Spending time in a large, goofy costume
April 13, 2010 5:17 PM Subscribe
What did you do to occupy yourself while in a large, goofy costume?
I was driving by Chic-Fil-A today to see the famous cow suited employee trying to drive the customers in and I got to wondering: what does that person do to entertain themselves? Has anyone on here been employed as a mascot, theme park character, a Chic-Fil-A cow or something similar? I'm curious what you did to pass the time. Mainly because it seems like a terribly dreadful job.
I was driving by Chic-Fil-A today to see the famous cow suited employee trying to drive the customers in and I got to wondering: what does that person do to entertain themselves? Has anyone on here been employed as a mascot, theme park character, a Chic-Fil-A cow or something similar? I'm curious what you did to pass the time. Mainly because it seems like a terribly dreadful job.
I would think that you entertain yourself by doing your job, whatever it may be. I don't see how you would worry about entertaining yourself if you had to hand out a flier to every person you see or try to get everyone you see into a restaurant or have everyone who sees you want to take a picture with you, etc.
There isn't really much downtime for those guys, they're not signs, they're things that are supposed to interact with potential customers.
posted by DoublePlus at 5:30 PM on April 13, 2010
There isn't really much downtime for those guys, they're not signs, they're things that are supposed to interact with potential customers.
posted by DoublePlus at 5:30 PM on April 13, 2010
Focus on not passing out from heat exhaustion. Count the minutes until you next get to draw a breath that isn't composed primarily of sweat and mildew.
I did that for one day at a fire station as a volunteer. I would rather let somebody break one of my fingers than do it again.
posted by 256 at 5:30 PM on April 13, 2010 [5 favorites]
I did that for one day at a fire station as a volunteer. I would rather let somebody break one of my fingers than do it again.
posted by 256 at 5:30 PM on April 13, 2010 [5 favorites]
I had a friend in high school who was a giant hot dog on a street corner. His job was to wave at cars and that was pretty much the extent of his interaction with people. He was an aspiring comedian and actor and to pass the time he'd work on his comedy routine or recite his lines for whatever play he was in. If you had your windows down, you might have actually heard him shout lines of Shakespeare at you as you went by.
posted by bristolcat at 5:36 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bristolcat at 5:36 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Hopefully my brother won't kill me for posting this, but he's one of those roadside sign-wavers for Firehouse Subs. He puts in his earbuds and cranks up the iPod and gets down with his bad self. I bet a lot of mascots with full-body costumes do the same thing.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 5:40 PM on April 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 5:40 PM on April 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
Ever see those guys on street corners waving giant arrows?
Many of them are paid by marketing companies, not the businesses they're actually advertising. They'll get paid an hourly rate for the basic stand-there-and-wave routine. But they'll also get random bonuses from the marketing companies for particularly interesting acts -- the marketing agents will drive from location-to-location to check on their well being, but also to randomly observing them, take notes on their performances, and issue bonuses.
Some of these guys can make some pretty good money -- up to $15 an hour or so. Some of them are known to be bigger show-offs than others, and will even command bigger base salaries.
Not to mention, it can be great exercise. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:47 PM on April 13, 2010
Many of them are paid by marketing companies, not the businesses they're actually advertising. They'll get paid an hourly rate for the basic stand-there-and-wave routine. But they'll also get random bonuses from the marketing companies for particularly interesting acts -- the marketing agents will drive from location-to-location to check on their well being, but also to randomly observing them, take notes on their performances, and issue bonuses.
Some of these guys can make some pretty good money -- up to $15 an hour or so. Some of them are known to be bigger show-offs than others, and will even command bigger base salaries.
