Googly eyes

Last updated
Two googly eyes Googly.jpg
Two googly eyes

Googly eyes, or wiggle eyes, are small plastic crafting items used to imitate eyeballs. Googly eyes traditionally are composed of a white plastic or card backing covered by a clear, hard-plastic shell, encapsulating a black plastic disc. The combination of a black circle over a white disk mimics the appearance of the sclera and pupil of the eye to humorous effect. The inner black disk is allowed to move freely within the larger clear plastic shell, which makes the eyes appear to move when the googly eyes are tilted or shaken.

Contents

A googly eye attached to a hammer Googly eye on a hammer.jpg
A googly eye attached to a hammer

The plastic shells come in a variety of sizes ranging from diameters of 316 inch (4.8 mm) to over 24 inches (610 mm). The inner disks come in a variety of colors including pink, blue, yellow, red and green. Googly eyes are used for a variety of arts and crafts projects including pipe cleaner animals, sock puppets, pranks, and other creations. Googly eyes may also be attached to inanimate objects in order to give the objects a "silly" or "cute" appearance. This use often personifies the objects for a humorous effect, or to make an object less threatening and more appealing. [1] [2] [3]

History

The name "googly eyes" may refer back to the early 20th century comic strip Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, in which Barney Google had characteristically exaggerated eyes that inspired a hit 1923 song "Barney Google (with the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes)". [1]

Five Weepuls in various colors Wk wuppies.JPG
Five Weepuls in various colors

They were prominently used in the Weepul promotional toys, invented in the 1970s by Tom Blundell, an executive of the toy company BIPO, who stuck googly eyes to a small pom-pom out of boredom. The inventor claimed that 400 million were sold between 1971 and 2012. Similar toys have appeared since then, like the "Wuppies", a toy which was popular in the Netherlands in the 1980s, and the "Pirilampo Mágico" ("Magic Firefly"), a popular toy sold annually in Portugal since 1987 as a fundraising product for CERCI, a co-op specialized in helping the mentally disabled. [4] [5] Recent iterations of this toy have replaced its googly eyes and pom-pom appearance for one made fully in plastic. [6]

Googly eyes stuck to a no entry sign No entry sign with googly eyes, Penzance, March 2021.jpg
Googly eyes stuck to a no entry sign

Beginning in the 2000s, a trend called "eyebombing" emerged of sticking googly eyes to objects in the urban environment. [7] The inspiration for the movement has been claimed by French artist Do Benracassa, in his 1980s project "Ça Vous Regarde". [8] It was then developed by two unnamed Danish artists, and a group called the Googly Eyes Foundation emerged to spread the phenomenon. [9] [10]

The Guinness World Records recognises a pair of googly eyes measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter made in 2019 as the largest ever. [11]

In 2024, a satirical protest seeking to add googly eyes to help ease riders due to the unreliability of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority would lead to several trains having googly eye stickers affixed to them. [12]

On Sesame Street , Cookie Monster has googly eyes.

In a 2008 Saturday Night Live sketch, host Christopher Walken portrays a gardener who is afraid of plants. He puts googly eyes on the plants to make them less intimidating. [1]

Googly eyes are featured in the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once [13] and its promotional materials. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lego</span> Plastic construction toy

Lego is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) that accompany an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Its pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Assembled Lego models can be taken apart, and their pieces can be reused to create new constructions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinder Surprise</span> Chocolate egg candy

Kinder Surprise, also known as Kinder Egg or Kinder Surprise Egg, is a milk chocolate consisting of a chocolate egg surrounding a yellow plastic capsule with a small toy inside. Manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero since 1974, it was co-created by Michele Ferrero and William Salice, and is one of several candies sold under the Kinder brand. Kinder Surprise was originally created with children in mind, replicating an Italian Easter family tradition in which adults give children large chocolate eggs with toys inside. However, Kinder Surprise toys have become collectible for adults as well. Since 1974, 30 billion Kinder Surprise eggs have been sold worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doll</span> Model, typically of a humanoid character

A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have been made as crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate art. Modern doll manufacturing has its roots in Germany, from the 15th century. With industrialization and new materials such as porcelain and plastic, dolls were increasingly mass-produced. During the 20th century, dolls became increasingly popular as collectibles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuffed toy</span> Fabric toy with a soft filling

