by A question 27 Replies latest jw friends
As the board no doubt knows, there was some sort of rumor in the early 1980s going around amongst the Witnesses that a Smurf doll came to life in the Kingdom Hall, or that Smurfs were demonic.
2 questions:
1. Do any NOT remember any such rumors though they were Witnesses at the time?
2. Of those who do, did all the Witnesses believe them, or otherwise, what proportion rejected the rumor as nonsense?
At the time, everyone I know (in the Truth) believed it.
I think it is a negative validation of the incredulous message being sold by the WTBS. If you can believe the GB is a spirit directed group of old codgers, then you have to believe in the devil and cast down demons, and all of the Watchtower propoganda about rock albums and rated R movies being the vehicle of evil assimilation of the youth.
Believe, beyond a doubt, in the walking talking demonic smurf doll, and your lifelong trust in the GB is suddenly validated, and all those nagging thoughts are dismissed because, well, damnit - that doll got up and walked and turned around and winked at the brothers on the way to the restroom in the back.
I heard it and thought it was stupid and silly, however my former mother-in-law had already passed it on to my then 8 year old daughter. I got home to a terrified child and we had to put the smurf doll in the trash can that night. I have sort of a facination with Modern Urban Legends and to me it had all the earmarks of a MUL. It's always a "Friend of a friend" type of situation, you know "my friend at bla bla congo, heard it happened at bla bla congo". And MUL's always have some sort of moral lesson. In this case, the obvious thing of: you are letting you children watch to much TV and buying them too many toys - so it's your own fault if that toy gets up and marches out of the kindgom hall. A few months age, as a joke I bought a Smurf key ring on Amazon and sent it to my daugther - to make up for the one she threw away. We both had a good laugh.
I don't recall other JWs even mentioning it, but at that time I was so young. I remember though my mother telling my sister and I about it, and proceeding to tell us that we couldn't watch the Smurfs anymore. I had to be around 5 or 6 at the time. Had me terrified of all my sister's dolls!
I remember a Circuit Assembly part about it, along the same time as being against Dungeons and Dragons.
I later learned that the WTBS was only against Dungeons and Dragons because of Gary Gygax (the game developer) who had been DF'd by the WTBS. The WTBS essentially carried on a war against Gary for years with Witnesses. I was always curious why Gary G. didn't just sue the bastards for trying to ruin him economically. In any event, Dungeons and Dragons became a HUGE success.
It was a rumour that did not seem to cross the Atlantic. Never heard of it until I found this board.
I remember dungeons and being criticised, I thought all the geeks who played it in schools were subjecting themselves to possible demonic possesion.
I was long out by the time fear of Smurfs came along. Witnesses back in the 80's must have got soft. When I was a Witness Witnesses were real Witnesses. We feared demons. Great hairy smelly buggers that you could only get rid of by screaming the name Jehovah not little blue fuzzy stuffed toys.
See the posts by MarcusScriptus in this thread:
2. Of those who do, did all the Witnesses believe them, or otherwise, what proportion rejected the rumor as nonsense?
I remember some folks talking about it and believing it (mainly in my grandmother's hall). I thought it was stupid and in no way thought it was true. Besides I couldn't stand the stupid cartoon and did my best to avoid it.
Thanks for all the responses so far. BTTT.
