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Finalists

March 5, 2018 //
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Last week the remaining contestants were introduced.

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Contestant No 7: Rob D Light. With Devil’s supportive words, Rob D Light mustered all his courage to enter the competition. He has a bit of a handicap, as he has a dust allergy and has to wear a kerchief in front of his mouth at all times. Because of this, he is currently unemployed and with no fixed abode. He is desperately looking for a job, though. In the meantime he has volunteered to help Devil building the stage for the competition. He really hopes he will get into the competition and people will change their minds about him.

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Contestant No 8: Skeleton Edeltraut. She simply believes it is a liberating move for every Skeleton to come out of the closet at one stage. Nothing much is known about her, but that is the nature of things. Isn’t it?

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Contestant No 9: Eve L. He wants to be part of the Super Dede Competition as he believes every show must have a nasty character and he certainly can fill this position very nicely, thank you. The big question is, could a nasty puppet become Super Dede?

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Then Lapdog had difficulties deciding on the last contestant. He went to seek advice by the management committee. His dilemma was that Top Dog wants to be part of the competition as he is convinced he is the best Dede ever. However, Lapdog who has the job of canvassing the contestants, can’t stand the narcissist and doesn’t want to give him a change. Luckily Foxy Lady, (who already tried to kill Top Dog once by pushing him of a shelf) stepped up. While she despises talent shows she offered to step up, just to sidestep Top Dog. Lapdog wondered if this approach was ethical. But the committee left the decision up to him.

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Contestant No 10: Foxy Lady. Well as we know, she is not a fan of talent shows, but she strongly believes that the likes of Top Dog need to be stopped. For the benefit of all, she had to snatch the last free space from the narcissist.

 

In the last competition, there was a complaint at the end of the canvassing procedure. Top Dog strongly believed he didn’t make it into the competition because he was last to be introduced. ‘Fair point’, said the management committee and changed the rules. This time the viewers have until Tuesday to get behind their contestant and for now they published the preliminary results only for everyone to see where the contestants stand at this point in time.

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Until Tuesday the readers can add comments to their preferred contestants and by doing so add points to their tally. Every comment counts 5 points. For example, if you want to push Eve L out of the competition, add a comment to Cool Cat and Eve L is a ‘goner’. Unless of course someone else enters a comment to Eve L.

Well, the committee should not have given this strategic example. Miraculously Cool Cat got two more comments over night and left Eve L. in the dust.IMG_4881

Sure enough, this morning Top Dog and Eve L were seen huddled together over pieces of paper writing up complaints.

To be continued next Monday…

 

 

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Categories Art, Comedy, Competition, contest, Creative Writing, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Politics, puppets, story telling, talent show

Empathy

August 27, 2016 //
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Pinkpok, the wise owl, is finally preparing to leave the Dedehousehold. In this very short time she lived here, she has become Mouse’s confidant.

“Top Dog unsettles everybody. He has no empathy whatsoever. What can we do?” asked Mouse while she helped Pinkpok packing.

“That actually isn’t true! Top Dog can read the Dedes very well, so he has rational empathy. But he uses his knowledge to his advantage and doesn’t feel the pain he causes. That makes him a psychopath and there is not much you can do, but run!” lectured Pinkpok.

“It’s so sad that you have to leave soon. I could learn so much from you,” remarked Mouse dolefully.

Top Dog who has extremely good hearing and loves to eavesdrop on other Dedes conversations overheard everything.

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“Ha, they say I feel no pain,” he said and grabbed himself a bottle of beer. “Of course I feel pain if I don’t get what I want. But I am not a whiner, I have better ways of dealing with the pain.”

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

Pinkpok

August 18, 2016 //
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Today is a big day for the new Dede @moss.creek and I have developed together. Moss.Creek, whose real name is Sheila, had won a referral competition. Her prize was that an image of her was turned into a puppet. In the little film, the puppet was preparing to meet the rest of the crew for the first time with her skin on. As you certainly all know, it is not easy to be the new kid on the block. Nervously, she has been practising her maiden speech all morning. The text was written by Sheila and it was the foundation from which the puppet was developed. It was a novelty for me to create a puppet in a long distance collaboration. However, Tony from xraypics, will certainly recognise the approach to the new puppet’s maiden speech. I used a tts program, as I personally have a very strong German accent, that would have set the wrong tone for the puppet :). I first used a tts with the puppets when we did a Dada Jill and Jack film, for which Tony kindly provided the text.

