# Does anyone else think Hobbes is supposed to represent how kids see their stuffed animals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 25, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682 "2017-11-25T16:27:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trisha\_Gaurav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Trisha\_Gaurav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trisha_Gaurav)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/1 "2017-11-25T16:27:41Z")
In the Anniversary book Watterson subtley says that the reason he never licensed the strip is because he thinks pretending stuffed animals are alive is a common thing and the strip is supposed to hit close to home. I think that’s what he was saying, 'cause I have a stuffed dog named Spot that communicates by saying “wo” and you can understand him by how many times he says “wo” and how he says it. [https://imgur.com/gallery/I84Mu](https://imgur.com/gallery/I84Mu). I used to take him everywhere with me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/2 "2017-11-25T16:35:58Z")
It’s intuitively obvious, innit? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/3 "2017-11-25T16:37:16Z")
It’s the way everyone should view their stuffed friends, not just kids! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/4 "2017-11-25T16:38:32Z")
I try not to listen to the stuffed dog next door. He wants me to shoot people. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/5 "2017-11-25T16:44:29Z")
Is that a question people are asking? I thought it was the concept of the strip. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/6 "2017-11-25T16:54:48Z")
He’s like Harvey, but different. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/7 "2017-11-25T17:14:32Z")
[Mars is amazing!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyXJfUPSQhM) ETA: Cripes! Was I a stuffed dog two days ago! ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/8 "2017-11-25T17:21:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is that a question people are asking? I thought it was the concept of the strip. Yeah, I don’t think anyone is actually questioning the premise of _Calvin and Hobbes_. For those of you who don’t remember the OP, she likes starting threads to talk about her stuffed animals: [ul] [li][Orangestripes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=826288)[/li][li][OC’s me and Shaan made when we were preteens](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=826302)[/li][li][OC’s me and my brother made when we were preteens](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=826303)[/li][li][Did you make up OCs in your toys like Calvin or did you have talking Companion Cubes like Susie?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=826714)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/9 "2017-11-25T17:38:37Z")
Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson refuses to answer the main question: Does Hobbes come to life when only Calvin is around, or is his persona just in Calvin’s imagination? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/10 "2017-11-25T18:39:02Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson refuses to answer the main question: Does Hobbes come to life when only Calvin is around, or is his persona just in Calvin’s imagination? He never answered the question because he doesn’t know either. IMO, the comparison upthread to _Harvey_ is how I’ve always viewed Calvin’s Hobbes- “Believing Is Seeing.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/11 "2017-11-25T19:07:21Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Yeah, I don’t think anyone is actually questioning the premise of _Calvin and Hobbes_. For those of you who don’t remember the OP, she likes starting threads to talk about her stuffed animals: Which I find charming. And rather refreshingly unlike so many other threads here. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/12 "2017-11-25T19:08:11Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > He’s like Harvey, but different. I think this captures it perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/13 "2017-11-25T21:04:01Z")
Tigger, the stuffed Tiger sitting on my laptop tray definitely thinks so. His friend Raffi, the stuffed giraffe, agrees. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/14 "2017-11-25T21:08:48Z")
I can’t get into Calvin’s mind, but I spend a fair amount of time observing my three-year-old (almost four, actually). She talks to her stuff animals, and they talk back. I think she knows she’s pretending, but pretending is much, much more intense for little kids. The line is a bit blurry. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-hobbes-is-supposed-to-represent-how-kids-see-their-stuffed-animals/802682/15 "2017-11-25T21:26:48Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I can’t get into Calvin’s mind, but I spend a fair amount of time observing my three-year-old (almost four, actually). > > She talks to her stuff animals, and they talk back. I think she knows she’s pretending, but pretending is much, much more intense for little kids. The line is a bit blurry. Another cartoonist writing about Calvin and Hobbes wrote “Anyone that’s spent time with a small child knows reality is fluid and situational.” I always liked that description.