Pretty ugly

When it comes to something soft and warm to cuddle up to, cute and cuddly isn't always the way to go.

If we were to peek through the Playschool windows – one, two, three, four – would we find that Manu, Jemima and Humpty have traded in their old furry friends for plush new monster mates? I’ve been feeling a bit protective of old Ted’s popularity lately, as when I think back to when I was young and scared stiff that the boogie-monster was hiding in my wardrobe – it was my best-loved bear (albeit a koala bear) that I squeezed tight and hoped would protect me. The bear was a hand-me-down given to me by my great aunt Nola. He was a bit worn when I was given him, so it was no wonder that over the years, his tiny claws began to fall off one by one, only to leave my poor Mr Koala bear with useless furless stumps. The poor thing wouldn’t have stood a chance against the boogie-monster should it have attempted to attack. In fact, I can imagine poor Mr Koala trying to protect me. He would have cursed the fact that I didn’t sew either of his button eyes back on. It would have been hard enough for him to find the monster’s face to punch, never mind having no claws to aid his defence. Poor bear.

These days, it’s more common to see a new form of the teddy-bear (one that strangely resembles the boogie-monster), taking prize position on kids’ pillows. Perhaps they are drawn to them as they reek of familiarity – half of them looking as though they have been created out of those old bedspreads and nana-rugs of our childhood days. But what on earth has made us think that monsters are an ideal sleep-toy for our children? Well, if I’m being objective, I should first think of how bears became the favourite cuddly toy to begin with. Let’s take Goldilocks and the Three Bears; perhaps one of the earliest and most favourite children’s bedtime stories. It seems a little odd to me that a story about some grumpy bear family with a grudge against a little girl would endear us to make the little beasts our bedtime buddies. Then, later in the early 1900s, a wee song written about a Teddy Bears’ Picnic makes me even more wary of encountering a bear in the dark. Perhaps it was something to do with needing to overcome our fears that saw these grizzlies become the irresistible little fuzzies that made their way into our hearts and bedtimes.

Today, it is pop culture that has something to answer for as overseas trends have somehow made creepy-looking seem cuddly and cute. Just as scary old bears became utterly adorable, monsters and alien-like plushies are the new must-have item on the kids’ Santa wish list. So what’s the story? Do our children believe that the plush Cyclops in their bed is going to protect them from the monster in their wardrobe? I’m not so sure that they are as dependable as our traditional teddies. These new-style plushies appear to be a designer breed – a bunch of ‘one of a kinds’ that might look a little scary, but make you wonder whether they are really prepared to get those vintage-covered tentacles dirty fighting off the stuff of nightmares.

Perhaps I’m just walking in the shoes of my parents who must have thought that the introduction of little blue people were just as strange as these new mutant toys, but kids fell in love with Smurfs as instantly as kids today have with these new ugly dolls. Perhaps for now, traditional teddies will have to give up their warm cosy spots in bed while ugly monsters are in vogue. I guess I could get used to them, or admire the workmanship involved in making them. Crafters nationwide are spawning whole ranges of fantastical vintage monsters by the dozen, and children everywhere are falling in love with them. I may give in and buy one for the kids in my family this Christmas. Who knows – perhaps it will become their treasured keepsake. But as for me, I’ll always keep the softest spot in my heart for old Mr Koala Bear.

Bron Taplin

www.handlemewithcare.co.nz