Vogon Slapsticks are odd creatures that live on the planet Vogsphere. In shape they look like rust-brown poles stuck into the ground with a rectangle on top, sometimes having a hand print inside it. Ford Prefect pulled one out of the ground, causing it to squeal in a high pitched frequency. It escaped Ford's towel and then slithered into the ground. They smack anyone who thinks or has an idea, thus accounting for the squashed appearance of the Vogons and their lack of imagination, then disappear back into the ground.