Tickle Me Elmo: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Tickle me elmo |
[[Image:Tickle me elmo bit.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A first-generation "Tickle Me Elmo" stuffed toy.]] |
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'''Tickle Me Elmo''', is a children's toy from Tyco-Prescool, a division of [[Tyco Toys]]. It was introduced in the [[United States]] in [[1996]], becoming that year's top [[fads and trends|fad]]. Bright red in color and based on [[Elmo]], a [[Muppet]] character from ''[[Sesame Street]]'', when squeezed, Elmo would chortle. When squeezed three times in a row, Elmo would begin to shake and laugh hysterically. |
'''Tickle Me Elmo''', is a gay children's toy from Tyco-Prescool, a division of [[Tyco Toys]]. It was introduced in the [[United States]] in [[1996]], becoming that year's top [[fads and trends|fad]]. Bright red in color and based on [[Elmo]], a [[Muppet]] character from ''[[Sesame Street]]'', when squeezed, Elmo would chortle. When squeezed three times in a row, Elmo would begin to shake and laugh hysterically. |
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Tickle Me Elmo like to be tickled was invented by Ron Dubren and Greg Hyman, two veteran toy inventors. It was presented to Tyco Preschool as a laughing monkey. At the time Tyco did not have rights to make Sesame Street plush, but did have Looney Tunes plush rights so it was worked on for several months as Tickle Me [[Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes)|Tasmanian Devil]]. A short time later, Tyco lost rights to do Looney Tunes but gained the rights to Sesame Street, thus starting Tickle Me Elmo. |
Tickle Me Elmo like to be tickled was invented by Ron Dubren and Greg Hyman, two veteran toy inventors. It was presented to Tyco Preschool as a laughing monkey. At the time Tyco did not have rights to make Sesame Street plush, but did have Looney Tunes plush rights so it was worked on for several months as Tickle Me [[Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes)|Tasmanian Devil]]. A short time later, Tyco lost rights to do Looney Tunes but gained the rights to Sesame Street, thus starting Tickle Me Elmo. |
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By February 1997, Tickle Me: Ernie and Tickle Me: Big Bird toys were released, followed by Tickle Me Cookie Monster in May. None of these toys achieved nearly as much fame, or sales. With the rerelease of Tickle Me Elmo, mini Tickle Me Cookie Monster and mini Tickle Me Ernie were also put on the market. |
By February 1997, Tickle Me: Ernie and Tickle Me: Big Bird toys were released, followed by Tickle Me Cookie Monster in May. None of these toys achieved nearly as much fame, or sales. With the rerelease of Tickle Me Elmo, mini Tickle Me Cookie Monster and mini Tickle Me Ernie were also put on the market. |
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The "Surprise Edition" of Tickle Me Elmo, issued in the Fall of 2001, was an elaborate contest. Five of the "Surprise Edition" Elmos stopped laughing on 9 January 2002, and instead announced to the people squeezing them that they had won a prize. The grand prize was US$200,000.<ref>Dean, Katie. [http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,47368,00.html "Elmo's Worth More Than a Tickle"]. ''Wired'' October 11, 2001.</ref> |
The "Surprise Edition" of Tickle Me Elmo, issued in the Fall of 2001, was an elaborate contest. Five of the "Surprise Edition" Elmos stopped laughing on 9 January 2002, and instead announced to the people squeezing them, in private places,that they had won a prize. The grand prize was US$200,000.<ref>Dean, Katie. [http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,47368,00.html "Elmo's Worth More Than a Tickle"]. ''Wired'' October 11, 2001.</ref> |
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===TMX=== |
===TMX=== |
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Justin loves elmo so much sister koch has to calm him down. The box includes a preview flap, but upon opening, only the doll's eyes are visible. It requires six AA batteries, and costs approximately US$40. In a promotional clip, Jim Silver, co-publisher of ''[[Toy Wishes]]'' magazine said, "The first reaction I had was, 'Where are the wires?' Because I didn't think anything like that could move on its own."<ref> Barker, Olivia [http://www.usatoday.com/life/2006-02-01-tickle-me-elmo_x.htm "Meet 'Top Secret Elmo'"] ''USA Today'', 1 February 2006</ref>. |
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<!--Image:Tmx-elmo.jpg|TMX Elmo--> |
<!--Image:Tmx-elmo.jpg|TMX Elmo--> |
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Revision as of 20:44, 19 May 2010
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| This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (December 2007) |
Tickle Me Elmo, is a gay children's toy from Tyco-Prescool, a division of Tyco Toys. It was introduced in the United States in 1996, becoming that year's top fad. Bright red in color and based on Elmo, a Muppet character from Sesame Street, when squeezed, Elmo would chortle. When squeezed three times in a row, Elmo would begin to shake and laugh hysterically.
Tickle Me Elmo like to be tickled was invented by Ron Dubren and Greg Hyman, two veteran toy inventors. It was presented to Tyco Preschool as a laughing monkey. At the time Tyco did not have rights to make Sesame Street plush, but did have Looney Tunes plush rights so it was worked on for several months as Tickle Me Tasmanian Devil. A short time later, Tyco lost rights to do Looney Tunes but gained the rights to Sesame Street, thus starting Tickle Me Elmo.
