able should be getting some sort of equivalent thing. You know, make sure that rock-warmer is turned on. Look at the fish tank and smile at your fishes. Come on, already. What have we been doing? Blow your fish a kiss right now. If you have fishes or anything on the other side of the room that you’re not able to pet, one, consult your experts to see if there’s another equivalent activity you could be doing for petting them, but blow them a kiss, right? Blow them a kiss not just out of love but so that they love me, because I just want to have my bases covered. I love pan…if I have to pander, I’ll pander to pets. So, pet your pets. That message is brought to you by me. Don’t forget; petting your pets is the reward that’s always giving.

 

What was I saying, though? Oh, people…oh, so the intro; there are…there’s 2% of people that probably fall asleep during the intro, 2% of people that skip the intro, start the show at twenty, twenty-five, thirty minutes, but most people are winding down. That’s just…that’s what’s been shown to work and what’s worked for me personally and a lot of listeners, is having a small wind-down routine around thirty minutes long to ease into bedtime. So, that’s the intro, and it’s where ideas come from and where I…or where ideas come to go nowhere. Then after the intro is support again so the show could be…you can just listen whenever you want, wherever you want. There’s 601 episodes available. Then after the support is our bedtime story.

 

I thought I was recording this intro about…and this is the magic of the intro, but sometimes story ideas come up in the intro and I say, okay, well, I’m gonna have to change it up. I thought this intro was gonna be for a episode of…I won't even say it, but probably an episode that already came out. Now I’m like, no, we gotta think about this. So, as far as my tracking goes, we have a couple ideas I’m curious about. Okay, and maybe in this realm of Winnie the Pooh or whoever, I think that one became public domain. I mean, I’m safe talking about it either way, but it’s like, okay, I’m pretty sure…is that the one with Christopher Robin? Maybe that’s the other one. But anyway, they’re stuffed animals, maybe. I know I’m…I’m usually incorrect with this stuff anyway.

 

Then when Christopher Robin’s not around or other times…oh, it’s like Toy Story a bit. Like, they become sentient. Okay, so we could use Toy Story as a model, at least, though Toy Story is toys, so it can't be our complete model. Okay, so the toys have consciousness or what we understand to be. I’ve never been a plush, a sentient plush. Also, I’m not entirely sure I know what ‘sentient’ means. But they have a personality, they’re somewhat self…they have some sort of awareness. There’s gotta be philosophic…what are those called, philosophical books? Philosophy, right? Okay, but the point I was making is so, they gain some sort of, whatever, consciousness.

 

I don't know what else to say. They have bodily movement and all that stuff, anthropomorphized, whatever you want to use. But I think the important part is they’re independent, right, or somewhat…they’re trying to live a independent existence. Well…you say, well, some…not totally, 'cause they’re kinda codependent…I mean, not in a negative way, but on Toy Story with Andy, and then, I don't know, with this other book, I have no idea; maybe Christopher Robin, and their sentience is tied to that, maybe their purpose.

 

I think that’s what at least those movies were about. But the other thing is if you’re try…just taking away the story points or the deeper points, it’s like, if I’m trying to be a toy or a plush, a stuffed animal, we’ll say, and I’m trying to live independently, that’s gonna change some of my choices because I got stuff to do. I’m not just a stuffed animal anymore. I got stuff I gotta do, including the regular stuff that those humans were always complaining about. I had no idea how good I had it. But I enjoy being…obviously there’s a lot to be grateful for. Don’t take this as a all-or-nothing statement, but I’ve had to change the way I do stuff because obviously…and you say…'cause people said, what happened with you and Pooh?

 

I said, well, I can only say, please, no honey or sticky stuff at all. I had to just…I had to change…that’s all I could say. It wasn’t easy. But you know what’s not easy? Being covered in honey without…you know. You think I’m gonna get an industrial washing machine? What, are you…? They say, spot-clean it. I say, it’s caked-in honey, now with dirt because I’ve been walking…I got a job I gotta go to. I don't know where…how we got there. But so, that’s what I’m curious about. I don't think it’ll be like that, 'cause that was…you say, wow, I caught you on a bad day. What is this, Eeyore with an edge? You say, better believe it. Say, man, holy cow. By the way, I’ve left a pool of honey on the ground by accident.

 

‘Cause as soon as you said, ‘don’t bring any honey to our interview’, that’s…then it got in my brain. That’s all I could think about. I’m not normally big into…sorry, Eeyore. Okay, at least that interview is over. So, yeah, that’s the show, I think. Oh, the story portion, then there’s thank-yous at the end. So, I went through everything. That’s why I make the show, the structure of the show…I’m really glad you’re here. Give the show a few tries. You really got nothing to lose. I really hope this podcast can help you out. I work really hard. So do a team of people, 'cause we all yearn and strive. We really want to help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple ways I’m able to do it for you for free twice a week.

 

Alright everybody, this is Scoots here. This is a episode…I don't know. It’s about plush, plush friends? I don't know. These episodes that’s coming out of an intro…which I know I was thinking about different things…of all of the things I know few things about, Winnie the Pooh is one of them. It’s strange; I think it’s Winnie the Pooh that I have a archetypal memory of the…I think there was a Winnie the Pooh movie, 'cause there’s…I think the Huffalumps are what Winnie the Pooh dreams of when too much honey is consumed? I’m pretty sure I saw those in a motel…that movie in a motel room, and the images of the Huffalumps did not sit well with me as a child. I just have a memory of that. But it could have been Dumbo or…where’s the one with the kids…? Pinocchio, too, one of those ones with a weird dream sequence, you know?

 

So, it’s probably why I don't know that much about Winnie the Pooh, even though I know the Winnie the Pooh song. So, I probably know more about Winnie the Pooh. It’s just been put away…filed away for a podcast four or five years down the road when suddenly a torrent of Winnie the Pooh memories is unleashed. But I was thinking…and this isn't meant to knock on Winnie the Pooh, but if you were made of plush, you wouldn't want to be around some…I mean, no offense, but I don't know if I would want to be friends with someone who is…eats a lot of honey or any sap…anybody…I don't want to come in contact with any sap, either, because I’m made of plush. That would probably go for oils. What other things would I try to…? Probably a lot of stuff, but sap or honey particularly wouldn't be great.

