Friday, September 14, 2007

Tales of a Possessed Marshmallow Man


David McMahon asked us this week to tell a Toy Story, well David, here ya go!


The year was 1985 (I think) and there was only one toy I wanted that year – the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. My family was a huge fan of The Ghostbusters and I even had the movie picture book. I read through that book so many times, looking at all the pictures. I think the bitterness was setting in on the family. My parents had already divorced, but we hadn’t yet moved to New York. I remember one picture, of Gozer covered in bubbles with the two demon dogs at her side. My mother said my father bought be the book because of that picture, that he probably stared at it all the time or some other such nonsense. I didn’t care. I always pictured Dan Ackroyd as the perfect dad and wanted that stuffed Stay Puft to snuggle with at night like the kid on the commercial.

And I got it! The real one too, not a knock-off. When I had wanted a Strawberry Shortcake doll my mom’s friend made me one, not the same to a kid looking for the tags. Cabbage Patch Kid? Also made from a kit with a printed out adoption certificate, doesn’t cut it. But this one was the Kenner original.

He was bigger than I expected, and had that sailors cap with a real blue ribbon. He was very soft and cuddly. And he had a huge smile one. There was one thing I didn’t know about the doll – its face glowed in the dark. That, I didn’t learn until that night.

My parents were happy that they had been able to please me, to give me a gift I really wanted. So my mother was none to happy to hear I had thrown the doll across the room screaming during the night. I woke up – and that grin was just there floating in the darkness of my room.

I had a friend that had wanted a giggling cookie monster of some sort. She broke it the first night because she rolled on it, it screeched into the silence, “ME WANT COOKIE!” and she thought for sure it was trying to eat her. Survival of the fittest, her or the doll, and she won while I laughed at the story. I thought for sure I’d never be such a wimp!

Now, here I was with a doll that wouldn’t die but just grin evilly all through the night.

I think I tried, my mother was upset. I had wanted that doll so badly and now it was scaring me. In the end, my brother got it. He had wanted it too, secretly envying my doll while outwardly making fun of the stuffed toy. We all loved Ghostbusters.

Image from Answers.com

13 comments:

Amel said...

AWWWW...that's such a nice story though it ended pretty bad for you. Poor you, getting scared stiff 'coz you didn't know it glowed like that!!!

But anyways, I LOVE Ghostbuster movies AND cartoons, though there weren't any Ghostbuster books or comics back in Indo back then.

GO, GO, GHOSTBUSTERRRSSSS, GO, GO, GHOSTBUSSSTEERRRRSSS!!!!

Victorya said...

I was just scared! lol, it just grinned at me all night. These things happen, kids think they want something but don't really know what it is. It's called effective marketing :p

I still love Ghostbusters too. I even watched the cartoon ALL the time.

Anonymous said...

I worked down in Tribecca near the Ghostbusters Fire Station. On my lunch break one day I saw them setting up a scene with the ambulance. I think it was the second Ghostbusters movie.

Paper Fan Club said...

That's a very "Sweet" story indeed. I'll forever think of you when I see that scene in Ghostbusters.

Victorya said...

ahhhh! Chewy!! you got to see filming!! Actually, I went to school at Columbia, so was part of that movie history every day while there. The royalties from the shooting pay for the upkeep on, I think the South Lawn. It's not the same as watching it filmed, but something!

Ah paper! thanks *snicker* I still love roasted marshmallows though, stay puft or not. Just as long as they don't glow, I'm fine!

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Mr Stay Puft was rather evil looking in the movie, I never knew him from a cereal or whatever he's from. He wasn't a known character in the UK other than from the movie, so I can see why you would be scared. For me it's clowns. I HATE clowns, especially that one from Poltergeist :-) Fish

david mcmahon said...

I really enjoyed that story, Victorya,

You certainly had me riveted to the tale all the way. Did your brother take over Stay Puft the next morning or was it a slow process of surrender?

Fascinating that Chewy saw them setting up to film the movie - and I enjoyed your nugget of information about the upkeep as well.

Thanks for taking part. God bless

David

Victorya said...

Fish - stay puft was created for the movie, based off the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Michellen Man

David - glad you liked it! Thanks for asking the question :) As for when my brother took over the Stay Puft care taking duties, I'm not sure. I really did try a few nights of sleeping with that thing, I had too! My parent's glee had turned to disappointment. I think it was just after a number of sleepless nights it was deemed 'better for a boy'.

heavenabove said...

This story brightened my day. Your writing is just fabulous! Your stories come to life easily. I loved Ghostbusters too. The "I want cookie" part made me laugh hard.

I do think your mother should have told you it glowed so you weren't scared but knowing her...

Amel said...

The clown I hate is the clown in "It". YIKES!!! That certainly ruined my view of clowns.

Victorya said...

Thanks for the compliments Heaven! To be fair to my mom, I doubt she knew about the Glowing either, she just knew I wanted it really badly. I think no one realized I'd be frightened :)

Amel - Ah yes! Was it, Mr. Pennyweather or some such thing? I've never been a fan of clowns either, or mimes for that matter.

Berni said...

It is amazing what toys are given to kids in all innocence that cause problems. I remember receiving a Gollywog as a small child but one night I had the most awful nightmare about this doll that I can remember it to this day and that is 59 years ago.

Anonymous said...

My, my Victorya your blog is rising in the ranks of popularity. Good for you!

I had a friend lived up on 116th street. That was in the mid 80's. I love the Henry Moore sculpture on the Columbia campus.