A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, lovies, stuffed animals, diane, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys or cuddly toys. The stuffed toy originated from the Steiff company of Germany in the late 19th century and gained popularity following the creation of the teddy bear in the United States in 1903. At the same time, German toy inventor Richard Steiff designed a similar bear. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy. In 1921, Christopher Robin's stuffed toy, given to him by his father, A. A. Milne, would inspire the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. In the 1970s, London-based Hamleys, the world's oldest toy store, bought the rights to Paddington Bear stuffed toys. In the 1990s, Ty Warner created Beanie Babies, a series of animals stuffed with plastic pellets that were popular as collector's items.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auton</span> Fictional automatons controlled by the Nestene Consciousness in the Doctor Who franchise

The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and adversaries of the Doctor. They were originally created by scriptwriter Robert Holmes for Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space (1970), and were the first monsters to be presented in colour on the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet Rock</span> Collectible toy

Pet Rock is a collectible toy made in 1975 by advertising executive Gary Dahl. They were rocks packaged in custom cardboard boxes complete with ventilation holes and straw bedding imitating a pet carrier. The fad lasted about six months, ending after a short increase in sales during the Christmas season of December 1975. Although by February 1976 they were discounted due to lower sales, Dahl sold over one million Pet Rocks for $4 each, and became a millionaire.

<i>Barney Google and Snuffy Smith</i> American comic strip

Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, originally Take Barney Google, for Instance, is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck. Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a large international readership, appearing in 900 newspapers in 21 countries. The initial appeal of the strip led to its adaptation to film, animation, popular song, and television. It added several terms and phrases to the English language and inspired the 1923 hit tune "Barney Google " with lyrics by Billy Rose, as well as the 1923 record "Come On, Spark Plug!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyoxymethylene</span> Engineering thermoplastic polymer

Polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde, is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts requiring high stiffness, low friction, and excellent dimensional stability. Short-chained POM is also better known as paraformaldehyde (PFA). As with many other synthetic polymers, polyoxymethylenes are produced by different chemical firms with slightly different formulas and sold as Delrin, Kocetal, Ultraform, Celcon, Ramtal, Duracon, Kepital, Polypenco, Tenac and Hostaform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy DeBeck</span> Cartoonist (1890–1942)

William Morgan DeBeck, better known as Billy DeBeck, was an American cartoonist. He is most famous as the creator of the comic strip Barney Google, later retitled Barney Google and Snuffy Smith. The strip was especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and featured a number of well-known characters, including the title character, Bunky, Snuffy Smith, and Spark Plug the race horse. Spark Plug was a merchandising phenomenon, and has been called the Snoopy of the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Try Honesty</span> 2003 single by Billy Talent

"Try Honesty" is the debut single by Canadian group Billy Talent. It was released in July 2003 as the lead single from their debut self-titled album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat play and toys</span> Entertainment of domestic cats

Cat play and toys incorporates predatory games of "play aggression". Cats' behaviors when playing are similar to hunting behaviors. These activities allow kittens and younger cats to grow and acquire cognitive and motor skills, and to socialize with other cats. Cat play behavior can be either solitary or social. They can play with a multitude of toys ranging from strings, to small furry toys resembling prey, to plastic bags.

Bonnie D. Zacherle is an American illustrator and designer who now resides in Warrenton, Virginia. Zacherle is known as the original creator of the best-selling My Little Pony toy line. She is also the creator of Nerfuls. Zacherle has done some outside consulting for Bliss House, an American licensing consultancy, on the graphics and product development side. In 2003, she became a member of Women in Toys.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a trilogy of American 4-minute stop-motion animated mockumentary short films about an anthropomorphic seashell. The short films were directed, edited and produced by Dean Fleischer Camp who co-wrote with Slate. Fleisher Camp and Slate released a 2021 feature film of the same name about the title character with Slate reprising the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalaloopsy</span> Line of plastic rag dolls from MGA Entertainment

Lalaloopsy is a line of plastic rag dolls from MGA Entertainment. Originally released in 2010 as Bitty Buttons, the brand name was changed to Lalaloopsy shortly after launch. They began to grow in popularity during the holiday season in 2010. A variety of Lalaloopsy dolls have been released, as well as several Lalaloopsy themed video games. In November 2012 and February 2013, Lalaloopsy TV specials and TV series began airing on the Nick Jr. Channel and Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squirmles</span> Worm-like toys