 

I always think about Pillow Pet, my daughter’s Pillow Pet, which is a flat plush. Hers was a cow? I can’t even…sorry, Pillow Pet. But we’ve had…I don't know if we’ve done two episodes with Pillow Pet, but Pillow Pet kinda is our resident plush who is out there, somewhere out there in the world, adventuring. It’s funny because here’s the thing; if you…recently, about six months ago, we were staying at a hotel and I had this really nice thing…'cause sometimes I buy sleep products on my own because I see them advertised or they’re getting all this hype. I say, well, I should buy that and test it out 'cause listeners are gonna probably ask me about it, or all the sleep experts are talking about it; let me try it.

 

Most of the time, the companies won't sponsor the podcast. I have no idea why…that all these sleep products are out there. A lot of them just want a partnership, which means…Scoots, you could talk about our product for free, or we’ll…it’s just funny. But this company never did that, but I did buy their product. It’s similar to a sleeping-bag liner, like one of those sleeping bags that really snugs you in. I bought it 'cause I said, well, this is interesting. I tried it for a while myself, but…'cause…but I discovered for me, a weighted comforter works a lot better. I think this thing’s called a pod…something pod. But it’s very much like a thin sleeping bag, but it’s very comforting. It does hug you, and…or maybe it’s…maybe that’s what it’s called, a Hug.

 

But anyway, my point is, now…well, not anymore because it’s too…I would bring this product with us when we traveled, because here’s the thing; I’m…I would…if I’m really being the best parent I can be and we’re staying at a hotel, I’ll bring that…I would have brought that and a blanket for my daughter. Because I don't know what it is with hotels; they don’t really have a lot of blankets. Usually maybe there’s one extra blanket in the room, but I like to sleep…I follow hygiene, but it’s also just personal. I like to have the room very cool. But so, I’ll provide my daughter with those two things. But she left that thing…even though it was grey, it got left in the hotel bed, and when they cleared out the bed, this got lost with it and they were never able to recover it.

 

Even though they found something…they found a blanket in my room, they said, oh, we found it. I said, no, no, that’s a blanket. I showed you a picture of this thing. But it wasn’t recoverable. That’s kinda what happened to that Pillow Pet, too, which is just weird. To me, it was not…I was not…let’s just say I was not pleased because…for the second time. The first time it happened to happen at Disney World, so I’m like, oh, they probably have a central processing place. I guess I still don’t understand how they didn’t find it, but…and the same for this one. I said, well, maybe the hotel sends their laundry out, but still. So, anyway, these things happen. Lesson not learned, but hopefully it will be learned in the future. Don’t leave things in your hotel bed, personal items in your hotel bed. It’s that simple. They’re gonna strip everything.

 

Even if they’re not doing it every day…I don't know what happens. Okay. But Pillow Pet…and I guess maybe Pillow Pet…I guess Pillow Pet has not met up with this blanket, but…or, whatever, sleep device, but I was thinking of Pillow Pet and all the plush out there. A lot of plush probably listen to the podcast, you know? I mean, inadvertently. You don’t have a choice. I guess I haven’t pandered to all of you, and I do like to pander. Holy cow, am I a people-pleaser, so I should be a plush-pleaser, too. So, I don't know, maybe I’ll just take the time…'cause I was like, okay, I’m assuming…but I think it’s a pretty strong assumption that if you’re a plush, you would prefer not a sterile environment but a relatively clean environment. Maybe once in a while you have to get washed.

 

I don't know…I think your…probably…opinions are varied on that, so…but maybe you all have your own opinions on being washed. Sure, there’s spot-wash. That might be nice. So, I don't know, I was thinking we could just run through some stuff about plush in the honor of Pillow Pet. We could pretend Pillow Pet is…Pillow Pet, if you can hear me, I’m gonna try to embody your answers for all the plush listening out there, because you’re a part…here’s the thing; I’m not pandering when I say this, plush or stuffed animals or teddy bears or plush…I don't know what else…stuffies, bedtime buds, you are an important part of people’s lives.

 

My daughter’s in high school. She’s been…she got a new plush over the holidays and…a famous one from the movies who’s dressed as their plush and who’s one of the many people that likes bananas. She bring…she was bringing that to school for a little while. So, other than sap or honey or oils, what other things would…should we know as people to keep away from you? If I’m just asking and I’m putting myself…okay, hard candy, especially…okay, okay, this is good. So, hard candy; obviously that makes sense, especially if it’s been in your mouth. Okay, that makes sense a lot. Noted.

 

Obviously don’t sleep with gum in your mouth 'cause if it doesn't get in your hair, it could get on your…here’s the strangest thing about plush friends…I’m trying to walk through my childhood memories of going to bed chewing gum and wondering what I was thinking anyway, right? Because that does happen to…I mean, that’s…is that…that’s not a…that’s a pretty universal experience. Yeah, thinking about you plush…it would be even worse for all of you because…so, let’s walk through this. Number-one thing that I’m talking about right now; you shouldn’t go to bed…protect your plushes from gum and hard candy. Obviously hard candy a little bit less so. But what was it? Is it just kids…? Are kids born after 1999 smarter than…? Do they go to bed with gum in their mouth?

 

Pretty sure it’s happened to my daughter, but I don't…I can't remember a specific memory of it. Maybe I can, but it’s so archetypal. But some of you might be laughing, so I do have to go through this. So, at some point in my life and a lot of people’s lives…and I can only imagine that…here’s…okay, let’s run through…let’s get a little personal essay on here. Okay, so, there’s two gum memories I have. So, I’m thinking that what happened is, for me, that there was some sort of rebellious freedom of thrill and independence aligned with this gum, and maybe a little bit of an elicit thrill of rebellion. So, let me…I never…my relationships with…I mean, holy cow, I’m probably breaking some plush’s heart out there.

 

I mean, I had a couple plushes that I remember, but I’d have to…I don't know, I tend to have moved on from Little Andy’s days. But so, this would have been after I had a plush. Oh, by the way, my plushes were a teddy bear, Teddy, I think, and Raggedy Andy, of course, 'cause my name was Andy. Those were the two plushes I know of. Also, I think I’ve talked about this, and I actually have this one…was this from Mister Rogers or another show? I’ve probably talked about this, though. These weren’t plushes but one year my sister, my brother, and I were gifted…we got matching gifts which were on…I think it was on Mister Rogers…so, Mister Rogers, they’d go to the World of Pretend or the land, land far…the trolley would go there and it would be a world with hand puppets.