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When Pinkpok (as the puppet was christened by Sheila)  finally met all the other Dedes, she had forgotten the words she practised so conscientiously and she had to wing it. This is what she said in the end: “Darkness and the discomforts of reality will always be the most important things to face. Within this darkness we will find the true nature of how things are and find the strength to let our light shine forth.” What wise words. Ah well she is an owl. Thanks @moss.creek for the great words of wisdom. It was really fun to create Pinkpok by email! Personally I think she is rather cute, but very difficult to photograph. We hardly know her, but we already love her. Pity that she will have to leave soon. I offered Sheila jokingly she could have Top Dog and I would keep Pinkpok. But no, her response was Top Tog could go into a dog pound. She has big plans for Pinkpok and even is working on a dress for her already. And she promised, we will get letters from time to time.

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, contest, Creative Writing, dada, film, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Promotion, Relationships, Social Network

Inspiration needed

August 15, 2016 //
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“Can’t we just ignore that Top Dog guy and have some fun?” said Alien to Devil and Mouse, who both look very bewildered at the moment. Alien believes a good laugh can heal all wounds, and the situation definitely needs to be defused somehow. But is ignoring the right solution?

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Devil and Mouse retreated to a corner to have a quiet discussion about Alien’s suggestion. They do not want to ignore the clear and present danger and are concerned that everything seems to be becoming too sombre. Yes, they agree, the situation needs to be defused, though neither Devil nor Mouse feel much like laughing at the moment. They feel their hard work has been devalued through Top Dog’s actions, but they must battle on to hold it all together.

“Do you know,” said Mouse to Devil, “I really could do with some inspirational quotes.”

Does anyone have one for Mouse?

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Politics, Promotion, Relationships, Social Network

What’s the attraction?

August 13, 2016 //
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Esta Blished said they should talk to the followers of Top Dog. Luckily Alien is a friendly chap and curious by nature, so he went straight to work and made a list of Dedes he has to talk to. First up was Mr Vague. He looks a little bit like a bear and Alien thought he might find some more clues from him. He ask outright, “why are you following Top Dog?”

Mr Vague hung his head and admitted “I find life very confusing and I am intimidated by all this information that is thrown at me. I have to make decisions here, there and everywhere, when all I want is to be left in peace. It is simply too much. Someone who knows better has to tell me what’s good or bad.”

Alien just listened and took notes, but reserved judgement.

The next one on the list was Bossman. But gee did he get a different reception here.

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Bossman is struggling to keep his business afloat.

“Expletive, I expletive don’t expletive talk expletive to expletive aliens” he screamed. Alien didn’t understand what he said as there were too many filler words, but he got the message. He turned round quickly, and with a big smile and shaking knees he said: “you don’t expect me to take you seriously, do you?”

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Creative Writing, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Politics, Relationships, Social Network

Weird

August 1, 2016 //
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Monkey, who is very worried because he belongs to a minority everyone laughs about, went to see Court Jester. He was upset and asked “Why didn’t you say outright they shouldn’t vote for that idiot?” 

“It is against the Jesters’ code of honour. Jesters don’t tell anyone what to do, instead they try to open your eyes.”

“But you know exactly where we are heading if this idiot comes to power.”

“There is only one thing I know exactly” said Court Jester now, “if you call someone an idiot, he is no longer prepared to listen. Believe you me, my profession has hundreds of years of experience. Being confrontational doesn’t get us anywhere. We have to remove the heat and approach the situation with a cooler head.”

Then he gave Monkey a big hug and said: “Trust me.”

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Court Jester went to discuss the result of yesterday’s questionnaire with the benevolent King. Turns out only three Dedes considered themselves weird. Strangely enough Top Dog wasn’t one of them. But fifty Dedes thought the others were weird. That was exactly the point Court Jester wanted to make: the weird ones are always the others! And herein lies the problem according to the jester.
Unfortunately, this morning the Dedes were also told that the majority of readers reckoned they were indeed weird. Though in the sense of wonderfully different and excitingly strange. They valued their weirdness as a positive attribute.  You should have seen the upheaval that revelation caused. Now they all wanted to do the questionnaire again. And this time, all of them ticked yes for the first question. Weird, indeed!

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Politics, Relationships, Social Network

About being good

July 30, 2016 //
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“You are so right,” said Nosy Neighbour to Mr Vague, who was totally taken aback by Mouses response yesterday. Mr Vague is very intimidated by Rob who is simply hanging around. “We don’t want to be confronted with these jobless ones. You and I are good citizens. You sit on the fence and I watch from behind the curtain. We don’t harm anyone!”

