From: Stephen Kaplin <skactw-AT-tiac.net>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 14:44:06 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Is Herbie a Puppet?


  This thread has stirred up a lot of passion, which is wonderful  
exercise for all us pupteers. Even if we have visited this ground  
before on several occasions, it bears repeated traversing.

I don't see why the creature in "Avatar" would not be considered  
puppet characters-- they seem to perfectly fit my (oft-repeated)  
definition of a puppet as an object  manipulated in performance by   
some distanced operators. The fact that the Naviis are completely  
digital and part of a $300 million 3-D,  sci/fi remake of a cowboys &  
injun shoot-em-up is simply a matter of prevailing taste and  
technology. While I  may  personally prefer the actual physical  
presence of performer, puppet and audience occupying the same general   
location of the space/time continuum, that's simply my rather old- 
fashioned sense of theaterical decorum.

The question of Herbie the Love Bug is also worth thinking about as an  
extention of this idea of the machine as primary performing object.  I  
believe Dr. John Bell had at one time written an article concerning  
machine spectacles such as Monster truck rallies, where the trucks  
take on specific personas like Pro wrestlers. He tied them to the more  
explicitly performative heavy machine spectacle/events of Survival  
Research Lab and the early 20th Century industrial pageants in the old  
USSR. I am also reminded of the "Art-Car" movement, where autos are  
transformed into wild and crazy  mobile art installations.

Keep the engines running.

Stephen

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