Hasbro pulls Trolls World Giggle and Sing Poppy doll after accusations of paedophilia

[VoppityHoosh]

www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/08/05/business/ap-us-trolls-doll-controversy.html

Saw this onTwitter earlier, wasn't sure if it was fake, but looks like enough people have complained that the toy has been discontinued.

There was a video of the doll, and basically if you press a button between its legs, it giggles/sighs.

Some poor toy designer at Hasbro is probably being hauled to head office right now, how did they not realise how wrong this looked?

I can't believe it ever made it through design and testing. Apparently it was meant to make those sounds when the doll falls down, but it's still weird.

It's clearly not meant to be sexual and the woman demo-ing it sounds hysterical but god what a design cock up. The fact that they dont mention it on the box shows they know it's ridiculous.

I’m not sure I buy ‘some poor toy designer’ tbh. Who makes a toy that giggles when you touch its private parts? It’s weird and creepy and they shouldn’t be designing children’s toys that’s for sure!

I think it's creepy too. At best, loads of staff within Hasbro thought it was funny to make a toy that giggles when you touch it there. And at worst?

I wouldn't buy any explanation about it being "accidental".

No one is that naive, especially given that there would be loads of people involved in the planning and design process, to sign off, etc.

It's really creepy.

I do think it's creepy, but I just can't believe there's some sort of attempt to groom children via a mass produced troll doll, I mean surely not?

Though I take the point that the design process is presumably fairly rigorous, so why on earth did noone, at any point, pick up on how inappropriate this is for a child's toy?

Ah, I don't know what to think!

I can't believe it's an accidental placement, but also can't bring myself to believe that it was intentional grooming.

Maybe it was supposed to be one of those innuendos that flies over the kids' heads but makes the adults laugh, like in children's TV, but grossly misjudged.

They've been putting inappropriate and sexual imagery in kids TV and film for years, I'm not surprised they're doing it to toys too.

The question is whether it's done just because people think it's funny, or if it's another way to sexualise children.