Mr Vague felt understood and said, “yeah, when Top Dog is in power all these do-no-good Dedes have to go. Then we won’t have to look at them anymore.”

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“Actually,” said Ms Sm, who lives opposite Nosy Neighbour, “I feel very intimidated because you watch my every move from behind your curtains.” She thought she could be open because – remember – only recently Nosy Neighbour had been prepared to pose with her for the “Embrace Diversity” project.

Now he had a different tack. “In the privacy of my home I have the right to do whatever I want,” he said.

“So do I,” replied Ms Sm.

“But I have to watch you so you don’t do any evil” Nosy Neighbour said now.

“For all I know, you could be evil,” countered Ms Sm.

“Don’t be absurd!”

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships, Social Network

On the job

July 26, 2016 //
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Norman T Newbie III had to go and see Sunny, the artist’s assistant, to get his protective coating. He quite liked the young aspiring artist and thought they had much in common. At least they both wear a baseball cap. He wasn’t afraid to ask “Hey, do you want to work with me? I am head of security for Top Dog.”

Sunny didn’t even have to think. “No thanks” he said, “I am definitely not working for that guy!”

“You can say what you want about Top Dog, but he certainly keeps his promises!” Norman T Newbie III said contentedly.

“What makes you think that?” Sunny asked surprised.

“He said I will get my final coat, and here I am already.”

Sunny sighed. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but the coating is common procedure for Dedes!”

After Norman T Newbie III had left Sunny went to see his teacher L’Artiste.

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“Is he really Head of Security?” asked Sunny quite depressed now. He knows he is considered one of the losers because he wants to be an artist.

“No way” said L’Artiste to console him. “He has just fluffed up his CV to make himself more important. He is no more than a common thug who does Top Dog’s dirty work!”

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Politics, Social Network

Doomed Souls

July 18, 2016 //
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Today Lou, the puppy, and Skeleton Edeltraut braved the camera for the “Embrace Diversity” project. While their story is sort of a love story, they are nothing like Romeo and Juliet. It is really sad!

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Lou, the puppy is eternally in love with Skeleton Edeltraut. Hands up who would blame him. Edeltraut, the fragile skeleton on the other hand is terribly scared. She believes he simply desires her lovely bones. Hands up who would blame her. Unfortunately Lou seeks her out and follows her everywhere if he has the chance. As soon as she opens the closet door he is there. This impacts on her livelihood tremendously. She is pretty much confined to the closet and hardly ventures out these days. This is certainly not what life is all about and the other Dedes are at a total loss about what to do. Help!

 

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Categories Absurd, Art, bullying, Comedy, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Relationships

I can tell you!

June 30, 2016 //
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Talking about the weather seemed to have been the cue for Top Dog. He jumped on stage waving a placard shouting “I can tell you about the wind and rain. Remember when the artist sent me into exile last year?” Devil sprang into action and wanted to shuffle the disruptive Dede off the stage, but the others formed a ring around him. They looked at the picture he was carrying. Here they could see raindrops all over his face. Furthermore, there was, undeniably, the hand of the artist knocking on his head. “What happened? Please tell us.” Now that Top Dog had their attention he wasn’t in a hurry anymore. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes” “yes” “yes!”

He sat down and looked at the picture. Tears welled up in his eyes, but then abruptly he pulled himself together and said, “Yes, the artist is an evil character, don’t trust her.” He continued, and told the captive audience that last year around Easter time, the artist decided, out of the blue, that he would have to go to Beach Haven Siberia (the garden behind the house) and stay there until he is mush. “So what did you do to deserve that?” asked Milky Bar Devil. “Me?”  Top Dog was surprised .”Nothing!”

Devil rolled his eyes when he heard how Top Dog recounted the story.  He knows the other side of the story too well, as he was part of the team who begged the artist to get rid of Top Dog. It would take too long to recount the entire story now, but if you are interested,  here is the story, as told by the artists. It consists of four consecutive blog posts and then you can form your own opinion. In the end, Top Dog was saved by Flip’s Top Dog Training Centre (A real place and as far as I know an excellent training centre). They wanted to take the unruly dog in. However, the handlers never showed up. In the meantime I have come to believe Top Dog answered the door when they came round and he send them on their way again, as there was no need for further training (in his opinion). And so we still have the narcissistic Dede living amongst us.

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Categories Absurd, Art, Comedy, contest, dada, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, workshop
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