View source for Salad Fingers

{{short description|British animated series}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image                    = SF-logo 3705x.png
| caption                  = 
| genre                    = <!--Do not add genres without citing a reliable source-->
| creator                  = David Firth
| writer                   = David Firth
| director                 = David Firth
| voices                   = David Firth
| language                 = English
| animator                 = David Firth
| first_aired              = {{Start date|df=y|2004|07|01}}
| country                  = United Kingdom
| last_aired               = present
}}

'''''Salad Fingers''''' is a British <!--Do not add genres without citing a reliable source-->[[animated series|adult animated web series]] created by [[David Firth (animator)|David Firth]] in 2004. It revolves around the [[eponymous]] Salad Fingers; a thin, green, mentally troubled man who inhabits a desolate world. As of September 2023, <!--full-length episodes only, no specials or shorts-->thirteen episodes have been published on [[YouTube]] and [[Newgrounds]]. Since its debut, ''Salad Fingers'' has amassed a [[cult following]] and has been described as a [[viral phenomenon]].

==Background==
Salad Fingers was conceived as an [[in-joke]]<ref name="ladbible">{{cite web |url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/weird-salad-fingers-is-back-with-new-episode-dropping-soon-20190125 |title=''Salad Fingers'' Is Back With New Episode Dropping Soon |date=25 January 2019 |last=Grealish |first=Rachael |website=[[LADbible Group|LADbible]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203105526/https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/weird-salad-fingers-is-back-with-new-episode-dropping-soon-20190125 |archive-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> when one day, while Firth was playing the guitar, his friend and frequent collaborator Christian Webb commented that he had "salad fingers", referring to the way Firth played the C-chord.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARTupdJVW8 |title=David Firth – Heroes of Animation with Bing |date=28 July 2013 |last=Bingham |first=Christopher |time=18:52 |work=HuHa 2! |via=[[YouTube]] |type=video |access-date=21 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404090211/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARTupdJVW8 |archive-date=4 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004, Firth posted the first episode via [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] to entertainment website [[Newgrounds]], where it was initially unpopular. However, the video quickly gained traction once it was featured on the website's front page.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dailycampus.com/2.7437/salad-fingers-stream-of-consciousness-entertains-viewers-1.1062606 |title=''Salad Fingers'' Stream of Consciousness Entertains Viewers |last=Gaudino |first=Elena |date=8 December 2005 |website=[[The Daily Campus]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708220417/http://www.dailycampus.com/2.7437/salad-fingers-stream-of-consciousness-entertains-viewers-1.1062606 |archive-date=8 July 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=20 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="happybirthday">{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywkdzy/happy-birthday-salad-fingers |title=Happy Birthday, ''Salad Fingers'' |date=16 July 2018 |last=Garland |first=Emma |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |access-date=23 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323173002/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywkdzy/happy-birthday-salad-fingers |archive-date=23 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Later, once the series transitioned to video-sharing platform [[YouTube]], Firth turned to [[crowdfunding]] because he was unable to monetize videos due to the platform's content policy.<ref name="ladbible" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/14/523895647/online-video-producers-caught-in-struggle-between-advertisers-and-youtube |title=Online Video Producers Caught In Struggle Between Advertisers And YouTube |date=14 April 2017 |last=Sydell |first=Laura |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321225206/https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/14/523895647/online-video-producers-caught-in-struggle-between-advertisers-and-youtube |archive-date=21 March 2022}}</ref>

In addition to writing and animating the series, Firth voices the titular character himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/salad-fingers-new-episode-clip-release-date-revealed/ |title=''Salad Fingers'' Creator Teases First New Episode in 3 Years |date=6 March 2022 |last=Featherstone |first=Gabriel |website=[[Screen Rant]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416012523/https://screenrant.com/salad-fingers-new-episode-clip-release-date-revealed/ |archive-date=16 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Firth says the character's voice was inspired by that of his grandmother's and [[Michael Jackson]]'s speaking voice. The softness of Salad Fingers's voice is due to the circumstance that Firth did not want to wake up his parents while recording.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/salad-fingers-is-coming-back-with-longest-episode-ever |title=''Salad Fingers'' Is Coming Back With Longest Episode Ever |date=4 December 2018 |last=Percival |first=Tom |website=[[UNILAD]] |access-date=18 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131418/https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/salad-fingers-is-coming-back-with-longest-episode-ever |archive-date=19 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> While the first episode took Firth "one day and one night" to produce, others took him six months and up to one year.