None of them can see her. The grandpa is blind, the mirror man is too obsessed with himself, and the mother's vision is too poor to see her. When she is in her fantasy dreamland, they say "We see you, Opal". She just wants to be seen.

The reason her family says "we see you, opal" instead of something like "we love you, opal" is because she don't wants to be loved, at least the way her family does it. Her grandfather loves her, but only because she gives him his cigarretes. Her dad loves her, but only because she gives attention to him. And her mother loves her, because she uses her daughter as an escape of her horrible self. Opal has never seen true love, the only love she's ever experienced is toxic, crooked. She doesn't want to be loved, she wants to be seen as something else, not something that's just there to satisfy their awful addictions.

I just realized opals fake parents telling her to not look at the house is probably her telling herself to try and ignore all the abuse she faces 😢

Claire - Clear Opal - Opaque She just wants to feel seen. :(

Interesting bit of symbolism here, maybe I'm reaching too far but: In her real house, she's only ever going up the stairs while she's running away from something. My guess that she associates running up the stairs with fleeing her family members to get to her "safe" place in the attic. In her dream house, it's a single story building, and her room is on the ground floor. She doesn't need to run from anyone, the entire house is her safe space.

the most disturbing part is that so many kids grow up like this. escaping into a fantasy world where everything is normal, scared of their reality at home and scared of being like the rest of their family

It's horrifying how only a billboard with an advertisement about burgers is the only thing keeping Opal from the harsh reality.

Fun Fact: The reason why 11:30 sounds better than 1:00 is because the vocals for the father, mother, and grandpa have changed to Claire's real family, which is drastically different than the generic vocals from the start

The father uses childish dialogue to describe himself. Growing small etc. he says I’m still growing why is everyone hard on me. He doesn’t talk about himself as an adult so he can avoid responsibility or accountability.

When you realize she never even takes a bite of the burger because she can't imagine what it tastes like. She has no clue, just what it represents.

"There she is!" "That's my girl!" "H I O P A L!"

Claire's mom grabs her and won't let go, and we see in her song she's physically abusive as well. Meanwhile, Opal's mom keeps her hands behind her back at all times. Also, Claire's mom says "So you decided to be a person today." I didn't grow up in an abusive household, but that line still gets me. As an introvert who doesn't especially enjoy being around people unless on my own terms, I can say please do not ever say something like this to your kids. "Well look who decided to join us!" or "Ah! It's alive!" or "So you finally decided to say hi?" It's insensitive at best, and does not in any way encourage a shy or introverted kid to want to be around you more. If anything, whether you mean to or not, it comes across as shaming them for daring to show their face. I got a lot of that from my family growing up. My dad and uncles usually, sometimes an aunt. They didn't mean it the way Claire's mother does here, but it still doesn't feel good. If you feel the need to comment, try to be complimentary, or to actually engage them in conversation. Make the kid feel welcome, I guarantee they'll engage more.

“There she is” “That’s my girl” “𝚑𝚒 𝚘𝚙𝚊𝚕“

It's so depressing that she doesn't come up with a good line in her imagination, instead of "we love you opal!" It's just "we see you opal" she wants the bare minimum

Notice how when the grandpa screams it makes one of those train track sounds when a train is coming near. I also noticed how trains need SMOKE to power on just like the grandpa, which is maybe a little hint to why it makes that train track noise when he screams

I worked with a kid at the Y a few years back who lied about his home life all the time. Made up family members, pets, and events. He was also obsessive about his interests. Most of his lies were based on these interests. “One time my brother said I was just like Superman because nothing could hurt me. He even shot me with a BB gun and I didn’t even feel it.” His guardian revealed he had no brother and his neighbor had a BB gun but he had never used one nor been shot. (These details are fabricated for the kids confidentiality but you get the idea). If he got stressed he’d shut down and stare at the superman comics that he brought with him everywhere. The bits of truth he did share about his home life hinted at significant trauma. He always reminded me of this short film and how Opal invented a fantasy world to cope and escape from her life. Other kids always got annoyed with him and his lies but my heart really broke for him and it enraged me that his parents really messed him up. A lot of people should not be allowed to be parents and I am a firm believer that licensing should be the new standard for the privilege to be a parent or caregiver. Too many kids are harmed by this culture to protect adults rights to procreate a child tear instead of trying to implement harm reduction by ensuring a stable and healthy home for kids. Removing kids from toxic homes isn’t good enough! Once the damage is done, removing them doesn’t heal them. We need to do more for our kids.

