The year was 1996 and a toy phenomenon, a veritable toy tsunami occurred. Sure on the outside it was just our good friend Elmo from Sesame Street, but a raggedy Muppet alone would never be enough to cause a landslide, a sensation. This toy was different. It had technology. Tickle Me Elmo.
When squeezed Elmo recites his trademark giggle, “Uh-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee!”. He would also shake and vibrate. In this day and age we would suspect that Elmo might have swallowed a cellphone but giggle, vibrate and shake were his only tricks.
What made Elmo so special? Technology. Weird to think that technology transformed a simple plushy into a global phenomenon, but the little guy truly ushered in the future of toy design. I’m guessing that today you can indeed buy an Elmo integrated with an Alexa so that your kids can order stuff behind your back. If you think this wild and crazy…
In my news-feed the other day there was an actual story of a 4 year old who was able to convince Alexa to buy this banana.
I remember stuffed Elmo. I remember my kids not willing to accept any substitutions, And so the hunt began. Store after store we crashed and the Elmo shelves were empty! We finally found a small out of the way toy store (we used the Yellow Pages to find them) and off we rushed 30 miles praying all the way. We arrived at the moment they told us a new batch was arriving and we purchased 2 at actual retail price. It is worthy to note that there were unscrupulous hucksters selling Elmos for $1,000 + that year.
But today almost all toys are computers in a toy suit. Robots, radio controlled cars, drones, game stations and Elmos that can do a Google search. (just kidding about the last one)
What is astonishing is how far technology has come and how completely it has integrated into our lives. So, for Christmas dinner don’t forget to ask your fridge if it has a ham, or your dishwasher if it is full or empty.
Yes by golly we have come a long way, people will still drive 30 miles for the last gadget de jour. Oh, and BTW Tickle Me Elmo is still around. This year he’s almost sold-out online.
rubesdontech.com 