<ref name="happybirthday" /><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFukywvrzo |title=Insight: Salad Fingers – UNILAD Original Documentary |date=2 December 2018 |last=Chambers |first=Paul |work=[[UNILAD]] |via=[[YouTube]] |time=3:23 |access-date=23 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417171133/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMFukywvrzo |archive-date=17 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> He has cited the works of [[David Lynch]], [[Tim Burton]], and [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]], as well as ''[[The League of Gentlemen]]'' and ''[[South Park]]'' as sources of inspiration. Music featured in ''Salad Fingers'' episodes includes work credited to [[Sigur Rós]], [[Aphex Twin]], and [[Boards of Canada]].<ref name="semantikon">{{cite web |title=Interview with ''Salad Fingers'' Creator David Firth |url=http://www.semantikon.com/RESaladFingers.htm |website=Semantikon |access-date=20 October 2016 |date=August 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307200510/http://www.semantikon.com/RESaladFingers.htm |archive-date=7 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2007, the series, then spanning seven episodes, had its theatrical debut at Sydney Underground Film Festival, where all episodes were shown back to back.<ref name="bubble">{{cite web |url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/bubble-uk-birthday-look-internet-wonder-salad-fingers/ |title=Bubble UK: A Birthday Look at Internet Wonder, ''Salad Fingers'' |date=19 December 2013 |last=Bright |first=Vic |website=Bubbleblabber |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131121139/https://www.bubbleblabber.com/bubble-uk-birthday-look-internet-wonder-salad-fingers/ |archive-date=31 January 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, episodes were screened at Glimmer, ''[[Hull Daily Mail]]''{{'}}s international short film festival.<ref name="hull" /> In 2020, a ''Salad Fingers'' tour throughout the United Kingdom was announced.<ref name="tour">{{cite web |url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv-and-film-david-firth-is-taking-salad-fingers-on-a-tour-across-the-uk-20200226 |title=David Firth Is Taking ''Salad Fingers'' On A Tour Across The UK |date=26 February 2020 |last=Phillipson |first=Daisy |website=[[LADbible Group|LADbible]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316200038/https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv-and-film-david-firth-is-taking-salad-fingers-on-a-tour-across-the-uk-20200226 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The tour was postponed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and was ultimately held in 2021 and 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/news-people-are-getting-nostalgic-with-release-of-new-salad-fingers-video-20211003 |title=People Are Feeling Nostalgic With Release Of Creepy New ''Salad Fingers'' Episode |date=3 October 2021 |last=Hardiman |first=Jess |website=[[LADbible Group|LADbible]] |access-date=21 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415022001/https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/news-people-are-getting-nostalgic-with-release-of-new-salad-fingers-video-20211003 |archive-date=15 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Events featured back-to-back screenings of all episodes released thus far, followed by an in-person interview with Firth.<ref name="tour" />

==Episodes==
{{Episode table |overall= |title= |airdate= |aux4=2 |aux4T=Length<br />(minutes) |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 1
| Title               = Spoons
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2004|07|01|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 1:46
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers explains how touching rust stimulates him, and that he holds a particular love of spoons. He asks a boy to see if he has any rusty spoons. The child responds in screeches, at which point Salad Fingers leaves.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 2
| Title               = Friends
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2004|07|15|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 3:54
| ShortSummary        = After talking to his [[finger puppet]]s, Salad Fingers checks for a fish cooking in his oven. He finds that he cannot reach it and asks a bystanding child to fetch it for him. As the child walks into the oven, Salad Fingers notices a rusty nail in the wall and reaches to caress it, causing the oven door to close. Salad Fingers then impales his finger with the nail, causing him to pass out. He awakes from a dream in a pool of blood, and smoke is emerging from the oven.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 3
| Title               = Nettles
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2004|08|01|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 3:18
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers comes across a [[Baby transport|perambulator]], lays [[Stinging nettle|nettles]] inside it, and takes it home with him. An armless man appears and chases after him, repeatedly banging his head against the front door. Meanwhile, Salad Fingers rubs the nettles on his chest, causing him to [[lactation|lactate]]. After awaking from a daydream, Salad Fingers finds the man lifeless in front of the door, hangs him on a meat hook, and offers him a glass of milk.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 4
| Title               = Cage
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2004|08|19|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 5:16
| ShortSummary        = A boy, who speaks only in growls and grunts, approaches Salad Fingers, which makes him uncomfortable. A tap connected to a string appears at Salad Fingers's door. It is pulled away and Salad Fingers chases it. The boy catches him in a cage and offers him a ring, which Salad Fingers rejects. He then disappears from inside the cage and the boy starts crying. Salad Fingers flies away on a giant tap.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 5
| Title               = Picnic
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2004|11|25|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 4:19