Someone pointed out a heartbreaking fact that in her fantasized opening Claire is so starved she can't even imagine what a hamburger tastes like, which is why she just dances on the plate, because she doesn't know what to do with it.

I like how the grandpa and mother songs both seem to be spur-of-the-moment but the father's song is clearly prepared and recorded. It's a nice detail about what a narcissist he is.

the mother has to be one of the scariest characters I've ever seen on screen

The thing that's terrifying is how the imaginary family looks like the real family but more calm and not over obsessed or drunk or lazy

Jack Stauber fans: Ah, the usual Adult Swim fans: Ah, the usual

None of the caregivers are better than the other. The grandfather is so lost in his addiction to cigarettes that he keeps deteriorating his health. No matter how much Claire tries to help, he doesn’t recognize it or even recognize her. He rather be eaten up by fate and delusions of TV freedom than change for himself or even Claire’s sake. He is obviously going into a dissociative state from old age and the damage of smoking. He throws an insult to her “They’re much more interested in me than anything you have going on”. He is choosing himself and his escapism over her. The father is a blatant narcissistic man who only looks at himself and his issues as well. He insults Claire, telling her he wouldn’t want to have her ankles. This probably implies he belittles her a lot for her appearance to make himself look better. He is very erratic and changes moods consistently throughout. His dialogue implies that he puts guilt on Claire all the time for getting tired of listening to his rambling: “You know how this makes me feel!!”. Mother is obviously a pill head and a drunk. She speaks in holy patterns, maybe a past Christian of some sort. Her brain is scrambled like eggs and wants the support of Claire so badly. She seems to physically go after Claire. Her song implies she wants Claire to hold her hair for her when she is sick, coddle her, and take care of her self-destructive bouts. Those are all things a mother should do. Claire is too young to assist with this properly and what Mother says is very manipulative. All of them say things that are. They are all clouded by themselves and their own personal escapism which is killing them slowly in the end. Each one is just as abusive as the other in different ways and damaging to Claire, as she is afraid of all of them or unnerved by them no matter what scene. They all have bursts of anger that translate to trauma for Claire. The house is haunted, but not by ghosts. It’s haunted by humans who are husks of who they once were, and Claire unfortunately has to be the one to take the blows from it. You could interpret the ending as Claire realizing she is either just like them with her escapism or realizing that she is their eternal crutch and has no physical ending to this suffering. Either one requires a scream like the one at the end. The billboard family represents what Claire wants. Claire wants to be seen by her grandpa: “Hi Opal!!” Claire wants to be complimented by her father: “Thatt-a girl!” Claire wants security from her mother: “Go on, you can do it!” All the things they want from other sources. And Claire is just the crying little girl in the attic, part of this dysfunctional family, making haunting melodies from the inside. She can hear herself and is drawn into reality from it.

"AW ITS CUTE" "oh its traumatized"

This is so triggering but oddly comforting. I never had grown up in an abusive household, and I’ve never been neglected that heavily, but I found this sort of relaxing and scary at the same time? I don’t even know, it’s like Jack Stauber can read the minds of traumatized children.

Tbh when I heard the mother say “I forgive every one of you, every night. It’s a virtuous cycle.” It hit too close to home because lots of mothers think of themselves as saviors just because they brought a child into this world, even if they verbally and physically abuse that child. They think they are entitled to love and respect just because they think of themselves as a savior. My mom acts like that all the time so that scene really resonated with me.

The mother manages to make everything about her. "you should be more considerate, but I forgive you" "I feel terrible" and "they never repent how I want them to." This is AMAZING writing of a manipulative character. She's saying these objectively cruel things in a way that positions herself as a victim and a martyr who is so incredibly kind, but helpless to change. The forgiveness line especially is a textbook tactic that manipulators use: she gets to present herself as the good guy while doing no emotional labour AND inflicting guilt and expressing that the person she's talking to is lesser. Amazing work as always from Jack. I'm really tempted to write a damn essay on this rather than just my little kneejerk response to the mother...

