Skip to main content

pixar - Why doesn't Buzz know he's a toy?



In the Toy Story films it seems like nearly all toys know that they are toys meant for children to play with. However Buzz Lightyear (and other Buzz Lightyear toys like him) thinks he's a real space ranger and nothing short of his own arm breaking off convinces him otherwise.


At one point Buzz even reverts back to believing he's a space ranger, not a toy.



[Lotso] resets him to his original space ranger persona, which also resets his memory.


- Toy Story 3



How is this possible? Why is not knowing he's a toy Buzz's default setting while every other toy's default is to know they are toys? Why doesn't Buzz know he's a toy?



Answer



As phantom42 points out in comments, the other Buzz Lightyear and Emperor Zurg dolls believe they're real, but we do meet some other toys that might qualify as "fresh out of the box": the aliens in the claw machine.




BUZZ: Who's in charge here?


ALIENS: The claw!



They certainly don't seem to know they're toys. Their worldview is based entirely around the mechanics of the claw machine; it's all they know.


Similarly, it looks like, prior to being bought, all Buzz knew was the Buzz Lightyear line of toys:


The aisle full of Buzz Lightyear toys at Al's Toy Barn


The aisle seems to be filled on both sides with Buzzes. I'm surprised they even know who Zurg is! He must be described on the back of the Buzz Lightyear box.


From these examples, it looks like toys aren't aware of the human world, or of their existence as toys, by default. We can infer that, after they first "come to life" (in the place where they're to be sold, or on the Target delivery truck) their understanding of the universe is a tabula rasa that they fill in with whatever clues are available: product packaging, giant godlike claws, etc. Once they get purchased and unboxed, and get to interact with the world a little more, they develop a more nuanced worldview and culture like the one we see in Andy's room.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How do Pokemon trainers collect their winnings?

According to Bulbapedia , Prize money is the money that a Trainer pays out at the end of a battle. So we know that the money comes directly from the trainer that just lost, and not some third-party committee or sponsor. But how is this done? It can be easy seeing the random trainers who challenge you along the way wanting to wager and then, after admitting defeat, sticking to their word and handing over their hard-earned pokebucks. Then there are the likes of Team Rocket and Giovanni, who also give money once they lose. This doesn't seem like something people in a criminal organization would willingly do. From this it appears that trainers have no say in whether or not they cough up the dough after losing, but I can't find anything on how exactly the funds are transferred from loser to winner. So how do Pokemon trainers receive their winnings?
Post a Comment
Read more