I like that they split the Red Guys original roles amongst the three characters in the series. Originally he was the witty sarcastic one who didn’t go along with the teachers as much and became enlightened to what was really going on at the end. Now he’s just the witty sarcastic one. Duck’s the one who doesn’t really go along with the teachers, and Yellow’s the one who becomes enlightened in the end. It was a cool change to the original formula that helps to flesh out the other two a bit better, while forcing them to do something different with Red. He no longer feels like the definitive main character of the bunch.
Yeah. I like how they’re all in the same boat, but just have different ways of expressing it through their personalities. Now, that’s what I call quality character development. :)
@@teallineart8805YES FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS THAT!! Red guy just got too emotionally tired of dealing with the situation and confronting everyone all the time. He’s still very in character
DHMIS (the web-series) often feels like being a small child again in a confusing, adult world. a world where you're expected to listen but not be heard, to sit in silence while others speak. where the lessons people teach you are backwards and confusing, but you can never question a thing they say without punishment. you feel absolutely helpless in all of it, expected to simply keep going in spite of the nonsense the teachers say, in spite of the violence and the horror. and there's nothing you can do about it, either. you're entirely alone, with the only other people there being those same authority figures. the same authority figures that confuse and abuse you at will because they've determined who is the adult and who is the child. it's like being a little kid again and experiencing the brunt end of an adult's power trip over you. and what else can you do but be driven to madness or do as the teachers say? why bother to speak in a world so determined to never hear you?
@@N0p3er5wow, it’s so hard for me to find adults who like this series! I tried showing it to my mom, but she didn’t get it :/ I think when I said “it’s subversive” she thought it was gonna be an adult comedy or something :/
@@alex.g7317 my older 2 kids went through a lot and they are wise beyond their years for it. They own me. I had some influence on them, showing them things from 2000-2008 like certain wondershowzen clips, cyriak, paper rad, a lot of music videos and they were allowed on the internet too much. This is not a good thing... but I am healing as a parent and taking my kids seriously. They won't be socially controlled. Those two are also almost to the minute born 2 years apart, they are a force (:
@@alex.g7317Most of the adult comedies I’ve heard of could hardly touch subversive with a ten foot pole though. Ppl often have a very strange definition of that term, it seems..
viewing this i assumed this video would be wildly popular, but i am so surprised to see it’s not. this is an amazing video analyzing the development of this series and everything that’s gone into it. as someone who has loved this show for a long time, this is one of if not the best video i’ve seen on it. it doesn’t rely on theories, but just understanding the art. and as someone who love abstract stories such as these, it’s amazing to see someone who doesn’t simply view it with the lens of some overarching story that is objective. because ultimately, it’s what you get out of it that means the most, and how you view it can tell what kind of person you are. this is a really, really good video. best wishes to you and any future content you make.
had no idea people considered DHMIS 3 to be a poor entry in the series. 3 and 5 are my favorites of the original series. i do agree the ending of the episode is weak, especially with 5's absolutely killer ending on the roster. it does serve a very different purpose to the others, 1, 2, 4, and 5 all serve to make the viewer uncomfortable as possible, however 3 is more social commentary than all of the other episodes. however i don't think that's conceptually bad for DHMIS, Episode 1 of the 2022 series is explicitly a commentary on the workplace and i think it's amazing. (6 serves to tie up the meta-story which i didn't at all care for) also reducing it to "sex cult" bothers me because i just don't think Sex plays a role in the episode at all (aside from the Harder bit which seems more like a one-off to me) i don't think it was at all a misstep even if the series returned to the style of 1 and 2. i can't imagine the series without it. also it has the best music
I completely agree. I have certainly never thought of it as a black sheep, and would probably refer to it as my favorite of the webseries. I also agree, that referring to it as a "sex cult" is a bit reductive. Not just because it's not really about sex, but it's also fairly literal. I don't think it's best understood as a specific cult within the fiction, but as a metaphor for how we discuss and view the topic of love as a culture. We are the cult, all of us, whether we realize it or not. We've taken a concept that is so universal and all encompassing, and reduced it to a very narrow idea with specific cultural limitations. "That's not how it's done" Being the key line. The idea that you could "do love wrong" is absurd and I think that's what the episode is really getting at. But we all to some degree have internalized bad lessons without even realizing it.
100%. The teacher gets more deranged, just like in the first two, but it's in a more nuanced, less overtly horrifying way. We don't fear for Yellow Guy's physical safety, we fear for his autonomy, his worldview, his relationships. I've never seen such a strong, concise critique of religion or our culture's harmful beliefs about love, let alone one that evokes so little blame.
@@tomisgood Honestly I feel like episode 1 and 3 are very similar in that regard. Creativity/art, like love, is something that really can't be quantified or defined, yet we naturally try to create these expectations and restrictions regardless.
Yeah it's a good episode. The only problem is how it ends. Yellow Guy just wakes up and is safe again? It maybe makes sense for the web series to be that way and break logic just tu return to status quo, but it just feels like a lackluster compared to other episodes.
I can't help but agree with you pretty much everything you've said. I think that episode is also one of my favorites and it fits well into the whole overarching theme of the series with children being taking advantage of and in this one it's yellow guys naivety and innocence being taken advantage of and abused
Not sure why the religion episode didn't land for you, each episode has its own weird vibe and this one resonated with me and some experiences we had growing up, the way some people seem nice and inviting and then there's this moment where they pull some weird shit on you and you realise it's a crazy cult and go "nope!" That moment where they suddenly go "and praise our king" and all hum together, and he goes "... what?" Really hit home - just another type of creepy vibe executed really well by the DHMIS team.
I gotta say, Transport was my favorite out of everything. Much like Yellow’s battery removal scene, it was heartbreaking to see him realize the cycle he was in and desperately trying to break it before the end came and reset everything again. Seeing him go back in the last episode and just be kinda clueless again was so sad and made me think how many cycles he had to experience before he gained that lev of sentience. Also thought it was the funniest.
Now I do sort of wish we had one of Duck directly trying to escape/learn the situation. The closest we got was the factory episode but for me it didn't strike the same chord as Red trying to escape or Yellow trying to figure out what's happening
I think DHMIS3 might be one of the creepiest episodes. Which is what it traded off its innate horror for. The episode has occults, a very dated idea of love (With the cult acting notably homophobic which is ironic seeing what presumably happened at the end), and grooming and nonconsensual things involving a child. Ending up with an abomination of a child of the butterfly teacher/occult leader and the adolescent student that is forced to be married to said butterfly.
Not to mention aphobic, and if there's a term for disapproving poly relationships, or any other type of relationship that falls out of line with the "one true life partner" experience.
@cuckoobrain7999 Yeah!! Around when the first episode was put on TH-cam there was a rumor going around that the first episode has a real human heart in it, and whenever the second episode didnt come out when planned, it got spread arouns that because they bought the organ and didn't use it for life saving purposes, they got into some issues. No one REALLY knows if it was a human heart or not :) But! It looks nothing like the claymation heart in the episode DEATH
@@cuckoobrain7999 Pigs have very similiar organs to humans, so almost certainly it was a pig heart. Human hearts are too valuable of a resource to use in that fashion.
I genuinely feel like Jim Henson would be immensely proud of the work that went into this series. He never wanted to have his work associated as "just for kids," but he took the work he got to fund his passions. If he saw the work that went into the independent first season of DHMIS, he would've absolutely given them the funds immediately to go on and do as many seasons as they wanted. Especially with their hidden message as how media corrupts young viewers to their beliefs, it feels like what he would've wanted to make if he wasn't restricted to being kid friendly.
