Plastic People

January 8, 2008 11:44 AM

Plastic Lenin chilling in Antarctica. Plastic Jesus riding on the dashboard of my car. St. Joseph, helping you sell your house. Aztec cocaine mule busted at Logan Airport. Colonel Sanders in Tokyo. Santa Claus in Turkey. Ronald McDonald in Bangkok. Muffler Men all over the place.

Colonel Sanders is apparently displeased with his treatment in Japan.

posted by Kirth Gerson (15 comments total)

At first I thought the Lenin bust was towering 40ft over the people surrounding it.
posted by stavrogin at 12:07 PM on January 8, 2008

The Turkish reaction to the Santa statue is really interesting. The people in Demre are upset because it's crappy, not because it's "Christian". Seems like they preferred the more overtly religious predecessor.
posted by Mister_A at 12:17 PM on January 8, 2008

Yeah, they make whole museums of fake people. They also use them to sell clothing. Did you know that? I like it when they talk, too. Anyway, self-link.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:26 PM on January 8, 2008

Muffler Men are rad. There's one (now gone? dunno) right next to the 405 in Long Beach, California, at a golf course. Millions pass him by every week. I thought he was the only one ... until I met one at a St. George, Utah, mechanic shop.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:45 PM on January 8, 2008

and noone is freaked out by madame tusseaud?
posted by shabadew at 12:56 PM on January 8, 2008

Meet Vanna Whitewall. Her measurements are 108-72-108; she sports a true 1960s Paige boy hairstyle. She has been kidnapped by a local fraternity, questioned in the theft of the missing "Aunt Jane's" six foot Kosher Dill pickle, and asked to move to California to reside with "Joor The Muffler Man."
After a recent accident, the folks at Peoria Plaza Tire added a cast to her right injured leg.
posted by Sailormom at 1:08 PM on January 8, 2008

Who do you think you are, Kirth? Zippy the Pinhead?
posted by wendell at 1:18 PM on January 8, 2008

It's OK - I'm used to being muffled all my life.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:27 PM on January 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

"Cool Hand" Luke Jackson sings the sweetest version here.
posted by John of Michigan at 1:42 PM on January 8, 2008

I have some friends who live in Tokyo that have lots of pictures with Colonel Sanders. I thought it was weird... until now! Thanks for the neat links!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:43 PM on January 8, 2008

"Hes got plastic heart, plastic teeth and toes,
 Hes got plastic knees and a perfect plastic nose.
 Hes got plastic lips that hide his plastic teeth and gums,
 And plastic legs that reach up to his plastic bum."
posted by Pinback at 3:22 PM on January 8, 2008

stavrogin: It isn't that big, but it did used to be 20' above the snow. In forty years, all but the chimney of that hut has been buried.
posted by dhartung at 4:07 PM on January 8, 2008

Hey! Many thanks for that plastic Jesus - I was just meaning the other day to look up the words to that!
posted by Pressed Rat at 6:31 PM on January 8, 2008

the muffler men scare the crap out of me. there's something about them that makes me fear waking to find one over me with a nice, or ready to grab my leg from under the bed. i'm too old for this!, lol.
posted by prototype_octavius at 9:01 AM on January 9, 2008

proto, don't fear the nice - embrace it. If your bed is high enough that a Muffler Man could fit under it, you should be afraid of rolling over in your sleep.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:12 AM on January 9, 2008