Top 10 Toys That Caused Parent Outrage
#10: Heelys
On one hand, roller skates built into tennis shoes sound like an accident waiting to happen. On the other, it sounds like every kid’s dream. So, despite the risks, Heelys quickly became one of the most iconic fashion and toy brands of the 2000s. But, that popularity also caused a whole lot of slips, slides, and other injuries. Especially among first-time skaters. The tumbles continued to pile up until, eventually, parents pushed back. We’re talking protests, news reports, and even several school-wide bans. Nowadays, it’s safe to say most parents stay clear of Heelys, and no amount of slick commercials will get them to change their mind.
#9: Red Teletubbies Talking Po
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As far as children’s programming goes, you’d think the Teletubbies would be as unproblematic as you can get. But, that didn’t stop parents from picking up their pitchforks about this talking doll. Apparently, Po said all sorts of vile things, including slurs and curse words. Not quite what you’d want out of a kid-friendly doll, that’s for sure. However, manufacturer Hasbro alleges it was all a massive misunderstanding. They claim the Po doll actually spoke his trademark Teletubby gibberish, which occasionally sounds like bad words out of context. Either way, parents forced Hasbro to include a language guide with future Po toys, ensuring his words would never get lost in translation again.
#8: Black Canary Barbie
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Barbie is one of the most recognizable toys of all time. Black Canary is one of DC’s most popular female characters. Putting them together sounds like a great idea for some cross-promotion, right? Wrong. See, Black Canary wears a voluptuous leather jacket, black boots, and skin-tight fishnets. It doesn’t take superhuman brains to understand why parents weren’t thrilled to see that on store shelves. Some groups even went as far as calling her “S&M Barbie.” While the doll doesn’t actually show anything lewd, it never recovered from the poor first impression. To this day, the Black Canary release is still considered one of the most promiscuous Barbie’s ever made.
#7: Sky Dancers
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For all intents and purposes, Sky Dancers should have been the next big thing in children’s toys. But, when kids actually started playing with them, a massive design flaw emerged. After the dolls took to the sky, their propeller-like wings had a nasty habit of ramming right into kids’ faces. As you can imagine, adults weren’t pleased to learn that the hottest toy on the block also caused trips to the ER. Those same disgruntled buyers took their concerns all the way to the top, strong-arming manufacturer Galoob into issuing a nationwide recall. Sky Dancers later relaunched with new, protective wings. But, where parents are concerned, it’s too little, too late.
#6: Magnetix
Like its name implies, Magnetix were a lot like actual magnets. But, instead of magnetism, it attracted controversy. While the brand’s small, magnetic pieces offered a lot of creative building, they also posed serious health risks. Of note, Magnetix could cause choking, intestinal issues, and even death. Any one of those things is a big red flag, but put them all together, and Magnetix had a full blown parental scandal on their hands. Say what you will, but these parents got results. In response to their very loud concerns, the entire Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped in to issue a recall. As it turned out, parents had every right to be worried about Magnetix.
#5: Harry Potter Nimbus 2000
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When “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” became a cultural phenomenon in theaters, Mattel tried to capitalize on the hype with a line of themed toys. Enter: the Nimbus 2000, a replica of Harry’s broom from the movie. It vibrated, too, in order to simulate actual flying. But, therein lied the issue. Keep in mind, you rode the broom between your legs. Allegedly, it didn’t take long before the buzzing broomsticks became popular for all the wrong reasons. The revelation left many Moms and Dads shocked, infuriated, offended, or a mix of all three. They turned that indignation into a movement, and several angry reviews later, Mattel quietly discontinued the toy altogether.
#4: Aqua Dots
Whether they were bought as Bindeez, Beados, PixOs, or Aquabeads, these coloured, plastic beads all had one thing in common: they made kids sick. In 2007, distributor Spin Master admitted that, instead of the industry standard chemicals, some of their products had shipped with a cheaper alternative. One that turned out to be a sedative prodrug. It caused illness, hospitalization, and parental anger all in one. Ironically, the blowback was just as global as the product itself. To prove it, once the news broke, Aqua Dots and its affiliated brands were subjected to a massive, multinational recall. Clearly, toy safety is something every parent on Earth can agree on.
#3: Growing Up Skipper
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In 1975, Mattel spruced up Barbie’s oft-forgotten sister with a new toy line about growing up. With a turn of Skipper’s arm, she would stretch an itch taller. Oh, and sprout a pair of breasts, too. Skipper’s instant puberty didn’t land well with parents, many of whom kicked up enough dust to force a complete redesign of the character. That wouldn’t be the last time a Barbie landed in hot water, either. In the early 2000s, (xref) the “Happy Family” line scandalized parents by allowing Midge to quote-unquote “give birth.” Mattel eventually gave in to the scrutiny and replaced the set with a non-pregnant Midge. Given all the hubbub, we can’t blame them.
#2: Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids
On Christmas of 1996, kids unwrapped their gifts, got to playing, and soon started to scream. Despite being a top-seller during the holiday frame, Mattel’s Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids had a pretty major defect. They did eat plastic food as advertised. But, they also chewed on anything else that got lodged in their chompers; including children’s fingers. Given just how many units were sold, the pushback came fast, and it came hard. Eventually, Mattel relented, and voluntarily pulled the toy from store shelves. From the must-have Christmas gift to one of the company’s biggest blunders, the Snacktime Kids might hold the record for the biggest parent turnaround in toy history.
#1: The Easy-Bake Oven
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Throw aside cookies, pastries, and cakes, the only thing these ovens came with was a recipe for disaster. The key ingredients? Children’s hands. Ruining decades of brand support, the 2006 model of the Easy-Bake Oven caught hundreds of fingers in its front door. Since it’s, you know, an oven, the injuries also left some kids with second and third degree burns. Suffice it to say, the only thing hotter than the Easy-Bakes was the parent’s fury. Even after a recall and redesign, the toy line still hasn’t fully recovered from the backlash. At this point, it’s obvious that most parents think the Easy-Bake Oven has burnt its last dish. Which of these controversial toys shocked you the most? Sound off in the comments below!
