Posted by Pinky.
I experienced a very bizarre day the other day. Bunny was teasing me about having gained some weight recently (I haven't) when she used the word 'piñata'. I'd never heard of a piñata.
Bunny: You don't know what a piñata is?
Me: No.
Bunny: Are you serious? You never heard of piñatas?
Me: No.
Bunny: What are you? From Mars?
Me: grrrr.
Annoying, but at least I learned a new word. So anyway, fast forward a few hours and Mimi is watching TV and there's this comedian on Comedy Central telling jokes (Demetri Martin - he's actually pretty funny). Anyway, he says something like "I like parties but I don't like piñatas because piñatas promote violence against flamboyant animals". I got the joke because Bunny had just told me what a piñata is. Cool.
Then, the same night, now we're all watching TV and there's this commercial for a show called Viva Piñata. It's a animated show where the characters are all piñatas. Info from the website:
"Viva Piñata™ is a wacky, zany, anything-can-happen animated cartoon series about the world of Piñatas.
In the lush environment of Piñata Island, a multitude of happy, colorful Piñatas live the sweet life, frolicking, dancing and filling themselves up with the most delicious goodies a child could ever want!
They eagerly await the glorious day when they are chosen by the Piñata Factory to attend birthday parties or special celebrations all over the world, bringing joy, treats, and tons of fun to kids of all ages. It's no wonder that wherever the Piñatas go, they're the life of the party!"
Very cute, and interesting premise - though oddly enough it kind of reminds me of the rhetoric of martyr recruitment (not that I know what that really sounds like...). I realize this is all just make pretend, but don't you think the piñatas should be terrified to get the call? What a horrible end:
1) hang you from the rafters or a tree.
2) children take turns beating you with a stick.
3) beating continues until you break open and your insides spill to the floor/ground.
4) much celebration and joy as children madly scramble for candy.
*shiver* All I can say is I'm glad I'm not a piñata. Anyway, I still can't get over the coincidence. They do say that strange things happen in threes, but I didn't know it was true till yesterday.
~pinky
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Posted by Bunny: Piñatas come in all kinds of shapes, including non-animal shapes. I don't know how it is elsewhere but in LA there are supermarkets and piñaterias where you can get practically anything popular with children in piñata form - Pokemon, Batman, whatever. But kids like animals. And a festive-looking donkey is at least 10 times more fun for kids than, say, a piñata made in the shape of a toilet bowl or telephone.
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Posted by Kim: I bet they have cell phone piñatas. Kids love cell phones.