''Toy Porno'' (also known as ''Toy P'') is a
self-released experimental art film
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
by
The Frogs
''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in ...
. The
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
videotape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
was compiled in October 1993, as a gift for
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
. It would soon become frequent viewing material on the
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
tour bus, and later on the
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
tour bus as well. Later, after generated copies began circulating amongst fans, the band began selling copies at shows. The tape is only available in
VHS format. The band plans to release a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
version but want to digitally re-create the compilation from the original masters and need time and funds to do so. The file is available for download online in AVI format through various outlets.
The title of the film refers to several
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
sketches that feature
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s,
dolls and knick-knack
toys having adult conversations and performing
sexual acts. The shorts sometimes use
stop-motion animation
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
. Mingled within the shorts are home videos and
concert
A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...
performances that include many
cover songs played in a joking and spontaneous manner.
Sketches
In the ''Brian T. Komar Interview'', Jimmy Flemion rants about the
Patti Smith song, "
25th Floor
''Easter'' is the third studio album by the Patti Smith Group. It was released in March 1978 by Arista Records. Produced by Jimmy Iovine, the album is regarded as the group's commercial breakthrough, owing to the success of the rock single "Becaus ...
", satirically calling it "23rd Floor", to which the interviewer responds by proposing the interviewee is on
drug
A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...
s.
In ''Pony Killer (
Bagism
Bagism is a satire of prejudice, where by living in a bag a person could not be judged on their bodily appearance. Bagism was created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as part of their extensive peace campaign in the late 1960s. The intent of bagism wa ...
)'', the brothers Flemion use the Lennon/Ono "trash bag" technique on a young Asian girl, referring to her as "Yoko".
During a live performance of "I've Got Drugs (Out of the Mist)", Dennis Flemion berates a bumbling soundman, famously singing, "you are not getting paid tonight!"
Video order (track listing)
*1. "
Easy to Be Hard"† (Intro) (June 1982)
*2. ''Animal Adventure #1''
*3. "Someone's Pinning Me to the Ground" (
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 27 February 1992)
*4. ''Animal Adventure #2''
*5. "
Here Comes My Girl"† (Garage 1980)
*6. ''Animal Adventure #3''
*7. "Mr. Right" (Milwaukee, 22 August 1991)
*8. ''Animal Adventure #4''
*9. "Satan's in the Manger"
*10. "Jesus Book #1-3"
*11. "He's the
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
" (
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, 28 October 1984)
*12. ''Over the Flames''
*13. "Been a Year Since I Had a Boy" (Living Room Tapes, 22 February 1988)
*14. ''Dinosaurs Must Eat''
*15. "I've Got Drugs (Out of the Mist)" (Milwaukee, 1 November 1988)
*16. ''T. Rex Sex''
*17. "Blues Jam"/"Hot Cock Annie" (
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, 1 October 1988)
*18. ''Toy Dog w/ Dinosaur Background''
*19. "
White Rabbit"† (Milwaukee, 18 August 1989)
*20. ''T.V. Nightmare''
*21. "I'm a Strolling Minstrel"
*22. ''Brian T. Komar Interview Pt.1''
*23. ''Covers Medley'' (Milwaukee, 18 February 1989):
**a. "
Nightmares"†
**b. "
Every Rose Has Its Thorn"†
**c. "
Immigrant Song
"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is built upon a repeating riff and features lyrical references to Norse mythology, with singer Robert Plant's howling vocals mentioning war-making and Valhalla. The song was i ...
"†
**d. "
Birthday"†
**e. "
Stand"† / "
Hang on Sloopy"† / "La Bondage"† ("
La Bamba")
**f. "
Winchester Cathedral"†
*24. ''Camping Trip #1''
*25. ''Camping Trip #2''
*26. "
Yesterday"† (June 1982)
*27. "I Don't Care If U Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me)" (
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, 13 December 1991)
*28. ''Pony Killer (
Bagism
Bagism is a satire of prejudice, where by living in a bag a person could not be judged on their bodily appearance. Bagism was created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as part of their extensive peace campaign in the late 1960s. The intent of bagism wa ...
)''
*29. "These Are the Finest Queen Boys (I've Ever Seen)" (
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 11 April 1992)
*30. "These Are the Finest Queen Boys (I've Ever Seen)" (Milwaukee, 27 February 1992)
*31. "
Smells Like Teen Spirit"/"
Territorial Pissings
''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, ''Ne ...
"† (Milwaukee, 27 February 1992)
*32. "Territorial Pissings"† (Chicago, 1 February 1992)
*33. "
When Doves Cry
"When Doves Cry" is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his sixth studio album '' Purple Rain''. According to the DVD commentary of the film '' Purple Rain'' (1984), Prince was asked by director Albert Magnoli to write a ...
"† (Minneapolis, 21 August 1984)
*34. ''Segment from the
John Ankerberg
John Ankerberg (born December 10, 1945) is an American Christian television host, author, and speaker. He is an ordained Baptist minister and has authored or coauthored more than 150 books and study guides. He is the producer and host of the int ...
Show'' ("Gather 'Round for Savior #2")
*35. ''Clown of Thorns'' (
Louisville, 9 August 1993)
*36. "Easy to be Hard (Reprise)"† (June 1982)
† denotes
cover song.
Soundtrack
''Music from Toy Porno'' (later released on CD as ''Sad Bits'' and ''More Sad Bits'') is a self-released soundtrack, chiefly composed of
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
s.
Side A
#the angry heavens
#poisoning strangers
#the first in a series of disasters
#waltzing on a window ledge
#lost in a snowstorm
#lullaby
#paper clouds
#blue sunflowers
#black-eyed sparrow
#feathers in bloom
#forbidden
#a marriage of arrows
#lasting kisses
#cautious lovers
#returning light
#living in a house of secrets
#burning the wedding invitations
#tower of cowards
#pledging his devotion to her (always)
#spellbound
#saddle down whinny will ya
#the man you want wears cuckoo fur
Side B
#waking lions
#ascending stairs
#exiled
#twilight fears no wolf
#opening windows
#whirling in a dying room
#two hearts parting
#the mist that missed its mark
#when rain reigns
#the longing
#the begging
#the queen's escort
#stairs go ech, ech, echoing on
#the danger in shadows calling
#children of deflowerland
#le grande display of sorrow
#the scolding mildly
#Russia in tears
#king stranger's court
#if there ever was light
#palace the ball on the tip of your foes
#song for janice
#smacking the pussys of a bonafide gangster
See also
*''
Vieuphoria
''Vieuphoria'' is a long form music video by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, originally released on VHS on October 4, 1994 and DVD on November 26, 2002. It was certified gold by the RIAA in late 1996.
The video consists of ...
''
*''
Broken''
Notes
*https://web.archive.org/web/20081011193950/http://www.thefrogsarchive.com/store/toyporno.html
*https://web.archive.org/web/20081203162732/http://www.thefrogsarchive.com/self-released/toyp-music.html
*http://www.thefuton.com/frogs/discog.txt
*https://web.archive.org/web/20071107065647/http://www.thefrogsarchive.com/collection/videos/toy-porno/insert.jpg
{{Authority control
The Frogs (band) video albums
Puppet films
1990s English-language films