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers talks to his finger puppet before attending a picnic with a crow and a girl. Salad Fingers asks the girl questions but she does not respond. His finger puppet watches Salad Fingers through the window as he declares the girl his new playmate. The crow steals Salad Fingers's spoon, upon which the girl speaks to him for the first time. Salad Fingers screeches in shock.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 6
| Title               = Present
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2005|07|24|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 4:09
| ShortSummary        = One of Salad Fingers's finger puppets presents him a toy horse, upon which Salad Fingers eats the finger puppet. He plays with the horse and finds a lone toilet outside. He talks to it and flushes it in concern. He walks back home and sees another version of himself inside, repeating what he had done earlier. The inside version of Salad Fingers goes on to eat his finger puppet and, finally, the other version of himself.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 7
| Title               = Shore Leave
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2006|01|28|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 5:19
| ShortSummary        = While digging holes outside, Salad Fingers finds an old corpse that he is familiar with. He pulls it out of the hole, promises to draw it a hot bath, and prepares a dinner of sand for it. Later in the day, Salad Fingers salutes the corpse, sings to it, and kicks it back into the hole crying. Salad Fingers suddenly stands on a stage singing in front of an audience before leaving.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 8
| Title               = Cupboard
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2007|09|22|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 5:43
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers tunes a radio and feeds it marbles. It suddenly starts emitting a piercing sound, upon which Salad Fingers escapes into a small adjacent room. There, he finds a strand of hair, which he adds to his collection. Later, the radio instructs Salad Fingers to return to it its hair. It goes on to torment him, at which point Salad Fingers returns to the small room in tears.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 9
| Title               = Letter
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2011|05|26|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 8:11
| ShortSummary        = A tree begs Salad Fingers to let it stay in his house but is refused. The tree proceeds to strangle Salad Fingers. Later, Salad Fingers awakes from his sleep in pain. A black mass erupts from his stomach, which he calls his child. While writing a letter, he talks to it and suddenly turns ill. Having recovered, Salad Fingers takes the mass to another house in a bucket and smears it across one of the windows.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 10
| Title               = Birthday
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2013|11|24|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 10:01
| ShortSummary        = While preparing a birthday party for a corpse he keeps, Salad Fingers discovers a tall pole in front of his house. He leaves his house and walks through a forest in search of a [[hand puppet]]. After finding the puppet, it attacks a horse standing nearby. Salad Fingers returns to his house, which is now inhabited by horses. The corpse has [[skeletonization|skeletonized]]. Outside, several clones of Salad Fingers are gathered around a table. The pole retracts into the ground and reveals a present, which contains a hat made out of the corpse's skin.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 11
| Title               = Glass Brother
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2019|01|30|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 14:38
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers talks to his brother through a mirror while ridiculing one of his finger puppets. At home, he brings his finger puppet to life by sewing flesh onto it. Salad Fingers's mother appears in a mirror and demands to be served food, which he is unable to do. After being forced to eat food prepared by his mother, Salad Fingers's brother kidnaps his finger puppet through the mirror. Salad Fingers rescues it by entering the mirror dimension through a puddle outside and finally destroys the mirror.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 12
| Title               = Post Man
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2022|03|07|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 8:57
| ShortSummary        = Returning home from his job as a postman, Salad Fingers discovers the mutilated corpse of a dog. He initiates a courtship with it and takes it on several dates. After realizing that the corpse is much younger than himself, Salad Fingers carries it away and leaves it at a tree stump, declaring that they can not be together. A creature emerges from the tree stump and drags it inside.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 13
| Title               = Harvest
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2023|09|20|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 11:00
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers is attempting to grow crops for an upcoming feast. Finding no crops growing, he sacrifices one of his finger puppets to the earth and an enormous flower grows. He consumes one of its seeds and a miniature Salad Fingers, dubbed "Mr. Boyfingers", sprouts from his back. After Salad Fingers teaches Mr. Boyfingers about the world, Mr. Boyfingers mortally injures the original Salad Fingers with a rock and cooks him—still alive—in a stew before eating him, essentially taking his place.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 14 (special)
| Title               = 20th Anniversary Special
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2024|07|01|df=dmy}}
| Aux4                = 07:17
| ShortSummary        = Salad Fingers tells a story with elements from all past episodes.