 

The hand puppets I remember were…I don't really remember. There was a king and then there was probably…I would assume a court, then there was some sort of bird? My sister had the bird or something like a bird. Maybe there was a spellcaster? Huh. So, I don't know, but I had the king, the king of loving land stuff, the king of far, far away. I guess we’ll have to look this up after, but let’s talk about the gum first and then we’ll see if I can remember anything. I’m trying to think…I’d like to know because…so, we each got one of those puppets, and the puppet was interesting. It had a plastic head, so the only thing you could do is say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and move the hands, but then the body was kind of a stuffed sack, and then it had little arms you could move that were just loose material that you could put your fingers in.

 

So, you put one finger in their head and then your thumb and your middle finger in their arms. So, let me put this in here; Mister Rogers’ neighborhood…okay, so, we’ll look that up later. So, there’s two major gum…and this is also interesting 'cause I just had a gum that tasted like one of these. Oh, no, it didn’t; I’m sorry. I don't know if this gum still exists. It shouldn't. As much as I have a positive love of this one kind of gum…the other kind does exist in different forms. I would assume this is when I had my paper route, because that’s when I had some financial freedom to buy stuff like this. So, I’m guessing that both these sets of gum did end up in my hair and I purchased it with money from my paper route. ‘Cause other than that, maybe it was some sort of life event that I got money for.

 

But when I had my paper route, I should have known better than to go to bed chewing gum. So, it could have been some other time I had extra money. But so, there’s two kinds of gum that I would have purchased and been thrilled, because one, both of them came in copious amounts. One is a kind of intergenerational gum, which is…there’s two kinds. One is called Zooker Joe’s gum, I’m gonna say, or Dubble Bubble. Those were the competing brands. You could buy it in a box. It came in a box when I was…holy cow, I feel…I’ve never said this, but I feel old saying this. But this was a gum that you would chew and you would be like, my grandparents chewed this gum, and then you’d move on. Because the gum came with…it came wrapped up and it would come with a comic inside the gum.

 

These were the only…I think only Zooka Joe’s came with that. I don't know if Dubble Bubble came with…oh no, Dubble Bubble is something different, anyway. There was also Hubba Bubba. There was gum…there was a lot of gums that were made to look like different tobacco products, which is interesting. Starter gums, we called those. But so, I don't know…Dubble Bubble, was that the other one? But anyway, Zooker Joe’s would come…it was a flat piece of gum. It was a rectangle. It was pink. But when you opened it, first there was a wrapper, then there was a comic. The gum would usually have some powder on it. I don't know if…to keep it from…keep it dry. Keep your gum dry, man, especially if you have stuffed animals. Then it would have the comic, and then you would chew the gum. It was bubble gum.

 

Maybe it was Dubble Bubble? Did I say that already? I can't remember, but this one was Zooker Joe’s, I’m pretty sure. You would read the comic…the comics were from another generation, so I wouldn't read them very closely. Sometimes there’d be a joke on there or something, but it was very tactile and cool to have. The gum was…it definitely was not great for someone that had a lot of fillings like I did. It was hard to start. It had a typical gum flavor. It wasn’t good or…it wasn’t…it was more good than not-great tasting, but it wasn’t the kind of gum you were like, oh boy, is this delicious. Then if you bought that, then you may have the instinct like I did to put…you wanted to be like a kid chewing gum on TV, so you might put two things of gum in your mouth.

 

So, I could see that gum that…I bought a box of gum, then I put two things…my parents were like, no chewing gum after 6:00. But as soon as my parents turned their backs, I got in bed with a mouthful of gum, which, how do I…how do people not…how does even a kid not see that…? Or, I guess how…I guess if I was a parent, I’d say, how does gum end up in your hair twice? I can see once. But even so, especially if you were a kid like me that was always on the lookout for what was gonna happen, how was I not aware that…? Dude, if you’re chewing gum when you’re falling asleep, you’re gonna fall asleep with gum in your mouth, which is no…no good possible outcome. Maybe you wake up with it on your cheek, which I can feel.

 

So, okay…so, it could have been Zooker Joe’s gum, and that would have been…I would have had…probably had a double…two pieces in my mouth and fallen asleep chewing it after I brushed my teeth, of course. Or maybe I said, I don't need to brush my teeth; this gum will do it. So, that was one kind of gum. The other kind of gum…and let’s look this one up now while we have Mister Rogers open, but let’s open up another tab here. So, this kind of gum was called Fruit Stripe, Fruit Stripe gum. What I remember about it was…also, no offense to any gum companies, but Juicy Fruit is another gum I’ll put in this category; incredibly flavorful for moments. Fruit Stripe gum was the most delicious gum for about two minutes of your life. You say, this is gonna be the best two minutes of chewing gum.

 

I mean, you never said that 'cause you’d just say, I can't believe the flavor’s gone. Now I need another one. It came in a gigantic pack. I’m talking…most gum comes six sticks to a pack? I don't know. This one would come with, whatever, thirty-six pieces of gum or something, and they were Fruit Stripes. So, it was like…normally, adult-based gums were pretty plain-colored, but this one had stripes, different-color stripes. I don't know if it all…if it had different flavors of fruit. I just know it was really good-tasting for a short period of time. Holy cow, news in; it just ended in 2024. Oh, they say it has zebra stripes. So, I actually had the peppermint stripes but in different colors.

 

So, a wide stripe and thin stripes, and it also had…wait a second, you could make temporary tattoos out of the wrappers? I never heard about that. So, I’ll read the Wikipedia article, but it had a zebra as its mascot. I don't know if…I’m assuming it had television commercials, but let’s go. It’s from Beech-Nut. Yeah, 1960 to 2024. The history, according to Wikipedia, was it was a five-flavor gum from Beech-Nut, James Parker. It changed a lot of different things. Then they had Fruit Stripe gummy candy in 2022, but, yeah, 2024…wow, just this year, right…not long before I recorded it, they said they’re gonna stop producing it. This says there was two flavors, two types of ones produced; a chewing gum — that must have been after my time — and a bubble gum, which was cherry, grape, mixed fruit, lemon, and cotton candy.

 

Now, I don't think this is…a character known as the Fruit Stripe Gum Man was used to promote the product, an anthropormorphized gum pack with limbs and face. Then stripe fruity animals — a zebra, tiger, elephant, and mouse — coloring book, plush toys, then a zebra named Yipes was the sole mascot. So, that must have been Yipes Stripes advertising slogan. Then they even had temporary tattoos. Yipes was shown prominently on Fruit Stripe gum packaging. 1996, they gave money to the World Wildlife Fund for each pack. References…Fruit Stripe gum discontinued. Fruit Stripe website…Fruit Stripe Man…Fruit Stripe food characters…okay, this is on Retroland. Sometimes they have good stuff here. Okay, so, we’re going to Retroland if it loads for us.

