An Inquiry Regarding Pingu Lore

[bargain hunt]

I have been invested in the Pingu plot since release. However, there is something that has been bothering me for years, an unanswered question which may very well hold the explaination to everything out of the ordinary in the Pingu universe. I hope that somebody here can help me understand what I'm missing.

We all remember season 1 episode 1 of Pingu. The unforgettable pilot episode of this glorious animation. However, to this day the origins of our flightless friend are
unclear. For those who have forgotten the details of this episode, I shall provide you a summary.

The episode starts with Pingu enjoying a fish meal with assumed parental figures. After being told off by his father and mother for his classic Pingu tomfoolery, our protagonist spits their greens into the toilet. They then proceed to take a pump and an odd, red object out of their iconic toybox. After some persuasion father pumps up the red object, revealing it to be a sports ball. Pingu takes the ball outside, which is soon stolen by other penguins. A chase scene and a few noots later, the ball is deflated in a crushingly emotional scene. Our hero, with deflated ball in hand, runs back to the igloo under heavy snowball fire. Pingu's ball is fixed by father and their wounds patched up by mother, leading us to a touching noot noot at the end of the piece.

A work of art, but it has left many open ends.

However there is one open end in particular that I refuse to accept.

At the 50 second mark Pingu commits unspeakable acts with a fish. After inserting it down their throat multiple times, our penguin pal strips the fish of its nutrients.

This is not the only time in the episode when Pingu defies our physical laws. At 4:00, when being hit on the head by one of the bad penguins, Pingu appears to change consistency. They take an almost liquid form as they are bounced. Could this be a hint towards the true nature of this mysterious individual?

Does anybody have an explaination for these curious incidents? It has been bugging me for far too long, knowing that Pingu could be a demigod or superpenguin or something of the like. I need some confirmation.

[ThereWasNoChill]

Hey God of Kahoot,

As a large fan of Pingu, the same as you, I figured I would clear some of the confusion regarding Pingu's physical state, alongside the other incidents that have left you flabbergasted.

Before I tackle the intricacies of your question, I would first like to bring attention to the fact that we DO NOT know exactly what Pingu is. We do not know if he is bound by what 'regular' penguins have to abide by, such as their physical constraints and method of nutritional intake. Therefore, your examples only refute the facts that Pingu cannot do said instances because he is a penguin, when in fact we do not know if that is what he TRULY is.

Please reply back to me with your thoughts on this intriguing matter.

Sincerely, and with much love for Pingu (and his beautiful family,)
ThereWasNoChill

[bargain hunt]

ThereWasNoChill,

If correct, this theory would give more than enough of a satisfactory inspiration for the entire series. It has been months since I posted this discussion and left this group to die, but questioning whether Pingu is a conventional "penguin" or not really catches my attention.

I remember a couple of weeks ago that I was sat watching a particular episode of this show (an episode I have since, regrettably, forgotten) and laughing at the various shenanigans and the sub-zero slapstick we have all grown to enjoy. In my customary post-episode analysis I remember looking deep into a particular joke that took my full attention. The art of Pingu was always inference, with little in the way of real language to go off on. As such, gestures and body language do the talking in place of human words, which usually works extremely well. But this joke was different.

It was the ending of the episode, and it was based around a long and (likely) complex conversation completely in the "language" adopted between Pingu and a parental figure. The punchline was Pingu pointing to a puddle on the floor, which sparked a strange feeling in me. I realized that I didn't understand the joke, that it had flown over my head because I could not understand the hows, the whys and the whats of their discussion, that the subtle nuances had become so subtle that even I, a dedicated fan, could not get the joke.

Now this was before I had considered your theory, so I spent the next fortnight researching penguin communication, penguin calls, international words and signs for the noble flightless bird. I poured over books and documentaries tirelessly, constantly referring back to the puddle joke again and again hoping, praying that it would click into place. I have spent my life devoting myself to the show, and now I have found a joke so brilliant I simply cannot explain it, because to do that I would need to explain the conversation before it.

Now, I understand. The language in the world of Pingu is not language. It never was supposed to be comprehended, it will never be translated into the dialects of the world. Penguins do not communicate like Pingu does, penguins do not talk and converse so fluently, so akin to how humans share the mysteries of the universe. Likewise penguins do not ride sleds, they do not cook fish, they do not dig snow with their flippers and throw them as we can. Penguins do not joke, they do not laugh, they do not care for the pampering lifestyles we have created, the lifestyles we have formed within the creative mediums at our disposal. Penguins do not need privacy, ownership, furnishing- they are nothing more than birds, birds devoid of the qualities of Pingu.

And as the nail in the coffin, I sit here at my computer and think- for the first time- of the ultimate confirmation.

Penguins, despite everything the show has ever told us, despite the memes and the gags that engulf the world built by the artist, do not go "Noot Noot".

Don't you see? Pingu was never meant to be a penguin. He's a character- a character which only relates to penguins in appearance. It's genius, really. To deceive us all, to lead the world into believing that Pingu is about a little penguin and his antics on planet earth. In reality we will never see anything come close to what Pingu is, penguin or not, without being part of the world in which the story is set.

Thank you for helping me see the truth, for helping me solve the final riddle about this beloved show. I hope I have helped you as well.

-God of Kahoot