'Baby Alive', Doll Goes To Potty!

Insync

oi-Staff

By Staff

Saturday, December 27, 2008, 8:01

The latest bestselling product in the toy world is the 'Baby Alive' dolls, that eat and also let you know when she need to visit the potty.

When the animatronic baby doll need to use her pink plastic toilet, she chirps in a singsong voice –"Sniff sniff! I made a stinky!". The doll needs to be fed 'green beans' and 'bananas' that are the part of the package. According to the Washington Post, the doll's promotional literature read: "Be careful. Just like real life, sometimes she can hold it until she gets to the 'potty' and sometimes she can't!"

"May stain some surfaces." is the warning on the cover of the doll. The mess however not real, as a magnet riggers an instant in the plastic bowl when the doll sits on it. "The 'water' in the toilet disappears, with the expected 'potty waste' appearing in its place. Your child can then flush the toilet. The 'water' will reappear, while the toilet makes a very realistic flushing sound!" said Mattel, who manufactured the doll.

These doll movements are a result of sophisticated robotics controlled by the same kind of microprocessor that navigates satellites and runs nuclear power plants. Store managers at leading stores Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us have reported trouble maintaining the stocks.

Baby Alive which has been listed as the Hot Toys of 2008 by Hottoys2008.com is a sold out at Wal-Mart, eToys.com and the AOL shopping site a week before Christmas. But their have been criticism regarding the dolls 'realism', stating that some facts are meant to be left to the imagination.

"Retailers have bought heavily into these dolls. They feel that these are some of the more popular items for girls this year," said Reyne Rice, trend specialist with the Toy Industry Association.