 

Fruit Stripe…yeah, certain scents, they say, stick to your memory banks. Fruit Stripe gum; one whiff and you’ll remember it. Fluorescent stripes, colorful zebras, intense fruit flavor…but they were…yeah, but they were some wonderfully tasty minutes. Started in the sixties…and fruity flavors that seemed more natural than artificial, and…but the flavor only lasted a little while. Then, yeah, you just have another stick of gum. You could go through a whole pack in twenty minutes. They had the picture…okay, so, this is the same generation as me, the zebra Yipes who was introduced in the sixties. This was the nineties, probably that was eating it, or the late eighties, and Yipes was still the sole mascot. Temporary tattoos…so, yeah, that’s about all on Fruit Stripe. What about…what’s that other one? Zooker Joe’s.

 

Let’s see what that one says. Okay, Zooka Joe’s is a comic strip character from…okay, we’ll go to the gum. No, no, no…okay, Zooka chewing gum. So, it’s just called Zooka chewing gum. 1947; that’s when that one came out. It was purchased in 2023, too. It started…it was sold by Topps Trading Company and it was wrapped in red, white, and blue. Oh yeah, so…color scheme…originally sold for a penny in the fifties. It came with a small comic strip. There are over 1,535 different comic strip wrappers, and there was also a offer for a premium…older or different in size. They had the original Topps flavor, then they had all flavors, probably, I guess, after my time. It sold across the world and translated…what else do we got? Yeah, in 2012 they stopped selling comics and put brain teasers in there.

 

In Argentina…I mean, that’s Wikipedia, but they say it’s called Yo Amo Zooker, I love the Zooker. So…and then there is a picture of the…I guess it wasn’t a box. It was a brick of candy, maybe? I don't…a brick of gum? Maybe that makes sense. Okay, so, that’s Zooker Joe’s. So, either one of those would have been what I had in my mouth when I fell asleep, and I guess the Fruit Stripe makes a lot of sense, how that could get caught in my hair. So, that makes sense that the plush would want us not to go to bed with those in our mouth, right? Okay, let’s head over here to Wikipedia’s article on Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Format…let’s see. Oh, characters; maybe that’ll be…help us. Characters…okay, they had…here’s other characters…I’ve talked about Mister Rogers before.

 

Neighbor Aber, Lady Aberlin…okay, she was the niece. Okay, I remember her. I think my sister must have had Lady Aberlin. She had a real-world counterpart, Betty. Okay, Scientist Adler, who is a scientist…oh, he was in the real world, a expert…and in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe in earlier stories. Charles, a magician and friend, Natalie, Marilyn, Chef…oh, so there’s a chef. Maybe…or maybe one of my siblings had the chef. He was…oh no, Edgar Cook. His count…neighborhood…oh, he owns Brockett's Bakery. His Neighborhood of Make-Believe counterpart is Edgar Cook in the kitchen. Okay, Bob Brown was a puppeteer and marionette maker. Judy is Bob’s wife, Michael his son…Tony…proprietor of Tony’s shop…Jose works at Brockett's Bakery.

 

Clemens…Dr. David, Keith, Keith the carpenter…he also gets the money from Donkey Kong, a arcade game. Emily the poetry lady, Joey the tap-dancer, pilot Eto, opera singer and royal pilot of King Friday the XIII, Susan. I’m trying to find the other characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe or whatever. Miss royal…oh, royal telephone operator. Okay, so, so far we just have two people from the…okay, here we go. The Neighborhood of Make-Believe is a fictional kingdom visited by Mister Rogers during the show. Characters in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe are portrayed by both hand puppets and actors. Fred Rogers was a puppeteer of a great number of characters; Collette, Cornflake, Daniel, Donkey, Edgar, Grand Pierre, Henrietta, Eno, King Friday XIII…so, I have King Friday XIII.

 

Lady Elaine…okay, Lady Elaine…so, Lady Elaine my sister had, and then my brother had X the Owl, who was…there was also a tadpole, Queen Sarah, Princess Margaret, Mrs. Frog…okay, so that makes sense. There was also thirteen in-series operas that took place during the make-believe segments. Wow. Baby-sitter Opera, Campsite, Teddy Bear, Ship, Pineapples and Tomatoes, Monkey’s Uncle, Snow People, Potatoes, All in the Laundry…that sounds familiar. Key to the Other Land, Wind Storm in Bubble Land, Spoon Mountain, A Granddad for Daniel, and A Star for Kitty. So, that’s interesting. Alright, well…so, I think that kinda covers why I shouldn't go to bed with…why plush don’t like hard candy or gum.

 

‘Cause the typical…okay, to stay with this archetypal memory, just in case…I mean, honestly, I don't know; if you’re under forty, have you had gum in your hair? I don't know. Maybe? I don't know. But what would happen is usually the strategy…well, the strategy if you were a kid and woke up was to try to get it out of your hair or to cry. Or, these are my strategies. Or…well, no, I don't think I would cry. Maybe, if I was younger. Then I would just try…then I probably did cut my own hair. Yeah, I don't know…cut my own hair because…I don't know, to cover it up. I guess it’s a cover-up, but it doesn't work because…but then if an adult was intervene…there was two solutions. I don't know if either one worked, which was either mayonnaise or peanut butter.

 

I don't know, this was before the internet, so…but it’s like, I don't know if either one of those actually works. I know I’ve talked about this on the podcast before 'cause I can remember getting e-mails about it. But I guess to put myself in the shoes of a plush…here’s the thing; first of all, mayonnaise should never touch a plush. I mean, I don't even need to pander. Mayonnaise is one of those very…those things that’s not divisive, but I can only speak for myself. I never had mayonnaise ‘til I was twenty-one years old, or twenty years old. I’m pretty sure I was twenty-one years old the first time I had mayonnaise, and it was dijonnaise. It wasn’t even mayonnaise. Before that, I had lived my life being like, I’m not a person that eats mayonnaise. I have no interest in it and I won't ever have mayonnaise. It’s just not my thing.

