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This is how the wire report reads, verbatum, from CNN:
"A Florida mother says she's surprised at what a talking Elmo doll had to say after she changed its batteries. She claims the doll -- which belongs to her two-year-old son -- is making death threats.
The Sesame Street character now says, "Kill James." That's her son's name.
Fisher-Price -- the toy company that makes the dolls -- has now said it will issue the family a voucher for a replacement doll and investigate the problem."
You would think this is a made-up story, as I did at first. I mean, it has to be a hoax, right? I thought that too. But it really happened. The funny thing is this: the story fails to mention the doll is programmable. That's right, you record what you want the doll to say, and it says it. The doll doesn't decide on its own what to say, how to say it, etc. You would think this would be an important piece of information, right? I would as well. And yet the folks over at CNN decided this little tidbit was irrelevant. Go figure.
Aside from the fact a major news outlet decided not to present all of the relevant facts, something we really aren't surprised about, you have to wonder about the mother of the child. Is she out for more than a voucher? Is she out for headlines and her fifteen minutes? Maybe . . . probably. Many questions about this will be asked by those who have nothing but time on their hands (including me, apparently), yet all I want to know is this: Why didn't the mother just reprogram the doll? Are we as a society that desperate for attention and victimhood?
A funny story, to be sure. And I certaintly hope the mindset of this woman is in the deep minority. It would be funny if those reading that story (and perhaps this article) believe the woman is entitled to compensation of some kind (meaning cash).
Actually, that part wouldn't be funny at all . . .
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