Both of my parents were narcissists and this is so accurate. When she opens the door and feels "caught" is how you feel in a household like this, and persists years beyond. The maladaptive daydreaming to cope with your reality. No one truly seeing you and operating from pure shame. The elder generations who started the trauma living within the home once they get older. The covert narc mother lashing out physically on her children because she feels powerless against her narc partner. The grandiose narcissist shaming others and lifting up themselves. The complete disrespect of boundaries such as locking or shutting a door. The lack of any true connection let alone unconditional love. This is such a raw and terrifying portrayal of the reality and it still hits me just as hard as when I first saw it.

Something that I’ve noticed is how when she has the burger in her imagination, she doesn’t really know what to do at first. Her family is encouraging her, but she still doesn’t really know what to do, so she just picks it up and dances. It shows how neglected she is and what an isolated life she’s living. She’s never seen a burger other than the billboard, so she has no clue what it is and what you do with it. I think that if the burger wasn’t even on the billboard, she would’ve probably made up what she thinks it is in her imagination.

"You and I don't live, Claire; we survive." CHILLS

i can't believe that jack voiced every single character in this short. it's kind of obvious, but it's weird to think about.

"And in our eyes you'll stay" has some nuance to it that makes it uncomfortable. Yes it can be taken as the encouragement from her fake family, a vocalization of her deepest desire a family who loves her, but it can also be taken as her being unable to leave this situation. In the eyes of the billboard her horrible situation *is* right in front of them, she *will* stay.

Claire's smile at the start of the vid was so precious, too bad she can't smile like that in her real home also do u guys wonder what would happen if her real family managed to enter the room at the end?

The idea that Claire is so malnourished that she doesn’t even understand what you’re meant to do with a hamburger, so she just starts dancing with it, is just really sad, yet also comedic at the same time.

My boyfriend pointed out that when Claire looks to her window and white lace comes out its symbolic as losing her innocence. White lace represents purity and innocence and its literally flying out the window

Just noticed that the poster lights are in opals eyes in the first we see you opal part. They foreshadowed this like 10 minutes earlier than we found out.

I love how in the first part, you can see the reflection of the lights from the billboard in Opal's eyes. It's a very small but smart detail.

I JUST REALIZED: Claire's imaginary family members have rather creepy open eyes because they are giving their full attention, 110% of it, all to her. They have the same eyes as her as well: open, attentive, wanting to communicate and understand. Her imaginary family is one that *sees* her, which is emphasized by the character design. Jack is such a genius.

"My child is fine" Your child found a better family in a fast food advertisement.

“I feel terrible for all the things- I feel terrible” It sounds like the mom was about to apologize for all that she’s done to Claire, but refuses to take accountability. As with the grandpa living in a world of TV and cigarettes and the dad in his reflection chamber. These parents don’t take any responsibility or accountability that they’re the parents.

I’m not sure anyone noticed this but in the beginning celebration scene when she’s dancing with the hamburger and then YAY it’s in the same position as the sign.

imagine being the kid up at midnight and seeing this on the tv

You know what’s even sadder? Eventually, the billboard is going to change into a new ad. Then what will she do?

The reason the grandpa only says “hi opal” is because Clair doesn’t really know what affection is and she doesn’t know how to fantasize it. Tbh she doesn’t go to school, she barely gets food, she has no entertainment. Except that Billboard. Her life is a cycle. Wake up > eat (if she can) > billboard > repeat. Its sad that out of the 8b people on earth rn, someone life is exactly like this. Somewhere.

"Hey Claire, ever heard of CPS?"

I like how a running theme is, she can’t be seen, not by the grandpa, nor the dad, or the mother in her drunken state, it’s a horrifying metaphor about her being used