 

That was my philosophy on mayonnaise. It may have been something I read in a children’s story or something, and I still know people that were in that no-mayonnaise group that are still no-mayonnaise people. I am not, and what happened for me…but let’s just say we can…I think we can all agree that if a plush could live its whole life without coming in contact with mayonnaise, that plush would…life would probably not be…it wouldn't be a bad thing. Now, if a plush becomes real, that’s different. If it’s gonna start eating sandwiches and it has taste buds and a digestive track and an ability…it becomes real so then it can clean up easier. But I just think there’s a cost to mayonnaise touching a plush, because somewhere hidden deep inside that plush will always be a hint of mayonnaise. There’s another chapter for my autobiography; A Hint of Mayonnaise.

 

I think this is something…maybe somebody should run…I say, the No Mayonnaise for Plush…I guess we’d take…somebody would take it too far, but it’s like, I think that’s something we could agree on. But so, the two strategy…and I’d say peanut butter…ideally peanut butter wouldn't come in contact with a plush. I think because of children and peanut butter…ubiquitous and peanut butter, peanut butter on your fingers, there is a better chance that as a plush, you may have to live your life accepting the fact that occasionally you’ll come in contact with peanut butter, but that doesn't mean peanut…okay, so, two things I can hear people that are listening asking; please talk about your first consumption of mayonnaise 'cause oh boy, I could sleep right through that.

 

I can't…I don't think I could not…so…and what is this mayonnaise gum theory? Okay, so, the generational knowledge…and again, you say, Scoots, what happened with your generation? We thought the world was gonna be…there was all those songs. Well, one, that was a song about soda, the world will be a better place. I’d like to…but, two, the generational knowledge that was passed onto us…this was considered essential adult knowledge that either mayonnaise…okay, let me just speak for myself because I’m probably wrong. But it was my understanding that through my family’s history, the wise ones passed down a few things, and one was that if your child gets gum in their hair, you should either use mayonnaise or peanut butter to get it out.

 

I’m thinking as an adult…I don't have any concept that it would work with either…just the idea of putting mayonnaise in my daughter’s hair for anything just seems like…if I was her, I’d be like, I don't think…I still smell like mayonnaise now, dad. Then peanut butter…I don't know. I just don’t…it takes on…when it’s…I don't know. It just doesn't belong on the human head, either. It’s slightly less…I don't know if this is the right word…use of this word, odious, but it’s like, there’s something slightly less-repulsive about the idea of using peanut butter. But I think about all my experience with peanut butter, which is pretty huge. I’m a regular consumer of whole-wheat bread with peanut butter and jelly or some other nut butter.

 

I don't…is there any other…was this like orange…like Don Draper and orange juice, where somebody’s like, you know what? We can move more peanut butter…when Beech-Nut Enterprises bought a peanut butter company, this is the perfect marriage. This is a whole new vertical for us. ‘Cause is there any other things that people say, oh yeah, no, you just rub the peanut butter between your teeth…? Oh yeah, it totally changes everything. Have you tried rubbing some peanut butter…? No. No one says that. First of all, 'cause people have nut allergies, but also just 'cause it’s like, peanut butter? No, no, here’s what peanut butter’s good for; peanut butter, stuff that has peanut butter in it. Two, if you need to check your dog’s tongue for something…and that’s not a joke.

 

Sometimes I had to check Koa’s tongue, and I just give her some peanut butter and then it’s easy. Or, whatever, peanut…other than that, I don't know, was…is there something I’m missing? You say, oh yeah, you know what? You know how to get a stain out of marble? Peanut butter. Just rub some peanut butter on it. So, I guess speaking for the plush…I don't know…definitely trying to never…kids, if you’re listening, this is one thing I could say. Usually I say don’t do this. Yeah, do this; don’t ever let your plush touch peanut…I mean, mayonnaise or peanut butter, because, I don't know, they’re just…I don't know…I mean, I don't know if those will actually get gum out of your hair, either. I guess I could run an experiment somehow, but I’m sure the internet has the answers…you know.

 

Okay, so what about me and mayonnaise? I know all the plushes out there are like, I thought this episode was gonna be about us, and I’m sorry. I’m just too…so, my history with mayonnaise…and also, this goes for tomatoes and tomato soup. I’m trying to think of any other foods I swore…I mean, there’s been things I’ve sworn off permanently; orange creamsicles. I talked about that in the Sylvan Beach episode, and I never will go back. Maybe if someone said, here’s fifty bucks to taste an orange creamsicle, I would do that. It would cost more than fifty bucks, by the way, 'cause I know there’s enough people that don’t like me that actually are fans of the show that would do that. But so…okay, so, I don't know why I swore off tomato soup and tomatoes, but that was another one that I swore off.

 

I’m not a big consumer of tomato soup anyway, so that one’s not as big a deal. But so, the mayonnaise thing…this one is a pretty…and I had to learn my lesson. It was actually one of the few times I listened to other people in my life. We went on a trip. Whatever, I was twenty-one, and all my friends were about that age. We went on a trip. We had…my friend, her parents had a condo, or her grandparents, in Florida, so we all went down there. None of us had any money, so we literally consisted on turkey sandwiches. That was our…literally, that was all I think I consumed, except for maybe once in a while I had hamburgers or hot dogs or something. But I was on a pretty much 70% turkey-sandwich diet for however many days we were there, which felt like a week or something. Maybe it wasn’t that long.

 

But someone said to me, you’re not gonna…so, it wasn’t…it was the kind of dry turkey breast, right? They were like, but if you put dijonnaise on your bread, dude, it won't be so dry. For the first time in my life, I was…I said, okay, I’m willing to try this. I do know I like dijon…whatever that stuff’s called, mustard, so I’ll try this. Now, dijonnaise was an invention, a branded invention, which was just mayonnaise and dijon mustard mixed together. Which, now they have chipotle mayo and stuff like that. So, that was just another thing that was out there. But yeah, so, that’s what got me to try that. It was…and it worked. Then after that I said, oh, I guess I do not…I guess mayonnaise is for me. So, I guess that’s it about…so, I guess I could add those.

 

Peanut butter and mayonnaise are two other things you should keep out of contact…hard candy, gum. Obviously you don’t want to try to clean a plush friend with peanut butter. That’s another one. It’s just gonna seep into their pores. What other things…what else should we…? Okay, anything sweet or sticky. Okay, so, sodas…here’s one; cotton candy, right? Here’s something that I’m sure people would think would be…ubiquitous is not the right word. Why did that pop in my head? But I could see myself doing this. So, I’ll just apologize because I haven't done this. But if I…I mean, I never had unresistricted access to cotton candy except for at a birthday party about a year ago or maybe a year and a half ago. Someone had cotton candy at their child’s birthday party, a cotton candy machine.

