Nintendo Game Has Islamic Message?
Categories: Kids 8-11, Weird But True, Toys & Games
Dangerous Toys
The New Easy Bake Oven
New, and unfortunately not-so-improved, the oven caused 77 burns, 16 of them second or third-degree, and one that resulted in a partial finger amputation.
CPSC
Aquadots
When you add water to these little plastic balls, the coating produces effects similar to GHB -- the date rape drug. Pleasant. Thankfully they were recalled.
Aquadots
Lead paint
Speaking of things you shouldn't put in your mouth, how about any toy from China? Hundreds have been recalled thanks to the high levels of lead in the paint used to coat these toys
sensoryedge.com
Magnetic toys
Particularly magnets that are small enough to swallow. When positive and negative magnets are floating around your digestive tract, they're drawn to one another, which can do some serious, life-threatening damage.
amazon.com
Snack time Cabbage Patch
This little doll was so hungry, it had a habit of chewing little kids' fingers, hair, and whatever else was unfortunate enough to get stuck in its mouth. It was quickly recalled.
strawberrybonkers.com
Mini-hammock
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission: "the mini-hammock can twist around a child's neck as he/she is getting into or out of the mini-hammock, resulting in strangulation and death." All 3 million were recalled.
CPSC
Lawn Darts
These have been banned for years in the US, as they had a tendency to wind up stuck in kids, not the ground.
gardengames.co.uk
Johnny Reb Cannon
This bad boy fired plastic cannon balls up to 35 feet. Even a pellet gun would be less dangerous -- at least you can aim a gun.
Johnny Reb Cannon
Atomic Energy Lab
Good thing this atomic energy set only came with "very low-level" radioactive sources, because that's not dangerous. Oh wait -- yes, yes it is.
americanmemorabilia.com
Water Yo-Yo Balls
Speaking of getting strangled to death, these yo-yo balls came under scrutiny after the stringy cord got wrapped around children's necks. They've been banned in Illinois, but have yet to be recalled by the CPSC.
sz-wholesale.com
The game is Baby Pals and it's a virtual reality kind of thing where players take care of an infant. During the game, the baby doesn't speak real words while she's being fed, taught to walk, etc. But put her in the bathtub and she gets very chatty, repeatedly saying those four little words that angered so many people last year.
The baby in the game isn't just saying something that sounds similar to that Fisher Price doll, it is clearly the exact same recording. Which is weird because those toys aren't even made by the same company. And what is even more weird is that Rachel Jones, the woman who discovered the hidden message in her daughter's DS game, has a four-year-old who had the Islam-talking Fisher Price doll last year. And she's not happy."Not just my daughters' toys, but we have a son too," said Jones. "Now I feel like I need to listen to all of his little toys to make sure they're not saying it."
In most cases, I think people are imagining things when they hear secret messages in toys. But in this case -- and it could just be the power of suggestion at work here -- I totally hear what she hears. What do you make of this?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jennypen 1-29-2009 @ 11:03AM
Well, if that's true, then everything my 16 month-old says can be taken as a secret message or propaganda. Just yesterday she said good dada. Oh no! Panic in the kitchen!
Funny how no-one would bat an eyelid at a doll that said 'God bless us, everyone'. While it is clearly the same recording, I guess there's just a stock bank of googoo sound clips for baby dolls sitting around somewhere.
And of course it's licensed by Nintendo - otherwise you wouldn't be able to play it on the NINTENDO DS. That actually shows a frightening lack of knowledge of how the gaming industry works. A game must be licensed by the maker of the console to use the (often proprietary) format and logos to promote the game.
The fact that she was stating she had to take the toy off her child was actually the scariest thing - so what if it has a googoo that sounds vaguely like Islam is the light? Is that really going to destroy and brainwash your children? Oh no! They might hear words that vaguely suggest another world religion exists!
Does that mean that everytime I hear another person say 'well thank god for that' next to my child I should freak out and call the local news station lest my child be permanently damaged? Get a grip. I don't follow Islam, but even if I did, the worst thing about this is the very obvious undertones of alarmist religious intolerance.
