Where do imaginary friends go... when they're forgotten?

[Frankie_4_Prez]

Has the subject ever been officially covered in a Foster's episode? I mean, they're made of real matter, but do they just suddenly go *poof*? Or is there an imaginary friend cemetery somewhere? Maybe it's too heavy a subject for kids to think about...

[taranchula]

When the show debuted a few years ago, Lauren Faust (Head Writer and Co Creator) said in an interview that she and the other writers wrestled with the very subject of death and what happens to an IF when they pass away, but then decided that it would be too much of a touchy subject to fully explore, so they thought it would be for the best if they didn't go there. Which is good because it would have led to some very depressing episodes IMHO.

Not to say the whole mortailty thing hasn't been brought up in smaller doeses in some episodes, IE characters put into life or death situations and worrying about going to the boneyard.

[pitbulllady]

I moved this thread from "Spam", which is for randomness, games, and otherwise non-Foster's stuff, to "General Character Discussions", since it IS about the Imaginary Friends within the context of the "Foster's Universe". It really did not belong in "Spam".

As Taranchula said, the show's creators have decided it would be best not to really delve into the aspect of character deaths too deeply, as it might be too depressing or disturbing, especially to young children who are just really beginning to grasp the concept of mortality. It's been strongly implied, though, that Imaginary Friends DO eventually die, and it's pretty much canon that they can be killed. We do not know how long they live, compared to us, or whether they are subject to the same physical maladies, like heart disease, etc. that humans are. I know that there was one episode(can't recall which), where Mr. Herriman expressed concern about some of the residents putting on too much weight, so apparently, being overweight DOES cause health issues for Imaginaries, too. We know that Imaginary Friends do believe in a concept of an immortal soul that continues after physical death, which means that they know that their physical bodies will at some point die.

pitbulllady

[jekylljuice]

Originally Posted by taranchula

Not to say the whole mortailty thing hasn't been brought up in smaller doeses in some episodes, IE characters put into life or death situations and worrying about going to the boneyard.

Exactly. When Lauren stated that they didn't intend to deal with the issue of death within the Foster's universe, I've always assumed that she was talking about its implications and, more specifically, the issue of bereavement. To be fair, I can think of some cartoons aimed at younger audiences which have managed to pull this off successfully, most notably the Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "Cookie Chomper" (which did really upset me as a kid, but with hindsight I'm very glad that I saw it, since it was partly my memories of that episode which later helped me to cope with the death of my pet rabbit), but I can fully understand why others would choose to avoid it. It is a slightly different matter, however, to include the threat of death within a show, which is a staple aspect of many drama and adventure stories, and something which I believe that even small children would have some understanding of, if only on an instinctive level.

Plus, we do know, from the case story of that ill-fated pizza slice, that Foster's isn't beyond the dispatching of an incidental IF for comedic value.

[Frankie_4_Prez]

Poor Master Pepperoni Pizza Slice, sacrificed solely for thy cheap laughs!

[CartoonNetworkFan]

In a "Dexter's Laboratory"'s episode (Koosie's first appearance), when Dexter imagined him away, and he disappeared.

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by CartoonNetworkFan

In a "Dexter's Laboratory"'s episode (Koosie's first appearance), when Dexter imagined him away, and he disappeared.

There's a big difference, though, in how Imaginary Friends in the "Foster's Universe" are depicted, and how they're depicted in most other tv shows or movies. In the world of Foster's, Imaginary Friends become fully alive, biologically as well as cognitively, as soon as they're imagined into existence, and more or less from that point on are subject to the same laws of biology that most other higher organisms are. While they can be killed, by traumatic injury or disease, and presumably do eventually die, they can't be "imagined" away. There would be little need for a place like Foster's Home if that were true, since as soon as most kids got angry with their Imaginary Friend, or just got tired of him/her, that Imaginary Friend would cease to exist. Everyone can see the Imaginaries on Foster's, unlike most "traditional" Imaginary Friends, the type that Ben E. Factor described, that could only be "seen" by their creators and no one else, and whose existence seems to hinge upon those creators continuing to think about them and want them around.

pitbulllady

[Frankie_4_Prez]

Come to think about it, I can't recall too many kids' cartoons (aimed at audiences aged around 7) that touches death (as in, characters being permanently gone, not like, the death in Grim and billy and Mandy).

Back in the day, the Transformers stirred up quite a bit of emotions with their animated movie, and to make it worse, I read that it was done just to sell a new line of toys! Talk about toying with your fans!

Also, Whoa, I just read the synopsis of "Cookie Chomper III". Sounds like a harsh way of getting rid of a character, even a minor one. But I guess it had to be done in a "realistic" manner for it to have an effect, not in a "cartoonish" manner, like having a safe fall on top of it.

[jekylljuice]

Originally Posted by Frankie_4_Prez

Also, Whoa, I just read the synopsis of "Cookie Chomper III". Sounds like a harsh way of getting rid of a character, even a minor one. But I guess it had to be done in a "realistic" manner for it to have an effect, not in a "cartoonish" manner, like having a safe fall on top of it.

Cookie Chomper's death did, fortunately, occur off-screen, though I can remember it still making quite an impact, no less because it represented a pretty abrupt change of pace for the episode, which had previously had more of a "Who Let the Dogs In?" vibe to it. I certainly do admire Alvin and the Chipmunks for being brave enough to tackle such an issue. It's a very touchy area for a kids' show, but it is nonetheless something which most kids will eventually have to deal with in some way or another.

Also, I do have memories of a Rugrats episode which ran along a similar theme, in this case involving a woodlouse which Chuckie got very attached to. I seem to have repressed the exact method of the woodlouse's demise, but yeesh was that episode a sad one.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by jekylljuice

Also, I do have memories of a Rugrats episode which ran along a similar theme, in this case involving a woodlouse which Chuckie got very attached to. I seem to have repressed the exact method of the woodlouse's demise, but yeesh was that episode a sad one.

He just died. If you asked me Chuckie probably didn't keep him damp enough; I used to keep roly-polys as pets when I was a kid and they always died even though I was sure I took good care of them. I didn't know that they actually have gills and if they're not kept damp enough, they suffocate.

Lol, and knowing is half the battle.