 

I think I made one or two batches of it, but I didn’t make a spectacle of myself. But I could see that happening, where if you had a lot of cotton candy or you had some down time with cotton candy…giving your plush a cotton candy hair style, and I can't…maybe we can…no, I guess we don’t need candy-friendly plush, but the thing is when you’ve seen cotton candy sweat…any time cotton candy gets any kind of moisture or a high humidity…or you touch your tongue to cotton candy, something happens chemically, and that’s not gonna be good for plush. Plus, there’s dyes in there. Plus, there’s…if I wanted to change my look, I’ll change my look, but I don't need any cotton-candy blues or pinks unless I want them. Though I would say on the other side, most plushes would look cute with a temporary cotton-candy hair style.

 

But I could say from a plush’s perspective, this is…what if we…it’s too bad I didn’t think of this an hour ago; teaching empathy and compassion through plush. You say, well, I’ve always struggled with those things. Well, put yourself in the plush’s shoes. Would you want someone putting cotton candy in your hair? I say, well, who’s the person? Hold on. No, I’m kidding. But yeah, no, I can't imagine that would feel good after a little…plus, yeah, would it crystallize? That would be…what do you use to get cotton…what do you use to get crystallized cotton candy out of your hair? Almond butter? Coconut oil? Coconut oil wouldn't be actually that bad, comparatively, to any of this other stuff. Okay, yeah…okay, so we got that down.

 

Cotton candy, most sweets, ice cream…anything else we should know about, plush, now that I’ve used up your whole episode talking about a couple of things, which is what makes it so sweet? Pillow Pet out there…but the thing was that Pillow Pet…that’s how Pillow Pet did use a reuseable soda mug. Sand…? What do plushes feel about sand? Not…okay, that’s another one. As much as we’d like to go to the beach with you, please don’t, because…yeah, you got…'cause, plush, you like to stay dry for the most part, right? Of course. Sand can be wet even if it doesn't seem like it’s wet. It’s sandy. Sand could get into your pore…whatever. I don't know, do you call them pores? Do plushes have pores, or you have…? You’re porous. You’re somewhat porous, right? Okay, so that makes sense. I could see…wet grass?

 

Okay, there’s another one. I’m glad we’re getting to some stuff that you really don’t care for. Wet grass, dew…okay. What about…how do you feel about moss? Okay, so-so. Yeah, moss to me…moss is, I think, something everybody should experience, even plush, once in their life. A cheek…your cheek on the moss, that was part of my poetry that I never…your cheek on the moss…something a loss…[MUMBLING]…yeah, your cheek on the moss. Yeah, I could see that. ‘Cause moss, I would say…if it’s…as long as it’s…how about this; moss after 11:00 a.m. but before 4:00. That’s when…the lowest moisture, I think. Definitely a week after the most recent precipitation. I think that’s a safe area for you to have a moss experience. Okay, moss, we covered pine…any other major things we should know about that you really dislike?

 

‘Cause here’s the thing; we never hear about things that plush dislike other than, yeah…yeah, I get it. I know most kids hold onto one of your arms and you could be more balanced. Puddles, clearly…usually…how about this; getting dropped in spilled milk? Talk about making…crying over spilled milk more cry-able. I think my plush…that’s a rough one. You’re right. That, I would say, necessitates a washing. Any dairy-based…yeah, dairy-based products or dairy alternatives, keep them away from plush. Yeah, okay. How many industries…are there any plush-friendly industries? Okay, dry things, couches, beds…that’s usually where you’re supposed to hang anyway, right? Any other things I want…I should know about where…? How do you feel about…? Here’s something. This is the honest truth.

 

Just thought of this, but I was thinking a lot of you travel, like a Pillow Pet. Now, Pillow Pet did not have a place for this, but what about some sort of necklace where we could keep a tag, a location-aware device? I keep those in my…I mean, in my luggage, right? Actually, I bought two decent coats because in the Bay Area it’s always kinda spring…having a spring/fall coat. Or, I guess those are jackets. I put a air tag in each of those, 'cause that’s what I usually lose. Any time you pay more than forty or fifty bucks…it wasn’t a hundred bucks. Maybe it was. I said, oh, I don't want to lose this coat, so I put a location tag in there. I think getting your plush a location tag, that’s probably something some parents do anyway. But that’s an idea, right, of how would we…?

 

You could get it stitched inside you, which is probably the best idea, but then you’d need a parent not like me that’s good at stich…re-stitching you. But you could just have a zipper and then we could put it in there. That’s a nice idea, right? I mean, I think that solves every…then maybe we could get…as those things advance, it’d have a moisture-sensor, a mayo-proximity alert. You say, mayonnaise, dairy in vicinity. Or even…you’d say, okay, that’s…so, that would be pretty good. It could send an alert to the parent’s phone; hey, your child’s plush is too close to the mayo. By the way, that buffet table needs to be fifteen feet…this plush needs to be fifteen feet away. That’s open mayo right there. You can't have a plush near…yogurt? Holy cow.

 

I did say dairy-based things, but you’re right; yogurt…how come mayo seems worse than yogurt, though? Is it just me? Or, I’d say, even though yogurt has its own tang…I don't know. Oh, juices…yeah, I think we could agree on that. The only thing is it seems like a juice dries out better. I realize not perfectly. So, yeah, this is great info we got from the plush of the world and where I mostly talked about myself. I talked about gum and some other things. So, I’m glad you’re all here, and I hope all those plushes out there and all the people around them are sleeping well and snuggled in and you’re sending love to one another. Goodnight.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)

Personal Essay / Trending Tuesday

Winnie the Pooh / Public Domain

https://news.temple.edu/news/2022-01-24/winnie-pooh-and-hundreds-other-works-are-now-public-domain

https://jtip.law.northwestern.edu/2023/04/19/winnie-the-poohs-journey-into-the-public-domain/

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/04/17/what-winnie-the-pooh-and-mickey-mouse-can-tell-us-about-the-public-domain-and-remix-culture

 

Maintaining Plushes

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-clean-stuffed-toys-2146217

https://bunniesbythebay.com/blogs/how-to-delight/cleaning-tips-to-keep-your-stuffed-animals-looking-new

https://www.maids.com/blog/how-to-wash-stuffed-animals-without-ruining-them/

 