Squirmles are small, worm-like toys with eyes, a furry body, and a hidden string used to imitate a live worm, sometimes used as a magic trick. A popular toy released in the mid 1970s by the Illfelder Importing Company, Squirmles come in a variety of colors and are measured at 8.5 by 0.5 in. They are typically found in discount stores in the United States. In 2017 they began being referred to mainly as "Worm on a String", and in 2020 as "wormies" or simply "worms".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney and Betty Hill incident</span> Alleged alien abduction in 1961

Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in a rural portion of the state of New Hampshire from September 19 to 20, 1961. The incident came to be called the "Hill Abduction" and the "Zeta Reticuli Incident" because two ufologists connected the star map shown to Betty Hill with the Zeta Reticuli system. Their story was adapted into the best-selling 1966 book The Interrupted Journey and the 1975 television film The UFO Incident.

<i>Everything Everywhere All at Once</i> 2022 film by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a 2022 American absurdist comedy film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who produced it with Anthony and Joe Russo and Jonathan Wang. The film incorporates elements from several genres and film media, including surreal comedy, science fiction, fantasy, martial arts films, immigrant narrative, and animation. Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who, while audited by the IRS, discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse. The film also stars Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Hong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathanael Greene Monument</span> Public monument in Savannah, United States

The Nathanael Greene Monument is a public monument in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located in Johnson Square, the monument was designed by William Strickland and honors Nathanael Greene, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. While the cornerstone was laid in 1825, the monument was not completed until 1830, at which time it served as a joint monument for Greene and fellow Continental Army general Casimir Pulaski. The monument became solely dedicated to Greene in 1853, after which two bronze plaques honoring Greene were added to the structure. In 1902, Greene's body was reinterred under the monument. In 2018, one of the bronze plaques was vandalized with googly eyes, which drew national attention to the monument.

<i>Marcel the Shell with Shoes On</i> (2021 film) American film by Dean Fleischer Camp

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a 2021 American live-action/stop-motion animated mockumentary film, co-written and directed by Dean Fleischer Camp in his feature directorial debut. It is based on and serves both as a direct stand-alone sequel and prequel to the series of Marcel the Shell shorts written by Jenny Slate and Fleischer Camp. Slate reprises her voice role as Marcel, an anthropomorphic seashell. Fleischer Camp, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Lesley Stahl, and Isabella Rossellini also star. The film follows Marcel, a shell who lives with his grandmother, Connie, after posting a short film online bringing Marcel millions of passionate fans and a new hope of reuniting with his long-lost family.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gotthardt, Alexxa (2 October 2018). "How Googly Eyes Became an Essential Part of Crafts". Artsy . Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. Corkery, Michael (26 February 2020). "Should Robots Have a Face?". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. Tarantola, Andrew (22 May 2019). "Why putting googly eyes on robots makes them inherently less threatening". Engadget. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. Grundhauser, Eric (13 January 2017). "Rediscovering the Wonderful World of Weepuls". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  5. "Pirilampo Mágico - FENACERCI". FENACERCI. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  6. ""Pirilampo Mágico" iterations - FENACERCI". FENACERCI. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  7. "Eyebombing: Using goggly eyes to bring objects to life". 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  8. P, Nixie (31 March 2020). "The Origins of Eyebombing". Medium. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  9. Martinez-Conde, Susana; Macknik, Stephen L. (1 May 2020). "Eyebomb Your Brain". Scientific American. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  10. Barnes, Sara (3 June 2017). "People Are Sticking Googly Eyes on Ordinary Street Objects Around the World". My Modern Met.
  11. "Largest pair of googly eyes". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. "Mission to 'get eyes on the T' accomplished: Handful of trains now sport googly eyes". www.wbur.org. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  13. Flower, Amy (15 December 2021). "Whoa! Everything Everywhere All At Once looks bonkers!". stack.com.au. STACK magazine. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  14. Booth, Kaitlyn (15 December 2021). "Everything Everywhere All At Once: First Image, Trailer, and Poster". bleedingcool.com. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 19 December 2021.