You're walking along in the forest and see the most adorable flower you've ever laid eyes on. You reach down to pick it, thinking that your sweetheart would appreciate a bouquet. Unfortunately, you won't go home with a flower - you'll be going home with one less hand ...
The Happy Fun Ball - Any adorable, cute, or innocent looking object or creature that is dangerous or deadly. It can take on the form of anything, be it children's toys or an office pen. The use of this trope can be found in several genres, comedy or horror, and you can even find it in historical fiction. It completely depends on how realistic you want to be about it.
Tomatoes, for example, are among the most harmless fruits in the world, and make for great sauces (and contrary to popular belief, tomatoes are fruits, not veggies), but that didn't matter when all the world's tomatoes felt it was time to revolt against their #1 predator - a tragic day for supermarkets everywhere.
Or how about Chucky? You know, everyone's favorite alternative to the Cabbage Patch Kids doll, never mind the fact that this model in particular happens to be possessed by the spirit of a serial killer through voodoo magic.
Honestly, who would buy a toy like that for their kid?
Even words or songs can be Happy Fun Balls - just ask Sheeta from Laputa: Castle in the Sky. I bet she had no idea that a nursery rhyme could bring down the house ... literally. Man oh man, what a mess!
The Happy Fun Ball isn't necessarily a ball, but a trope to lower the guard of your audience, shocking them with the unexpected. Think of it as an author's prank or a sudden surprise to increase the tension.
When have you used The Happy Fun Ball? What form did it take? Was it funny, scary, or something else entirely?
I'm David, and this is no ordinary rabbit ...
Awesome clip! And you worked in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteHaven't used that one yet.
I keep thinking of the Simpsons episode where Professor Frink weaponizes a spinning weasel toy or whatever it's called. And of course the famous Twilight Zone episode with the Talking Tina doll, on which Child's Play was probably based. "I'm Talking Tina and I'm going to kill you..." Nooooo! I'm glad none of my action figures or stuffed toys came to life like that.
ReplyDeleteA journal, that comes to life, revealing your innermost secrets...pretty scary! Haha
ReplyDeleteLoved the post. Thanks.
Never used this one. The closest I've gotten is a "nice" character surprising the reader and turning bad. Yeah, I don't think that counts either. Cool trope.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has a strong aversion to clowns and mannequins thanks to this trope. Chucky is definitely over-the-top creepy. I don't really enjoy genres that include evil in the form of cute, but there are a lot of characters that certainly fit that description.
ReplyDeleteI love that episode of Killer Rabbit. Priceless. As for the 'happy fun' trope, I don't think I've used this much in my writing.
ReplyDeleteWill keep it in mind for future short stories. (almost sounds like the red herrings in mysteries - something to lead us astray or into complacency)
Oh Monty Python. I like the Watchmen logo you posted. It's a perfect icon for such an intense graphic novel. In a way, this trope is kind of like what M. Night Shyamalan tries to do with his movies (make a twist that is unexpected). It works well some of the time, but an author should never overuse it because then people expect it.
ReplyDeleteOh Chucky, creepy little bugger popped into my head before I scrolled down and saw the pic. ugggg. Never used this before, but I did watch Laputa with my kids over the weekend. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to ponder on this one. Never used it but probably it's only because it's not my genre. People are always wary of dragons.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Haven't used this one... yet? :-)
ReplyDeleteKiller Rabbit! What a clip.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used this one either. What I thought of was the episode of Red Dwarf - Polymorph. It was about an alien that transformed into any object to lure its victim, then sucked out a vital part of their personality. And it also became a fluffy white rabbit at one point!
Don't think I've used this one yet. What have I been missing out on!!! Now I'm trying to think up a way to add it in to my novel. Hmm....
ReplyDeleteI've seen it in films and read it in books, but did not know this trope had a name. And what a great name it is!
ReplyDeleteFunny! :) Cute/innocent things going rogue...hmmm
ReplyDeleteChucky has given me nightmares for the last fourteen years. Now I'm pretty sure all dolls are evil. If I ever have a daughter she will miss out on childhood because I am NOT giving her a doll O_O
ReplyDeleteI love your examples. They totally made me smile. And that flower at the beginning creeped me out.
ReplyDeleteGreat examples, David. Interesting tactic for an author to use... LOL. Never used it myself though.
ReplyDeleteI definitely have a Happy Fun Ball in my WIP Escaping Wonderland but I can't reveal that. You gave some terrific examples and as a tomato lover crept me out with that supermarket pic.
ReplyDeleteMONTY PYTHON!!! Hahahaha! :) I love this sort of trope, writers can have a lot of fun with it. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens in every day life. You want to play fetch with your dog and you find the nearest stick, bend down, pick it up, only to have it turn around and bite you because it's actually a snake. Hey, I could probably use that. Thanks for sharing, David! :)
ReplyDeleteThe Killer Rabbit! Best happy fun toy ever, second only to the Trouble with Tribbles.
ReplyDeleteChucky totally freaks me out! I haven't used this trope yet, but am working on a story where I definitely need one. Now to figure out its form......
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter is full of happy fun balls! I always wondered though why Voldemort didn't have fun with his Horcruxes... I'd probably pick, like, a tire, a Christmas tree, and the Statue of Liberty for mine.
ReplyDeleteOh, Monty Python! Classic.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've used one of these in my stories yet.
This is a really good trope. I haven't used it yet, either, as far as I recall, but now I really WANT to! Gremlins is a good example of this. Aww, so cute!
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