Tasteless and Treacherous Toys

By Meredith Blake

Obama Sock Puppets
Getting your kids interested in the election: Good. Getting your kids a racist toy: Not so good. Despite innocent intentions, The Obama Sock Puppet ignited a barrel of controversy when it debuted this summer. Civil liberties groups tried to have the Obama Sock Puppet discontinued; instead, it is now for sale alongside a John McCain Sock Puppet, making it an equal opportunity offender.


Mini Zooper Doll Strollers
This seemingly harmless pink stroller, sold at high-end retailer Pottery Barn Kids, turned out to be as dangerous as a Ginsu knife and just as sharp. 21,000 of these strollers were recalled last year after a two-year old boy partially severed his finger in the side hinge. To make matters even more frightening, the collapsible strollers also had a nasty tendency to trap kids inside.


Aqua Dots
Aqua Dots seemed like a simple concept: Take small plastic beads, add water, and ta da! they fuse together like magic. One tiny problem: Adding water also turned the coating on the beads into a highly toxic compound that induced seizures and unconsciousness. After several children slipped into non-responsive comas after ingesting the beads, 4.2 million units of the hit toy were recalled.


Baby Wee Wee
While dolls that go to the bathroom are hardly new, the Baby Wee Wee broke new ground and raised a few eyebrows with its anatomical accuracy. Manufactured by the Spanish toymaker Famosa, its jaw-dropping commercial became an unintended YouTube smash and a favorite of bloggers all over the internet.


Turtle Sprinklers
What's more adorable than a turtle-shaped sprinkler? How about a turtle-shaped sprinkler that doesn't cause exploding shrapnel to fly across your backyard? This delightful summertime accessory was sold in Ross stores nationwide until reports surfaced that the turtle tended to get a little too full for its own good, causing it to crack and explode.


Jerry Springer Doll
In the mid-'90s, the name Jerry Springer became synonymous with sensational, low brow entertainment hardly the stuff of wholesome kid fun. Yet a Jerry Springer Doll was released in 1998. Though it has since been discontinued, it is now a favorite on eBay.


Easy Bake Oven
A childhood favorite since its release in 1963, the Easy Bake Oven miraculously managed to avoid recall until 2007, when a new front-loading design led to hundreds of second and third degree burns and even a finger amputation. One million ovens were recalled, but for those who just can't live without tiny half-baked cakes, a safe version of the oven is back on the shelves nationwide.


Seizure-Inducing Cartoons and Videogames
Cartoons and video games get blamed for a lot of society's ills, but some have become villains for a more tangible reason: Causing seizures. The most famous episode occurred in 1997, when over 600 Japanese children suffered seizures induced by a particularly flashy episode of "Pokemon." The phenomenon, known as photosensitive epilepsy, has also resulted from video games with colorful flashing lights, but can be avoided by playing in well-lit rooms and taking frequent breaks.


Cinderella Car
Seemingly perfect for budding Danica Patricks everywhere, the Cinderella toy car combined girly pastel colors with the sleek look of Ferrari. But ultimately, the vehicle had more in common with the infamous Pinto: Faulty wiring caused the toy to catch on fire, resulting in a 64,000-car recall.


Barbie and Tanner Playset
Mattel pushed the envelope with this Barbie and Tanner playset, which featured the doll with her dog, Tanner and some unfortunate accessories: A pooper-scooper and brown pellets that went in one end as Tanner's food and came out the other end as, well, you-know-what. And if number two just isn't good enough, Mattel recently introduced a sequel of sorts: Taffy, the peeing dog.