I saw a commercial for the new version of Baby Alive about a month ago during Saturday morning cartoons (leave me alone, it was early and College Gameday wasn't on yet). Since then I've been searching YouTube for the ad, but without much luck. The reason I've been looking for it is that I actually had to ask Melissa later if I had dreamed it, because I couldn't believe someone really made the doll and then advertised it on TV.
The commercial describes the doll as realistic and talks about the things she can do. She talks to you and tells you when she wants to play or nap. She even eats some sort of disgusting pretend baby food and then informs you that it's time to change here diaper by saying, "Uh oh, I made a stinky." They then showed a child changing the doll's diaper which now had what can, if we're being honest, only be described as a skid mark in it, because the pseudo-food had passed all the way through the doll and into its diaper. Hopefully, you see now why I wasn't so sure that this was real.
As if to confirm that I am not insane and imagining that we are currently marketing defecating dolls to children, we came across a display of these dolls in the store a few days ago. Fortunately, we had the cameraphone with us to capture proof.
First, Baby Alive herself.
Now, a closer look in case you couldn't read the label on the first picture. Note that the packaging tells us that "She really 'EATS' her doll food & 'POOPS'!" I love the use of all caps and the exclamation point.
Finally, the back of the box, where we see Baby Alive saying "Uh-oh, I made a stinky!" while a child gleefully changes her diaper.
What does this say about us as a society? I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I don't want to think about what it says about me, that I felt the need to take pictures and tell all of you about it.
4 comments:
Wow, that there is a high-tech wonder. While dolls that pee have been around for a good 30+ years, pooping dolls are something new. Maybe they should just give the dolls away free, and then charge $20 a pop for diapers.
Also, if you're old enough to communicate "I made a stinky" you're old enough to say "I need to potty" a few minutes before.
But that's no way to sell doll diapers.
Lorelei has been begging me for this doll for weeks. There is no way in hell she's getting it.
Sadly in some areas this would be good practice for the kid that isn't too far off.
Personally I've got a kid that does that so a doll doesn't appeal to me atall.
I HAD this doll when I was little - 31 years ago - the old song went "Baby Alive, soft and sweet, she can drink, she can eat." And she pooped too, but fortunately she did NOT talk. But it was definitely a Baby Alive. Shelby and I used to play with her for hours! [I also had a Cher doll with the great Bob Mackie designs!]
Unfortunately my Mom found her on the attic while I was in college and when she stored her she had inadvertently stored the baby food with her...ewwww!
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