}}
}}

==Reception==
''Salad Fingers'' has become the subject of a [[cult following]]<ref name="hull" /> and has generated a number of [[internet meme|meme]]s, having "captured the comically demented and strange underbelly of the internet" according to Elijah Watson of ''[[The Daily Dot]]''.<ref name="dailydot">{{cite web |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/salad-fingers-new-episode-david-firth/ |title={{'}}''Salad Fingers''{{'}} was viral before viral was a thing—and it's returning |date=30 November 2018 |last=Watson |first=Elijah |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |access-date=23 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321225229/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/salad-fingers-new-episode-david-firth/ |archive-date=21 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The series's characters, themes, and setting have inspired extensive discussions and theories online.<ref name="verge">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/30/18119749/salad-fingers-new-episode-december |title=''Salad Fingers'' is coming back, and I already want to barf |date=30 November 2018 |last=Maloney |first=Devon |website=[[The Verge]] |access-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416021028/https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/30/18119749/salad-fingers-new-episode-december |archive-date=16 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="dailydot" /> In 2005, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' ranked it among its "Top 10" pop culture phenomena.<ref name="bubble" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/25/PKGM6GB3BP1.DTL |title=2005 In Review: Pop Culture |date=25 December 2005 |last=Chonin |first=Neva |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |access-date=23 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416133107/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/25/PKGM6GB3BP1.DTL |archive-date=16 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' considers ''Salad Fingers'' to be one of the most memorable [[Flash animation]]s,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/flash-obituary-adobe |title=Flash is finally dead. This is why we should all mourn its passing |date=31 December 2020 |last=Bedingfield |first=Will |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |quote=The most memorable of these creations came from David Firth. |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220115833/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/flash-obituary-adobe |archive-date=20 December 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[The Guardian]]'' describes it as one of the first to go "fully [[viral phenomenon|viral]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/30/flash-youtube-nostalgia |title=Flash is dead, and YouTube dealt the killing blow |date=30 January 2015 |last=Hern |first=Alex |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324070857/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/30/flash-youtube-nostalgia |archive-date=24 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for the academic journal [[Convergence (journal)|''Convergence'']], Jessica Balanzategui and César Albarrán-Torres describe ''Salad Fingers'' as "a significant stylistic and generic contribution to the early period of participatory digital cultures"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Albarrán-Torres |first=César |last2=Balanzategui |first2=Jessica |date=19 November 2023 |title=''Salad Fingers'' wasn't just strange, it was art. Here's how it's still influencing the 'weird part of YouTube' 2 decades on |url=http://theconversation.com/salad-fingers-wasnt-just-strange-it-was-art-heres-how-its-still-influencing-the-weird-part-of-youtube-2-decades-on-216911 |access-date=3 December 2023 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202142728/https://theconversation.com/salad-fingers-wasnt-just-strange-it-was-art-heres-how-its-still-influencing-the-weird-part-of-youtube-2-decades-on-216911|archive-date=2 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Balanzategui |first=Jessica |last2=Albarrán-Torres |first2=César |date=15 November 2023|title=''Salad Fingers'': Pre-YouTube digital uncanny and the 'weird' future of animation |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548565231208569 |journal=Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies |language=en |doi=10.1177/13548565231208569 |issn=1354-8565|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201221656/http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548565231208569|archive-date=1 December 2023|url-status=live|doi-access=free }}</ref> and the character as a "patron saint of the digital [[uncanny valley|uncanny]]".<ref name="20th dazed" /> In 2020, the series had been viewed 110 million times in total on YouTube, with the first episode alone receiving 36 million video views.