Drabblecast 085 - Trifecta V

YouTube · Post by **Kevin Anderson** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:18 am

Drabblecast 85- Trifecta V

Strange Love
by Suzanne Vincent

Cookie?
by Jim Bernheimer

Forbidden Love
by Ian Fossberg

Steve Anderson | Jesse Thorn and The Sound of Young America

DKT · Post by **DKT** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:53 pm

I always like a good Trifecta. I especially enjoyed Cookie, because I was pretty sure I knew where it was going (what with the imaginary friend who's not really imaginary) and pleasantly, ridiculously surprised.

Strange Love was...strange. But a good listen to.

Mr. Tweedy · Post by **Mr. Tweedy** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:45 pm

Themes of sex and deception, eh? I like when the trifectas have themes, and all of these involved both sex and hidden motives.

I felt like "Strange Love" kind of fell flat. The buildup with the aliens and the yellow blood the bizarrely spidering tattoos was very vivid and pretty creepy. I thought it was going to some dark, Lovecraftian place, but the actual reveal was pretty banal. My reaction was, "Ha ha! Chump sucker!" and then I was ready for the next thing,

which was really good, if I do say so. This was actually very sinister, but it was done in such a way that the real horror almost slips past you. I dig that. I love when horror is subtle and thoughtful: So much better than bloody knives. The real, clincher, IMO, is the line "I think they're making you right now. Even though you're older, I'm gonna be the bestest big sister ever."

What. Is. That. Thing? I love the suggestion that this evil(?) power is coming at the world from this totally unexpected and seemingly innocuous source, and that it is, apparently, unstoppable. No one would suspect a cookie or a baby sister. This story reminded me of (favorite movie) The Ring, which is high praise, because of the way it made the evil deeply scary by making it 1.) unstoppable, 2.) vague and 3.) completely unexpected.

"Forbidden Love" was fun, but, of course, it suffers from being completely unoriginal. I honestly don't remember how those old Looney Toons cartoons ended, but I remember the poor cat's frantic dismay and desperation. It was nice that she finally got to rid herself of her smelly harasser once and for all.

YouTube · Post by **Kevin Anderson** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:49 pm

That trifecta seemed, for me, to embody the true essence of the drabblecast. Strange. Very, very, strange.

The first one, Strange Love, kind of made me want to take a shower after listening. Not sure why. But I did.

The second one, Cookie?, reminded me of my daughters imaginary friend who seemed to disappear last year. Her name was Shadow, and the fact that she had an imaginary friend was not creepy, but all the strange details my daughter would tell us about Shadow seemed a bit off, like how Shadow was sad because she had had a miscarriage. I’m not even sure my daughter knew what that meant.

And lastly, Forbidden Love. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wondered, while flipping channels looking for a decent cartoon for my kids to watch, what happened to the cartoon characters of my youth – Foghorn Leghorn, Bugs, Daffy, Yosemite Sam, Speedy and yes even that striped Casanova, Peppy la Pue. Well, at least I know what happened to Peppy.

JimB · Post by **JimB** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:41 am

Thanks for the compliments on Cookie? I really enjoyed writing it.

The first story was quite bizarre - definitely off the wall and an interesting listen.

I enjoyed the Looney Tunes riff of the third story. It's always nice to delve into the psyche of characters we grew up watching. After all, how often was Bugs cross dressing to pull one over on Elmer Fudd? What was up with that?

Of course now it makes me want to write a story about a coyote's obsession with a certain flightless bird...

cammoblammo · Post by **cammoblammo** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:24 pm

Good stories, all. I don't have a lot to add that hasn't been said already. I think 'Strange Love' is going to stay with me for a while---that was very well executed.

If I have any criticism, it might be the background music in 'Cookies.' I'm not sure if there was too much, it was too prominent or it didn't quite suit. Something didn't seem quite right, 's'all.

Oh, and a great kid warning, too.

Algernon Sydney is Dead · Post by **Algernon Sydney is Dead** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:39 pm

Rape by tattoo, Demonic toys, and fresh skunk meat! What's not to enjoy?

The first story was very original; the second was a good variation on standard themes, the third was inconsequential but enjoyable.

Cookie? felt a little incomplete though. The conflict has been set up but then we do not see the good guys fight back or a final victory. Maybe some concepts are too big for a short, short.

StalinSays · Post by **StalinSays** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:18 pm

Not trying to draw a meaningful connection - as I don't really think one is there - but elements of 'Cookie' remind me a lot of an oft forgotten Larry Cohen schlock horror movie 'The Stuff'

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090094/

A dessert that addicts on first taste and subverts the will of consumers, 'The Stuff' was apparently some sentient amoeba fluff organism from the earth's core (as opposed to 'the cookies' which are baked from a demon sister's secret recipe).

One to see if you're in the mood for more mind bending snacks. Think 'the blob' if it was weirder and far more tangential. Anyone else with me on this?

Goldenrat · Post by **Goldenrat** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:31 am

I liked Cookie. The other two, not so much. Pepe Le Pew was my least favorite Looney Tunes character. In fact, I hated that smelly SOB.

