Top Toys NOT to Buy Your Kids this Christmas!
Every
year, parents push over one another to buy the season's hottest toys
so that Santa can deliver them on Christmas day. Some previous must haves
include Dancing Elmo, the Furby, and the Nintendo Wii. Parents have
camped out, pushed through crowds, and paid double in online auctions
to snap up one of these coveted toys.
However,
there are a few toys on store shelves that likely won't see parents
pushing over one another to get. Whether they are creepy, disturbing
or outright offensive, here are a few of the top toys NOT to buy your
kids this Christmas:
Living
Dead Dolls
(http://www.livingdeaddolls.com/lddsite.html)
 |
Photo courtesy of http://www.mezcotoyz.com
|
The name
says it all. These creepy baby dolls feature pale "dead"
skin, wide eyes that come in shades of red, white and grey, scars,
cuts, gashes, open wounds and other signs of the undead. Some even
have mouths that have been sewn shut or gashes that have been stapled
together.
They're
more appropriate for Halloween than Christmas, and they're more
appropriate for the adult collector than for kids.
Roadkill
Stuffed Animals
(http://www.roadkilltoys.com/)
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| Photo courtesy of: http://www.roadkilltoys.com |
Rabbits
and hedgehogs make such soft and cute stuffed animals; it only makes
sense that those same animals would make good stuffed toys when their
bodies have been flattened and their organs bulging out. Right?
These
totally disturbing toys featured skid marks, bulging red eyes, fabric
blood, and stuffed livers and other organs. You can even get one as a
door wedge. Just what every child wants to see under their toy Tonka
under the tree this year!
Pee &
Poo Stuffies
(http://www.peeandpoo.com/)
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| Photo courtesy of: http://www.peeandpoo.com/ |
Continuing
the line of wildly inappropriate stuffed toys are this pair of pee
and poo. No, those aren't cheeky names for some cooky characters.
These are stuffed toys of a drop of urine and a dollop of feces. Have
a friend with a baby? You can even get these characters on a onesie
for sizes up to six months.
When
you're a new parent, your whole world seems to revolve around pee and
poo anyway, so why not have some fun with it? Right? Right?
Pole
Dancer Doll
(http://gizmodo.com/5348675/pole-dancer-doll-doesnt-really-set-the-perfect-role-model)
 |
| Photo from: http://gizmodo.com |
Beyond
offensive, this doll comes with its own personal dance pole and disco
ball. While some parents have long criticized Barbie and other dolls
for representing an unrealistic and overly sexy image for little
girls, this doll overtly sexualizes little girls.
Luckily,
the doll doesn't seem to be for sale in the U.S. If, for some reason,
you lost your mind and wanted to buy this for your child, you'd have
to look for overseas retailers.
Lego
Friends
(http://friends.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx)
This new
line of Legos is designed just for girls -- you know, since regular
Legos were just too boyish. These more "feminine" legos
feature pastel colors, lots of hearts and flowers, and cuddly animals
like ponies. While the toys aren't dangerous or inappropriate for
children, they are offensive in their reinforcement of gender
stereotypes. Just stick with the "regular" Legos whether
you have a boy or a girl to buy for on your list.
What
other toys are on your do NOT buy list this year? Share your
outrageous finds in the comments!
Our guest writer, Kim
Willington is a freelance writer and researcher for
Helpdesksoftware.org,
where she has recently been researching customer
service software.
In her spare time, she enjoys antiquing and taking long walks with
her retriever, Spencer.
