Toddler

When are people going to realize that kids are freaked out by the whole "costumed character" thing? Doesn't matter if it's some random guy dressed up in a chicken suit handing out menus for a new rotisserie joint or Mickey Mouse himself shaking hands at Disney World, most of the little ones I know have the same immediate reaction when confronted with one of these oversized plushies: To shriek in terror. And I can't say I blame them! That's gotta be some evolutionary survival tactic thing at work.

So in my opinion, the kids in this video are reacting to Mr. McFeely's Giant Purple Panda exactly the way nature intended. (By the way? Generally I think of Mr. Rogers as above reproach, but "Mr. McFeely" is an extremely inappropriate name for a character on a children's TV show. I mean, come on.)

My favorite thing about this clip is how Mr. McFeely seems not at all surprised when every kid in the room starts wailing and running for their lives. I'd bet my bottom dollar the poor guy has had more than one conversation with his boss about this issue: "But sir, the thing is the children really, really don't like the Giant Purple Panda." "What are you talking about? Market research shows children love purple AND pandas!"

Apparently not:

Priceless! As both a mom AND someone who had a job at an aquarium which required her to dress up like an enormous otter, I can tell you this scene is spot-on.

Is your kid afraid of costumed characters like Mr. McFeely's Giant Purple Panda?

Image via BeijingCream/YouTube