Have you seen Henson’s “meet the feebles”? Not kid friendly, probably not friendly for many adults. A must watch though if you want to experience the other facets of Jim Henson. I didn’t exactly enjoy “Meet the Feebles” but I love that it exists. I agree Henson would have been giddy over DHMIS. In these creative dreamers his freak flag lives on.
I have a very clear memory of watching the first DHMIS web episode. I was just barely in middle school and I was in my neighbor's (who was one of my friends) basement, and we had just gotten finished playing minecraft. He showed me this video and for like, the next month I was unable to do anything without seeing the scene with the heart cake behind my eyelids.
From what I saw of Clayhill as well I get why they scrapped it. Like you said, it just wasn't the DHMIS vibe. It's way more direct and less abstract. If they used new characters I think it would have worked better but trying to shove it into an established style probably would have caused some mixed responses. The Channel 4 series does a significantly better job at expanding on what they built.
It’s really sad that episode 3 of the webseries wasn’t well liked. It was always one of my favorites. I really love all of the episodes of both of webseries and the tv series.
I like the interpretation that the followers of Malcolm show what it's like when you only listen to teachers without questioning. Thus creating a very creepy feeling.
I’m working on a puppet film now, using marionettes. I’ve been working on it for years already, with the hopes I can get grants to realize it to the standards I think it needs to be made. I was very hopeful because of the success of Netflix’s The Dark Crystal but worried when it was cancelled after one season. I think I have something people will really like if I can just get it made. However, I know how difficult distribution will be even if I get funding to make it. Because of all this I think TH-cam is my obvious, and maybe, only choice of platform to display it once it’s finished.
Netflix has had a bad habit of cancelling extremely high rated shows after one season, please keep trying, it would probably be a good idea to push the visual style of the marionettes to make it stand out
So I'm at 31:00 and you're talking about lore theorists. For perspective, I'm into Soulsborne, which is arguably where all of that went from hobby to monetizable. To me, that's the real problem; when you make a cool theory, there's money to be made. Now when a souls game gets released, there's a slew of day 1 or day 2 videos desperately trying to "solve" the plot and game the algorithm before anyone else can. And, you know, I get it. I respect the fact that they're making money. I just don't respect what it's done to the conversation. I know this isn't the main point of the video, but your point really resonated with me (even if it wasn't quite the same thing).
Yeah, one thing is 'hey, this is a cool take on this' another is treating it like a solvable math problem, claim you have the best, exact answer, and handle the tone like you are the ultimate expert and must teach that answer, and anything else is wrong.
I'm just gonna pop in and say that the intro about puppets was clear Chucky erasure. 35 years in and they are still using animatronic puppets for the little red headed demon.
The Jim Henson Company does not have much to do with the Muppets, creatively, any more. They were sold to Disney. By all accounts, the Jim Henson Company does understand the current situation with respect to puppetry, and it's Disney who doesn't get it.
I don’t quite agree with his assessment of the Jim Henson Studio struggle to remain relevant. You’d be surprised to see what things they’re a part of, Disney works them overtime to produce more than the puppets they began with. They now have a wide range of skills but I will say there is little demand for their puppet/animatronic skills. I think that’s why they were so excited to do the costumes for FANAF. I don’t think puppets have lost their relevance in the modern day but rather the old characters/creators/powers that be are struggling to keep them alive rather than moving on to new ideas and new characters that could appeal to newer audiences. I think this is where things like DHMIS did very well. Something old mixed with fresh ideas to get attention from newer audiences.
My favorite puppet creator by far has got to be barnaby Dixon. He really came up with amazing innovative designs that are controlled in an entirely different way from traditional puppets and I was really happy to see him play a role in the dark crystal. I hope he'll have more chances like that in the future
I really used to love his work and especially the small bit of work he did during Age of Resistance. Found out he was a transphobe and had to drop that molten plate before it could get any worse.
@starlightsoiree I saw both of those videos, and it very much feels like Dixon was just ignorant, not malicious. He tried something controversial that he didn't understand. It went wrong, and he tried to fix it (poorly)
Idk man, I LOVE DHMIS 3. It hits very hard if you're queer and/or neurodivergent. It's not JUST about "love" as a sex cult--it's depicting HETERONORMATIVITY as a sex cult. Growing up trying to navigate absurd social norms that refuse to accommodate you? Being confused by a shitload of conflicting messages from authority figures that seem out to get you for no good reason? Episode 3 feels EXACTLY like that experience turned up to 11. If people don't like it, I just think they don't get it. It's about the brainwashing that goes into heteronormativity and neuronormativity. The commentary is so directly pointed at normal people that I'm kind of flabbergasted they don't get it. It IS about reality--just perhaps not your own. And I DEFINITELY think it's the scariest one. Maybe it's not to people privileged enough to never have been brainwashed to think your very essence is morally reprehensible and must be cleansed. The episode's messaging feels loud because growing up with that experience is also loud.
EXACTLY. Thank you for putting it into words, that's exactly how it felt to me. It's probably the one that touches the most on how nonsensical and arbitrary REAL WORLD conventions can be (namely, heteronormativity). All the other episodes from the web series are chock-full with nonsensical and arbitrary rules of course, it's kinda the bread and butter of this series, but in every other episodes, those rules are OBVIOUSLY made up for the episode and only vaguely reference real world ones ("Green is not a creative color", "such and such food makes your teeth go gray", etc) But the rules in episode 3 ? They're dumb, they're arbitrary, but they're also WIDELY ACCEPTED BY MANY COMMUNITIES in the real world. THAT'S the scary part.
You're not homophobic for simply observing most people are straight, everyone knows that, but wording is 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 important. Like how 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 people are straight, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 people will assume you're homophobic for saying "Being straight is normal" because that is how homophobic people talk, even when you're not meaning to be. Saying one thing is normal implies that anything else is abnormal, calling something abnormal has negative connotations. So I'm not dictating how you should speak, I personally have some issues with coming off as mean when I don't mean to. It's just stating that people WILL assume you're homophobic if you say that out of context, it sounds bad. Try using "Majority" instead of "Normal", if you care about how people think of you. If you are homophobic, than I waisted my time. Oh well.
OMG im so glad you talked about the gumball incident. i’m a huge HUGE fan of both gumball and dhmis and there seriously needs to be more coverage on that whole thing because it still baffles me to this day. anyway, this video ROCKS! really hope it gets more traction soon.
Im so surprised not many people have seen this- the points you bring up are hard to disagree with (specifically episode 3’s inconsistentness) - I don’t know if that’s a word. But amazing work!
@@rockymations28 They were just suggesting the better word to use since inconsistentness isn't actually a word lol. It would be inconsistency if you care abt using official words but you don't need to c:
If Dhmis 2 is the end, I would count it’s ending as satisfying. Leslie didn’t appear to be defeated, meaning she still reigns control of everything, including the main characters. Metaphorically, it could be a cautionary tale of trusting yourself in order to be free from the fear that binds you in an endless loop. Don’t be/embody Leslie, but protect the one’s you love like she does, so they won’t be scared when they hug you.
