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Mon 2 Jan, 2006 05:49 pm
Somehow, I can't see this as a manufacturing error. Maybe a disgruntled employee?
Toddler's Talking Elmo Book Asks 'Who Wants To Die?'
Company Receives Several Complaints
A mother in Dallas is one of several parents complaining about a new interactive book for toddlers in which Sesame Street character Elmo asks "who wants to die?" according to a Local 6 News report.
Family members said 16-month-old Miranda Boll's new book, "Potty Time With Elmo," was supposed to teach an interactive lesson using voice commands.
However, when the book's buttons are pressed, it reportedly says something it is not supposed to -- "who wants to die?"
"It's a sick joke," mother Angela Bolls said. "If it's a joke then it's a bad one, you know? And it's not necessary. It's inappropriate."
Bolls said she checked another copy of the same book and found that it says something completely different; "Who wants to try to go potty?"
The company that makes the book said it has had several complaints concerning the book, according to the report.
source
That would so completely freak me out.
Thank goodness I only let Mo read Newsweek when he's on the potty.
Before I got through the fourth line of that article I had in my mind the words, "Who wants to try".
Elmo talks in a muppet voice, and to careless listeners (or overly-cautious listeners like those who think Francis the Talking Mule has hidden messages masked into his voice), some words may sound like words other than those intended.
If the only different Elmo phrase is the one quoted in the article, it's obvious to me that the recording got truncated in the manufacturing. I've had CDs, MP3s and DVDs that had similar errors.
General Tsao
Okay, fair enough, but how does that account for the other reported phrase: "Who wants to try to go potty?" ?
That it's truncated. (It's supposed to be "Who wants to try to go potty", and then this one was for some reason cut off after "try" -- which someone thought sounded like "die".)
Hmmm, that's not as bad, I guess, but probably still not really appropriate as a toy.
You have a talking mule in your country, and you are worrying about naughty Elmos?
Reyn wrote:Hmmm, that's not as bad, I guess, but probably still not really appropriate as a toy.
I don't have children, but I'm not sure that a talking Elmo is an appropriate potty training tool.
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The reference to a mule was mine...Francis the talking mule. It's an old TV show, meant to compete with the then-outrageously-popular Mr. Ed, a talking horse.
It's a book with buttons that make noise, not an actual talking doll. Yaya has hat exact book, and it did help her potty train.
I'll see if I can find it....
Seven buttons.
"Elmo can use the potty!"
<Whoop-de-doo sound, supposed to be a toilet paper roll spinning.>
"Uh, oh. Ha ha ha. Who has to go?"
<trotting sound with door slamming>
<bubbly sound, supposed to be washing hands>
"Hooray! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
<flushing sound>
It's the "Uh, oh. Ha ha ha, who has to go?" one. "Go" is spoken in a sing-song voice in two syllables. Texans often say "die" as "die-uh," so I suppose that's what confused them folks.
I'll add that the sound quality is fairly poor.
And if we play the words backwards???
'Worship Satan - stab your Mom'.
Hmmm. Why does my Tickle Me Elmo say, "Who wants to touch my naughty place?"
And, furthermore, why do I have a Tickle Me Elmo?
Good points both Mr. S & Gar.
I'm thinkin' the whole phrase was "who wants to die........apparantly you cause your mom's gonna killa ya if you don't stop poopin your pants.
Gar - don't feel bad....Boomer has one that says "who wants to touch my jellyfish"?
Many years ago someone gave my son a Firechief's car for Christmas. When you turned it on lights flashed, the siren sounded and the fire chief came out with one of six messages; things like "Connect those hoses", "make sure they're all out of the building", etc.
There was one message we could not quite get - months later we found it was supposed to be "Don't let those flames spread!" but the consensus was that the chief (or perhaps the owner of the burning house) was crying "That's not my husband!"
What, not Time magazine?
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