Somewhere, in an office at Play-Doh's headquarters, a hundred heads are shaking so vigorously, we can almost hear them -- let's hope one or more don't start rolling after this debacle. The makers of the most innocent modeling clay/putty/what-is-it-exactly-we-don't-know are dealing with the wrath of thousands of confused and angry parents who purchased Play-Doh's Sweet Shoppe Cake Mountain Playset for their aspiring bakers and received an icing tool that looks exactly like a penis. A penis with veins and a ridge around the base and -- oh, the whole thing is pretty bad, and you just have to see the photo to understand the fury.
The $20 play set includes this instrument, which is meant to resemble a baker's pipette, but instead looks just like a baker's pipe (sorry, I couldn't resist):
Play-Doh, which is owned by Hasbro, has been dealing with complaints -- which have since been deleted -- on both its Facebook page and all over Twitter. Judging by the comments, it seems most parents understand that it's very unlikely the company put out something that looks like a penis on purpose. Still, they're having a difficult time understanding how in the hell no one stopped production at some point and said to themselves, Well, hey, that looks a lot like a very different kind of toy.
Apparently, Play-Doh realized its mistake about a month ago, when the company promised they would update the play kit with a less phallic-looking tool. They even provided this phone number -- 800-327-8264 -- and said they would send concerned parents a replacement part.
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So, here's the thing: this is more of a problem for parents than their children, most of whom I assume (um, I hope) will have no idea what a penis looks like. The fact that so many parents are making a fuss about this is really kind of funny. My 3-year-old is obsessed with doctor kits, every single one of which contains a needle that looks exactly like a male sex organ. Her Sofia the First microphone? Total penis.
All kidding aside, I have to admit I'd be a little freaked watching my little girl squeeze this thing or whatever you do with it. And my husband's reaction would, I have no doubt, be far worse. It's just kind of creepy and there's no reason why it has to look EXACTLY like a penis.
Would you complain if your child received this toy?
Image via Dennis Brekke/Flickr