Connecticut Toy Company Runs Out Of Ebola Plush Toys

[Wrenry]

Quote:

It may be the only time you will find these words in the same sentence: "Ebola" and "Add to Wishlist."

Giantmicrobes Inc., which makes a line of plush toys based on viruses and other microscopic organisms, has sold out its entire Ebola stock, including the small Ebola doll for $9.95, a Gigantic Ebola doll for $29.95 and an Ebola Petri Dish toy for $14.95, according to the company's website.

"Since its discovery in 1976, Ebola has become the T. Rex of microbes," says the Stamford, Connecticut-based maker of the "uniquely contagious toy" on its website, which promotes them as gag gifts that also have educational value.

With the latest Ebola outbreak, which already killed more than 4,500 people, mostly in West Africa, customers have snapped up the toy, which looks like half a pretzel.

"You do not want to get Ebola," warns the website. "A short incubation period of 2 to 21 days presages symptoms which include fever, aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and both internal and external bleeding. And then, for between 50-90 percent of victims, death."

Giantmicrobes lists the World Health Organization as one of its largest customers, along with pharmaceutical companies and the American Red Cross.

Anyone disappointed by the current shortage of the Ebola toys can click on "Add to Wishlist" and wait for more stock to arrive. Or make a different selection from the company's array of other plush toys, including Anthrax, Botulism, Cholera and Dengue Fever.

It was not clear how many of the toys have been sold and the company could not be reached for comment.

Source

Hoping that the people who bought up the toys are using it for educational purposes because that would be the worst gag gift in the world.

[Kitty Nocturna]

People have a facination for the gruesome. Death sells just as well as sex. Fact is stranger than fiction.

[Erynne]

It looks like a cute fuzzy turd.

[kinnykins]

those germ plushies are ADORABLE emotion_kirakira

[tealoving]

The idea of using toys to educate young children on various diseases isn't in of itself a bad thing, imho.

[Pessimist]

I knew it was going to be Giant Microbes from the title. I have several of their blood cell plushies. I suspect most will be given as gag gifts, but I do hope maybe some were bought to educate. They all come with a tag showing an actual image of the virus and inside the card is more information.

[JamesWN]

Ebola... plush dolls? These obviously must be made as shrine offerings to Ebola-chan.

[David2074]

Erynne

It looks like a cute fuzzy turd.

Thank you. I thought the same.
Googled pics and it looks like a giant mangled dog turd or some such.

I'm a little surprised (but not very) that it is a thing.
I've seen germ plush toys (and coffee cups and such) because I have a friend who worked for the city for years doing lab work / testing water and such. Often the same catalogs that supply the lab equipment have some stuff like that and from time to time someone will have an amusing coffee cup or calendar or something on their desk.

And I've seen the plushy sort of thing in some doctors offices - presumably a tool to help them explain certain viruses and such to young children.
But that seems to make more sense when explaining the flu or something to a child. Somehow I don't picture the, "Your mommy and daddy have eobloa and are probably going to die and you have been exposed as well..." conversation going any better with a cute plushy toy that looks like a turd.

So yeah, most of them probably sold to people with a tasteless sense of humor.

[Chahklet]

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

[Pessimist]

Chahklet

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

Uh, what? They've been making the ebola plush for years. It's only now that they've ever really sold out of it.

[Chahklet]

Pessimist

Chahklet

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

Uh, what? They've been making the ebola plush for years. It's only now that they've ever really sold out of it.

Yeah, I know.

[Pessimist]

Chahklet

Pessimist

Chahklet

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

Uh, what? They've been making the ebola plush for years. It's only now that they've ever really sold out of it.

Yeah, I know.

...I'm still not entirely clear with what you're trying to say. Giant Microbes does have ebola plushes. They also have HIV, MRSA, Hep C, West Nile and many, many other diseases that are deadly. But their business isn't really so much making light of diseases so much as creating gag gifts to give to the microbiologist in your life.

[Chahklet]

Pessimist

Chahklet

Pessimist

Chahklet

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

Uh, what? They've been making the ebola plush for years. It's only now that they've ever really sold out of it.

Yeah, I know.

...I'm still not entirely clear with what you're trying to say. Giant Microbes does have ebola plushes. They also have HIV, MRSA, Hep C, West Nile and many, many other diseases that are deadly. But their business isn't really so much making light of diseases so much as creating gag gifts to give to the microbiologist in your life.

My point isn't about it being made.

[Erholung]

I love these plush dolls! My friend was diagnosed with Lyme Disease back when we were in high school after going undiagnosed for four years! He was lucky to live through it. It was very life-threatening at the time and they managed to get him on the medication necessary to save his life. He will never be completely healthy as a result, however.

Now, our friendship has always been bizarre. Our little group did odd things to show love and care for one another. I was out at the Mall of America one day and saw the Lyme Disease plush doll and bought it on the spot for him. I gave it to him the day he was discharged from the hospital, hooked up with a medical tube to his chest for direct medicine to his bloodstream. He thought it was the best damn toy in the world and he still has it to this day. 3nodding

These plush dolls are awesome and each one comes with a pamphlet that contains information about the disease or infection.

There are STD ones and people were "spreading herpes" back in the Junior High by tossing them around. It was quite comical.

[Erholung]

Chahklet

It's all fun and games when the Africans have it, but oh no not White America!

I don't care about other countries that have Ebola because it's not in my backyard, especially Africa. The moment it crosses into my country, where I could be in harm's way, then I will care. But the whole freakout thing with it being in America to begin with, I'm not caught up in the hype. Pretty much all of the cases have been false.