The Small Fries

When looking for original, out-of-the-box content, the internet is definitely the place to venture. For this first installment of YouTube Spotlight, I’m going to the weird side of YouTube to shed light on the Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared series.

Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared is a collection of videos created by Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling. The first installment was uploaded in 2011. In the video, a notebook takes our three main characters on an adventure to explore their creativity. It starts out very joyous and with similarities to a Sesame Street episode, but things take a dark, psychedelic turn. At the end of the video, the trio decides to never be creative again. In subsequent episodes, the main characters inquire about concepts such as time, love, and computers. They are then misguided by seemingly innocent teachers into a disturbing direction.

A year after the second episode, the creative duo made a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for 4 more episodes to be made. In a little over a month, they reached their goal of $96,000. The episodes are released erratically, which makes finding out about a new one even more exciting.

The thing that is so great about these videos is the ability to connect the feeling of nostalgia with absurdity and wild visuals. People who grew up on shows such as Sesame Street will appreciate the craziness of these videos. I find the best way to describe DHMIS is “Sesame Street meets Adult Swim”. It’s along the lines of Wonder Showzen, mixing adult themes into a whimsical aesthetic. However, DHMIS is not only for 90s kids with a cynical side. It definitely appeals to anyone with a dark sense of humor.

--Julie