Beaker Time! (It’s Science, but with Evil Puppets)

When I worked as a writer on The Independents I got to meet Bill Nye The Science Guy a few times, who’s a great fellow, and well-known star of an educational TV show in my childhood. I also met neuropharmacologist Dr. Carl Hart, who pointed out to me that heroin and morphine are pretty much the same thing, but we don’t like to think about that as a society because of the implications. Enter: puppets. Evil puppets. Then we have the makings of a really good comedy sketch. (Warning to wholesome Okie family: contains swearing.)

Puppets acting inappropriately always make me bust a gut. I think there’s some kind of anthropomorphic effect that applies to things like monkeys and puppets. Our brains say, “theselook human, kinda” but they aren’t. And that deep cognitive dissonance makes us laugh. Puppets have the added kick of being cheery, wholesome components of childhood. So whenever they swear or launch into debauched antics, they run entirely counter to our expectations. BAM! Laughter.

This is one of my all-time favorite sketches, which made me cry laughing several times just going through the out-takes. Enjoy!