Wow, it's going to be hard to leave behind that picture of Ryan Kelley holding Martin's books. Perhaps I should just stick it into random blog posts from time to time just for grins! It's a great picture.
On to today's topic: scary toys. There are a variety of ways toys can be scary. For instance, cheaper versions of Barbie-like dolls frequently look like a little like zombies. Imported toys can have all sorts of health dangers. And anything having to do with clowns? Let's not even go there. Yes, there are all sorts of ways toys can cause a fair amount of anxiousness.
But I'm talking specifically about the battery-powered items that sometimes come to life on their own. Anyone have something like that around the house? The doll that starts talking in the middle of the night? My niece had one of those and finally removed the batteries.
At our house, we have two toys. The first is a remote control "soft" car. The car itself is more plush than hard plastic so it won't hurt the child playing with it, and it won't damage furniture. Seems harmless enough, until it's one a.m., no one is near the car or the remote control, and it suddenly starts revving its own engine. Fortunately, the batteries in it died recently and we just haven't gotten around to replacing them. (Batteries probably last longer in toys that don't turn themselves on.)
The other one is a puzzle of barnyard animals that makes the appropriate animal noise when you remove the animal-shaped puzzle piece and then put it back. When all the pieces are in place, it's as silent as a tomb, heh-heh. Somehow, the horse piece has gone missing, and now this puzzle makes horse noises at me when I enter the room. Especially when 1) it's dark and 2) I'm home alone. I LOVE this because I understand that in order for this thing to make noise, someone or something needs to cover up the hole left by the missing puzzle piece. This toy will start neighing at me from its place on the shelf when no one else is around.
I got so annoyed with it the other morning (like five-thirty a.m. after Jim had left for work and I was alone) that I stood there in the dark and yelled at it to knock it off.
It did.
I still can't decide if that was scarier than having it talk to me.
On to today's topic: scary toys. There are a variety of ways toys can be scary. For instance, cheaper versions of Barbie-like dolls frequently look like a little like zombies. Imported toys can have all sorts of health dangers. And anything having to do with clowns? Let's not even go there. Yes, there are all sorts of ways toys can cause a fair amount of anxiousness.
But I'm talking specifically about the battery-powered items that sometimes come to life on their own. Anyone have something like that around the house? The doll that starts talking in the middle of the night? My niece had one of those and finally removed the batteries.
At our house, we have two toys. The first is a remote control "soft" car. The car itself is more plush than hard plastic so it won't hurt the child playing with it, and it won't damage furniture. Seems harmless enough, until it's one a.m., no one is near the car or the remote control, and it suddenly starts revving its own engine. Fortunately, the batteries in it died recently and we just haven't gotten around to replacing them. (Batteries probably last longer in toys that don't turn themselves on.)
The other one is a puzzle of barnyard animals that makes the appropriate animal noise when you remove the animal-shaped puzzle piece and then put it back. When all the pieces are in place, it's as silent as a tomb, heh-heh. Somehow, the horse piece has gone missing, and now this puzzle makes horse noises at me when I enter the room. Especially when 1) it's dark and 2) I'm home alone. I LOVE this because I understand that in order for this thing to make noise, someone or something needs to cover up the hole left by the missing puzzle piece. This toy will start neighing at me from its place on the shelf when no one else is around.
I got so annoyed with it the other morning (like five-thirty a.m. after Jim had left for work and I was alone) that I stood there in the dark and yelled at it to knock it off.
It did.
I still can't decide if that was scarier than having it talk to me.
First thought that came to mind is the clown in "Poltergeist." I have a friend who is terrified of any toys that have eyes in them, like teddy bears. I mean this guy will wrestle me to the ground if I pick up a bear and do as if the bear stares at him.
ReplyDeleteNice Post Ophelia, I will spread the word for you tomorrow :-)
And Thanks for the concern of pushing the previous post down a spot. It is perfectly alright by me.
I'm well overdue for a new blog myself. Usually I blog when something worth while is on my mind. Ryan Keley's picture is still in plain sight, just below this blog. No worries :-)
P.S I can't wait to see you guys again!!
--Martin
Back in the late 1970's early 80's the Muppet Show was popular, and I babysat for my now adult niece. We always watched the Muppets. She had all of the plush large size Muppet characters.
ReplyDeleteOddly, Scooter was always on the bottom of the pile in her closet. If you pulled him off the bottom she would screech and cry. She hid him on the bottom every night before she went to bed.
Is the seemingly benign Scooter inherently evil or did that particular plush doll need an exorcism. I'll never know. He ended up in a landfill, alone. As for myself, besides Fozzy Bear, Scooter was one of my favorites.