The grandpa: has terrible lungs Also grandpa: sings a banger song

Does anyone else notice how actually terrifying he looks when not seen through the mirrors. He flips it around for a split second in his segment, and hes terrifying. At 11:08

lyrics if anybody wants it *WE SEE YOU, OPAL* 1:01 We see you, Opal Your troubles are miles away We see you, Opal And in our eyes you'll stay *WHY DOES IT SOUND SO EASY TO BREATH?* 4:28 Tell me Why does it sound so easy to breathe, on TV? I can't see Why it sounds so easy to breath... I'm popular here They all sing to me (La la la la) Idea salesmen They want my soul, Claire! They fight over me like dogs And the girls are singing (La la la la) They dance too, I assume (Yeah, we do!) They want my soul as well I need that smoke, Claire What the hell is taking you? And why won't you tell me Why does it sounds so easy to breathe, on TV? Oh, won't you tell me Why does it sounds so easy to breathe, on TV? It sounds so easy... *MIRROR MAN* 7:09 They turn me down, now I live my nightmare Gotta be seen by someone out there Now I sit here in reflection chamber Fixing myself so that all can savor Follow me, I'm on the brink of visual epiphany Life a costume away Oh, life's a wardrobe change So I can shift Create a rift With beauty and with grin Blush sensation Creates a foundation God is in my skin They turn me down, now I live my nightmare Gotta be seen by someone out there Now I sit here in reflection chamber Crafting the world, it's next new savior *VIRTUOUS CYCLE* 9:22 Mama needs a little girl to land on Mama needs a little girl to fall in her arms Mama needs a mama's girl to take good care Mama needs a baby girl to hold her hair *WE SEE YOU, OPAL* 11:30 We see you, Opal Your troubles are miles away We see you, Opal And in our eyes you'll stay

her escapist fantasy is living in a fast food advert because that's the closest she's seen to a happy and healthy life... bruh

her caretakers set an example for her. they indulge in their own forms of escapism so much that all she knows how to do to cope is indulge in her own escapism. a viscious cycle.

Opal hit the burger dance

This short film honestly brings back so much PTSD for me, or at least a lot of memories that I would rather forget. In a way, it's almost comforting, and this short film is very realistic in its show of an abusive household. Beautifully done and executed too :)). ( also poor Opal my little girl 😭 )

When I first watched this, I thought the family pulling the curtains on Opal/Claire’s real house was really creepy, like the family was trapping her there, or there was a dark secret they were hiding from her. But the second watch... it’s just sad. It’s like Opal/Claire’s subconscious mind is trying to protect her from her life, trying to keep her happy for even a little while longer. This short is truly a masterpiece.

It's also really sad that the whole "we see you, opal" line isn't just in the metaphorical sense but it's literal as well, the grandfather is blind, the father is too busy looking at himself and the mother can't see in her drunken/drugged state

11:09 if the pause is timed perfectly, one can more or less see her father's face for just a frame here and it is a terrifying reflection of what he has become with his narcissism.

You can tell that she is imagining the first part because the father's face (0:50) is the same face on the billboard, (10:44) before he clicks alive, signifying that she can only imagine him in her mind from the billboard.

The fact that Claire has never had a burger before and ends up dancing around it because she doesnt understand what you're supposed to do with it is heartbreaking

Something I haven't seen anyone point out yet is how in Claire's fantasy, Opal's house is one level. In reality, each party lives on their own floor and don't interact out of their narcissism; Claire wants her family to stop separating themselves.

“My child is fine!” The child:

Let's all just collectively adopt Claire.

Grandpa yelling at Opal is scary. Grandpa yelling at Claire, his own granddaughter, not recognizing her is terrifying

I think the reason that the imaginary grandpa is saying, "Hi, Opal!" because her real grandpa doesn't greet her with a, "hi." Instead he says, "Claire? Is that you? Here, I need you to bring me my cigarettes." Opal just wants a simple "Hi" instead of "bring me my cigarettes" from her grandpa.

