Nun Punching Puppet
October 2, 2009
Fight for what's right (The original writeup)
The symbolism and possibilities of this item completely overwhelm us. Nuntheless, we are happy to offer you our brand new Nun Punching Puppet! Together, with this nun, you'll be able to fight for what's right! To operate the nun, jut make a peace sign with your fingers, put your hand into the habit, press the two levers near her head with your finger - and she boxes with the best of them! Black-and-white fabric habit, peach colored plastic head. None other, nun better! Fight for what's right... today!
Web description
The Fighting Nun is our most popular punching puppet, and with good reason: she has a habit of fighting for what's right. This is no novice puncher: all you have to do is push the two levers under her habit with your fingers, and she comes out swinging. Her face is made of peach-colored rubber, her boxing gloves are black plastic, and her habit is made from black and white cloth.
Denounced By the Catholic League
From the Catholic League's 1997 Report on Anti-Catholicism: Archie McPhee, which bills itself as "Oufitters of Popular Culture," included in its "Collectors Edition Catalog" a number of items which caricatured Catholic nuns, some quite offensively. For example, there was a windup doll, "Nunzilla," billed as "Terrifying, but in a good way." "Say your prayers," the ad instructs. "No one is safe from the wrath of Nunzilla. This windup sparking sister trudges straight out of a Catholic school students nightmares like a determined disciplinary force, with green eyes ablaze and sparks flying from her mouth. Wearing the traditional black and white habit with a yellow cross and clutching a Bible in one hand and a ruler in the other, this holy terror will have you owning up to transgressions from as far back as birth." Other items included the "Fighting Nun Punching Puppet," wearing boxing gloves and headlined, "Punch you. Bless you. Punch you. Bless you"; and "Sing it, sister," a rubber hand puppet that "can also act as an insulating glove while working with toxic chemicals or lepers."
Made from Margaret Thatcher's Head
A natural outgrowth of Punch and Judy puppets, the Punching Puppet mechanism makes punching as simple as pressing a lever. Our Punching Nun Puppet is a gentle tweak on a familiar holy figure. Before our pious pugilistic puppet, the mechanism was used mostly to advertise movies and politicians. In fact, the secret of our Punching Nun Puppet is that her head is actually a Margaret Thatcher sculpt left over from one of her election campaigns. Instead of making a new mold, we just added a habit and transformed the Iron Lady of the United Kingdom into the holy lady of Catholic Primary Schools. She fights for what's right with both her left and right (hook).
2 comments
My boyfriend told me that he used to have a punching nun puppet that he would take to bars as a conversation starter. It was always a huge hit. I’d love to buy him one as a gift but I can’t find one anywhere. Please bring this item back!
I bought this when I was in elementary school and kept it my whole life until my boxer ate her, as they tend to do. Now I find that my favorite toy is irreplaceable. Please help!