This video is so well crafted and such an interesting deep-dive. Your points made so much sense at all times; from appreciating but also understanding the impact of theories on brands and projects, to your general love and appreciation of the show and it's creators, I am blown away! It taught me so much about DHMIS's origins and creators that I feel really happy to have watched the whole thing and took it in. Thank you!
bro dissed DHMIS 5 transport. it has the best ending in either the show or the web series and red breaking out of the world only to see an abandoned wasteland was so impactful to me
Holy shit this is underrated, I love genuine analysis videos like this that don't try to dig into the lore too much and just appreciate the content for the effort that went into it. You've earned yourself a sub man, hope you get more popular soon
this video is such a good watch for the people who wanna really dissect dhmis from a creation and artistry standpoint. instead of trying to understand the story, you decided to talk about the creators, the development, and history that went into the project which i really appreciate. u dont see that much when people discuss media, especially horror/mystery heavy stuff like dhmis. love it!! also wanted to add i love how each time u list off sloan, pelling, and terry u used different pictures of puppets from the show each time. giggled at each one
Finally someone talked about The Dark Crystal show... I was devastated when it was cancelled and just not getting a lot of fan fare online 😢 I love puppetry. It is just something that clicks as right with me. Some of my favorite TH-camrs are puppets (Arlo, glove and boots, Awkward Puppets, etc). Recently started to watch the Muppets show. DHMIS is such an amazing show, the evolution of web series to actual series. I really want a physical Blu-ray / DVD of this whole thing to collect haha
What are you talking about? If DHMIS 3 is the black sheep it's only because it's by far the best out of the entire series (including the TV show). Best song, best humour, best concept, best sets, best everything. EDIT: okay now you are saying episode 6 isn't good? This is just ridiculous. There is actually something wrong with you.
Genuinely am so confused on why this video has 19K views and not MORE? I watched this and assumed it was gonna be way more popular than it was I came to the comments originally to point out the last section in the video is titled "Please Punch Me I'm Brave" and it made me laugh
ive seen a ton of video essays about this show now, and this is by far the best one. your genuine love for avant-garde media adds so much to your analysis of the series. also have to add, the friendship episode definitely isn’t a fan favourite, if anything it’s the most hated one. that being said, you’re right on calling it the best one of the tv series
When i was a kid, every time people say pupets werent a big deal anymore i got SO confused, cause arguably the most famous spanish speaking series (even today after it ended a WHILE ago) is a pupet show. I DARE YOU to find a single chilean who hasnt watched 31 minutos.
I think the idea of making them just forget that they were planning for a funeral is much funnier then just blood and guts, and DHMIS, in my opinion, is all about the exploitation of Kids, both online and in traditional media, that is covered with 'art'
Great video. Sub. Also as a Aussie. The last thing I was expecting to hear during this was the name Sam Campbell. For those unfamiliar I'll share my favourite joke of his: "I'm a compulsive liar... But what do you expect from someone who was born wearing shoes"
I like to think of it all as literal. The thought of being in the trio's situation myself is absolutely TERRIFYING - not being able to know what's what, everything being made of the same thing that I am, unable to tell who is who and who is me. The pure horror of the situation is something I enjoy IMMENSELY.
This was a lovely documentary, kudos for compiling, writing and editing this! This reminded me of the abysmal fear of DHMIS back when it first came out, and the lacking awareness of what it takes to make a puppet show. Hindsight is 20/20. I wouldn't be the first person to say that Game Theory (and its sister channels) has changed from its inception, but I do find now as an working adult that it's fun on the side "what if this possibility" for some creative edutainment. I heartily agree that its rise with the FNAF franchise has led to it dragging along the corpse because they're THE channel people tune into for updates and the like. It's a rotten pillar, but it is built into the branding at this point. Shame really.
I hope we still see that cancelled version of the show appear online somewhere one day. I watched what is available of the blurry shaky cam footage of the pilot and while it doesn’t sound as good as the show we got it’s better to see it than not
@@fenrik8178 Five was the first one I saw, watching a reactor react to it. Needless to say, I was a bit confused on what was going on before I went to the earlier episodes (and then I was also confused but a little less so)
Its seriously freaking amazing. I have watch and rewatched the show so many times. And it never becomes unfunny 😂 I hope they get to make another season 😢
Some of the comedy from the TV show reminds me of another kids show, Flapjack. It has similar surreal and dark humor, including creepy or gross moments that come out of nowhere that the show/characters kind of ignore (except when they do). Scenes like Yellow Guy's welt, Red Guy's teeth, Duncan's screaming scalp thing, Red Guy's hilarious outburst when he said "And we live in an actual nightMAAARRREE!" and that scene where Smart Yellow Guy was foreshadowed in the car before we even knew that it was supposed to be important feel almost reminiscent of that show's humor, but bloodier, more explicitly horror and for older audiences.
one of the most put together video essays i've seen, very thorough ! i'm glad u added information about the pilot episode because that stuff is hard to find without going digging around. i'm so curious what those 3 episodes were like, i hope they resurface someday
Wow. You kept me engaged for over an hour. There are so many multi-million dollar productions that barely keep me engaged for a half hour. You have won my subscription.
This resonates really well with the recent video game The Friendly Neighborhood, which if you enjoyed DHMIS, i guarantee youll enjoy the experience as well. It advertised itself as another cliché in the now exhausted mascot horror genre, but cane out being a beautifully told homage to Sesame Street, The Muppets and even Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I'd love to see a video of yours discussing the game in the same vein you've discussed DHMIS. Cheers and cant wait for your next video 💖
It’s fascinating to know that an episode of a cartoon i watched when I was younger that scarred me as a kid, was directly inspired by a tv show/ web series that fascinates me now.
I dunno man, the inherent horror of the backrooms comes from it's monotony and sheer *emptiness*, you know? There's nothing there but endless yellowed walls, no matter how far you walk. It's all the same, the same, the same. It all fades together in a blur, save for the supposed entities that will hunt you down and end you if they hear you. The monotonous madness wouldn't make for particularly compelling tv And even in the case of the entities, their scare factor comes from the fact that you don't know what they hell they are, what they're capable of, or even what they look like. You only know something is here and it is dangerous. The lack of knowledge is what makes it scary, because your brain fills in the gaps with the worst things it can conjure. Depicting them takes away from their potential, limits what they can be, sort of reveals the man behind the curtain. Even if it's the scariest design anyone could have come up with, I don't think it can quite capture the mind-racing dread of not knowing what the hell you're up against. The backrooms, to me, are at their best as an urban legend. A concept, something anyone can tell to others for a scare, a loose, malleable thing that you can rework as needed to fit what scares you. Any more tangible, concrete adaptations just kinda spoil the mythos and reduce the unknown variables
The makers of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared would be hired to work on the Netflix show Love, Death, & Robots. There they would do the Christmas episode *All Through The House* and that was a tense darkly comedic masterpiece. Seen that? Just curious..........
I hadn't even thought about the TV show being another story cycle before. That's another somewhat nihilistic idea we see- whether it's a Kickstarter web series or a professionally produced tv show, the puppets live their lives in loops of events. They can't escape from it, just survive.
My inner child was deeply disturbed, I felt chunks of innocence squirming out of my body when I was first shown DHMIS. I was sure I’d never want to relive those inner child crushing nightmares. However, it’s impossible to forget and almost as impossible to resist sharing with others. To see disturbed confusion creep up into a friends expression is wickedly delicious. I have yet to know anyone personally who hasn’t appreciated it on some level. If I ever do their suspect and not to be fully trusted me thinks.
At the start I totally agree with the uncanny valley aspect of puppetry. It’s why, despite my mum’s multiple attempts, I’ve never been able to watch the original “The Dark Crystal” movie. I know it’s fantastic but I just get so unsettled :(
For some reason the humor for the tv show reminded me of aqua teen hunger force. I think it might be thanks to similar character dynamics, initial premises (parodies of kids shows that are heavily associated with the 60’s and 70’s that take a quality those shows are infamous for (HB’s cheapness and British kid’s tv’s creepiness) and center on a trio who come into contact with more and more bizarre characters that pull them into weird ass places and scenarios), and similarly weirdly chill yet unhinged vibe
This video got a sub out of me! The way you presented things made me think from perspectives I hadn't yet considered. I didn't think it was possible but my respect for this series and its creators has increased even more.
