Hasbro recently found itself the target of parental anger over a Princess Poppy toy that makes inappropriate noises when a button between her legs is pressed. Fortunately, the company is removing the toy from store shelves.
Have you heard the buzz about the latest Trolls toy for the DreamWorks’ movie Trolls? The movie captured the hearts of millions of young people across the globe for its heartwarming story and upbeat, original musical numbers written and performed by celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. Recently its sequel was made available on Amazon in a record-breaking home release, but that’s not what all the attention is about. Instead, the sequel,
What toy is impacted by the petition, though, and why? For starters, the petition involves the ‘Giggle and Sing Poppy’ toy sold at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. It’s designed to sing an array of catchy songs from the movie when a button on the stomach is pressed. She is also designed to make “giggling noises when she sits down upright, but this is set off by a button located between the legs of the doll.” Queue the outrage, and rightly so. The outrage was sparked by a concerned mother who “demonstrated her concerns about the doll after her daughter received the item as a birthday gift for her Trolls-themed party.” The video was quickly shared by Utah Senator Sam Parker to demonstrate the disturbing sounds when the button is pressed “and a Change.org petition was started by Jessica McManis.” For those who don’t know, when the button between the toy’s legs is pressed, Poppy “gasps and giggles.”
As a result, the petition that has so far “prompted Hasbro to remove the toy criticized the retailers for promoting pedophilia and child.” The petition further claimed the toy is “damaging for its potential long term effects on the mental and physical health of children.”
In response to the growing outrage, Julie Duffy, a spokeswoman for Hasbro, issued the following statement via email:
“This feature was designed to react when the doll was seated, but we recognize the placement of the sensor may be perceived as inappropriate. This was not intentional and we are happy to provide consumers with a replacement Poppy doll of similar value through our consumer care team. We are in the process of removing the item for purchase.”
Fortunately, the toy is no longer available for online purchase.
Sources:
Trolls World Tour Doll Has Been Pulled After Complaints About Inappropriate Button Placement
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