Ted is more than real

My childhood desk

Some kids have really outgoing personalities and tons of friends. Some kids are more imaginative than gregarious and have a closet full of stuffed animals. Do I have to specify which type of kid I was?

Me & my Puffalump

Thanks to a massive collection of plush toys and a Dad who wanted to make me smile (and wasn’t afraid to use a falsetto voice), my stuffed animals were anything but inanimate objects.

My formative years were enriched with the company of poly-filled “friends” whose huggability made up for their lack of opposable thumbs and cognitive capability.

Some things never change

As an adult, I still have a closet shelf full of stuffed animals. And *blush* I’d be lying if I said I haven’t named each of them.

I may be reticent to admit that I’m an (otherwise well-adjusted, I swear!) adult who still loves her stuffed animals, but I don’t think I’m alone in my unwillingness to completely outgrow teddy bears.

How can I be so sure? Ted.

Proceeding with caution

Because my stuffed animals have always been sweet and friendly creatures with no trace of malevolence lurking behind their button eyes, the very idea of an innocuous teddy bear spouting offensive remarks and engaging in irresponsible behavior didn’t appeal to me. It just seemed wrong.

So naturally, I braced myself before I saw this movie. After watching previews, I knew that Ted’s personality, in spite of his furry, innocent exterior, would probably resemble that of Seth Rogen or Zach Galifianakis more so than Corduroy or Winnie the Pooh.

Was I right? Yes.

Did I fall in love with Ted anyway? Absolutely.

I believe!

Yes, the bear has a beer.

The movie itself had a plot, and even though I’ve never seen a teddy bear as “real” as Ted myself, I’d have to say that the plot was plausible.

Yes, an action-packed chase scene between a teddy bear and a human kidnapper that ends in tragedy at Fenway Park is admittedly improbable. In fact, the mere existence of a walking, talking, swearing, sexually active teddy bear is pretty fantastic.

But in spite of this, the ingenious mix of acting, character development, and humor in Ted made me buy into it - chase scene and all - and laugh out loud from start to finish. (Okay, I didn’t just laugh. The quantity of tears I shed when Ted was completely torn in half rivaled my reaction to The Notebook, a notorious tearjerker).

Cut the bear some slack

Haven’t seen Ted yet? Go see it.

Should you be prepared to hear some potentially offensive dialogue? Yes.

Is the offensiveness of the dialogue mitigated by the fact that the offender is a teddy bear? I think so. (Even so, don't view the video below if you're easily offended - it contains "adult" language).

Ted may be rude and crude, but he’s still a teddy bear. And when it comes down to it, who couldn’t use a thunder buddy?