It was a doll, and it is a game. Get over it!
Oh, and of course, gagglegooglebloorgle. Hold on, was that a hidden message designed to make everyone google? Oh noes!
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bgaile 1-30-2009 @ 8:54PM
I can't wait for the day that all of you sarcastic people who have no clue what you are really talking about have your eyes opened. Can't wait. You who have ears to listen, hear.
BAKA HANNIBAL 1-31-2009 @ 11:16AM
LOL, i think i just fell in love with you....
but your completely right. People are making this bigger than what it should be and should be ashamed.
And I do feel like google-ling dammit. lol
Rebecca 1-31-2009 @ 12:02AM
THANK YOU Jennypen!! Everyone lighten up! When my son was little he had a Lion King book that got recalled because the talking monkey said "squash bananas up your a**" when you pushed the button and guess what-- he doesn't remember it years later, nor does he do what it told him too. Its a friggin toy. Your little girls are probably not going to become extremeists or choose a religion later in life just because a toy said something when they were little kids. Heck if that was the case I would come up with all kind of toys that said things HAHA......"feed the dog"...."wash moms car"....."get a college scholarship"....
Z3R0 1-31-2009 @ 1:21AM
nice answer =]
its pretty stupid for her to make such a big deal out of it.
Jenni 1-29-2009 @ 12:34PM
And this is why I don't have toys that need batteries. Nope, none of them. They don't need those kinds of toys. Yes, people try, but grandma knows those just go right back to the store. I can say that I don't ever worry about what their toys are or are not syaing; and I think the secret messages are a lot of bunk anyway.
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Karen 1-29-2009 @ 1:19PM
I'm with Jennypen. Who cares if the baby *did* say that? Not that it did. My 15-mo-old said something like "Call me Ishmael" this morning, but I don't fret that she's going to be an English major. I mean, it's not like the baby is saying something negative, like "Math is hard."
Anyway, I wheel her past a big billboard for Islam every morning, so I guess she'll be a Muslim -- once she learns to read. And she'll tell me about it as soon as she can articulate a four-word sentence.
This whole ridiculous "controversy" does smack of religious bigotry. There is a reason why the founding fathers put freedom of religion in the First Amendment -- we should not be a Baptist country any more than we should be a Muslim country, or an LDS country, or a Quaker country, despite how the inauguration made it seem.
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kat 1-30-2009 @ 8:30PM
Wow-my husband was raised muslim-is from a muslim country-he has 5 sisters, who are muslim...they still live in Algiers...they are not circumcised, they work, they went to university. Female circumcision is not a part of Islam-you are confusing your cultures..as for the taliban they are extremest-no doubt.But, they do not circumcise their women. You are dead wrong.
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Rhonda 1-30-2009 @ 9:33PM
The fact that this woman has had this happen TWICE makes me think she--or her husband/partner--is TAMPERING with these toys for attention.
C'mon...NO ONE ELSE has had this happen, but she's had it happen TWICE?
Sounds VERY suspicious to me...
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april 1-31-2009 @ 12:15AM
actually we had the doll and ours said the exact same thing. So unless she came all the way across the country and tampered with mine too, I don't believe she's a fraud. Oh, and our local stores pulled the doll as well. Omg..maybe she tampered with them all..it's a conspiracy!! *eyeroll*
Ned Sheats 1-30-2009 @ 9:39PM
These people have wayyyy to much time on their hands and way to little brains in their head
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maureen 1-30-2009 @ 10:17PM
Well she isnt crazy. I bought my grand daughter the doll that said Islam is the light and I returned it got another just different color because they are different and that doll SATAN IS KING!! that doll two was recalled two weeks later! I bought this baby pal game for my neice for xmas and I my brother called me a week or so after complaining it was saying the same thing that BOTH dolls said I thought he was nuts! Now I have to swollow my pride and call him and apologize for laughing at him. He said this weeks ago and simple took the game away from his daughter. I will return this game now too for him.