This is honestly such a good video and I will be subbed form now on, I love long videos and it was perfect to have on in the background while I was drawing :)
1:09:10 -I think the bigger issue with the origional plan for this scene is that it would break the formula and not make sense because it's red and yellow providing the random gore unprovoked. The dark elements either needs to come directly from the third party or be reactionary from the trio regarding the environmental elements/support characters. Sure the scene is about a dark topic but the characrers don't understand that. The comedy partially comes from them treating this funerary prep as if they are getting ready for some happy celebration. If they started adding random gorey viscera and organs, it would not only be wildly out if character for them but detract from the usual set up in the later scenes where these very innovent characters are juxtapositioned by the darker elements formed upon them. A good example of this is with duck not long after. He shows his two friends the disgusting scar where he had his organs removed by the mortician as if it's some fun, unique experience to boast about. It's some mildly grissley imagry with profoundly unsettling implications on what the characrer recently event though, but he is nievely showing it off like a scar aquired during a sport game or routine surgery. He acts like a kid who had his tonsils or appendix out when he just underwent a fully consious autopsy and embalming. He EXPERIENCED it and telegraghed it but he did not initiate it. If the yellow amd red guy were being coached by the coffin in their prep and directed to add the gross stuff for a reason that made sense for the coffin to do, then it would have skme merit to the scene given how the comedy is this works. If the strait men just start playing the part of the comedic foilwithout explaination then it falls flat. I think the first episode proves it CAN work if done with the right set up and not just randomly in a non sequitur moment. When the trio go to work for the company, they slowly get indocerated to roles withing that facade of what a company is like, except duck. It's still a childish mindset of what work is like at a place like this so yellow and red following suit can work. Same with the family episode to a degree. Once the dark shit happens like with red and yellow now being ancient and retiring yellow..they just go along because they've been slowly transitioned to do so. They are a part of the company and dark occurances, right down to red screaming "your fired! " when yellow is being killed in the "accident" and duck demands he do something. It's believable in this case because we saw the transformation of these two by the outside elements making it more reactionary in that they are not their base selves at this point. The episode with Warren elegantly walks the line because we do get red and duck doing some dark set up for Warrent to step in without getting too out of characrer. They berate yellow in a pretty comically harsh manner but at the same time, we have seen this l3vel of childishness form them. It's not so extreme that it ruins the dynamic and Warren is able to step in and take it up to 11 where they need to go after that. If red and duck just started skinning yellow alive or disembowling him, then it would go too far but calling him offense words THEY likely aren't even truely understanding the meaning of, works. It IS what a nieve but bratty child might do in this situation. Things CAN be suddenly gory and extereme in this series but never when comming from the trio.
i remember when i sent my best friend the web series. we quoted it to each other ALL THE TIME. i got him so into dhmis that we were equally hyped when the tv show was announced!
I disagree , episode 3 is scary and sureal. When you ignore the love aspect, it's about feelings and being told what your feeling is wrong. Trying to copy others expression of feeling but being told you can't because it's not the right way. That's scary the idea you can never conform because your interests completely differ from others. I liked it and it was a great episode. I don't mind the sureal aspect but I feel the last episode was the worst. The moment they tried to add lore it stopped being sureal
There was this big thing with the date June 19th, and it’s pretty cool that they kept it with the random video with the date set to (euro format day/month/year) 19.06.14
*sigh* I want the muppets to make a comeback…. I know it isn’t likely but I love puppets and the muppets especially. It’s a really underrated art form imo.
My reading is realitivily simple. It's about the failure of people to change how they teach. Being autistic and severely adhd, I relate a lot to yellow guy.
5:14 It was at this point that the video buffered. The visuals were still playing but the audio was stuttering after "It was almost perfectly designed for this type of early youtube audience". Thought you were creepypasta-ing me in a vid talking about creepypastas. 😂
If DHMIS was bought by an american company and not Channel 4 then the only thing that they'll have is the memories of them making "What's your favorite idea?"
30:05 yeah.. i agree. like i REALLY agree. fnaf should have ended at 3 or 6. The rest should be games like into the pit, spin offs that arent canon but are just for fun yk? its far better that way in my eyes
![[VOD] Disco Elysium: The Final Cut | First Playthrough Part 1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NrTkWGJlaEE/mqdefault.jpg)
I like that they split the Red Guys original roles amongst the three characters in the series. Originally he was the witty sarcastic one who didn’t go along with the teachers as much and became enlightened to what was really going on at the end. Now he’s just the witty sarcastic one. Duck’s the one who doesn’t really go along with the teachers, and Yellow’s the one who becomes enlightened in the end. It was a cool change to the original formula that helps to flesh out the other two a bit better, while forcing them to do something different with Red. He no longer feels like the definitive main character of the bunch.
Yeah. I like how they’re all in the same boat, but just have different ways of expressing it through their personalities. Now, that’s what I call quality character development. :)
@@teallineart8805YES FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS THAT!! Red guy just got too emotionally tired of dealing with the situation and confronting everyone all the time. He’s still very in character
I actually follow a comedian named Randy Feltface, he’s really good at using his puppet to enhance the experience using expression
It’s wild his name happened to be puppet related it’s like he was born to puppet
@jeniferjoseph9200 A+ joke. :)
Yo I LOVE Randy
Heck yeah spread the word! I’ve gone down a lot of comedy rabbit holes on YT, and, honestly, He’s more expressive than a lotta them
I saw him in Providence and halfway through his table broke
he spent the next twenty minutes trying to fix it
it was great
Randy feltface fan in the wild
DHMIS (the web-series) often feels like being a small child again in a confusing, adult world. a world where you're expected to listen but not be heard, to sit in silence while others speak. where the lessons people teach you are backwards and confusing, but you can never question a thing they say without punishment.
you feel absolutely helpless in all of it, expected to simply keep going in spite of the nonsense the teachers say, in spite of the violence and the horror. and there's nothing you can do about it, either. you're entirely alone, with the only other people there being those same authority figures. the same authority figures that confuse and abuse you at will because they've determined who is the adult and who is the child.
it's like being a little kid again and experiencing the brunt end of an adult's power trip over you. and what else can you do but be driven to madness or do as the teachers say? why bother to speak in a world so determined to never hear you?
Nailed it. My 13 year old introduced me to this, and I have a lot of admiration and respect for her.
Religion be like:
@@N0p3er5wow, it’s so hard for me to find adults who like this series! I tried showing it to my mom, but she didn’t get it :/ I think when I said “it’s subversive” she thought it was gonna be an adult comedy or something :/
@@alex.g7317 my older 2 kids went through a lot and they are wise beyond their years for it. They own me. I had some influence on them, showing them things from 2000-2008 like certain wondershowzen clips, cyriak, paper rad, a lot of music videos and they were allowed on the internet too much. This is not a good thing... but I am healing as a parent and taking my kids seriously. They won't be socially controlled. Those two are also almost to the minute born 2 years apart, they are a force (:
@@alex.g7317Most of the adult comedies I’ve heard of could hardly touch subversive with a ten foot pole though.
