I have a friend who’s getting paid $75 to dress up as Babar at a store this weekend, and it sparked a question in my head. I should say right off the bat that this question does not apply to my friend, or his behavior, but his new job got me wondering.
What is it about a fuzzy animal suit that makes it OK for someone to hug random children? Think about it. If some guy was just standing in front of a store in the mall - just an ordinary everyday guy in jeans and a T-shirt - waving and hugging children as they passed by, the guy would likely get arrested and quite possibly, knocked out by a parent during the course of the day. Yet when a guy puts on a fuzzy bear, bunny, or Mickey Mouse suit parents not only allow the guy to hug their children, some even encourage or cajole their kids to go meet Mickey.
I’m sure many of you know by now that I don’t have any children, and I tend to think the worst of people, but who’s to say what’s going on inside the head of the guy inside the giant foam rubber head? To be fair, I’m sure the overwhelming majority of the people in the suits are just looking for a paycheck and have nothing unseemly, creepy or inappropriate in mind, but what is it about a fuzzy suit that makes parents’ fear for their children’s safety disappear?