Toy Threatens To Kill Fla. Boy After Battery Change, Say Parents (Sesame Street's Elmo; VIDEO )

Local 6 (Florida) ^ | February 21, 2008

[Stoat]

Toy Threatens To Kill Fla. Boy After Battery Change, Say Parents

Mom: Toy Now Says 'Kill James'

 

POSTED: 12:07 pm EST February 22, 2008

UPDATED: 1:22 pm EST February 22, 2008

 

LITHIA, Fla. -- A child's Sesame Street Elmo doll programmed to learn phrases from owners' computers started making "kill James" death threats to its 2-year-old owner after its batteries were changed, according to the boy's parents.

 

Melissa Bowman of Lithia said she replaced the batteries on the Elmo Knows Your Name doll for her son James. Soon after, the toy began to say, "Kill James," Bowman said.

Kill James" can be heard when the doll's belly is squeezed, the woman said.

"I noticed exactly what it was saying and my son was repeating exactly what it was saying," Bowman said. "It is not something you would think would ever come out of a toy but once I heard it, I was kind of distraught." The doll is programmed to learn the child's name and phrases after being hooked to a computer.

Bowman called Fisher Price, the toy's maker, and told them about the phrase she continually hears from the doll. "My son repeating it has really upset me and they didn't even sound concerned about it really when I spoke with them," Bowman said.

Bowman said she took the doll away from her son but he is continuing to seek it out because it is his favorite toy. The company said there have been no other complaints about the toy.

Fisher Price is offering the family a free replacement doll, Local 6 reported. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

[Stoat]

Please see the Local 6 article link to view a video report
 

Toy Threatens To Kill Fla. Boy After Battery Change, Say Parents - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

[Stoat]

“When tech toys attack” ping

[day10]

The mortgage ad on that page is...disturbing.

[Constitution Day]

Hopefully Elmo won't join forces with Chucky.

[TornadoAlley3]

[Richard Kimball]

Redrum! Redrum!

[Turret Gunner A20]

Fisher Price is offering the family a free replacement doll, Local 6 reported.

Whaddya wanna bet they'll prefer to sue the company for a retirement-sized bundle?

[mware]

My brothers were scared to death of my sisters Chatty Cathy doll, especially after that episode on Twighlight Zone.

[ShadowAce]

[Allegra]

All the makings of a Stephen King (liberal slimebag) novel.

[gondramB]

I wonder how it learns the name. If you can enter or a say a milti-syllabled name the parents could have chosen “kill-james” as the name that the doll would say.

[Lurker]

There was a movie about a killer ventriloquist dummy called "Magic" this story reminded me of.

L

[papasmurf]

Watch, when she gets the replacement doll, it’ll say...”kill mommy, kill mommy”. LOL

Then she’ll get another “15 seconds of fame.”

[Yo-Yo]

I just looked on the Fisher-Price website, and "Know Your Name Elmo" needs to be programmed by your own computer and a USB cable before it will say your child's name.

Stop whining and simply download the kid's name again. Sheesh.

[KosmicKitty]

Jihad-me Elmo?

[Tribune7]

[Jaysun]

The really sad part about this story is that nobody seems to be listening to Elmo. I assume James is still alive. Elmo doesn’t just talk to him himself talk, people. He likes to be worshiped. And by God, when you speaks you should listen.

[ShadowAce]

LOL! Try the “Preview” button next time.

[Lucky9teen]

All Your Phrases Are Belong To Elmo

[Jaysun]

LOL! Try the “Preview” button next time.

How humiliation, or whatever.