Ppl often have a very strange definition of that term, it seems..
viewing this i assumed this video would be wildly popular, but i am so surprised to see it’s not. this is an amazing video analyzing the development of this series and everything that’s gone into it. as someone who has loved this show for a long time, this is one of if not the best video i’ve seen on it. it doesn’t rely on theories, but just understanding the art. and as someone who love abstract stories such as these, it’s amazing to see someone who doesn’t simply view it with the lens of some overarching story that is objective. because ultimately, it’s what you get out of it that means the most, and how you view it can tell what kind of person you are. this is a really, really good video. best wishes to you and any future content you make.
Hes good but he runs on and on sometimes. Still good but it's a run on at times which throws off the true value.
@@cavitudude, it's a video essay.
@@pepesilvia429 what
Pin this man
Some channels come out of the gate fast
had no idea people considered DHMIS 3 to be a poor entry in the series. 3 and 5 are my favorites of the original series.
i do agree the ending of the episode is weak, especially with 5's absolutely killer ending on the roster.
it does serve a very different purpose to the others, 1, 2, 4, and 5 all serve to make the viewer uncomfortable as possible, however 3 is more social commentary than all of the other episodes. however i don't think that's conceptually bad for DHMIS, Episode 1 of the 2022 series is explicitly a commentary on the workplace and i think it's amazing. (6 serves to tie up the meta-story which i didn't at all care for)
also reducing it to "sex cult" bothers me because i just don't think Sex plays a role in the episode at all (aside from the Harder bit which seems more like a one-off to me)
i don't think it was at all a misstep even if the series returned to the style of 1 and 2. i can't imagine the series without it.
also it has the best music
I completely agree. I have certainly never thought of it as a black sheep, and would probably refer to it as my favorite of the webseries. I also agree, that referring to it as a "sex cult" is a bit reductive. Not just because it's not really about sex, but it's also fairly literal. I don't think it's best understood as a specific cult within the fiction, but as a metaphor for how we discuss and view the topic of love as a culture. We are the cult, all of us, whether we realize it or not. We've taken a concept that is so universal and all encompassing, and reduced it to a very narrow idea with specific cultural limitations. "That's not how it's done" Being the key line. The idea that you could "do love wrong" is absurd and I think that's what the episode is really getting at. But we all to some degree have internalized bad lessons without even realizing it.
100%. The teacher gets more deranged, just like in the first two, but it's in a more nuanced, less overtly horrifying way. We don't fear for Yellow Guy's physical safety, we fear for his autonomy, his worldview, his relationships. I've never seen such a strong, concise critique of religion or our culture's harmful beliefs about love, let alone one that evokes so little blame.
@@tomisgood Honestly I feel like episode 1 and 3 are very similar in that regard. Creativity/art, like love, is something that really can't be quantified or defined, yet we naturally try to create these expectations and restrictions regardless.
Yeah it's a good episode. The only problem is how it ends. Yellow Guy just wakes up and is safe again? It maybe makes sense for the web series to be that way and break logic just tu return to status quo, but it just feels like a lackluster compared to other episodes.
I can't help but agree with you pretty much everything you've said. I think that episode is also one of my favorites and it fits well into the whole overarching theme of the series with children being taking advantage of and in this one it's yellow guys naivety and innocence being taken advantage of and abused
Not sure why the religion episode didn't land for you, each episode has its own weird vibe and this one resonated with me and some experiences we had growing up, the way some people seem nice and inviting and then there's this moment where they pull some weird shit on you and you realise it's a crazy cult and go "nope!" That moment where they suddenly go "and praise our king" and all hum together, and he goes "... what?" Really hit home - just another type of creepy vibe executed really well by the DHMIS team.
Dude I'd kill to see the wakey wakey episodes that don't like they were recorded on a Game Boy.
Honestly I'd settle for gameboy advance quality as long as it's centered and the whole thing is there
Man, be happy we got it anyway. Be happy, you can complain if the episode is actually released.
It's lost media sadly
I gotta say, Transport was my favorite out of everything. Much like Yellow’s battery removal scene, it was heartbreaking to see him realize the cycle he was in and desperately trying to break it before the end came and reset everything again. Seeing him go back in the last episode and just be kinda clueless again was so sad and made me think how many cycles he had to experience before he gained that lev of sentience. Also thought it was the funniest.
Now I do sort of wish we had one of Duck directly trying to escape/learn the situation. The closest we got was the factory episode but for me it didn't strike the same chord as Red trying to escape or Yellow trying to figure out what's happening
I think DHMIS3 might be one of the creepiest episodes.
Which is what it traded off its innate horror for.
The episode has occults, a very dated idea of love (With the cult acting notably homophobic which is ironic seeing what presumably happened at the end), and grooming and nonconsensual things involving a child.
Ending up with an abomination of a child of the butterfly teacher/occult leader and the adolescent student that is forced to be married to said butterfly.
Not to mention aphobic, and if there's a term for disapproving poly relationships, or any other type of relationship that falls out of line with the "one true life partner" experience.
My favorite thing to learn about the series was the legality issues around them using a human organ 😊 it fits so well for the vibe of the show
the what
@cuckoobrain7999 Yeah!! Around when the first episode was put on TH-cam there was a rumor going around that the first episode has a real human heart in it, and whenever the second episode didnt come out when planned, it got spread arouns that because they bought the organ and didn't use it for life saving purposes, they got into some issues. No one REALLY knows if it was a human heart or not :) But! It looks nothing like the claymation heart in the episode DEATH
@@Eggtism Isn't it a pig heart though?
@@cuckoobrain7999If they used a real heart, it certanly is from an animal.
@@cuckoobrain7999 Pigs have very similiar organs to humans, so almost certainly it was a pig heart. Human hearts are too valuable of a resource to use in that fashion.
I genuinely feel like Jim Henson would be immensely proud of the work that went into this series. He never wanted to have his work associated as "just for kids," but he took the work he got to fund his passions. If he saw the work that went into the independent first season of DHMIS, he would've absolutely given them the funds immediately to go on and do as many seasons as they wanted. Especially with their hidden message as how media corrupts young viewers to their beliefs, it feels like what he would've wanted to make if he wasn't restricted to being kid friendly.
Yeah, Jim Henson used the muppet show and Sesame Street to find the dark crystal. Jim Henson would’ve loved don’t hug me I’m scared so much
Have you seen Henson’s “meet the feebles”? Not kid friendly, probably not friendly for many adults. A must watch though if you want to experience the other facets of Jim Henson. I didn’t exactly enjoy “Meet the Feebles” but I love that it exists. I agree Henson would have been giddy over DHMIS. In these creative dreamers his freak flag lives on.
33:36 I actually real life choked at "The amazing adventures of Gumball"
no bc that’s my fav show how dare he disrespect the name😭🤌🏽 (jk)
@@salthesteamengine same except I'm not kidding I want him dead
AH YES MY FAVORITE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION SHOW AIRING ON THE CARTOON NETWORK THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF GUMBALL.
can't believe he'd screw up the name of my favorite show The Regular Adventure Time Of Gumball
Can’t believe I didn’t realize that in the family episode both are just trying to get a family size meal.
I have a very clear memory of watching the first DHMIS web episode. I was just barely in middle school and I was in my neighbor's (who was one of my friends) basement, and we had just gotten finished playing minecraft. He showed me this video and for like, the next month I was unable to do anything without seeing the scene with the heart cake behind my eyelids.
From what I saw of Clayhill as well I get why they scrapped it. Like you said, it just wasn't the DHMIS vibe. It's way more direct and less abstract.
If they used new characters I think it would have worked better but trying to shove it into an established style probably would have caused some mixed responses.
