The intricacies and oddities ofhuman behavior never cease to astound. Toy-Time Fun, Phil Loves His Gun, Dating Tips by the Ton
Every Christmas brings tales of the year's hottest toy and the riots it inspires. In 1996, Tickle Me Elmo had parents slugging it out in store aisles. Postings on the World Wide Web offered Elmo for $5,000. There was even an unconfirmed report that John Gotti, Jr., son of the jailed crime don, was passed a case of the hard-to-find dolls by a goodfella at a local Toys 'R' Us.
From toys-to-kill-for to "killer" toys: Post-Christmas news brought word that Mattel's Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids, made to chomp on plastic carrots and french fries, had developed a taste for children's hair and fingers. (Mattel ultimately removed the doll from shelves and offered full refunds.) Which leads us to offer this sure-fire bestseller for 1997's holiday season: Eat Me Elmo.
