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Elmo's Era Over?
Filed under: Opinions
Tickle Me Elmo was always a lie. You didn't tickle him. You pressed a button in his hand and he laughed his furry little bottom off. He was the iconic toy of the decade and now that decade is dead.
Whatever he does next -- dance, doodle, drink -- doesn't matter anymore. A sweep through the recent Toy Fair in New York City revealed almost no trace of "watch me" toys like him -- toys that sat there blinking, shrieking, spinning (or giggling), while their young owners watched, slackjawed.
Which was a really terrible idea for a toy to begin with.
"They were exorbitant," says toy expert Julie Livingston. "They were, for the most part, at least $30 -- that one big gift kids got -- but kids got really tired of just looking at them."
And it was worse for the parents. When he was seven, my son received from his babysitter a UFO the size of Rush Limbaugh. I felt bad for her shelling out big bucks, but worse for me when it turned on. OH MY GOD. It was like being dumped onto the runway at O'Hare. Lights flaring! Sirens blaring! Its only saving grace was that it didn't do anything but break your eardrums (and soul), so my son never wanted to "play" with it again. (Until someone came over, that is. But even playdates only had to have their souls broken once.)
This year the toy industry finally realized no kid is awed by an electronic floor show anymore, and dreamed up way more creative toys.
My favorite is the sailboat kit from Uberstix. "You open it up and you can't build it," says inventor Dane Scarborough. First, you have to go on a scavenger hunt for the materials, including a water bottle, plastic bag and Popsicle sticks. Sort of like making your own toy. From trash. (Except this one costs $14.99.)
Another cool toy: GeoPalz Activity Trackers. They're cute little $19.99 pedometers your kid straps on and somehow a computer keeps track of every step. Take enough and GeoPalz sends her a prize that gets her moving even more -- a Frisbee, say, or a jump rope. Yes, there's a certain Big Brother-ishness to the deal, but at least it's not a GPS.
And speaking of Big Brother, if you ARE one and you want to freak out your kid sister, check out this "toy" (a few years ago it would have been a Pentagon line item). It's Wild Planet's Spy Video TRAKR: A remote control tank that's also a motion detector, voice recorder and video camera. So, in theory, you can program it to ride into your sister's room, hide under the bed and wait for her to open the door. When she does, it emits your pre-recorded "BOO!" and videotapes her freaking out.
You can then, of course, download the video, edit as you'd like, and share it with the world.
This is a very expensive item ($120) with great potential for abuse, not to mention long-term psychological trauma. But it does get kids to be creative.
Tickle that, Elmo.
Related: Are Pink Toys Bad for Girls?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-19-2010 @ 3:48PM
justanotherjen said...I refused to get into that Tickle Me Elmo crap. None of my kids had toys like that. They did have this stupid stuffed snowman that laughed uncontrollably when you touched his hand but that was actually a Christmas decoration someone gave my mom years before I had kids and they fell in love it. Drove me insane until the batteries ran out (then I sighed in relief, lol).
My kids favorite toys to date: plain wooden blocks, Legos (doesn't even have to be a fancy licensed set, just blocks will do), toy cars, GeoTrax train set (with lots and lots of extra tracks, one train per kid and tons of space...oh and an intersecting track design so that you raced your trains through the intersections before someone hit you), and, most recently, Play Mobile sets. Definitely toys that require a little bit of imagination are the favorites in our house.
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2-22-2010 @ 1:56PM
vickipharrell said...We need more laughter in the world. Loosen up.
2-20-2010 @ 8:02PM
Rebecca said...Elmo has always annoyed the crap out of me. He does the preschool set of the world a disservice by always talking in third person and using horrendous grammar. Glad is star is waning.
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2-22-2010 @ 9:35AM
Jen said...Yes, Elmo talks in 3rd person, but it's the parent's job to teach their children how to speak properly. Unfortunately, most parents today do NOT teach their children the basics. People on the street teach their children more than they do! Elmo teaches children how to count, how to read their letters, learn more information about things, how to ask other people questions to get more information on something they're curious about, and he shows them love and joy!
2-23-2010 @ 12:41AM
lheenan said...Rebecca -
You wrote about how Elmo "annoyed the crap out of me" by "using horrendous grammar" and you were "Glad is star is waning". (Your statements)
You know that saying about glass houses?
Elmo is three. Most three year olds or younger love to watch his gentle ways. They never heard him say or write "crap". or use "is" instead of "his".
2-21-2010 @ 9:04PM
ann said...this is a stupid article. elmo is still a very popular tv character.
whether or not "tickle me elmo", or toys like that, are popular right now, is a different story.
the toys mentioned in this article are not even appropriate for preschoolers, which is what the elmo character was created for!
i bought my daughter a couple of elmo items for christmas- she was 21 months old at the time. all the elmo items i saw at the stores i frequent were nearly sold out.
due to watching elmo and sesame street, my daughter has increased her vocabulary and learned some of her numbers. "elmo's world" is a 15 minute segment that takes place at the end of "sesame street" and is geared towards preschoolers. elmo controls the situations, talks directly to children and even helps "Mr. Noodle"- an adult- learn what is appropriate behavior and gives kids a chance to see that children can teach others.
