Toys fly off the shelves during the holiday season. Who can forget the frenzy over Cabbage Patch Dolls and Care Bears back in the '80s? But while most toys celebrate the happy days of childhood, there have been a few through the years that actually stirred up quite a bit of controversy (Breast Milk Baby, anyone?). From risqué Barbie dolls to disease-inspired plushies, these 20 toys made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
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The best toys ever knew to keep things simple; Tickle Me Elmo, slime, and even the fidget spinner didn't rustle any feathers because the ideas were pretty basic. These toys fail because the concepts were out there — way out there.
It's a wonder some of these ever made it to market at all. We have to wonder — what exactly were some of these toy companies thinking?! A toy should be something that allows children to engage in creative play easily and without giving them strange ideas about gender, sex, race, or God knows what else.
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Take a look at these crazy, WTF toys that went completely, 100 percent wrong.
Barbie's Pregnant Friend, Midge
This pregnant Barbie introduced in 2002 definitely caused some children to ask questions that their parents weren't quite ready to answer. With a detachable stomach with a baby inside, the doll stirred up controversy and was even removed from some stores.
Breast Milk Baby
This Breast Milk Baby, also known as Bebé Glotón in Spain, where it was made, caused outrage as parents became convinced that the doll sexualized young girls by allowing them to "breastfeed" a baby.
Vibrating Nimbus 2000 Broom
Any Harry Potter buff could recognize the Nimbus 2000, but Mattel's original design tried to make things realistic in a not-so-great way. The battery-operated broom vibrated when placed between the legs, resulting in some more-than-awkward situations.
My Cleaning Trolley For Girls
Cleaning sets intended to help children play house are nothing out of the ordinary, but what made parents upset about this toy was its overtly feminine marketing, including a label on its packaging that read "Girls Only."
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Mental Illness Stuffed Animals
These German-made stuffed animals come equipped with diagnoses of ill mental health, including depression and multiple personality disorder. While they may be informative toys, increasing awareness, they deal with a sensitive topic in a not-so-sensitive way.
iPotty
Yes, this toy is exactly what it looks like. We can't imagine why anyone would want their toddler to use the toilet while playing with a screen-protected iPad. There has got to be other ways to potty train technology-obsessed children.
Toy AK-47
Any toy guns are bound to be controversial — especially when they're realistic models of assault rifles.
Super Soaker Oozinator
This isn't your average water gun. The Oozinator not only shoots water, but also hits targets with…ooze. That's not all: It makes for unpleasant clean-up, and its commercial also struck some as questionable.
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Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids
These Cabbage Patch dolls were advertised as dolls that could "eat" the snacks they came with. Except they actually "ate" anything that came close to their mouths — leading to a lot of children's hair getting painfully caught.
Black Canary Barbie
This Barbie doll is made to look like a DC Comics superhero, but when she hit the shelves, parents saw her as an S&M-inspired doll. This is one toy that is best left to the action figure collectors.
Moxie Girls Poopsy Pet Dolls
This toy wasn't quite met with outrage, but rather utter confusion. Parents still aren't quite sure why their children might be interested in a toy that literally poops rainbows, yet Poopsy Pet Dolls keep flying off shelves.
Roadkill Toys
These stuffed animals inspired by roadkill definitely aren't your cute and cuddly teddy bear. Still, they caught some parents' eyes as a seriously unique gift for macabre-loving children.
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Ebola Plush Toy
The Ebola outbreak was no laughing matter, yet the spread of this disease made the sales of these stuffed microbes skyrocket. It seems a bit poor taste, but at the very least, the company poses the Ebola plushie as a teaching tool and donates a portion of proceeds to Ebola crisis organizations.
'Breaking Bad' Action Figures
It makes sense that a popular TV show would offer action figures, and although Breaking Bad is by no means a children's show, parents were still shocked to find a Walter White figurine complete with toy crystal meth in Toys "R" Us.
African American Oreo Barbie
This Barbie was intended to just be a doll inspired by the iconic cookie company, but since "Oreo" is also a derogatory term in the African American community, it sparked a lot of outrage when it was released in 1990.
Caylee Sunshine Doll
This doll was intended to pay respect to the deceased daughter of Casey Anthony, but to no one's surprise, mass outrage over the profiting of a child's death caused orders to be cancelled.
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Homeless American Girl Doll
Most American Girl dolls have some sort of back story, but when this Doll of the Year was revealed to be homeless, some people were left scratching their heads, especially since the dolls retail for about $100. Youth homelessness is an important issue, but raising awareness through expensive dolls (that don't donate money to charity) seems to be a weird way to go about it.
Children's SUV
As many people advocate to fight against global warming, activists argue that gas-guzzling SUVs are harmful to our planet. Unfortunately, car brands like to start the SUV craze young with toys like this miniature Mercedes-Benz.
Video Girl Barbie
When Mattel released a Barbie with a video camera, the FBI had to issue an alert saying that footage caught by the doll could be considered evidence in court cases. Yikes!
Playmobil Pirate Set
This toy made headlines in 2015 as parents said the figurines in the set were racist depictions of slaves. Playmobil has since argued against the backlash, leaving many people unhappy with the brand.
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