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Original poster

Punch and Judy - WTF?

58 replies

AnnaQuayRules · 13/06/2026 18:00

I've just been to a village fete. Lovely traditional event with a Punch and Judy show. I remember P&J from my childhood 50 years ago, and know it involved domestic violence played for laughs, but assumed the story had been updated for modern times.

Apparently not. Punch is still beating up Judy, and all the children were laughing along with it.

I feel it's completely inappropriate in this day and age, and sending very dodgy messages about domestic abuse. However someone I was chatting to thought I was being ridiculously "woke" about it.

So
YABU - it's just a traditional kids shoe and it's fine because Mr P gets arrested
YANBU - it's ridiculous it's still using this story line

OP posts:
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lottiegarbanzo · 14/06/2026 09:28

I’ve always detested P&J since seeing it as a child. Children react differently, some see silly play, others a horrible man and violence.

They can see that it’s old-fashioned heritage weirdness too. No child is going to mistake that for educational content. So that’s the way I’d explain it if needed - an historic thing from hundreds of years ago that some people feel nostalgic about at beaches and fairs.

Prombles · 14/06/2026 09:23

Dollymylove · 13/06/2026 22:22

You will see far more violence in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. They literally knock the holy crap out of each other 🤣🤣

Tom and Jerry are regarded as problematic more for racial stereotyping than cartoon violence these days (mainly the 'mammy' figure of Tom's human mum) - the DVD box set has an introduction given by Whoopi Goldberg giving appropriate context to explain this to viewers.

Original poster
AnnaQuayRules · 14/06/2026 09:13

@Dollymylove I agree, but they are not pretending to be humans.

OP posts:
Dollymylove · 13/06/2026 22:22

You will see far more violence in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. They literally knock the holy crap out of each other 🤣🤣

BatchCookBabe · 13/06/2026 21:56

MyArtfulGreySloth · 13/06/2026 21:49

In the voice of Brian Connolly, It’s a puppetttttttt!

😆

BatchCookBabe · 13/06/2026 21:56

As the popular Mumsnet phrase goes, 'I really couldn't get worked up about this...'

Lifelover16 · 13/06/2026 21:53

Yet we allow kids to play computer games which depict violence?

MyArtfulGreySloth · 13/06/2026 21:49

In the voice of Brian Connolly, It’s a puppetttttttt!

OtherS · 13/06/2026 21:45

Aw, we don't seem to have Punch & Judy at fetes round here, I'd happily go watch. I definitely saw them as a child, though I don't remember much about it. Other than the crocodile, of course! But I did think Judy was also whacking Punch? Either way, I've certainly not grown up believing domestic violence is fine. Has anyone? Are there really men claiming they've attacked their wife because they saw Punch do it as a kid, so they didn't know it was wrong? I'm sceptical.

Dollymylove · 13/06/2026 21:21

TorroFerney · 13/06/2026 19:22

I never understand that phrase, she has a life as she's not typing from beyond the grave. I think it means please have the same life as me with my values - is that right?

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Errrmm.......no I think it means dont get so uptight about a kiddies puppet show 🙄

Zanatdy · 13/06/2026 21:11

Did we all grow up disturbed from watching Punch & Judy? It’s a bit of light hearted fun. Don’t over think it.

morbidcuriosity · 13/06/2026 21:08

Jesus! Its punch and Judy.. bet your fun at parties!!

Theresmagicwheretheflowersgrow · 13/06/2026 20:56

ExpectMore · 13/06/2026 18:36

WTF. It’s a kids puppet show…. How hard did you have to try to be offended at this one?

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Whoosh...

Punch and Judy - WTF?
Monty36 · 13/06/2026 20:48

ExpectMore · 13/06/2026 18:39

Don’t let the facts get in the way of someone being offended….!

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Quite !

Yoghurti · 13/06/2026 20:27

ExpectMore · 13/06/2026 18:36

WTF. It’s a kids puppet show…. How hard did you have to try to be offended at this one?

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It’s almost like I was being sarcastic.

InterestedDad37 · 13/06/2026 19:39

It sits very uncomfortably in modern society, and deserves the same fate as The Black and White Minstrels (in that we look back on it, slap our foreheads and say 'wtaf were we thinking?') 🙄

Prombles · 13/06/2026 19:38

Punch comes from the Italian commedia dell'arte, along with Harlequin, Columbine etc. He represents the Lord of Misrule. It isn't meant to be taken seriously, it's the same kind of dark symbolism you find in many fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

I loved it as a child, I even had Punch and Judy puppets of my own, and I used to adore Joy Sarney's song about Punch that was an unlikely chart hit at the time (it's sometimes described as the worst novelty song ever to hit the UK charts).

Let's not write off an age old tradition.

drammmalllammma · 13/06/2026 19:34

Our village fete has Punch and Judy and my granddaughter absolutely loves it! This will be the third year that I will be taking her and she has already started asking about P&J .She is a normal 6 year old and hasn’t suggested that her baby brother gets put through the sausage machine 😂It’s just fun !

Luckydog7 · 13/06/2026 19:29

Saw pinch and judy show a recently and punch never hit judy but all the other elements were there. Punch turned both the baby and the police man into sausages though and got into trouble with Judy for losing the baby. He was then eaten by the crocodile and the baby was 'un' sausaged. Bit rough on the poor policeman but everyone was howling!!

KilkennyCats · 13/06/2026 19:28

TorroFerney · 13/06/2026 19:22

I never understand that phrase, she has a life as she's not typing from beyond the grave. I think it means please have the same life as me with my values - is that right?

Show quote history

No.

KilkennyCats · 13/06/2026 19:27

They’re fecking puppets. It’s really not that deep.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 13/06/2026 19:23

Isn’t it the old story of good and bad? Can’t remember why the sausages or 🐊 came into it. The Punch and Judy “handler” has a special name I think…they have a gadget in their mouth to make the sounds. I know a Punch and Judy man. I will have to ask him.

TorroFerney · 13/06/2026 19:22

Dollymylove · 13/06/2026 19:17

Oh good grief get a life!!

I never understand that phrase, she has a life as she's not typing from beyond the grave. I think it means please have the same life as me with my values - is that right?

TorroFerney · 13/06/2026 19:19

I'm not keen now as an adult but I am watching it with adult eyes having been brought up in a very argumentative and occaisonally violent household when a lot of booze was involved. However, it will probably go over most kids heads I think - even though there was DV in my house, I can't remember watching it as a child thinking that's not funny that's what happens at home.

I think that would be interesting, to ask children of violent families what they thought.

Dollymylove · 13/06/2026 19:17

Oh good grief get a life!!