- Parents in Clark County Washington discovered that their
baby's crib toy was playing a low level voice repeatedly saying "I
Hate You" - when they went to the store they discovered that the whole
product line contained the message.
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- This is something straight out of Brave New World or
akin to a B.F. Skinner brainwashing experiement.
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- Since the whole product line contained the message, we
can rule out the possibility that this was a practical joke.
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- Regards,
- Paul Joseph Watson
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- 'I Hate You': Vancouver family finds surprising message
in baby's toy
-
- Saturday, January 11, 2003
- By MARGARET ELLIS, Columbian staff writer
- http://www.columbian.com/01112003/front_pa/1253.html
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- Blanche Skelton was feeding her baby when she heard something
besides the soothing sound of ocean waves coming from a toy attached to
the crib.
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- It was saying, "I hate you."
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- After asking her husband, her parents-in-law,
and everyone else in the home east of Hazel Dell, they were convinced.
The toy was definitely, albeit quietly, saying "I hate you."
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- Blanche's 6-month-old son, Alex, got
the toy as a Christmas present. It makes soothing sounds and music for
baby to fall asleep to, with an illuminated picture of a cartoon-style
aquarium on the front.
-
- But in between the white noise of
ocean waves, a tiny babyish voice pipes up with childhood angst.
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- Made in China, the toy was sold by
Wal-Mart and carries the Kid Connection brand, which is a store brand.
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- Blanche and her husband, Steve, said
they went to the Wal-Mart store Thursday and listened to two other aquarium
toys like theirs. Sure enough, there was that creepy voice.
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- The couple talked to a manager, who
scoffed until another employee blurted out that he heard it, too.
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- Then the manager pledged to get the
toy off the shelves, and offered the family a refund, Blanche said. By
Friday, the toys were gone from the shelves at the Hazel Dell store.
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- But the Skeltons would rather get
the word out to other families who may have bought the toy.
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- "How many kids are lying in their
crib listening to that?" asked Gary Skelton, Blanche's father-in-law.
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- Still the family is more bemused than
distressed by the toy. Gary Skelton pointed to a smiling Alex scooting
across the carpet. If Alex could talk, Skelton joked, "He says, 'Yep,
I'm the victim.'"
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- Karen Burk, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman
at the company's Arkansas headquarters, said she'd never heard anyone else
complain about the toy.
-
- "This is the first time I've
heard of this problem," she said. "I have relayed this information
to our merchandise team. They do not have any of the product on their shelves.
As always, we are always sorry that a customer is not happy with a product
they purchased at our stores and we encourage the customer to come back
for a full refund."
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- But the Skeltons don't really want
to take the toy back.
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- "We'll keep it around for novelty,
I guess," said Gary Skelton. "Just don't hang it over the crib
is all."
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