Not to mention, it can be great exercise. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:47 PM on April 13, 2010
In college, I got roped into wearing a Sylvester the Cat costume at a local mall appearance. I really didn't have much down time, what with all the little kids. About the only thing I remember thinking about is how creepy it was hugging all these little lids while I was my underwear. It's hot and sweaty in those costumes, folks.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 PM on April 13, 2010
I was Rudolph for a day around Christmas a few years ago when the Dallas Arboretum was having a special family day. Me and Frosty and our trusty elf (whose job was to keep us from tripping or running into people) wandered around, got hugged around the knees by dozens of kids, tried to seem nonthreatening when kids *freaked out* when they saw us, and tried to find safe places to take our heads off. It was chilly so the furry jumpsuit was nice, but those heads are sweaty.
posted by MadamM at 6:01 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by MadamM at 6:01 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have never been costumed myself, but I have had many occasions to observe a person whose job it is to wear a human sized hot dog costume (vertical hot dog not horizontal!). I call this person "Hot Dog Man" although it could just as easily be a woman underneath the hot dog suit. Anyway, they dance for hours on the corner under the sweltering Florida sun. I am pretty sure they are advertising a nearby eatery, though you never can be sure I guess. For the sheer exuberance with which they have embraced the hot dog job, I salute him/her. Because it must be a hard job to get much enjoyment out of, and it always brightens my day to see him (her/it).
posted by contessa at 6:03 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by contessa at 6:03 PM on April 13, 2010
Oh, and we spread the Christmas spirit in totally non-creepy complete silence, and posed for tons of pictures.
posted by MadamM at 6:03 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by MadamM at 6:03 PM on April 13, 2010
I spent one summer being a mascot for a variety of brands at a grocery store. Some costumes had built-in fans, but usually I would just spend my time being goofy and sweating. I brought my walkman once but the headphones were getting too wet. This job does not appear on my resume.
posted by ddaavviidd at 6:13 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by ddaavviidd at 6:13 PM on April 13, 2010
I wore a mascot costume on Labor Day during the Minnesota State Fair the past year. I agree, you play your part. One very helpful thing was that our costume included a vest packed full of ice packs.
posted by advicepig at 6:22 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by advicepig at 6:22 PM on April 13, 2010
Having done it myself as a camp mascot, and seen it done by friends at college football games, this is the kind of thing you don't sign up for unless you enjoy getting into the spirit. The other option is using the costume as a way to express yourself while being unrecognizable (i.e. - dancing like a madman when no one can see who you are.)
I suppose if it was "just a job" you could do it, but... that doesn't seem like much fun versus a counter retail job. If you're gonna be in a big cow / hot dog / whatever suit, have fun doing it!
posted by GJSchaller at 6:42 PM on April 13, 2010
I suppose if it was "just a job" you could do it, but... that doesn't seem like much fun versus a counter retail job. If you're gonna be in a big cow / hot dog / whatever suit, have fun doing it!
posted by GJSchaller at 6:42 PM on April 13, 2010
An ex girlfriend drove around in the "bookmobile" and put on a bear costume to hand out books to kids at schools. Mainly she talked about getting clobbered by children - children will do mean things to someone in full costume that they would never do to an adult out of costume.
The costume would only be one for the duration of a visit, while she handed out books to the kids, and would be taken off between schools.
posted by idiopath at 6:49 PM on April 13, 2010
The costume would only be one for the duration of a visit, while she handed out books to the kids, and would be taken off between schools.
posted by idiopath at 6:49 PM on April 13, 2010
Didn't think I'd ever give advice on this topic, but I did this 6 nights a week, about 30 minutes per night.
For 7 years.
It was a large dog costume, made by the same company that made the Disney park costumes (back in the day, at least). About 30 pounds of inch thick fur, plus an oversized head with poor visibility through painted mesh eyes.
The heat is tremendous, but you get used to it. One year they made a vest you could line with ice packs, but that was more trouble than it was worth to me. Another year they installed a small fan near the mouth of the head piece, but it gave off a weird buzzing noise that frightened some kids when they were up close. I'm pretty flexible, so I learned how to reach through the neck the costume and zip myself up in the back as well.
My job was to meet the kids in the audience during intermission; take pictures, generally dance around and act silly. So there was little down-time, but certainly some slow nights. I tried listening to music, but that cut me off to much from the outside world - a well placed hug from a 6 year old while I'm distracted could prove quite painful.
If you are really trying to entertain, you learn quickly that you have to do lots of oversized movements, and that you can't really "fake" excitement without getting into it.
Kids like to pull on a tail. Mean kids take it right off. Some kids don't know how big and strong they are when they run for a hug from 20 feet.
Some parents want that picture, dammit, it doesn't matter how loud the kid is screaming.
posted by shinynewnick at 6:50 PM on April 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
For 7 years.
