Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

Don't Hug me I'm Scared is the first episode of the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared series, the puppets learn about creativity. It was published on July 29, 2011.

Plot
Red Guy, Yellow Guy, and Duck are sitting at a table, doing nothing until Sketchbook pops open and asks them what their favorite idea is, Red Guy and Yellow Guy are surprised to see the notebook pop open. The Sketchbook says that its favorite idea is being creative, and Yellow Guy asks how it gets its ideas. The Sketchbook says it tries to think creatively, and then asks what the puppets see when they look at an orange. Duck, uninterested, tells Sketchbook that it's just a boring old orange. Sketchbook disagrees with what Duck said; it instead sees the orange with a happy face walking about. Duck doesn't understand this. Sketchbook tells him that he isn't thinking creatively. The Sketchbook exposes its hair to the puppets, saying it uses it to express itself.

Red Guy isn't interested, causing the sketchbook to repeat what it said. The sketchbook questions if they are excited by staring at the clouds in the sky. They reply with a simple "No." Sketchbook convinces them to take another look, and when they do, they see that the clouds resemble certain objects as they change shape. Sketchbook claims that it thinks that they are getting the hang of it. Yellow Guy paints a picture of a clown, which gets ruined by the Sketchbook, who pours black paint (or oil) onto it. The puppets, as instructed by Sketchbook, arrange leaves and sticks into their favorite colors (blue, red, and green.) Yellow Guy's favorite color, green, is dissed by the sketchbook, saying that it's "not a creative color."

Sketchbook tells them to listen to their heart, the rain, and the voices in their brain. The puppets start to become creative, and Yellow Guy and Duck start to grow up. Red Guy covers an organ resembling a heart in glitter and Yellow Guy begins to dance. It starts to rain outside. Red Guy and Duck begin to dance along with Yellow Guy, in reality the puppets are seen going insane as the Sketchbook watches. Duck cuts a slice of cake, which has a pig heart inside it. The puppets hug each other and Duck creates a word with letters, which turns out to be "death." An organ then slides inside a mouse hole. Yellow Guy is seen going crazy again, and Duck holds a slice of the heart cake, and then finishes his creation. In reality, Bird Puppet is shocked and Yellow Guy is confused about what happened when they got creative. Sketchbook, who is also shocked, tells them to agree to never be creative again and faints.

In the credits, black goo oozes out of the mouse hole.

Transcription
DON'T HUG ME I'M SCARED [Various objects are shown; an international letter, a newspaper, a hat, a jar, and a few other things. The calendar says it's the 19th of June. Written on a post-it note is the phrase "get creative".] [The scene cuts to the three characters; Red Guy; Yellow Guy; and Bird Puppet. They are all sitting at a kitchen table, looking bored. Suddenly a sketchbook flips open and begins to sing. The others look at its in surprise.] SKETCHBOOK: What's your favourite idea? Mine is being creative! [with a lightbulb above itself] YELLOW GUY: How do you get that idea? SKETCHBOOK: I just try to think creatively! [the individual syllables appear on-screen] Now when you look at this orange [pointing to an orange with a pencil] Tell me please, what do you see? DUCK: It's just a boring old orange! SKETCHBOOK: Maybe to you, but not to me! I see a silly face! [an animated orange with a silly face appears] YELLOW GUY: Wow! SKETCHBOOK: Walking along and smiling at me! [the orange grows legs and walks] DUCK: I don't see what you mean! SKETCHBOOK: 'Cause you're not thinking creatively! [the word appears in whole on-screen] So take a look at my hair! [lifting up a page and showing some hair] VOICEOVER: Cool! [the word appears on-screen] SKETCHBOOK: I use my hair to express myself! RED GUY: That sounds really boring. SKETCHBOOK: I use my hair to express myself! Now, when you stare at the clouds in the sky, don't you find it exciting? [pointing outside a window at some clouds] RED GUY: No. [word appears on-screen] SKETCHBOOK: Come on, take another look! [takes out a magnifying glass and holds it up to its eye] YELLOW GUY: Oh wait! [While the next part is sung, the clouds morph into the various shapes.] YELLOW GUY AND DUCK: I can see a hat I can see a cat I can see a man with a baseball bat! I can see a dog I can see a frog I can see a ladder leaning on a log! SKETCHBOOK: I think you're getting the hang of it now! Using your minds to have a good time! [pointing at a picture of a brain with the word "time" written underneath, the letter i having been replaced with a clock] YELLOW GUY: I might paint a picture of a clown! [with a clown painting] SKETCHBOOK: Whoa there friend you might need to slow down! [Suddenly the clown painting is covered up by falling black paint.] SKETCHBOOK: Here's another good tip YELLOW GUY AND BIRD PUPPET: Yeah? SKETCHBOOK: Of how to be a creative whizzkid Go and collect some leaves and sticks [reveals leaves and sticks under a page] And arrange them into your favourite colour! [points to a colour wheel, green noticeably absent] [The main characters then arrange the leaves and sticks into the words of their favourite colours.] RED GUY: Blue. BIRD PUPPET: Red! YELLOW GUY: Green! SKETCHBOOK: Green is not a creative colour. [holds a big cross in front of the word green] YELLOW GUY: Aw. SKETCHBOOK: There's one more thing that you need to know Before you let your creativity flow Listen to your heart! [reveals human heart under a page] Listen to the rain! [reveals rain under a page] Listen to the voices in your brain! [points to a picture of the brain] Come on guys, let's get creative! [The last two words are on a fridge written in magnetic letters, but they turn into a 3D model and fly out at the screen.] [The next few scenes are composed of the characters doing various "creative" things, such as Yellow Guy making a model out of sticks and googly eyes; Red Guy spreading glitter everywhere; and Duck placing the letter D down. The camera then goes back to the shot of the three main characters at the beginning of the episode, but it also turns into a 3D model and spins around. We can see the film crew behind all of this. As we return to the original angle, Yellow Guy and Duck have grown larger, and the 3D model turns back into real life. The creative scenes suddenly become very dark. Red Guy has a heart that he spreads glitter on; Yellow Guy covers his model in random objects; the three start dancing maniacally while the words "get creative" are hung up like balloons; the clear sky turns to a thunderstorm in an instant; Duck takes a piece of cake where the inside is made of blood and viscera; it turns out that Duck was writing "DEATH"; some flesh disappears into a mousehole; Yellow Guy shakes uncontrollably; and skulls appear around the word "DEATH" before Duck pushes the potatoes that made them away.] [Suddenly everything goes back to normal, however all the characters are horrified about what just took place.] SKETCHBOOK: Now let's all agree To never be creative again. [Sketchbook closes up] [As the credits roll, black goo oozes out of the mousehole seen previously.]

Trivia

 * The date on the calendar that appears in the video is June 19th, even though the video was uploaded on July 29th.
 * The creators used strings for most of Sketchbook's movement.
 * When the puppets transformed, it was revealed that Bird Puppet had short legs.
 * The song in this video "The Creativity Song" can be purchased on iTunes.

Errors

 * 1) After Sketchbook destroys Yellow Guy's painting, a finger of someone controlling Sketchbook's movements can be seen.

Reception
As of October 2016, this episode has been seen by 40.8 million viewers via YouTube since its released in July 2011, making it the highest rated in the series. It also has 429,000 likes against only 26,000 dislikes.