Bazooka Joe History

https://www.candyfavorites.com/unofficial-official-history-bazooka-joe-bubble-gum

https://jewishcurrents.org/a-short-history-of-bazooka-joe-fortunes

https://www.fooddive.com/news/bazooka-gum-nostalgia-success-75-anniversary/648036/

 

Hair Gum Solutions

https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/how-to-remove-chewing-gum-from-hair

https://www.tastingtable.com/928537/the-scientific-reason-peanut-butter-can-help-get-gum-out-of-your-hair/

https://www.vanguardcleaning.com/blog/remove-chewing-gum-cleaning-tip/

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

It’s too much pressure to cheer you up

Eeyore does have a point

If Pooh Bear is a stuffy, he shouldn’t be anywhere near honey

On the quiet side of cheer

Sentient Stuffed Animals should avoid anything sticky

I guess I got an episode idea from this teaser…

 

Deep Dark Night United

n/a

 

PLUGS

Orlando Park Stop Fundraiser; Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Claritin; Dusker; Helix Sleep; Odoo; Air Doctor Pro; AquaTru; Zocdoc; Progressive

 

INTRO

Thinking about children’s literature

Is Winnie the Pooh a children’s book?

Feelings about plush-based beings

You’re not alone

Figuratively nodding along

It’s ok to be skeptical

Levels of Being Plush: The New Eeyore Story

Is Eeyore made of Burlap?

Most people like the ad-supported version

I love pandering to pets

A friendly reminder that pets rule the world

Blow your fish a kiss right now

I’m just covering my bases re: pets

If I have to pander, I’ll pander to pets

The Magic of the Intro

Ok, I’ve got a few ideas to work around now

Oh, I guess Winnie the Pooh is kind of like Toy Story

A Toy Story Model

The philosophical underpinnings of sentient plushies

I don’t know what sentient means

You know what’s not easy? being covered in honey and then dirt

Eeyore with an Edge

 

STORY

An episode about plush friends

Of all the things I now a little about, Winnie the Pooh is one of them

Memories of the Huffalumps

Disney movies with weird dream sequences

Filed away until the torrent of Pooh memories is unleashed

I don’t want to come into contact with any sap if I’m made of plush

I kind of remember Pillow Pet, out there adventuring

Sometimes I buy sleep products on my own

They won’t pay for ads but they’ll agree to a ‘partnership’

Now I bring this product with us

Hotels normally don’t have a lot of blankets

I prefer a cool room so I need extra blankets for my daughter

And that’s how we lost Pillow Pet

I guess a lot of plush inadvertently listen to the podcast

I’ve never pandered to plush

I assume that Plush prefer a clean environment

Plush, you are an important part of people’s lives

Avoiding sap, honey, or oils

Avoiding hard candy

Remembering eating gum in bed as a child

Do kids still go to bed with gum in their mouth?

Let’s get a little Personal Essay on this

The illicit thrill of rebellion

Breaking Plush Hearts

Teddy, the Teddy Bear

Raggedy Andy

A bird from Mr. Rogers

I had the Mr. Rogers king puppet

The puppet had a plastic head and a sack body

2 Major Gums

Both of these sets of gum must’ve ended up in my hair

I should’ve known better than to go to bed chewing gum

Zooker Joe’s

Dubble Bubble

Man, you could buy these in a box

A lot of gums were made to look like tobacco, which is its own thing

Keep your gum dry, man

Memories of bubblegum comics

That gum was hard to start

And I’d be tempted to do 2 pieces at once

But I had gum end up in my hair twice!

Fruit Stripe Gum

This was the most flavorful gum for like 2 minutes

Holy Cow, Fruit Stripe just ended in 2024???

Wait the wrappers had temporary tattoos?

Did this Zebra mascot ever have commercials?

Wow, they just stopped producing this

The Fruit Stripe Gum Man

A Zebra named Yipes

You could go through a whole pack in like 20 minutes, just to keep it fresh

Let’s look up Zooker Joe’s

Oh, it’s just called Zooka chewing gum

Sold by Topps card company

I guess it was a brick of gum

One of these gums definitely ended up in my hair

Okay, let’s head over to Fred Rogers info now

Running down the characters and puppet counterparts

Ok, here we go: The Neighborhood of Make Believe

I had King Friday the Thirteenth

Wow, there were operas that happened during the Make-Believe section??

I think that covers why plush don’t like hard candy or gum

Is gum hair a generational issue?

My strategies for dealing with gum: Crying, Cutting Hair

Did Mayonnaise or Peanut Butter actually work?

Mayo should never touch a plush

I didn’t have mayo until I was 20 years old

It’s far more likely that peanut butter will touch plush, even if it shouldn’t

My First Consumption of Mayonnaise

The Mayonnaise Gum Theory

What happened to my generation, you might ask?

Mayonnaise in hair is just accepted wisdom

Peanut Butter Ad Paradigm Shift

The plush listeners are mad this episode is no longer about them

My Mayonnaise History

I’ll never go back to orange creamsicles

I don’t remember why I swore of tomato soup and tomatoes

I went on a trip in college and pretty much ate only turkey sandwiches for a week

I tried dijonnaise to break up the monotony

And then I realized I like mayonnaise

Cotton Candy should not touch a plush

I never had unrestricted access to cotton candy

Cotton Candy Sweat can’t be good

Plushies would look cute with cotton candy hairstyles though

Teaching Empathy through plush

What are Plushes thoughts on sand?

Do plushes have pores? They’re porous

Wet grass, big no

All beings should experience their cheek on moss at some point in their life

Moss after 11am

Safe Moss Experience

We never get to hear about the things that Plush dislike

Falling in spilled milk definitely would necessitate a washing

Plush-Friendly Industries (PFIs)

I put an AirTag in a nice coat so I don’t lose it

I should stitch AirTags inside of plushes

May Proximity Alert

How come touching may seems worse than touching yogurt?