It was a large dog costume, made by the same company that made the Disney park costumes (back in the day, at least). About 30 pounds of inch thick fur, plus an oversized head with poor visibility through painted mesh eyes.
The heat is tremendous, but you get used to it. One year they made a vest you could line with ice packs, but that was more trouble than it was worth to me. Another year they installed a small fan near the mouth of the head piece, but it gave off a weird buzzing noise that frightened some kids when they were up close. I'm pretty flexible, so I learned how to reach through the neck the costume and zip myself up in the back as well.
My job was to meet the kids in the audience during intermission; take pictures, generally dance around and act silly. So there was little down-time, but certainly some slow nights. I tried listening to music, but that cut me off to much from the outside world - a well placed hug from a 6 year old while I'm distracted could prove quite painful.
If you are really trying to entertain, you learn quickly that you have to do lots of oversized movements, and that you can't really "fake" excitement without getting into it.
Kids like to pull on a tail. Mean kids take it right off. Some kids don't know how big and strong they are when they run for a hug from 20 feet.
Some parents want that picture, dammit, it doesn't matter how loud the kid is screaming.
posted by shinynewnick at 6:50 PM on April 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
Shinynewnick is the expert here, but...
In my own experience, I was a giant ice cream cone for several summers in muggy St. Louis weather. You do get used to the heat and sweat, but carry a water bottle, if you can.
Learn some simple mime movements and dance, but don't overexert yourself. Take breaks and watch out for teenagers. They like to get punchy.
posted by rabbitsnake at 6:57 PM on April 13, 2010
In my own experience, I was a giant ice cream cone for several summers in muggy St. Louis weather. You do get used to the heat and sweat, but carry a water bottle, if you can.
Learn some simple mime movements and dance, but don't overexert yourself. Take breaks and watch out for teenagers. They like to get punchy.
posted by rabbitsnake at 6:57 PM on April 13, 2010
I was an Easter bunny at a shopping mall some six years ago. The lines of children coming up to "sit on the Easter bunny's lap and tell him/her what they want for Easter", however baffling, kept me pretty well occupied. Also, one might imagine, it gets very, very warm in that suit, so they made me take at least a half-hour break every hour and a half. Since the Easter bunny doesn't talk, there were a few difficult situations, like the small child who looked through the mouth hole only to find a bespectacled non-bunny within -- I could see his joy turn to disillusionment, then tears. That's pretty high up there on my list of awkward work experiences.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 7:13 PM on April 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 7:13 PM on April 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
iPod
posted by Jacqueline at 7:54 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Jacqueline at 7:54 PM on April 13, 2010
I did this for a weekend at a job.
As the Grimace. Yes, that Grimace.
I worked hard not to get sick from the heat. I had one of the girls working at that particular restaurant helping me around, carrying gift certificates and 'get one free' coupons. The hands were slippery, so I couldn't really give out balloons.
The one thing I remember most was going into the Sam Goody's, and as people turned to look, starting to dance to the song that was on, then dancing out, waving. I managed to not trip.
It was at that point my escort brought me back to the store, into the back, and helped me get out, and got me a big cup of water and some fries. By the end of that weekend I had sweated off five pounds.
posted by mephron at 8:30 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
As the Grimace. Yes, that Grimace.
I worked hard not to get sick from the heat. I had one of the girls working at that particular restaurant helping me around, carrying gift certificates and 'get one free' coupons. The hands were slippery, so I couldn't really give out balloons.
The one thing I remember most was going into the Sam Goody's, and as people turned to look, starting to dance to the song that was on, then dancing out, waving. I managed to not trip.
It was at that point my escort brought me back to the store, into the back, and helped me get out, and got me a big cup of water and some fries. By the end of that weekend I had sweated off five pounds.
posted by mephron at 8:30 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Over at Reddit, a mall Easter Bunny just did an Ask Me Anything.
posted by Neofelis at 8:34 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Neofelis at 8:34 PM on April 13, 2010
A very occasional duty at a past job was to help performers wearing those costumes put them on and walk around without falling over things. These were for either performances or more direct public interaction.
There was a fair bit of waiting around, and the costumed person isn't supposed to talk if 'the public' is about. Have to stay in character. Sometimes, you don't get to be entertained at work. The job is to entertain others, I don't think there was any expectation on the performer's part or my part that we would be entertained.