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://secretmanchester.com/salad-fingers-manchester-live-show/ |title=David Firth's ''Salad Fingers'' Is Coming To Manchester For A Live Show |date=25 February 2020 |last=Rogan |first=Laura |website=Secret Manchester |access-date=23 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420214801/https://secretmanchester.com/salad-fingers-manchester-live-show/ |archive-date=20 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Jon Mendelsohn of ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' observes that the series has "terrified audiences" by means of its "post-apocalyptic setting and crypticness" and compares it to the television series ''[[Twin Peaks]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/dont-hug-me-scared-green-is-not-a-creative-color/ |title=''Don't Hug Me I'm Scared'' Endures Because of Its Brilliant Execution |date=2 May 2020 |last=Mendelsohn |first=Jon |work=[[Comic Book Resources]] |access-date=23 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323173002/https://www.cbr.com/dont-hug-me-scared-green-is-not-a-creative-color/ |archive-date=23 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Tanner Fox of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' describes it as "nothing short of haunting" due to its "weird premises, nails-on-chalkboard background music, and shocking moments of gore and depravity".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/scariest-viral-internet-videos/ |title=10 Scariest Videos That Went Viral On The Internet |date=16 April 2022 |last=Fox |first=Tanner |website=[[Screen Rant]] |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416132155/https://screenrant.com/scariest-viral-internet-videos/ |archive-date=16 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Devon Maloney of ''[[The Verge]]'' remarks its emphasis on gore and bodily fluids, calling it "basically [[ASMR]] for psychopaths".<ref name="verge" /> Will Ramsey of ''[[Hull Daily Mail]]'' calls it "comic, horrifying and strangely endearing".<ref name="hull">{{cite news |title=The little green man |date=13 April 2009 |last=Ramsey |first=Will |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=18 |id={{ProQuest|333617394}}}}</ref> Emma Garland of ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' notes that the series has caused both fascination and dread in its viewers, and deems it "one of the bleakest comedies to ever come out of the UK".<ref name="happybirthday" /> The series's landscapes, figures, dream sequences, and open-ended nature of episodes have drawn comparisons to the works of [[David Lynch]].<ref name="20th dazed">{{cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/62285/1/salad-fingers-20-anniversary-david-firth-patron-saint-weird-youtube-came-to-life|title=''Salad Fingers'': how the patron saint of Weird YouTube came to life|date=1 April 2024|last=Waite|first=Tom|website=[[Dazed]]|access-date=July 1, 2024|archive-url=https://wayback-api.archive.org/web/20240628231034/https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/62285/1/salad-fingers-20-anniversary-david-firth-patron-saint-weird-youtube-came-to-life|archive-date=June 28, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, a Canadian high school teacher was temporarily suspended after showing his class a range of videos that students described as "weird, creepy and inappropriate" including ''Salad Fingers''. The teacher ultimately resigned from his job at the school and attended a disciplinary program.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/high-school-teacher-disciplined-after-showing-kids-weird-video/news-story/3ef495d0430cd7891d1b52fdd756e483 |title=High school teacher disciplined after showing kids 'weird' video |date=2 August 2019 |last=Carey |first=Alexis |website=[[news.com.au]] |access-date=22 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308120659/https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/high-school-teacher-disciplined-after-showing-kids-weird-video/news-story/3ef495d0430cd7891d1b52fdd756e483 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/salad-fingers-677279 |title=Teacher suspended after showing his class videos of ''Salad Fingers'' |date=1 August 2019 |last=Moore |first=Paul |website=[[Joe (website)|Joe]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318060753/https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/salad-fingers-677279 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> In response, Firth commented on [[Twitter]] that viewings of ''Salad Fingers'' should be "mandatory" for children.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/salad-fingers-teacher-suspended_ca_5d4470f8e4b0aca3411d495e |title=B.C. Teacher Suspended For Showing {{'}}''Salad Fingers''{{'}} To Class |date=2 August 2019 |last=Donato |first=Al |website=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415213232/https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/salad-fingers-teacher-suspended_ca_5d4470f8e4b0aca3411d495e |archive-date=15 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Making Fiends (web cartoon)|Making Fiends]]''
* ''[[Don't Hug Me I'm Scared]] ''
* ''[[Marble Hornets]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.fat-pie.com/salad.htm}}
* {{IMDb title|1830238}}

{{Newgrounds|state=expanded}}

[[Category:2004 web series debuts]]
[[Category:British animated web series]]
[[Category:Flash animated web series]]
[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced from the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Viral videos]]