Posted on 02/22/2008 6:44:17 AM PST by Cagey
A Lithia family says a cuddly, programmable Elmo doll revealed its dark side yesterday after fresh batteries were installed.
Instead of singing songs or reciting the favorite color of its 2-year-old owner, James Bowman, the doll started making death threats, the family says.
With a squeeze of its fuzzy belly, the Sesame Street character now says, in a sing-song voice, "Kill James." "It's not something that really you would think would ever come out of a toy," said Melissa Bowman, James' mother. "But once I heard, I was just kind of distraught."
The Elmo Knows Your Name doll, which connects to a computer to learn certain phases and names, recently ran out of battery power, Bowman said.
About an hour after she put new ones in, "I noticed exactly what it was saying," Bowman said. "And my son was repeating exactly what it was saying."
Bowman said Elmo is James' favorite character. James even has Elmo slippers, but the malfunctioning, death-threat-spouting Elmo Knows Your Name doll is now being kept away from her son, Bowman said.
"This is his absolute favorite toy," she said. "So we've been going through a lot of hassle because he's trying to climb up the counter and up the closets to get it."
Fisher-Price, the toy company that manufactures the dolls, said it will issue the Bowmans a voucher for a replacement doll. The company said it will examine James' model for the source of the problem and check whether other Elmos are experiencing the same malfunction.
Talking Tina. I loved that epi. To see Telly Savalas done in by a doll was priceless.
Some of the phrases:
I understand just how you feel, are you playing with me, what do you do at night, ha ha ha are you being silly, that is good to know, I have a secret - sometimes I’m naughty, did you know that I’m afraid of spiders, do you have a secret wish, tell me something no one else knows, please would you tell me more, people are so nice, who would you like to hug, who makes you feel good, I feel the same way, what do you like to do at night, are you playing with me, do you have a secret wish ....
Hahahahahaha!
“You’re not the only one who has issues!”
“OOO...Mommy nice”
The possibilities are endless....
Okay, so I’m reading the article and notice there’s no “this reporter can verify” line. And then I scroll down and see “News Channel 8 photo by MICHAEL EGGER”.
Two sources, (TBO and Channel 8) and no attempt at verification?
ping
Um, which toy are you letting my nephew play with?
Or an episode of The X Files written by Stephen King. It was called “Chinga.”
(Spanish-speaking mods don’t zot me, please. That’s the actual name.)
They're just doing the jobs that American mods won't do.
*guffaw*
Hopefully they’re Mexicants.
Evil Elmo ping
Elmo called me this morning.
He left a voice mail.
He is not happy with you.
Okay, so the video does show it doing what was claimed? You’d think that the writer would note something so basic.
Seems there was another instance, now that you mention it. You have a good memory.
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