Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:34:37 -0500
From: Steve Abrams <sapuppets-AT-gmail.com>
To: puptcrit <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Subject: [Puptcrit] using or avoiding the word" puppet"


What's in a name?

In many of the Slavic countries some variant on "lutka" is used for puppet
I just googled Lutka - defined as doll or puppet. I was surprised by what I
found
Lutka is sometimes used for "doll" just as some over here use "doll" as a
term like "babe" to describe an attractive woman who might be thought of as
a play thing for men, such as a Barbie.
Googling  lutka images  i found most were sexualized females, and a few were
porno and they were side by side with images of childrens play things, and
then in the same mix there were a few puppets
Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that our term "puppet" is not
generally confused with images of doll,be they childrens playthings or other
uses of doll

I think the Japanese word "ningyo" means doll.
Although we joke among ourselves when we speak of ourselves as dolly
wigglers.
Rightly or wrongly most of us try to put a lot of distance between what we
do- and playing with dolls.

In the last year or so,I attended 2  or 3 museum exhibits that had great
puppets.
The exhibits totally avoided the use of term "puppet" in the labeling and
the publicity.

I get annoyed when the word "puppet" is avoided because I am proud to be a
puppeteer, but I try to understand some of the reasons for NOT using the
word, and some of those reasons are valid.

I think there is pressure from outside the world of puppetry to avoid using
the "p" word.

There are hordes of people in the greater public who have not caught up with
the concept that puppets are not just for kids.

If a museum uses the word "puppet" in its publicity- chances are that some
parents will bring their kids- even if the museum clearly states that the
material is adult.
Kara Walker's puppet films are quite amazing but the content is very sexual.
I can understand that a museum might have reasons for avoiding the "p" word
in their publicity. Kara Walkers puppet films are NOT for kids.

Thoughts on changing the brand name-
Some time in the 70s some mime's figured out that the term mime had become a
cliche. The mere mention of mime made certain people roll their eyes and
groan. It was ok to mock mimes.  So there was  an attempt to re-name mime
and call it "movement theatre."

I agree that there is something a bit silly about this sort of effort, but I
think it comes from the kind of frustration frequently discussed on
puptcrit, that puppetry is frequently diminished not only by the culture at
large- sometimes we are diminished or disrespected or even dismissed by
other artists or theatre artist, and that hurts even more.

Some folks think that foreign words add glamor and a touch of the exotic
(and maybe a higher price too) while and other think foreign words are
snobby and pretentious-Do you call a dish "boeuf bouguignon" or exactly the
same dish "beef stew with red wine"? Using the French term appeals to some
and turns off others

Some folks trained in "commedia" avoid using the term, because not everyone
understands it. There are very very funny people who prefer to avoid the
word "clown" and there are some who embrace the term.
So if we call the art of tripping on  a banana peel "physical theatre"
parents wont have to admit that their crazy kids went to clown school.

I like the term "cabaret" To me it evokes images of Le Chat Noir, little
round tables with bentwood chairs. great posters, a glass of wine, and
entertainment that is not main-stream. It might be music or comedy,
something fun, a bit naughty and not too grand in fact you can skip the
posters and bentwood chairs. It can be in a basement with a can of beer. It
can be a puppet slam

However the term "cabaret" is frequently used to apply to  a place with very
steep prices and wealthy men in suits listening to a fading star sing show
tunes from 50 years ago (not that there is anything wrong with that)

but because of that use of the word-
In the world of jazz, to call someone a "cabaret singer" is to hurl an
insult. To most jazz musicians. a cabaret singer does not swing.So I have
learned there  are risks of misunderstanding when the word "cabaret" is used
even among fellow speakers of English.

If you invite people to "come to the cabaret" there can be 3 or more
entirely different ideas about what they might find when they arrive.
If you invite people to come to the puppet theatre (or more vague and less
pretentious "the puppet show") most potential audience members are equally
clueless about what they will find when they get there.

SA
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