A juice must dry out better

Thanks for this info, Plush

 

REFERRAL PROGRAM THANKS

Ana, Michael, Victor, Luca, Dustin, Andrea, Heather, Marla, Jess, Elizabeth, Fuschia, Heather, Ruth, Micahel B, Amanda, Lisa, Jacob

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1274

Title: Stuffed Animal Planning

Deep Dark Night United: n/a

Plugs: Orlando Park Stop Fundraiser; Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Claritin; Dusker; Helix Sleep; Odoo; Air Doctor Pro; AquaTru; Zocdoc; Progressive

Referral Program Thanks: Ana, Michael, Victor, Luca, Dustin, Andrea, Heather, Marla, Jess, Elizabeth, Fuschia, Heather, Ruth, Micahel B, Amanda, Lisa, Jacob

Notable Language:

• On the quiet side of cheer
• Cheer-ish
• Sentient Stuffed Animals
• Plush-Based Beings (PBBs)
• Rigamarole
• Burlap
• Pandering to Pets
• Toy Story Model
• Eeyore with an Edge
• Huffalump
• Inter-generational Gum
• Zooker Joe’s
• Adult-Based Gums (ABGs)
• The Fruit Stripe Gum Man
• My Philosophy on Mayonnaise
• The Mayonnaise Gum Theory
• Odious
• Dijonnaise
• Unrestricted Access to Cotton Candy
• Cotton Candy Hairstyle
• Porous
• Your Cheek on the Moss
• Safe Moss Experience
• Plush-Friendly Industries (PFIs)
• Mayo Proximity Alert

 

Notable Culture:

• Eeyore / Winnie the Pooh
• “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
• Pinocchio
• Levels of Being Plush: The New Eeyore Story
• Toy Story
• Pillow Pet
• Minions / Despicable Me
• Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
• Bazooka Joe
• Dubble Bubble
• Hubba Bubba
• Fruit Stripe Gum
• Juicy Fruit
• World Wildlife Fund
• Topps Cards
• Donkey Kong
• A Hint of Mayonnaise
• Mad Men
• Apple Airtags

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Thinking about children’s literature
• Is Winnie the Pooh a children’s book?
• Feelings about plush-based beings
• You’re not alone
• Figuratively nodding along
• It’s ok to be skeptical
• Levels of Being Plush: The New Eeyore Story
• Is Eeyore made of Burlap?
• Most people like the ad-supported version
• I love pandering to pets
• A friendly reminder that pets rule the world
• Blow your fish a kiss right now
• I’m just covering my bases re: pets
• If I have to pander, I’ll pander to pets
• The Magic of the Intro
• Ok, I’ve got a few ideas to work around now
• Oh, I guess Winnie the Pooh is kind of like Toy Story
• A Toy Story Model
• The philosophical underpinnings of sentient plushies
• I don’t know what sentient means
• You know what’s not easy? being covered in honey and then dirt
• Eeyore with an Edge
• An episode about plush friends
• Of all the things I now a little about, Winnie the Pooh is one of them
• Memories of the Huffalumps
• Disney movies with weird dream sequences
• Filed away until the torrent of Pooh memories is unleashed
• I don’t want to come into contact with any sap if I’m made of plush
• I kind of remember Pillow Pet, out there adventuring
• Sometimes I buy sleep products on my own
• They won’t pay for ads but they’ll agree to a ‘partnership’
• Now I bring this product with us
• Hotels normally don’t have a lot of blankets
• I prefer a cool room so I need extra blankets for my daughter
• And that’s how we lost Pillow Pet
• I guess a lot of plush inadvertently listen to the podcast
• I’ve never pandered to plush
• I assume that Plush prefer a clean environment
• Plush, you are an important part of people’s lives
• Avoiding sap, honey, or oils
• Avoiding hard candy
• Remembering eating gum in bed as a child
• Do kids still go to bed with gum in their mouth?
• Let’s get a little Personal Essay on this
• The illicit thrill of rebellion
• Breaking Plush Hearts
• Teddy, the Teddy Bear
• Raggedy Andy
• A bird from Mr. Rogers
• I had the Mr. Rogers king puppet
• The puppet had a plastic head and a sack body
• 2 Major Gums
• Both of these sets of gum must’ve ended up in my hair
• I should’ve known better than to go to bed chewing gum
• Zooker Joe’s
• Dubble Bubble
• Man, you could buy these in a box
• A lot of gums were made to look like tobacco, which is its own thing
• Keep your gum dry, man
• Memories of bubblegum comics
• That gum was hard to start
• And I’d be tempted to do 2 pieces at once
• But I had gum end up in my hair twice!
• Fruit Stripe Gum
• This was the most flavorful gum for like 2 minutes
• Holy Cow, Fruit Stripe just ended in 2024???
• Wait the wrappers had temporary tattoos?
• Did this Zebra mascot ever have commercials?
• Wow, they just stopped producing this
• The Fruit Stripe Gum Man
• A Zebra named Yipes
• You could go through a whole pack in like 20 minutes, just to keep it fresh
• Let’s look up Zooker Joe’s
• Oh, it’s just called Zooka chewing gum
• Sold by Topps card company
• I guess it was a brick of gum
• One of these gums definitely ended up in my hair
• Okay, let’s head over to Fred Rogers info now
• Running down the characters and puppet counterparts
• Ok, here we go: The Neighborhood of Make Believe
• I had King Friday the Thirteenth
• Wow, there were operas that happened during the Make-Believe section??
• I think that covers why plush don’t like hard candy or gum
• Is gum hair a generational issue?
• My strategies for dealing with gum: Crying, Cutting Hair
• Did Mayonnaise or Peanut Butter actually work?
• Mayo should never touch a plush
• I didn’t have mayo until I was 20 years old
• It’s far more likely that peanut butter will touch plush, even if it shouldn’t
• My First Consumption of Mayonnaise
• The Mayonnaise Gum Theory
• What happened to my generation, you might ask?
• Mayonnaise in hair is just accepted wisdom
• Peanut Butter Ad Paradigm Shift
• The plush listeners are mad this episode is no longer about them
• My Mayonnaise History
• I’ll never go back to orange creamsicles
• I don’t remember why I swore of tomato soup and tomatoes
• I went on a trip in college and pretty much ate only turkey sandwiches for a week
• I tried dijonnaise to break up the monotony
• And then I realized I like mayonnaise
• Cotton Candy should not touch a plush
• I never had unrestricted access to cotton candy
• Cotton Candy Sweat can’t be good
• Plushies would look cute with cotton candy hairstyles though
• Teaching Empathy through plush
• What are Plushes thoughts on sand?
• Do plushes have pores? They’re porous
• Wet grass, big no
• All beings should experience their cheek on moss at some point in their life
• Moss after 11am
• Safe Moss Experience
• We never get to hear about the things that Plush dislike
• Falling in spilled milk definitely would necessitate a washing
• Plush-Friendly Industries (PFIs)
• I put an AirTag in a nice coat so I don’t lose it
• I should stitch AirTags inside of plushes
• May Proximity Alert
• How come touching may seems worse than touching yogurt?
• A juice must dry out better
• Thanks for this info, Plush