People are missing the point too here....we would complain if it said something about god its a toy it should NOT be able to say anything inappropriate or religious.
and this lady aint nuts and now I am getting really mad that toy companies arent monitoring what we buy for our kids. Lead , satanic messages, reglious messages whats next......we should let things just go and never complain? I think not. We should want safety and best interest for our children, I fear to think what can get past these idiots that dont monitor what they are packaging and sending out to shelves around the country.
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cry 1-31-2009 @ 12:07AM
why would you say that about relgion? i believe that we have put up with enough and well no toy should be used in that way. it`s just sick that some one would record that in a childs toy. yes i have bought my child religous toys and i will buy her first bible when i think she is ready. god is good and yes jesus saves! until you become religous you should not comment on what you apparently don`t practice!
ruam238 1-31-2009 @ 12:52AM
I made a comment about not wanting toys or dolls that spoke reglious quotes or sayings....I didnt say bann them all. OMG some of you out there ( you's know who you are) take things to some off the hook extreme.
If the toy is going to say some reglious make it as so on the packaging. I wouldnt want to buy a doll that worships wicken or something outta my religion. And I am sure others feel the same way.
So all you bible tooting crybabies stop emailing me over one comment that you were all missing the point over.
IT IS A STORY ABOUT A TOY BABY AND DOLL. i WANTED TO CONVEY WAS IT SHOULD SAY GOO GOO GAGA GA, AND BABY THINGS.
My one year granddaughter doesnt need to be running around saying Islam is the light compaines need to stick to monitoring these things to make sure they are saying innocent BABY things!
Jean Moreno 1-30-2009 @ 10:22PM
People have been hearing things for a long time in toys and music. There are the ones who believe that if you play a record it will say things and here we are with the same women hearing the same words in two different toys. I think she has too much time on her hands. I guess there isn't a lot to do in Knightsville. I lived close to there when I was young, not everyone is like this woman around there.
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Heather 2-01-2009 @ 1:29AM
No matter what it is or what is says people only hear what they want to hear! If you think thats what you heard then you can convince yourself and other people thats exactly what it is. I think that people take things of this nature way too far, and that if they has something else to take up their time and waste their energy on they would find far less time to brood. As it is said," don't sweat the small stuff ."
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Cheerleading doll 1-30-2009 @ 11:21PM
Well, I can't say I have ever heard of either doll, but I do know one that I do not approve of. Last year there was a cheerleading doll put out that uttered a few different phrases. My daycare provider bought it for my 3 year olds birthday. It was cute until it uttered I heard my daughter chanting this cheer.."We're number one, we can't be number two. We're gonna' beat the whoopsies out of you, the whoopsies out of you." Totally inappropriate, doll lost it's batteries, I made my disapproval known to the sitter, and I definately scrren toys before my kids get them.
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Mike 1-31-2009 @ 12:00PM
People like this lady are paranoid and have way too much time on their hands. They look for boogeymen in everything.
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Emma 1-30-2009 @ 10:49PM
You claim that the doll/game is encouraging the little girls who play with them to convert to Islam.
Then you list the various atrocities committed by a small percentage of Muslims.
Even though I think that no toy, regardless of target audience, should have religious messages (I would be just as offended if it were a message about Jesus or Elijah or Moses or Buddha), YOU have a racist view of the Muslim community.
The FGM you mentioned is a more common practice in tribal Africa. Also, in the Jewish faith, newborn boys are almostimmediately circumcised.
Last year in the Congo an 18 month old girl was raped, along with thousands of other women.
Next time you spout racist comments, make sure you have all the facts. Women have always been the greatest victims of abuse, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, and race.
That is why every day on Valentine's Day the V-Day Campaign raises money for all abused women. Instead of speaking hate, spread the word of hope and help by supporting the recovery of these victims.
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Gretchen 1-30-2009 @ 10:58PM
Actually, if it did say anything about God or Jesus, they would have it taken off the shelves by the time it got to the stores. I don't think that it is right for these muslims to come in thinking that they can change everything, take our commandments off everything and take any sign of christianity away, but yet Allah can be everywhere. The Christians do need to start standing up for themselves, and need to say something when Islam and Allah are all over the place. Muslims complain about our beliefs, so we need to stand up for ours. GOD RULES and YES, JESUS DOES SAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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