Going to the laundromat is boring. You put some quarters into the detergent vending machine, and a small box of just less than enough is dispensed. Beside the detergent vending machine there is a new machine that reads "PUPPETS!". There are more exclamation marks than you care to acknowledge. You insert some more quarters into that machine. To your surprise the machine dispenses puppets. You are additionally surprised at your surprise.
Quite naturally you include them with your load in the washing machine and insert some more quarters. The wash begins and you watch dismayed as the puppets tumble around with the rest of your laundry. You find it difficult to imagine them frolicking about in a fantastical world where laundromats don't exist, as would be your inclination. The load finishes washing and you put it and some more quarters into the dryer.
You have now been waiting for your laundry for some time, and the monotony of the machines has lulled you into a passive state. As a drop of drool begins to accumulate on your lower lip you notice something stirring from within the mass of your drying clothes. One of the small felt puppets has come alive through static electricity and is now clinging to the glass window of the dryer. This puppet of a happy child dances about there quite merrily for only a short duration when he is soon joined by a mitten which you decide makes for a fine acquaintance.
Smiling quite broadly now, you applaud when some tumbling underpants closes the curtain on their delightful performance. As the dryer becomes hotter and the clothes become dryer, more of the puppets emerge at random and cling to the glass to perform fanciful scenes that are limited only by your imagination and potency of your drugs or mental illness.-- rcarty, Feb 09 2010 Mermaid puppets and surprised-looking scuba divers would work well here-- hippo, Feb 09 2010 Might this not encourage children to think it's ok to put other things in washing machines.... ie pets?-- xenzag, Feb 09 2010 Hmm.. well, it might not, not discourage but then on the other hand, encouraging bad behaviour here tends to be interpreted as good, so I'm just going to nod smilingly.-- rcarty, Feb 09 2010 Perhaps puppets which appear to be drowning would be better, as they'd dissuade children from putting pets in the washing machine.-- hippo, Feb 09 2010 I love this. Bravo, [rcarty], well done. I would love these. I kind of like watching the hypnotic lull of clothes drying in a dryer. It makes me very sleepy. But this would make it fun...even better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-- blissmiss, Feb 09 2010 + great idea & well written!! There are dryers that flip back and forth slowly a few times after they have finished- so I imagine circus puppets doing backflips and sommersaults!-- xandram, Feb 09 2010 One wearing an astronaut spacesuit, one dressed like Dorothy (perhaps holding Toto).-- tatterdemalion, Feb 09 2010 freakin brilliant+-- theircompetitor, Feb 09 2010 random, halfbakery