Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Tickle Me Elmo strikes again
By Shanetta Clements
The Tartan (Radford U.)
12/21/2006

(U-WIRE) RADFORD, Va. — Can you believe it was only 10 years ago that many of your parents were fighting the crowds to get the hottest toy of 1996, the Tickle Me Elmo? Now the 10-year-old tickled monster is making a long awaited comeback with its latest edition, the T.M.X (the X standing either for 10 or extreme).

This upgrade was a secret well kept by the toy company, Fisher Price. Olivia Barker reported in USA Today that the doll was not even presented at toy exposes or anywhere the public could see the new-and-improved Elmo in action.

With a push of his stomach, Elmo not only laughs and giggles when he is tickled, but also slaps his leg, falls to the ground, pounds the floor and rolls around. When done, he stands back up again and asks you to do it again.

Cristian Lupsa reported in the Christian Science Monitor that about 250,000 Elmos have been sold since the toy's reintroduction on Sept. 19 of this year. And that's with a two-per-customer limit.

Barker also reported that the toy industry hasn't had anything this big to brag about since the release of the Furby in 1998. The creators kept everything about this new Elmo a secret until it was released. Fisher Price admits that they did not expect the toy to do as well as it has. The company will not give out exact numbers, but apparently the toy has done really well so far. With the high demand and rising cost, the success will likely continue through the holiday season.

There are plenty of videos on the Internet showing the doll in action. If you have never seen the doll in person, you may find the way it moves frightening. There is a video on YouTube that shows the doll, after being tickled, falling down the stairs and landing on its side. Even on its side, the doll finds a way to get back up in the upright position. I think I speak for many when I say that is some Chuckie-type. If you wake up in the morning and find this doll standing beside your bed, run!

Many critics of the doll claim that kids are simply watching while Elmo does all the playing. All kids can do is turn Elmo on and laugh at him. Internet videos show how some kids interact with the doll. Some run from the doll's spastic movements, while others continually make fun of it by placing it on high objects to fall off of. No matter what the kids do to the doll, it still gets right back up.

Elmo's laugh is more annoying than ever. He doesn't just giggle. He hysterically laughs and repeats the words "I can't stop laughing" and "Give Elmo a break, please." This might seem cute the first 10 times, but imagine a Christmas morning full of his hysterical laughing and rolling around. If I had to listen to that, his batteries would mysteriously disappear.

Is this toy worth fighting a fellow soccer mom for? Every year, there is something that makes parents go crazy, trying to make their children happy on Christmas morning. Not to sound cliche, but are the latest toys really "the reason for the season"? What happened to just being happy to be with your family and celebrating the season together? Every Christmas season does not have to be a blood bath at the shopping centers. For those of you excited about the T.M.X.: good luck finding one, just don't say I didn't warn you.

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