Does anyone else find this new Elmo a bit disturbing?
I don't know, there's something about an inanimate object displaying emotion and physically showing 'love' that doesn't sit well with me.
It reminds me of the Cricket doll that was handed down to my oldest daughter from a cousin who no longer wanted it. Cricket had a tape recorder in her back that you could insert cassettes into and she would sing and talk to you:
Yes, the eyes move in a creepy, loud way, along with her mouth. Cricket lasted for a very brief time period in our home until my daughter absentmindedly 'fed' Cricket a Cheerio from her bowl of dry cereal, while the mind-numbing songs were being sung by Cricket. To my daughter's horror, Cricket chewed up that Cheerio to a fine bit of dust, leaving my child in a fit of tears and shock. For the next week, Cricket was found in various corners of the house, FACE DOWN, and never in my daughter's bedroom again.
Cricket now resides at the town dump, under about 20 years of trash. I suppose if you are ever in the vicinity of a dump, and you see red fur sticking up, you can safely assume Big Hugs Elmo has found a new home, too.
I don't know, there's something about an inanimate object displaying emotion and physically showing 'love' that doesn't sit well with me.
It reminds me of the Cricket doll that was handed down to my oldest daughter from a cousin who no longer wanted it. Cricket had a tape recorder in her back that you could insert cassettes into and she would sing and talk to you:
Yes, the eyes move in a creepy, loud way, along with her mouth. Cricket lasted for a very brief time period in our home until my daughter absentmindedly 'fed' Cricket a Cheerio from her bowl of dry cereal, while the mind-numbing songs were being sung by Cricket. To my daughter's horror, Cricket chewed up that Cheerio to a fine bit of dust, leaving my child in a fit of tears and shock. For the next week, Cricket was found in various corners of the house, FACE DOWN, and never in my daughter's bedroom again.
Cricket now resides at the town dump, under about 20 years of trash. I suppose if you are ever in the vicinity of a dump, and you see red fur sticking up, you can safely assume Big Hugs Elmo has found a new home, too.
These toys are indeed creepy, Bijoux. I'm old school when it comes to toys. Let the kid pretend with the doll or teddy bear or whatever. Any doll that hugs or sings anywhere near me is asking for a one-way trip to the town dump.
ReplyDeleteHarsh! LOL, Rob.......I like the old school stuff, too.
DeleteThe Elmo didn't bother me as much as CRICKET. OMG...was that ever CREEPY! And I can't believe I've never seen a Cricket doll before!?!
ReplyDelete"Yes, the eyes move in a creepy, loud way, along with her mouth."
And not only that, but you could hear the mechanisms inside the doll as she was talking and moving her mouth and eyes. Ewwwwwwwwwww!!!
Cricket reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode with that doll, Talking Tina. Talk about creepy!
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I think Cricket came out around the same time as Teddy Ruxpin, late 80's? About as high tech as the TRS80 computer by Radio Shack!
DeleteIt makes you wonder if they made "Hug Me Elmo" because they researched kids weren't given enough hugs from their parents and were lacking in affection. I don't think Hug Me Elmo will be on my shopping list to buy for anyone this year! Cricket is interesting. She didn't scare me too much on the video, but in person might have been a bit different.
ReplyDeletebetty
I was also thinking how sad it is that parents would buy this, rather than just giving their kid a real hug. Maybe I'm too judgmental.
DeleteElmo, meh. I have never liked his annoying voice, but the toy doesn't strike me as particularly creepy. But Cricket! Sweet mother of God! That thing is right out of a horror movie. I feel sure that one of its moves is to suddenly come after you with a butcher knife. I'm just glad I watched that little clip in the morning so that maybe the image will dissipate enough by nighttime not to appear in my nightmares.
ReplyDeleteIsn't she horrible? And you know they got an adult to record all those songs in that strange, childish voice.
DeleteSorry to have frightened you..LOL
Reminds me of the Talky Tina doll from The Twilight Zone. "My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you." I still have nightmares about that! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSy8Ko1vSKQ
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget Chuckie! And I'm getting spammed again on your blog and a few others.
DeleteHmm...I don't see any comments of yours in my Spam folder. The one on my last post came through just fine. I'll keep double checking though, just in case.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of talking toys, and I agree with some of the previous comments that maybe kids need real hugs from their parents.
ReplyDeleteMy sister had a Baby Secret doll when we were kids, and that thing was CREEPY! It had this creepy, raspy, whisperly little voice, and seemed to come on randomly. I think my dad finally took the batteries out of it for good to make it shut up and stop scaring me.
By any chance, do you remember Wuv Luvs? They were these weird stuffed creatures that talked randomly. I remember putting ours in the basement and a few weeks later, it said something and about gave me a heart attack. I will have to google Baby Secret!
DeleteOk, that doll is TERRIFYING!
DeleteI don't like those kinds of dolls either. I don't know if it stems from the fact that I watched the movie "Magic" as a kid or what. Or maybe it was the clown in "Poltergeist" that did it. Or even the Chucky doll from those awful movies. Either way, toys that move and talk freak me out. And they all seem to go off on their own every once in a while. Freaky!!! Blech.
ReplyDeleteThe movies may have ruined it, but I think these toys would have been freaky no matter what.
DeleteI read this last night in bed and couldn't see the clips. Here I am again in bed not seeing them. Dang. It's my android pad, not your clips obviously.
ReplyDeleteElmo is weird. I don't know why he became so popular. I don't know about the cricket doll. I had a baby tender love, and that's all I can remember. She had a fake milk bottle. :-)
Video clips on certain blogs (mine included) don't show up on my iPad. Weird!
DeleteNot bothered by Elmo but Cricket is truly creepy. The weird voice and eyes and mouth movements, and the whole trance-like, zombified effect as if the doll is heavily drugged or psychotic. Like Agent, I can easily imagine it producing a kitchen knife and lunging at me frenziedly.
ReplyDeleteCricket was not my daughter's friend, for sure.
Deletewe skipped the animations 'round here, guess Queenie figured i was enough creepy for one house ....
ReplyDeleteGood call.
DeleteWhile Cricket seems down right terrifying I actually think the Elmo seems kinda sweet. I know as a kid I would hug my "baby" (a stuffed bunny) and I always wished it could hug me back. Dunno I guess being the baby of the family with not a lot of kids around my toys were my friends lol.
ReplyDeleteShae, so glad to see you! I tried commenting on your blog a few days ago after I read the Bill Bryson book, but I think my comments on Wordpress blogs are going to spam folders. I'll try again today.
Deletecricket is freaky - but I must say, not as freaky as some 'dolls' I've seen that are directed toward providing entertainment and companionship for 'adults'.
ReplyDeleteyuck, i agree. i am not big on dolls that perform. i think they, along with other toys, should allow more space for imagination.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, maybe my imagination is too big for these dolls, since I imagine them killing me.
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