“The louder you yell, the faster they go.”
The advertising slogan for a new spider-like Hasbro toy line, Yellies, caters to the boisterous kid that gets a thrill out of voice-activated toys, but some critics are calling the toy a parent’s worst nightmare.
Hasbro introduced the controversial new line of toys this year, according to Business Insider. The "Spooders" are fuzzy, motorized figurines that are activated by loud speaking. The more kids yell at the toys, the faster the cute, little creatures move. The toys run about $18 each on Amazon and are intended for children ages 5 and older. Harry Scoots, one of the most popular Yellies, currently has less than a 2.5 rating on Amazon.
Hilary Hard, a mom who bought the toy for her son, posted on Facebook about Yellies. She wrote that the toy sounded perfect for her “naturally loud and boisterous kid.” Once she got the toy going, she quickly regretted her purchase, she said in the post, which has been shared more than 370,000 times on Facebook.
“... In short, maybe a little electronic spider thats power source feeds off of screams of terror... is not the best Christmas gift for your small child,” Hard wrote.
Hard is not alone in her assessment of the toy’s eardrum-busting, creepy nature.
The buzz around the toy line may be primarily negative, but some international mom bloggers are riding the wave with #Whattheyell parties, which gather children to scream Yellies into submission in a group setting.
A spokesperson from Hasbro told Buzzfeed News that the company appreciates the stories about the reactions kids and families have had to Yellies, "whether they love the fuzzy little pets that move faster the louder you yell, or are reaching for their ear plugs."
"We are sure we have left many parents wondering, what the yell were they thinking?" the spokesperson told the publication.
About the Author