In 1996, the Tickle Me Elmo was the "must have" toy. Many parents literally fought other parents in North American toy stores to purchase one of the toys for Christmas. The short supply of the toy, due to unexpected demand, meant that stores hiked the price on the dolls drastically. Newspaper classifieds even sold the plush toy for hundreds of U.S. dollars. People reports that the US $28.99 toy fetched as much as $1500.[1]
Employees injured
A clerk (Robert Waller) at a Wal-Mart store in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada was among those injured by "Elmo-mania". During a Midnight Madness sale, a crowd of 300 stampeded down the aisle on December 14, 1996 after spotting him being handed a box of the toys by another employee, he "was pulled under, trampled—the crotch was yanked out of [his] brand-new jeans." According to People, the clerk "suffered a pulled hamstring, injuries to his back, jaw and knee, a broken rib and a concussion.[1]
Further Tickle Me toys
By February 1997, Tickle Me: Ernie and Tickle Me: Big Bird toys were released, followed by Tickle Me Cookie Monster in May. None of these toys achieved nearly as much fame, or sales. With the rerelease of Tickle Me Elmo, mini Tickle Me Cookie Monster and mini Tickle Me Ernie were also put on the market.
The "Surprise Edition" of Tickle Me Elmo, issued in the Fall of 2001, was an elaborate contest. Five of the "Surprise Edition" Elmos stopped laughing on 9 January 2002, and instead announced to the people squeezing them, in private places,that they had won a prize. The grand prize was US$200,000.[2]
TMX
Justin loves elmo so much sister koch has to calm him down. The box includes a preview flap, but upon opening, only the doll's eyes are visible. It requires six AA batteries, and costs approximately US$40. In a promotional clip, Jim Silver, co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine said, "The first reaction I had was, 'Where are the wires?' Because I didn't think anything like that could move on its own."[3].
Toy analyst Chris Byrne told USA Today, "This is a quantum leap forward, another breakthrough in the preschool plush category." Byrne believed sales would be high, but the reaction would not be as unprecedented. "The culture has moved beyond that, the whole hot-toy phenomenon." He cited the fact there has not been such a craze since Furby in 1998.[4] However, some members of the media expected a large response.
Toys R Us stores and Amazon had a pre-sale program for the doll, the first included elaborate in-store displays with a digital countdown to the doll's launch. Amazon took more presale orders than it could fulfill.[5]
As with the original Tickle Me Elmo doll, demand for the new toy has given rise to extreme acts by some people. One person in Tampa, Florida was allegedly threatened with a gun to hand over a TMX toy.This was parodied on Saturday Night Live, which said the man "was subued by the new 'Gimmie a Reason Bert'"[6]
Mattel credits this toy, along with two others, for its performance the six cent share increase from that time, a year earlier. TMX also helped increase sales of other Elmo toys.[citation needed]
Variations
There are three versions of the TMX doll, one which has the Warning sticker on front (which most TMX dolls have now), the Top Secret sticker (which was just for launch, making that more rare), and one that no longer includes a flap and instead a hole to try the toy. The Warning and Top Secret boxes appear to be identical except for the variation in the text on the front, and Elmo says different things when opening the flap. When the flap is opened on the Top Secret box, Elmo says "Uh uh uh! No peeking! Hahahaha!" When the flap on the Warning box is opened, he says "Elmo feels really ticklish in here! Hahahaha!" However some "Top Secret" boxes in the United Kingdom have been reported to have the latter sound, e.g. "Elmo feels very ticklish in here" etc when lifting the flap. There are differences under the flap too. On the Warning box, there are images of the TMX Elmo rolling and giggling, while the Top Secret box only has an image of Elmo peeking out of the box. On the Try Me box, consumers can tickle Elmo using the hole in the box. However, it does not include a flap.
Mattel has released versions of the toy featuring Ernie and Cookie Monster.[7]
eXtra Special Edition
For the Christmas 2007 season Mattel released a version with hidden surprises. Mattel has provided a website with rhyming clues that can help find the special messages[8]
References
- ^ a b "Just Tickled". People, January 13, 1997.
- ^ Dean, Katie. "Elmo's Worth More Than a Tickle". Wired October 11, 2001.
- ^ Barker, Olivia "Meet 'Top Secret Elmo'" USA Today, 1 February 2006
- ^ "IBID".
- ^ Kotecki Vest, Erin. "Elmo Suckers Me to the Dark Side". The Huffington Post September 22, 2006.
- ^ "Tickle pickle: Your Elmo or your life!". New York Daily News. 25 September 2006.
- ^ "Following T.M.X. Elmo, here come his friends". CNNMoney.com January 29, 2007.
- ^ Fisher Price T.M.X. Special Edition
External links
- Wired: Elmo's Worth More Than a Tickle on the Surprise Edition
- Sesame Street: Tickle Elmo, an online simulation of the toy
- CBS13.com: Elmo Demonstration, video demonstration of the new Tickle Me Elmo