Who doesn’t love puppets?! From waking up in the morning with Agro to racing home after school to watch Mr Squiggle, puppets were there for us when life sucked. Now that we’ve grown up, and realised life really does suck sometimes, we’re glad things like YouTube exist to remind us that puppets are still there for us. From Lamp Chop to the brilliance of everything that Jim Henson has touched EVER, here’s a list of our fave puppets in pop culture history.
(If you’ve got a case of pupaphobia, it’s best you look away now.)
Lamb Chop
The six-year-old sock puppet sheep made her debut waaaay back in 1957 with her ventriloquist friend Shari Lewis. Appearing on TV in the sixties before animation was invented (and eventually took over #sadface), Lamp Chop later revisited our screens in the ’90s when we were all kids #happyface. Known for her feistyness and obstinacy, Lamb Chop sure knew how to work people and pull on their heartstrings.
Agro
Known best for his work on Wombat and Agro’s Cartoon Connection, the kids’ TV show host was actually really rather crude. But with us being innocent children and all at the time of airing, the sexual innuendo went straight over our heads – making Agro outtakes essential watching now that we’re legally classified adults.
Mr Squiggle
Australia’s longest running TV series – spanning a total of 40 YEARS – Mr Squiggle was a staple is every child’s after-school TV diet. Anyone else lie on their couch upside down so they could try to figure out what the pencil-nosed genius was drawing?
Jim Henson’s ENTIRE Repertoire
Seriously, the dude’s a puppet-making god among men. He brought us Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, The Count, Big Bird, Elmo (and everyone else from The Muppets / Sesame Street) and the mindfuck that is Labyrinth.
Alf
The wiseguy alien from the planet Malmac that crash landed in the Tanner family’s garage. Fun fact: the Tanners called him Alien Life Form, or Alf for short. #mindblown
Jurassic Park
You’re telling me those weren’t real raptors???
Being John Malkovich
Directed by Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich follows the life of a puppeteer who discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of well, John Malkovich. Odd premise, brilliant movie.
Billy the Puppet
I’ve never actually watched Saw but I’ve been told there is a puppet. I’m even too scared to watch this clip, so I’m just going to assume Billy makes an appearance.
*NSync
These dudes were the puppets of the music industry in the early 2000s, subtly depicted in this video clip.
Randy
One half of the hilarious skinny-man purple-puppet duo that is Sammy J and Randy.
If you’re a puppet/comedy/purple fan, sign up to be coached by Australia’s favourite felt-faced comedian, Randy. Recently stepping out on the road alone winning over audiences across the country with his show Randy is Sober, he knows a thing or two about how to keep his audience in stitches. In his Coach session, the rather crude Randy will give you the skinny on why disrespecting your audience is totally a good thing. Not only for those wanting to get into the comedy biz, this session is sure have you sitting on the edge of your seat, slapping your knee in hilarity.