I've had far more boring jobs than escorting costumed characters through shopping malls. Being a costumed cow sounds like considerably more fun than working the register or the fryer at chick-fil-a.
posted by yohko at 8:39 PM on April 13, 2010
There was a fair bit of waiting around, and the costumed person isn't supposed to talk if 'the public' is about. Have to stay in character. Sometimes, you don't get to be entertained at work. The job is to entertain others, I don't think there was any expectation on the performer's part or my part that we would be entertained.
I've had far more boring jobs than escorting costumed characters through shopping malls. Being a costumed cow sounds like considerably more fun than working the register or the fryer at chick-fil-a.
posted by yohko at 8:39 PM on April 13, 2010
I swear there was a This American Life episode where one of the correspondents (David Sedaris? Scott Carrier?) dressed up as a big dog (Blue's Clues?) for story time at a book store. Damned if I can find it though.
posted by ErikaB at 10:31 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by ErikaB at 10:31 PM on April 13, 2010
I dressed up as a cow once for a car wash. I sang songs to the other people I was with, did dances, etc. I remember getting more and more ramped up out of sheer boredom.
posted by emkelley at 5:05 AM on April 14, 2010
posted by emkelley at 5:05 AM on April 14, 2010
For a few years in high school, I was a costume character freelancer. I was a giant mouse and/or cowboy dog and/or Italian bakeryguy for a pizza chain as my base job, along with occasional stints as a penguin for a mall, McGruff the Crime Dog, a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast), the Easter Bunny, Louie the Lightning Bug, Homer Simpson, Mr. Peanut, Marge Simpson, and Tony the Tiger.
In those jobs I mostly was actively interacting with customers and kids, and spent my time both trying to be a realistic, entertaining character and trying not to run into stuff or get beat up (as I did one time by a pee-wee hockey team, to the apparent amusement of their son-of-a-bitch coach).
I also would sometimes have a gig where it was more a passive "look at me waving a sign" gig. Even there, people walking by would interact, so I would not wear headphones. To pass the time I would try to do things that would get a reaction from passersby (that's what you are paid for anyway) and see if I could get one. Things like doing the "hey trucker, honk at me" gesture to get people to honk, or doing a little dance, or cartwheeling or whatever.
If you were doing the job and thought of it as "I have to stand here for several hours," it would be terribly dreadful as you suggest. But if you remember that the costume makes you both purposefully conspicuous and invisible at the same time you can really have some fun.
posted by AgentRocket at 11:15 AM on April 14, 2010
In those jobs I mostly was actively interacting with customers and kids, and spent my time both trying to be a realistic, entertaining character and trying not to run into stuff or get beat up (as I did one time by a pee-wee hockey team, to the apparent amusement of their son-of-a-bitch coach).
I also would sometimes have a gig where it was more a passive "look at me waving a sign" gig. Even there, people walking by would interact, so I would not wear headphones. To pass the time I would try to do things that would get a reaction from passersby (that's what you are paid for anyway) and see if I could get one. Things like doing the "hey trucker, honk at me" gesture to get people to honk, or doing a little dance, or cartwheeling or whatever.
If you were doing the job and thought of it as "I have to stand here for several hours," it would be terribly dreadful as you suggest. But if you remember that the costume makes you both purposefully conspicuous and invisible at the same time you can really have some fun.
posted by AgentRocket at 11:15 AM on April 14, 2010
Re: Headphones - try only 'plugging in' one ear, and keep the volume at a decent mid-low level. That way you still get the music coming through and enlivening the day, but you're still able to hear and communicate perfectly well without having to rearrange your setup.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:57 PM on April 14, 2010
posted by FatherDagon at 12:57 PM on April 14, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for all of the stories and thoughts!
posted by bwilms at 7:40 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by bwilms at 7:40 AM on April 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
When I wasn't hugging kids and handing out candy and holding people's babies (seriously, lady, what were you thinking?), and trying to, y'know, get into the character, really feel his motivation, I was mostly trying to not pass out from heat exhaustion. It's hot in those costumes.
Generally speaking, though, I wasn't trying to entertain myself--I was trying to entertain everybody else. Dreadful or not, it's a job.
posted by box at 5:30 PM on April 13, 2010