im guessing the reason Claire is more attached to her fake Father in her "escapism dreams"(no clue what to call it) is because his abuse is more hidden. Mother obviously hits her or bruised her in someway; she also (most likely) disfigured Father. Grandfather seems to be alot worse on shouting and has probably had sprees of physical abuse; his health is also so bad it's scaring Claire. While Father seems too obsessed with himself to care to yell (he probably still does but less) and hit her. Instead, he guilt trips and HEAVILY neglects her. Father, although as bad as Mother and Grandfather, probably seems less bad to Claire. Father is a good manipulator saying things like 'you know how this makes me feel!' and speaking in such a soft (?) and charismatic voice makes Claire trust him more. I WANT TO BE SUPER DUPER CLEAR!! Im not exusing Father's actions with his abuse or his lack of physical abuse towards Claire like many others are doing! I can see that Father is just as bad as Grandfather and Mother, I'm just stating how his manipulation and guilt tripping may have influenced Claire into """""liking""""" him more. This shows in the fake Family where the 'Father' is closer to Claire. Anyway, im pretty sure im right BUT if you want to correct me about anything please do! Father's manipulation also hits close for me! Not my family but a friend I had when I was younger was similar! So I do have similar (BUT MUCH MILDER I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH MILDER) experiences! Guilt tripping and manipulation can make a false picture of a person. in conclusion father bad claire needs to be saved Edit (extra): after watching again I realised i didnt explain my veiw on the Father very well. The Father is a deeply flawed person, he is riddled with insecurities, suffered abuse at the hands of his wife (Mother) and is obviously deeply unstable. But, Father is my favourite character for the reason that despite all that stuff making him sympathetic, it is shown that he is not. He uses Claire as a way to affirm himself without having to take care of her, he makes fun of her and he guilt trips the hell out of her! Father is still a terrible monster, he's a narrsisist that only cares about his looks and NOT his own daughter. Obviously, Father's abuse is sad for him but that doesnt give an exuse to hurt Claire. thanl you for reading this stupid ramble lol

Imagine dying , and the last thing you see is “ created by jack stauber “ …

the most terrifying part is: this story isn't exaggerated. It's extremely accurate

I think it’s interesting how Claire takes the name Opal in her fantasy family instead of her actual name. It shows how she literally cannot fathom anyone showing any interest in her. She has to be someone else to be able to feel loved.

Like the detail of the lights above the billboard being evident throughout, especially in the very beginning. And that she’s looking out the window at nighttime, likely the only time she ever gets to escape and have peace. What a beautiful peace of art. This is astoundingly brilliant.

I did not have an abusive childhood like Claire but I did have a pretty traumatic one and just the way Jack captures maladaptive daydreaming here is so on point. Immersing yourself in a fantasy world where “your troubles are miles away” and completely forgetting what your reality is like until you’re out of your daydream state and it hits you this is your reality and not the fantasies you’ve created in your head to distract your mind from your realities. I love this short so much.

Claire = Clear, it's reality. Opal = opaque, it's her dream

Opals family give her no attention. They can't see her, Her grandpa can’t see her because he is blind and obsessed with the tv, her dad is obsessed with himself and can’t see her because of the mirrors, and her mom is obsessed with alchohol and can’t see her because she’s drunk. The reason why she thinks of the Opals Burgers sign as her family is because they are the only ones who look at her, who can see her. Everyone has their escape from reality and opals is the burger sign.

I love how in the opening scene’s each scene is exactly 10 sec apart

9:49 you can see the mirror man or Claire’s dad calling 911 and then you can see Claire’s mom hit her dad which explains why he stays in the bathroom

I both love and hate how realistic the alcoholic mother is. The way she acts, talks, everything hits too close to reality

I love how, when they're all banging on the door, they're all pleading for help. Pleading for an escape. They're all reliant on her, which is why its hard for her to leave

Arnold: Please let this be a normal field trip! The field trip:

I just noticed, the window doors from the attic when Claire looks out at 10:39 are attached in the opposite direction (so when they close, it doesn't fit the shape of the window frame), haha.

The really sad part is that when she imagines her perfect family singing to her, they don't even say "I love you." All they say is "I see you" and "hi, Opal." She can't even think about actually being loved. Her highest dream is just to be acknowledged.

“And stop hiding my cigarettes” oh boy did that crack open the memory vault.

One day, i will make a work of art as meaningful as this, as painful as this, and as thought out as this. Jack Stauber, keep creating. I'll catch up soon.

I'll make a what if note about a particular part. What if them singing "we see you, Opal" etc is the fact that the billboard that stands by, facing her home where she can see it? The billboard is always there, saying that in their eyes, she'll stay; all they'll ever be able to do is see her. Them telling her in her dreams to not worry about the house across the street, is her way of pulling away from the nightmares that lie in her home, closing the curtains to keep her mind away and to just try to get some sleep.

"...and they never repent the way I want them too." That line gives me the shivers. That mother is too real.

