Yikes! Hasbro accused of normalizing child abuse after placing a button on doll’s private area
(EEW Magazine Online) Whether intentionally or unintentionally, toymakers send messages to consumers. Hasbro apparently sent the wrong message with a Trolls doll which resulted in the brand being accused of promoting child abuse.
Credit: Walmart
A petition with over 300,000 signatures on Change.org lambasts the doll-maker for placing a button on the doll's "private area under her skirt."
A viral Twitter video sparked outrage when a concerned mom recorded the "DreamWorks Trolls World Tour Giggle and Sing Poppy" doll her daughter received as a birthday gift. The feature on the doll that incensed the public is a button under the doll’s skirt, on her bottom, that when pressed makes the doll say, "Whee!" and "Oh!"
Is @Hasbro normalizing grooming & facilitating child abuse? 🤔👇
— Sam Parker 🇺🇲 (@SamParkerSenate) August 5, 2020
👀 pic.twitter.com/Q258vsGqcC
The doll’s unfortunate feature shocked viewers, and many demanded that the toy be yanked from shelves immediately.
"When you push this button on the doll's privates, she gasps and giggles. This is not okay for a child's toy! This toy needs to be removed from our stores,” says the online petition targeting Walmart, Amazon, Target, and other major retailers.
"What will this toy make our innocent, impressionable children think? That it's fun when someone touches your private area? That pedophilia and child molestation are okay?" the petition added.
Hasbro spokeswoman Julie Duffy told CNN in a statement that "this feature was designed to react when the doll was seated, but we recognize the placement of the sensor may be perceived as inappropriate."
Duffy added, "This was not intentional and we are happy to provide consumers with a replacement Poppy doll of similar value through our Consumer Care team. We are in the process of removing the item for purchase.”
It’s safe to say, Hasbro pushed the wrong buttons with this one. Yikes!