Algernon Sydney is Dead · Post by **Algernon Sydney is Dead** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:34 am

Goldenrat wrote: Pepe Le Pew was my least favorite Looney Tunes character. In fact, I hated that smelly SOB.

Then you should like the story, since it road-killed him.

tastycakes · Post by **tastycakes** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:41 am

I don't know too much about the movie, but there's something about that poster that reminds me an awful lot about Norm's dad.

YouTube · Post by **Kevin Anderson** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:38 pm

StalinSays wrote:Not trying to draw a meaningful connection - as I don't really think one is there - but elements of 'Cookie' remind me a lot of an oft forgotten Larry Cohen schlock horror movie 'The Stuff'
Anyone else with me on this?

I am. I used to own a copy of that piece of schlock.

Cookie? reminded me of a Buffy episode were the adults were all feed this candy bar – which caused them to become promiscuous, and act like teenagers. Then while the adults were out acting rebellious, the candy bar makers planned on stealing all the newborns in Sunnydale and feeding / sacrificing them to a demon.

Goldenrat · Post by **Goldenrat** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:56 pm

Algernon Sydney is Dead wrote:
Goldenrat wrote: Pepe Le Pew was my least favorite Looney Tunes character. In fact, I hated that smelly SOB.
Then you should like the story, since it road-killed him.

Funny! The smarminess of the smelly rat prior to his death was irritating, though. Le Pew!

bolddeceiver · Post by **bolddeceiver** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:07 am

As trifectas go, a pretty big meh, I'm afraid.

The first story just didn't do it at all for me. The lead-up was hum-drum, the reveal had no punch, and then the story kept going after there wasn't much reason to.

I did like the second pretty well. I enjoy that theme of apparent child's play turning out to be more sinister than it seems; in that aspect, I was most reminded of that golden-age SF story (I want to say Bradbury, but I am not sure) where the aliens use the kids to stage their invasion, and the parents all think they're just playing. Definitely the high-point of the trifecta.

The third fell completely and totally flat. There was just nothing original about it, and the surprise ending ("Oh, surprise, he died!") wasn't worth listening to a mediocre rehash of a classic cartoon. Besides, everyone knows that after getting run over by a car, a Looney Toon would stand up, properly flattened, maybe reattach a body part, then appear good as new in the next scene.

thebrog · Post by **thebrog** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:24 pm

first and third were kinda meh, but the second one was amazing. I see a bright future for that little girl.

Kehama · Post by **Kehama** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:00 pm

I felt Forbidden Love was the weakest of the lot. I was never a big Pepe Le Pew fan and having to listen to a Pepe story line without the cutesie visuals had an effect similar to scraping a rubber coated cheese grater over my ear-drums. Not permanately damaging, but certainly not enjoyable.

Cookies?, however, was fantastic. Like so many of the good stories on the Drabblecast, I wanted the story to go further. As has already been said, I kept wondering just what was that thing posing as her invisible friend. It gave me a case of Lovecraft style heebie-jeebies.

And Strange Love... I dunno. It seemed like it had so much potential and then the whole "reveal" just ruined it for me. I was really hoping for something deeper than the alien saying "having you poke me with a needle gets me off cause I'm a giant phallus." And yeah, I felt dirty after it was over.

LajesticVantrashellofLob · Post by **LajesticVantrashellofLob** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:32 am

The first story was fantastic. The narration was exceptional and while the twist wasn't anything groundbreaking, it was very well executed. The entire piece had a very Drabblecast-ian feel to it - set up a weird scenario and introduce a plot twist to make it even weirder.

I can only describe the second story as "interesting". I didn't love it or hate it, but it kept me interested. I really would have liked an explanation for the "real imaginary friend" part, but the story stands on its own without one. Just a personal preference, I suppose.

The last story seemed like it would have been great, but I grew tired of the skunk's antics after his first attempt at love. I suppose this kind of story works better in cartoon form.

tl;dr - This Trifecta started off well but didn't live up to my expectations.

zZzacha · Post by **zZzacha** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 12:05 am

Three nice, creepy stories in a wonderful production!

Strange love was very... strange.
Cookie? was very creepy funny, I loved the turn at the end.
Forbidden love: I enjoyed the Pepe le Pew twist ! Too me, that really hit the mark. This story was written for Monsieur le Pew

Unblinking · Post by **Unblinking** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:32 pm

Strange Love was an interesting take on alien lifeforms and how their basest desires and drives might be different. But I've seen stories that did the theme and did it better, namely "Roadside Rescue" on Escape Pod.

Cookie? was awesome. Creepy children with addicting supercookies. What's not to fear?

Forbidden Love was not my cup of tea. Pepe Le Pew is okay, though by the time I was 10 I'd seen every episode of the Saturday morning Looney Tunes about 50 times, so it all got pretty old. And this didn't really take it anywhere awesome, just ripping off the one-dimensional Looney Tune characters and that's about it.

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