The mom really hits hard for me. The way she talks about wanting to take care of a child really to only make herself feel better and how she objectifies the child is probably the most horrifying part for me

Things like Jack Stauber’s OPAL i love to re-watch as you see things that you don't from the original viewing. Like how i the open scene she appears in the house distraught because this is her "happy place" and can only comes here when she wants to escape. or how at 1:00 when we first see the family the same lights from a billboard hang above them and how they sing "we see Opal your trobles from miles away" indicating that they are not with her though to her they may seem close. These and many more matiqoulose details is why I love Jack Stauber and other Adult Swim content.

Claire lives as grandfather's eyes, father's mirror, and her mom's pills yet she craves for someone to see her as she is

It's interesting that the lyrics of the first song are "We see you" and then with every encounter in the house each person can't see her.

The design of Claire is simply fantastic, not only is she clearly malnourished, but her eyes serve a purpose as well. She just wants to be seen by her family, and she is the only once with big eyes, his grandpa is blind, his fathers eyes just focus on himself, and her mother can barely keep them open. But at any moment you can clearly see in the reflection of her eyes what she is looking at, when she is in her fantasy, you can see the lights on the billboard, and when heading to her room, you can see the window in her eyes, because its the only place where she wants to be.

Returning back after watching it 100 times at its release, it still holds up as the greatest thing stauber has put out. god bless.

It’s sad hearing the grandpa say “It’s evil to help people who don’t need help” clearly implying he doesn’t see his situation as a problem, even when Claire hides his cigarettes to try and get him to stop.

i honestly feel so bad for Opal because you can tell how stressed she is in that room she locked herself in with a chair. its sad knowing the only thing keepjng her in her fantasy world with her parents is the billboard :(

This is how dreams/nightmares look like

The first time you watch this, the horror comes from the fact that you have no idea what could be in "that house across the street." The second time you watch it, the true horror sets in from knowing exactly what's in the house. The horror of a hopeless, inescapable reality.

The fact claire's hair is an attempt at pigtails but her hair is really just knotted that way is sad af

Opal is a “protection stone” so when she goes by that name in her fantasy she feels protected by her fake family, yet it’s just an unhealthy way of coping.

1:24 this boy or grandpa is absolutely terrifying

I like how the Father speaks as if he's writing an autobiography or as if he's being interviewed, he doesn't engage in casual conversation, he's talking like there's a spotlight on him which is why he's trying to speak so charismatically, explaining himself and his perceived journey. He describes a "journey" and himself as "growing" like a rising star might, still working hard with limitless potential, bigger and better things await. His caved in face is completely different from what's seen in his mirrors. He already sees himself as a famous perfect human, he's already being interviewed and he's still moving up in his field. The way he holds and flexes his hand and sits is reminiscent of a hand model and someone on a talk show. All the mirrors(cameras) are facing him and he's constantly readjusting to maintain focus and his best angles. Why he feels the need to "tell" his daughter (Mirror Man) about himself despite it being, well, his daughter is because he doesn't even see Claire as his daughter, he sees her as a stand-in for someone important that he's relaying his life story to.

The dad is such a cool design, a man so narcissistic he can literally only see himself

One thing I haven’t noticed people talking about is the beginning sequence. It shows all the family member’s addictions. First are cigarettes and TV, indicating the grandpa. Then it’s a mirror, signifying the dad. The pills shows the mom. And, as soon as Opal arrives, the dad focuses his attention to her. I feel to Op in an emotional way. My parents aren’t abusive anymore, but the trauma is still there and like Opal, it’s eating me alive. I feel terrible for everyone like her and my heart reaches out to all of them

"You and i don't live, claire. We survive." One of the most powerful scentences i have ever read

to me, in the dad's mirror song, "gotta be seen by someone out there" doesn't refer to his appearance, but the fact that he was abused and stuck there with the mom. we see that he wasn't able to get help aka get seen because when he tried she hit him so badly his face was ruined. "they turned me down now I live my nightmare" further refers to being stuck in that nightmare of a family, and perhaps he was turned down bc his abuse wasn't taken seriously when he did get help. he thinks that maybe it's just him with the problem and it's messed him up badly

The grandpa: *has lung problems* Also the grandpa: *sings a banger song*