I, for one, am a big fan of Toy Story‘s Forky character. He’s so simply hilarious and easily quotable that parents and kids alike welcomed the new character into the Toy Story franchise with open arms. But has anyone tried to explain Forky’s appeal to someone who’s never seen Toy Story 4? Because it takes a quick turn down a dark rabbit hole.
Forky is a spork character from Disney/Pixar’s fourth Toy Story movie, who has been turned into a homemade toy by his child creator, Bonnie. With the base of a plastic spork, Forky is made with pipe cleaner arms, googly eyes, and other craft materials. Forky struggles with the concept of being a toy and often questions his purpose, causing some humorous moments in the film.
While boarding an airplane, a child in front of me had a Forky keychain on his backpack, which, of course, immediately caused me to say, “Trash.” My traveling companion was confused and unfamiliar with Forky, so I tried to break it down for her.
Forky! From the latest Toy Story! He’s a craft toy that basically has an existential crisis because he’s handmade by a little kid and not a store-bought toy like Woody and Buzz Lightyear. It’s funny because he thinks he’s trash! Well…yea, that doesn’t sound that funny…it sounds kind of sad…
But no! Forky’s so funny because he thinks he’s not a real toy. And that’s why he thinks he’s actually trash! So he keeps trying to throw himself away! That’s why it’s so….dark. Wait, I swear Forky is so funny he just…thinks he’s not good enough to live in the world because of where he came from and continues to try to end his existence despite the love he receives from his owner and the other toys around him.
Wait, this explanation is not funny at all. Yes, Forky is all of those things, but…he says “Trash” SO funny! It’s almost as iconic as the Australian seagulls in Finding Nemo (2003) saying, “Mine!” …only less hungry and more self-destruction-y…
Maybe it’s better not to explain Forky at all and let people just experience him for themselves.