The Channel 4 series does a significantly better job at expanding on what they built.
It’s really sad that episode 3 of the webseries wasn’t well liked. It was always one of my favorites. I really love all of the episodes of both of webseries and the tv series.
I like the interpretation that the followers of Malcolm show what it's like when you only listen to teachers without questioning. Thus creating a very creepy feeling.
I’m working on a puppet film now, using marionettes. I’ve been working on it for years already, with the hopes I can get grants to realize it to the standards I think it needs to be made. I was very hopeful because of the success of Netflix’s The Dark Crystal but worried when it was cancelled after one season. I think I have something people will really like if I can just get it made. However, I know how difficult distribution will be even if I get funding to make it. Because of all this I think TH-cam is my obvious, and maybe, only choice of platform to display it once it’s finished.
Sounds exciting.
Netflix has had a bad habit of cancelling extremely high rated shows after one season, please keep trying, it would probably be a good idea to push the visual style of the marionettes to make it stand out
Go for it!
So I'm at 31:00 and you're talking about lore theorists. For perspective, I'm into Soulsborne, which is arguably where all of that went from hobby to monetizable. To me, that's the real problem; when you make a cool theory, there's money to be made. Now when a souls game gets released, there's a slew of day 1 or day 2 videos desperately trying to "solve" the plot and game the algorithm before anyone else can. And, you know, I get it. I respect the fact that they're making money. I just don't respect what it's done to the conversation. I know this isn't the main point of the video, but your point really resonated with me (even if it wasn't quite the same thing).
Yeah, one thing is 'hey, this is a cool take on this' another is treating it like a solvable math problem, claim you have the best, exact answer, and handle the tone like you are the ultimate expert and must teach that answer, and anything else is wrong.
Don’t forget that Yellow Guy made a family of his own a wife and daughter
You mean in the universe he imagined?
I'm just gonna pop in and say that the intro about puppets was clear Chucky erasure. 35 years in and they are still using animatronic puppets for the little red headed demon.
Good point!
CHARLES LEE RAY MENTIONED ‼️‼️‼️
The Jim Henson Company does not have much to do with the Muppets, creatively, any more. They were sold to Disney. By all accounts, the Jim Henson Company does understand the current situation with respect to puppetry, and it's Disney who doesn't get it.
I don’t quite agree with his assessment of the Jim Henson Studio struggle to remain relevant. You’d be surprised to see what things they’re a part of, Disney works them overtime to produce more than the puppets they began with. They now have a wide range of skills but I will say there is little demand for their puppet/animatronic skills. I think that’s why they were so excited to do the costumes for FANAF.
I don’t think puppets have lost their relevance in the modern day but rather the old characters/creators/powers that be are struggling to keep them alive rather than moving on to new ideas and new characters that could appeal to newer audiences. I think this is where things like DHMIS did very well. Something old mixed with fresh ideas to get attention from newer audiences.
*FNAF
My favorite puppet creator by far has got to be barnaby Dixon. He really came up with amazing innovative designs that are controlled in an entirely different way from traditional puppets and I was really happy to see him play a role in the dark crystal. I hope he'll have more chances like that in the future
Yo he was involved in the Dark Crystal??? That's awesome
I really used to love his work and especially the small bit of work he did during Age of Resistance. Found out he was a transphobe and had to drop that molten plate before it could get any worse.
@@starlightsoireedamn, for real? i didn't know that, that's heartbreaking. when did he express those views?
@starlightsoiree I saw both of those videos, and it very much feels like Dixon was just ignorant, not malicious. He tried something controversial that he didn't understand. It went wrong, and he tried to fix it (poorly)
@@starlightsoiree From all that i've seen i don't consider him a transphobe, Still don't agree at all with the opinions he has.
Idk man, I LOVE DHMIS 3. It hits very hard if you're queer and/or neurodivergent. It's not JUST about "love" as a sex cult--it's depicting HETERONORMATIVITY as a sex cult. Growing up trying to navigate absurd social norms that refuse to accommodate you? Being confused by a shitload of conflicting messages from authority figures that seem out to get you for no good reason? Episode 3 feels EXACTLY like that experience turned up to 11. If people don't like it, I just think they don't get it. It's about the brainwashing that goes into heteronormativity and neuronormativity. The commentary is so directly pointed at normal people that I'm kind of flabbergasted they don't get it. It IS about reality--just perhaps not your own. And I DEFINITELY think it's the scariest one. Maybe it's not to people privileged enough to never have been brainwashed to think your very essence is morally reprehensible and must be cleansed. The episode's messaging feels loud because growing up with that experience is also loud.
EXACTLY. Thank you for putting it into words, that's exactly how it felt to me. It's probably the one that touches the most on how nonsensical and arbitrary REAL WORLD conventions can be (namely, heteronormativity). All the other episodes from the web series are chock-full with nonsensical and arbitrary rules of course, it's kinda the bread and butter of this series, but in every other episodes, those rules are OBVIOUSLY made up for the episode and only vaguely reference real world ones ("Green is not a creative color", "such and such food makes your teeth go gray", etc)
But the rules in episode 3 ? They're dumb, they're arbitrary, but they're also WIDELY ACCEPTED BY MANY COMMUNITIES in the real world. THAT'S the scary part.
@krall5995 Calling heterosexuality "normal" is inherently homophobic. Normative refers to what society MAKES normal.
@krall5995 I don't understand it either! I suddenly feel very sleepy thinking about this
You're not homophobic for simply observing most people are straight, everyone knows that, but wording is 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 important. Like how 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 people are straight, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 people will assume you're homophobic for saying "Being straight is normal" because that is how homophobic people talk, even when you're not meaning to be.
Saying one thing is normal implies that anything else is abnormal, calling something abnormal has negative connotations.
So I'm not dictating how you should speak, I personally have some issues with coming off as mean when I don't mean to. It's just stating that people WILL assume you're homophobic if you say that out of context, it sounds bad.
Try using "Majority" instead of "Normal", if you care about how people think of you.
If you are homophobic, than I waisted my time. Oh well.
"i have no opinion *of gays* " LMAO
THEY MADE THE TROLLI ADS???
OMG im so glad you talked about the gumball incident. i’m a huge HUGE fan of both gumball and dhmis and there seriously needs to be more coverage on that whole thing because it still baffles me to this day.
anyway, this video ROCKS! really hope it gets more traction soon.
Good luck with the channel. You're delivering nothing but gold!
DHMIS 3 is actually my favorite of the web series! It just really surprised me the first time round and I love the message. The song was a banger too!
Sometimes randomly I start singing I am computer a computer guy or What about my shedder and it bring so much joy to my day .
This was such a nice breakdown and also recap of the DHMIS journey so far. Great video!
Im so surprised not many people have seen this- the points you bring up are hard to disagree with (specifically episode 3’s inconsistentness) - I don’t know if that’s a word. But amazing work!
The word you seem to be looking for is "inconsistency"
@@gamehero6816 no? Inconsistentness is
The same thing
@@rockymations28 They were just suggesting the better word to use since inconsistentness isn't actually a word lol. It would be inconsistency if you care abt using official words but you don't need to c:
@@cosmixstar oh sorry
If Dhmis 2 is the end, I would count it’s ending as satisfying.
Leslie didn’t appear to be defeated, meaning she still reigns control of everything, including the main characters. Metaphorically, it could be a cautionary tale of trusting yourself in order to be free from the fear that binds you in an endless loop.
Don’t be/embody Leslie, but protect the one’s you love like she does, so they won’t be scared when they hug you.
