People in Indiana really want those trendy little robot hamsters that are the designated fad toy of 2009. Police were called to two Toys R Us stores, one in Indianapolis and one in Greenwood, on Friday after fights broke out among toy shoppers.
From the Indianapolis Star:
“Those are the hottest toys,” said B.J. Chavez, 37, store manager at the Northeastside store, 8250 Castleton Corner. “When they are here, they are gone within 10 minutes.”
When Toys “R” Us at Castleton opened its doors, a huge line backed up into two adjacent parking lots. People tried to cut the line, not listening or cooperating; and there were reports of people fighting at the back of the line. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was called after a report of a fight, and dispatched at least three squad cars to the scene, said IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson.
[...]
Marion County sheriff’s deputies were also called to the Toys “R” Us, 1650 E. County Line Road, for crowd control, according to a store employee, although more than just Zhu Zhu purchases were on the minds of shoppers there.
“Zhu Zhu crowd gets ugly” [The Indianapolis Star]
(Photo: Miro-Foto)
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For the hot toy of 2009, those are ugly!
I think the red eyes are shopped in for evil effect…. at least I hope they are.
“There is no Dana, only ZHU ZHU!”
Yeah, pretty sure the red eyes are ‘shopped in. They’re actually quite cute..I wouldn’t mind having one myself — without having to fight somebody for it, that is.
Cuz Cabbage Patch Kids were so beautiful?
Face it, a toy’s popularity has had very little to do with it’s actual aesthetics.
Possessed hamsters! NOOOOOOO!
No frickin’ lazer beams, either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITBGjNEp08
Surely, I can’t be the only one who thinks the Zhu Zhu hamsters look like dog and cat toys?
What the heck do they even do? That looks to be all that they’re good for… ripping apart.
my dog agrees.
Zhu Zhu is just the latest device planted by terrorists to create havoc in our streets. Previous S.D.D.(Sanity Disruption Device) incidents included the diabolically clever “Tickle Me Elmo” and the treacherous Teddy Ruxpin.
Ugly.
Next headline:
“Police called to small cubicle in Chicago office tower to quell one-man riot over periodically-disappearing Expand All option on popular consumer Website”.
/sorry, but I’m the only person at work on my entire floor, and the lack of the expand all option is driving me insane. Back to you, Connie.
I was so going to echo your sentiment, but then I looked and it was there. How suspicious.
Between politicians’ golden toilets and police forces necessary to quell angry mobs over a stupid hamster that doesn’t do anything, we Americans really do know the best uses for tax payer money don’t we?
this article would be interesting if it said:
“worker trampled to death by toy hamsters”
Because the holidays just couldn’t begin without a fist fight. That crashing sound you hear is what was left of my faith in humanity.
awwww, you had some left. that’s cute
was my link to the LA Times website about a major disturbance at a local Wal-Mart removed?
My niece had her heart set on one of these toys for for her 6th birthday earlier this month. They were nearly impossible to find then, because people buy them up for resale online. They retail for $9.99, and they are on amazon for $34.99 and up. I don’t see the big deal, but it’s what kids that age are told they are supposed to want. Of course they will be on clearance by April. We finally did manage to find her one in the Greenwood store mentioned in the article, of all places.
Just who exactly “tells” kids that this is what they want? Do they really want it? Other than an article I saw in the newspaper, I’ve not heard of anything else about these.
What deranged retarded (or evil) individual convinced your niece that she needed one of these?
I’m glad my niece and nephew don’t care for Zhu Zhu pets. You’ll never convince my niece that Disney princesses aren’t worth the money, but you’ll also never find her clamoring for a Zhu Zhu pet. Meanwhile, she’s getting some Disney stuff for Christmas because it seems no one is going crazy for that.
It’s like they’re selling the Quizno’s demonic monkey things…
They’ve got a pepper baaaar!
Ah, I miss the good old days when people just beat each other over Tickle-Me-Elmo’s.
i don’t. i had to clean up the blood after those fights.
ok, there was only blood once because someone fell against the counter in a shoving match… but still.
stories like this make me stay home on black friday
Cool, this bodes well for the one I have up on eBay right now!
Dear Santa,
For Christmas, please bring me one comet the size of Texas. You can deliver it anywhere on the planet at about 22k meters per second.
Clearly, the human race has now forfeited its privilege of continued existence.
Why can’t we get this many people excited about the health care legislation?
Seriously though, there are so many things wrong with this event on so many levels I can’t even say. First of all they are ugly as sin and what a retardiculous name. Second of all I wouldn’t be caught dead fighting over anything in a store, much less something with red eyes. Thirdly haven’t these idiots ever heard of HELLO online shopping?!?!?!
But… it’s not even a *real* hamster. :/
Honestly, if I had a young child, I would never get him or her a real hamster. I would hate to subject the poor rodent to a child’s inelegant hand motions (read: jerky, crushing hand motions) and penchant for destruction.
I bet the participants all drive big SUVs and have beanie baby collections at home. Gotta keep up with the Joneses with the herd mentality.
is it just me or do those eyes look demonic?
I’d bet most of these were bought up by people reselling them on Amazon for $60.
This is nothing new. Back in the early 1980′s, people were getting into fistfights at Toysrus over Cabbage Patch dolls. The next year it was Voltron toys, then something else the next year.
Tickle Me Elmo was a recent one, then Beanie Babies, and now this.
Kids will always beg for the hot items and parents will always fight over it. Nothing changes but the item itself and the price. At least Cabbage Patch dolls and Voltrons were expensive. This thing is like a dollar store reject. I’d get one for my cat to play with but even he would be bored.
looks like a chimpokomon!