Mom Upset Over "Death Threat" Elmo
Little James here loves Elmo. In fact, his entire house is filled with every Elmo toy you could possibly imagine and even a few you can't. One of these beloved Elmos is a model that you can program with your computer to say your kids name. Recently, James' mother replaced the batteries in "Elmo Knows Your Name" and is now convinced that the doll is homicidal.
You see, James' mother thinks that Elmo is saying "Kill James."
We watched the clip before we knew what the doll was "supposed" to be saying and thought it sounded like "Carol Kane," but James' mother in convinced Elmo is more into Charles Manson than Scrooged.
Fisher-Price has agreed to replace the toy. Feel free to tell us what you think the doll is saying in the comments.
Toddler's Elmo Doll Makes Death Threats, Family Says [TBO] (Thanks, Everyone!)
Video [TBO]
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Comments:
I think the doll is saying "you have got to be kidding me"
The doll is telling him to kill. Like Elmo is ordering the boogey man, give me a break.
I was a personal fan of the "Unabomber Elmo", shame that line was so short lived.
This is like the profanity piano from last year. Might as well rename it "abusive lawsuit elmo"
Oh my God... "Tickle me Hellmo" made real! Squee, run!
"Here's the problem. You had the doll set to evil."
/Obligatory Simpsons Reference
I thought it said "I like turtles".
Oops wrong video
Wait - wasn't this in an episode of The Simpsons?
@JMB: Exactly!
Especially if you watch the video that is linked. At the end, the anchor says "So-and-so has not tried to re-program the doll. She thinks the doll will do the same thing."
Um, if my kid's fav doll was saying "Kill James," I sure as hell would be trying to reprogram the damn thing. That's probably the most obvious thing to do.
Hey where's "Uh oh? Who wants to die?"
It has become self-aware.
So if this Elmo doll says "Kill James", does that talking pizza they showed say "Eat Me"?
@JMB: I love you Homer!
/End Simpsons Reference
I have to wonder, can't she connect to a computer again and change or even reset the doll? Perhaps he just needs a reboot is all.
Did you see the ridiculous amount of Elmos in that living room (including the weird Pizza one)?
That kid will not notice if Kill James Elmo is missing. Just reintroduce TMX or something.
It's programmed by the user. Did this lady recently send you a Home Depot receipt by any chance?
Wait wait wait... is the doll saying 'Kill James' or 'Kill, James.' We need to know whether to protect the child or run away from him.
Elmo should act on his impulses and just kill the kid, coz with a parent so fucking stupid he has no chance in life.
*Sigh*...so how much money does she want to help her son get over this horrible experience?
I just watched the video, and it sounds like the doll is saying "kill James" strikingly, ridiculously clearly. Maybe I'm biased because I was told about "kill James" before I heard the doll. I tried listening for other things, including "Carol Kane", and I just couldn't hear anything other than "kill James".
It sounds like "Yell James" to me. Regardless, I'm more worried about a mother who feels compelled to feed/encourage a toy character obsession in her child.
But if it sounds like "Kill James" to her, as evidenced by what her child is mimicking, then the toy should be replaced - which they did.
The fact that the news gave this bizarre woman air-time, is really pathetic.
@zouxou: Seconded, just like in Starship Troopers, I feel that we need to impose Parenting Licenses, you cannot procreate without this license, if you do the kid will be promptly given to the state for adoption.
Does the thing have a french mode? maybe it was saying Quel James?
@missdona: Really! It sounds like she's "hiding" this Elmo in plain sight if her son can continue to find it so easily.
I'm happy no lawsuits were mentioned at least. Her son is young enough to not know what's going on and a week without the toy will strike the phrase from his memory.
Ah, the if-my-kid-likes-X-let's-buy-him-1000-of-X gambit. Pure parenting genius.
The stupid part is that she didn't try to reprogram it. IF she had reprogrammed it and it continued to do this it would be a real story. As it is, she looks stupid and the TV news station looks amateurish.
Why can't we go back to the old days, when a kid could get his homicidal instructions from the toaster or some such? Ah well...
I taught a furby to do this back in the nineties.
Who new chucky's soul would get stuck in an elmo doll, how insulting.
The doll comes with software and a USB cable to "teach" it your kid's name & birthdate, family & friends' names, and the kid's favorite color, food, and animal.
Given the vast library of "words" that Elmo must "know" (look at the list of names on the FP website to see what I mean: [www.fisher-price.com]), it makes sense to me that the programming could get corrupted so the doll could say something that sounds like "Kill James.," especially after changing the battery. Ever lose the programming in your universal remote after swapping batteries?
The real question is: why didn't the parents try to re-program the doll when they realized there was a problem. The OP sounds like they first called FP, then the news. Sounds like FP is handling it appropriately, though. The parents, on the other hand, are not.
I find it extremely stupid that the mother won't even try to reprogram it and get on with her life because "she fears it will just happen again." Looks like an attention whore to me...
This is clearly the consumer's fault for f-cking with Elmo.
Cleveland 117, San Antonio 109
--Tor Eckman
"My name is talky Tina and you'll be sorry"
/obligatory Twilight Zone reference
I think Elmo was saying, "Get a life."
Aren't you supposed to run this shite between Thanksgiving and Christmas?
/really, give it a rest
What do you expect out of a toy that you stick a USB cord in its bum to program it?
It sounds like "yell James" or "tell James" but not "kill James." If I heard that, I'd be freaked because I have a severe hatred of dolls and talking animals, but I'd simply reprogram Elmo and have him teach my kid about vegetables or something. If she didn't even try to do that, then I don't see what she is complaining about.
This isn't the Temple of Doom. If you swap a new one in place of the sociopath one, a huge boulder isn't going to roll you over. Kids are extremely easy. Don't want to try to distract him? I'm guessing like every other animal on Earth, the child sleeps. Do it then.
OR,
Take the batteries out for a day. Try it again. Is there another child in the house who got past Mommy's password of password, and messed w/ Elmo to annoy his brother? Seriously. If you want news, send a stupid weatherman and ten reporters out to cover the mysterious white cold substance falling on the city. Detailed analysis will be given by Storm Thunder and his Weather-Plex 9870.
I think it's saying "Tell James" but sounds like "Kill James" because of that weird Elmo baby talk.
When my younger son was that age, he had a Telly Tubbies Dipsy doll, and I swear it sounded like it was saying "I can't breath!" I have no idea what it was actually supposed to be saying.
OMG I want that elmo, it rocks!!! can it be hacked so you can teach it to say different phrases. I could have some fun with that!!
I hear "Tell, James"; not "Kill, James".
Either way, that kid has way too many Elmo dolls.
One thing I've found out is tha t Elmo is really expensive, and not worth it. One of my friends has a son who also loves Elmo. I secretly refuse to buy Elmo toys for him, he has so many already. I flipped through some of the Elmo books. I'd rather give him a Discovery Channel book for kids, but he's too young for anything BUT Elmo and picture books. I think if I had a kid, I'd try diversifying the toys.
Tickle me one more time, I swear to God,
She mistakenly got the "Elmo Knows Where You Live" model.