AS USUAL, AOL prints an article with a misleading title, by a writer who doesn't know what they are talking about.
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2-22-2010 @ 6:39AM
T. Roper said...AMEN !
2-22-2010 @ 1:07PM
nicole said...I agree. Elmo has been a wonderful teaching tool for my daughter. She is two years old and due to Sesame Street and her favorite character Elmo she has (with our parental help) learned all her numbers to 20, her letters, and is working on her colors. Sesame Street is quality programming for the demographic it is meant for, toddlers and preschoolers. It was wonderful for me as a child and I am pleased that it is still around for my child. Tickle me Elmo may not entertain a gradeschooler but my daughter loves it! Elmo and friends get a big thumbs up from this parent. If you want a toy without sounds and lights there are plenty of toys by Sesame Street that fit the bill, from plush dolls to books and puzzles and more.
2-22-2010 @ 1:35PM
jillsmom said...I have a 17 month old and she is obsessed with Elmo. For Christmas just 2 months ago everyone bought her Elmo stuff of every kind. From clothes to toys to books and eating utensils, it was insane! My husband and I made sure to buy her anything but Elmo to try and balance out the situation and my daughter chooses Elmo everytime over the other items. Now that it is in my life I see Elmo stuff every where I go. This article seems incorrect. Elmo is still very popular and there is no shortage of Elmo gear every where I go. All of the other kids in my daughters play group are all into Seseme Street charaters and Elmo is always #1. I agree that Elmo is annoying and look forward to the day we leave this phase and move onto something new, which will proabably be just an annoying, but the point is Elmo is still ranking #1 amongst the current poulation of young todlers and preschoolers in the midwest at least.
2-22-2010 @ 8:47AM
wtfdoyouknow said...Why would I shell out $14.95 for a "toy" that is useless until you grab stuff from around the house??? And just as Ann mentioned above, Elmo is a pre-schoolers toy, the toys you mentioned were for older children. Have you ever heard an infant or toddler giggle insanely by just watching a toy? THAT's what Tickle me Elmo is about. Just pure enjoyment for the younger (or younger-at-heart) set.
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2-22-2010 @ 9:47AM
Letkidsplay said...I agree for the most part that we want our children to be playing with more interactive and creative toys. I also saw tons of great new toys at Toy Fair. However, I do think there is a place for some of those sound, light up toys. My 16 year old son is profoundly disabled. All he can do with a toy is hit it. But when he hits whatever button that makes the toy do what it is supposed to do, he is so happy and excited. I wouldn't recommend these types of toys for most children. But there is still a place for them.
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2-22-2010 @ 10:18AM
Alicia said...I have it bad! My spouse's mother won't stop buying Elmo crap!
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2-22-2010 @ 5:08PM
Patricia Giannakis said...What miniscule thing to get all judgemental about! I am the mother of 2 college grads. and the grandmother of a Dean's list honors college sophmore and an honors Catholic high school sophmore. Starting when they were less than a year old and to this very day my approach has always been like "spit-balling". Throw anything and EVERYTHING at them (learning and educational, that is) format or "source-wise" and see what sticks. From wooden blocks to singing/talkiing books to sitting them on my lap slightly before they were two and using my PC until they took hold of the mouse themselves and took-off from there.We passed through Barney, Sesame street, talking books,talking stuffed critters, me doing voices on "Polar Bear what do you hear?" trips to zoos, train rides,reading to them, and them reading to me. Some of the books were populated by characters from children's TV and some were by Dr.Suess, Shel Silverstein, Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary etc. Follow-up on what works and discard what doesn't. And keep in mind that what is important is what appeals to THEM, I repeat THEM, not you.
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2-22-2010 @ 4:53PM
jasy said...LOL
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2-22-2010 @ 6:37PM
caroll said...The person who wrote that article about Tickle Me Elmo, has no idea what they are talking about. In the 1st place, in the original Tickle Me elmo, (don't know about the later ones) but the original did have to get tickled to laugh, the mechanism to make him laugh was in his belly, NOT on his hand.. DUH!!!! Do your homework...
Secondly, if you think Elmo toys/dolls etc and the like are dying out, just go to any website or ebay where there are Elmo and other Sesame Street items for sale, you're lucky if you can get it before you get outbid.. Elmo is still the rave among small children, including my 1 year old grandson. These corporate toy show types, don't know what they are talking about, I wonder if the writer has any small children... Go bash something else!!!!! Hooray for Elmo and his pals!!!!!!!
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