This video is so well crafted and such an interesting deep-dive. Your points made so much sense at all times; from appreciating but also understanding the impact of theories on brands and projects, to your general love and appreciation of the show and it's creators, I am blown away! It taught me so much about DHMIS's origins and creators that I feel really happy to have watched the whole thing and took it in. Thank you!
Duck: I'm the best one!
Yellow Guy: *Nodding*
bro dissed DHMIS 5 transport. it has the best ending in either the show or the web series and red breaking out of the world only to see an abandoned wasteland was so impactful to me
Holy shit this is underrated, I love genuine analysis videos like this that don't try to dig into the lore too much and just appreciate the content for the effort that went into it. You've earned yourself a sub man, hope you get more popular soon
this video is such a good watch for the people who wanna really dissect dhmis from a creation and artistry standpoint. instead of trying to understand the story, you decided to talk about the creators, the development, and history that went into the project which i really appreciate. u dont see that much when people discuss media, especially horror/mystery heavy stuff like dhmis. love it!!
also wanted to add i love how each time u list off sloan, pelling, and terry u used different pictures of puppets from the show each time. giggled at each one
Finally someone talked about The Dark Crystal show... I was devastated when it was cancelled and just not getting a lot of fan fare online 😢
I love puppetry. It is just something that clicks as right with me. Some of my favorite TH-camrs are puppets (Arlo, glove and boots, Awkward Puppets, etc). Recently started to watch the Muppets show.
DHMIS is such an amazing show, the evolution of web series to actual series. I really want a physical Blu-ray / DVD of this whole thing to collect haha
What are you talking about? If DHMIS 3 is the black sheep it's only because it's by far the best out of the entire series (including the TV show). Best song, best humour, best concept, best sets, best everything.
EDIT: okay now you are saying episode 6 isn't good? This is just ridiculous. There is actually something wrong with you.
😅
Yeah, episode 3 was brilliant. Loved the song.
The fact that we may never get a season 2 to the Dark Crystal show is disgusting.
Genuinely am so confused on why this video has 19K views and not MORE? I watched this and assumed it was gonna be way more popular than it was
I came to the comments originally to point out the last section in the video is titled "Please Punch Me I'm Brave" and it made me laugh
ive seen a ton of video essays about this show now, and this is by far the best one. your genuine love for avant-garde media adds so much to your analysis of the series.
also have to add, the friendship episode definitely isn’t a fan favourite, if anything it’s the most hated one. that being said, you’re right on calling it the best one of the tv series
When i was a kid, every time people say pupets werent a big deal anymore i got SO confused, cause arguably the most famous spanish speaking series (even today after it ended a WHILE ago) is a pupet show. I DARE YOU to find a single chilean who hasnt watched 31 minutos.
didn't really know about it except for the first short, but now knowing how old it is.... I feel old
I think the idea of making them just forget that they were planning for a funeral is much funnier then just blood and guts, and DHMIS, in my opinion, is all about the exploitation of Kids, both online and in traditional media, that is covered with 'art'
Great video. Sub. Also as a Aussie. The last thing I was expecting to hear during this was the name Sam Campbell. For those unfamiliar I'll share my favourite joke of his: "I'm a compulsive liar... But what do you expect from someone who was born wearing shoes"
I like to think of it all as literal. The thought of being in the trio's situation myself is absolutely TERRIFYING - not being able to know what's what, everything being made of the same thing that I am, unable to tell who is who and who is me. The pure horror of the situation is something I enjoy IMMENSELY.
Thank you for making this video. It's really given me a new appreciation for the TV series!
Cheesepoopies
This was a lovely documentary, kudos for compiling, writing and editing this! This reminded me of the abysmal fear of DHMIS back when it first came out, and the lacking awareness of what it takes to make a puppet show. Hindsight is 20/20.
I wouldn't be the first person to say that Game Theory (and its sister channels) has changed from its inception, but I do find now as an working adult that it's fun on the side "what if this possibility" for some creative edutainment. I heartily agree that its rise with the FNAF franchise has led to it dragging along the corpse because they're THE channel people tune into for updates and the like. It's a rotten pillar, but it is built into the branding at this point. Shame really.
I hope we still see that cancelled version of the show appear online somewhere one day. I watched what is available of the blurry shaky cam footage of the pilot and while it doesn’t sound as good as the show we got it’s better to see it than not
3 is the black sheep? It’s one of my favorite ones honestly, though indeed not scary to me. (I grew up in a cult)
Episode 5 is also my favorite of the original series. The song also constantly gets stuck in my head haha.
@@fenrik8178 Five was the first one I saw, watching a reactor react to it. Needless to say, I was a bit confused on what was going on before I went to the earlier episodes (and then I was also confused but a little less so)
This inspired me to rewatch the TV series, thank you for this video!
Why not the YT series lol?
Its seriously freaking amazing. I have watch and rewatched the show so many times. And it never becomes unfunny 😂
I hope they get to make another season 😢
I didn’t know they made three episodes before canceling the whole clayhill thing, I guess that means there are even more dhmis lost media
I love puppets and puppetry and the death of practical effects would make me dreadfully hopeless for humanities future
Some of the comedy from the TV show reminds me of another kids show, Flapjack. It has similar surreal and dark humor, including creepy or gross moments that come out of nowhere that the show/characters kind of ignore (except when they do). Scenes like Yellow Guy's welt, Red Guy's teeth, Duncan's screaming scalp thing, Red Guy's hilarious outburst when he said "And we live in an actual nightMAAARRREE!" and that scene where Smart Yellow Guy was foreshadowed in the car before we even knew that it was supposed to be important feel almost reminiscent of that show's humor, but bloodier, more explicitly horror and for older audiences.
The Title "Don't hug me, I'm scared" is literally the feeling I have when experiencing an autistic meltdown
The amazing world of gumball episode (the puppet) scared the crap out of me when I was younger
one of the most put together video essays i've seen, very thorough ! i'm glad u added information about the pilot episode because that stuff is hard to find without going digging around. i'm so curious what those 3 episodes were like, i hope they resurface someday
Wow. You kept me engaged for over an hour. There are so many multi-million dollar productions that barely keep me engaged for a half hour. You have won my subscription.
Don’t hug me I’m scared needs to be an adult swim series. That would be awesome
4:00 dont forget potter puppet pals
Dhmis reminds me of Liminal spaces Its colorful and comforting that turns into scary and into uncomfortable
This resonates really well with the recent video game The Friendly Neighborhood, which if you enjoyed DHMIS, i guarantee youll enjoy the experience as well. It advertised itself as another cliché in the now exhausted mascot horror genre, but cane out being a beautifully told homage to Sesame Street, The Muppets and even Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I'd love to see a video of yours discussing the game in the same vein you've discussed DHMIS. Cheers and cant wait for your next video 💖
It’s fascinating to know that an episode of a cartoon i watched when I was younger that scarred me as a kid, was directly inspired by a tv show/ web series that fascinates me now.
5:05 I mean if the story is compelling enough I feel like the backrooms could be an interesting show.
I dunno man, the inherent horror of the backrooms comes from it's monotony and sheer *emptiness*, you know? There's nothing there but endless yellowed walls, no matter how far you walk. It's all the same, the same, the same. It all fades together in a blur, save for the supposed entities that will hunt you down and end you if they hear you. The monotonous madness wouldn't make for particularly compelling tv
And even in the case of the entities, their scare factor comes from the fact that you don't know what they hell they are, what they're capable of, or even what they look like. You only know something is here and it is dangerous. The lack of knowledge is what makes it scary, because your brain fills in the gaps with the worst things it can conjure. Depicting them takes away from their potential, limits what they can be, sort of reveals the man behind the curtain. Even if it's the scariest design anyone could have come up with, I don't think it can quite capture the mind-racing dread of not knowing what the hell you're up against.
