About twelve years ago the Furby hit store shelves. This furry little toy chirped and cooed and made the world fall in love with it. They quickly became the hot toy for the holidays that year. I remember adults paying hundreds of dollars for these toys at Christmas, much like the Zhu-Zhu Pets last year. The Furby was hailed as a modern marvel. You could pet it, talk to it, and pretend to feed it. It would also “learn”: the more stimulation it was given the better it would begin to talk. Now that I think about it, Furby was pretty scary. I thought they were neat because they also had receivers built in that could pick up the signals of other Furbys nearby. They would then proceed to talk to each other. I think they were actually the first incarnation of SkyNet.
Now in the holiday season of 2010, Mattel has given us Sing-a-ma-jig. This colorful little creature jabbers incomprehensibly at random times and sings little melodies that will haunt you in your sleep. Like Furby, when you get these little guys together they communicate and will harmonize with each other. Don’t get me wrong, the kids love these things. They are age appropriate for children ages 3-6, but everyone is playing with them. Sing-a-ma-jigs are so addictive apparently; there should be a warning on the package. What is it about jabbering, chirpy, cutesy creatures that makes everyone swoon? Are we all in Gizmo (the Mogwai from Gremlins) deficiency?
Well if Furby has taught us anything, it’s that this too shall pass. If your children ask for Sing-a-ma-jig for Christmas, purchase cautiously. If you already have them in your home, buy earplugs.
What do you think? Is your home infested already? Let us know in the comments. Share your pain.