The backrooms, to me, are at their best as an urban legend. A concept, something anyone can tell to others for a scare, a loose, malleable thing that you can rework as needed to fit what scares you. Any more tangible, concrete adaptations just kinda spoil the mythos and reduce the unknown variables
The makers of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared would be hired to work on the Netflix show Love, Death, & Robots. There they would do the Christmas episode *All Through The House* and that was a tense darkly comedic masterpiece.
Seen that? Just curious..........
I remember when people brought up BEN Drowned on everything related to Majora's Mask.
I hadn't even thought about the TV show being another story cycle before. That's another somewhat nihilistic idea we see- whether it's a Kickstarter web series or a professionally produced tv show, the puppets live their lives in loops of events. They can't escape from it, just survive.
My inner child was deeply disturbed, I felt chunks of innocence squirming out of my body when I was first shown DHMIS. I was sure I’d never want to relive those inner child crushing nightmares. However, it’s impossible to forget and almost as impossible to resist sharing with others. To see disturbed confusion creep up into a friends expression is wickedly delicious. I have yet to know anyone personally who hasn’t appreciated it on some level. If I ever do their suspect and not to be fully trusted me thinks.
At the start I totally agree with the uncanny valley aspect of puppetry. It’s why, despite my mum’s multiple attempts, I’ve never been able to watch the original “The Dark Crystal” movie. I know it’s fantastic but I just get so unsettled :(
this is such a great breakdown but even aside from that, it’s wonderful to hear someone speak about a piece of art they love so much!!
Wow I didn't expect the DHMIS puppets to be so big
This video was amazing, one because I love dhmis and anything with puppets, and because I need something playing as I draw
For some reason the humor for the tv show reminded me of aqua teen hunger force. I think it might be thanks to similar character dynamics, initial premises (parodies of kids shows that are heavily associated with the 60’s and 70’s that take a quality those shows are infamous for (HB’s cheapness and British kid’s tv’s creepiness) and center on a trio who come into contact with more and more bizarre characters that pull them into weird ass places and scenarios), and similarly weirdly chill yet unhinged vibe
this video is amazing, please make more!!
How? He’s already made a video about Dhmis, there’s nothing left.
This video got a sub out of me! The way you presented things made me think from perspectives I hadn't yet considered. I didn't think it was possible but my respect for this series and its creators has increased even more.
Super stoked for your video! It was a joy to have recommended. Also, you sounds so much like Wendover Productions to me.
34:40
Pilot’s Morgan
I have a crippling fear of puppets, I probably made it about 4 minutes in, until you started talking about the uncanny valley.
SML is carrying the puppeteering culture!
This is honestly such a good video and I will be subbed form now on, I love long videos and it was perfect to have on in the background while I was drawing :)
1:09:10 -I think the bigger issue with the origional plan for this scene is that it would break the formula and not make sense because it's red and yellow providing the random gore unprovoked. The dark elements either needs to come directly from the third party or be reactionary from the trio regarding the environmental elements/support characters. Sure the scene is about a dark topic but the characrers don't understand that. The comedy partially comes from them treating this funerary prep as if they are getting ready for some happy celebration. If they started adding random gorey viscera and organs, it would not only be wildly out if character for them but detract from the usual set up in the later scenes where these very innovent characters are juxtapositioned by the darker elements formed upon them. A good example of this is with duck not long after. He shows his two friends the disgusting scar where he had his organs removed by the mortician as if it's some fun, unique experience to boast about. It's some mildly grissley imagry with profoundly unsettling implications on what the characrer recently event though, but he is nievely showing it off like a scar aquired during a sport game or routine surgery. He acts like a kid who had his tonsils or appendix out when he just underwent a fully consious autopsy and embalming. He EXPERIENCED it and telegraghed it but he did not initiate it. If the yellow amd red guy were being coached by the coffin in their prep and directed to add the gross stuff for a reason that made sense for the coffin to do, then it would have skme merit to the scene given how the comedy is this works. If the strait men just start playing the part of the comedic foilwithout explaination then it falls flat. I think the first episode proves it CAN work if done with the right set up and not just randomly in a non sequitur moment. When the trio go to work for the company, they slowly get indocerated to roles withing that facade of what a company is like, except duck. It's still a childish mindset of what work is like at a place like this so yellow and red following suit can work. Same with the family episode to a degree. Once the dark shit happens like with red and yellow now being ancient and retiring yellow..they just go along because they've been slowly transitioned to do so. They are a part of the company and dark occurances, right down to red screaming "your fired! " when yellow is being killed in the "accident" and duck demands he do something. It's believable in this case because we saw the transformation of these two by the outside elements making it more reactionary in that they are not their base selves at this point. The episode with Warren elegantly walks the line because we do get red and duck doing some dark set up for Warrent to step in without getting too out of characrer. They berate yellow in a pretty comically harsh manner but at the same time, we have seen this l3vel of childishness form them. It's not so extreme that it ruins the dynamic and Warren is able to step in and take it up to 11 where they need to go after that. If red and duck just started skinning yellow alive or disembowling him, then it would go too far but calling him offense words THEY likely aren't even truely understanding the meaning of, works. It IS what a nieve but bratty child might do in this situation. Things CAN be suddenly gory and extereme in this series but never when comming from the trio.
i remember when i sent my best friend the web series. we quoted it to each other ALL THE TIME. i got him so into dhmis that we were equally hyped when the tv show was announced!
the third one is my favorite
Yeah… Episode 3… I don’t know if I like it…
But the fifth episode, it’s just a *masterpiece*
I disagree , episode 3 is scary and sureal. When you ignore the love aspect, it's about feelings and being told what your feeling is wrong. Trying to copy others expression of feeling but being told you can't because it's not the right way. That's scary the idea you can never conform because your interests completely differ from others. I liked it and it was a great episode. I don't mind the sureal aspect but I feel the last episode was the worst. The moment they tried to add lore it stopped being sureal
There was this big thing with the date June 19th, and it’s pretty cool that they kept it with the random video with the date set to (euro format day/month/year) 19.06.14
*sigh* I want the muppets to make a comeback…. I know it isn’t likely but I love puppets and the muppets especially. It’s a really underrated art form imo.
I like the cutaways every time he says Sloan, Terry and Pelling.
My reading is realitivily simple. It's about the failure of people to change how they teach. Being autistic and severely adhd, I relate a lot to yellow guy.
THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME AND MORE PEOPLE NEED TO SEE IT
Amazing analysis. Excited to watch more videos from your channel.
Finally, someone else is talking about this other than film theory! 🙏
love the clip of xavier renegade angel as a placeholder for your video lol
5:14 It was at this point that the video buffered. The visuals were still playing but the audio was stuttering after "It was almost perfectly designed for this type of early youtube audience".
Thought you were creepypasta-ing me in a vid talking about creepypastas. 😂
If DHMIS was bought by an american company and not Channel 4 then the only thing that they'll have is the memories of them making "What's your favorite idea?"
30:05 yeah.. i agree. like i REALLY agree. fnaf should have ended at 3 or 6. The rest should be games like into the pit, spin offs that arent canon but are just for fun yk? its far better that way in my eyes
The amazing ball gum adventure show
I really really vibed with this video and I really appreciate the commentary on theory TH-cam
Also what's the name of the rabbit animation you used?