Attack of the Killer Elmo

When I was growing up, my favorite toy was a My Pet Monster critter who I named Marcus. He was terrifying in a very cute sort of way. We discovered on Zoe's birthday that Tickle Me Elmo is cute in a very terrifying sort of way. Annie and Zoe hovered around attentively as I loosened the twist tie bindings that were restraining this fuzzy beast in his cardboard cell. His beady eyes and trusting grin deceived me into releasing him onto the carpet to begin his dance of death. Once he sprung into life the area was instantly vacated by our little girls both retreating into their corners in hopes that Elmo wouldn't see them. And then the crying began. Elmo giggled and laughed because he knew he had won, and that we were forever in his servitude.

Since that fateful day we have regained the status of dominant predator in the Elmo-McArthur eco-system. He now does as we please, and only laughs when it is clearly appropriate. Zoe has warmed up to him and has even become sort of an Elmo whisperer. Once he begins slapping his knee and wobbling about, she cautiously knocks him over and runs away, before he has a chance to see her, thus gaining the advantage. It really is a pretty amazing toy, you just push his tummy and he stands up and does his little act. This is the world's first step towards robot dominance. All those sci-fi shows are wrong, if we ever get to a point where every family has a Rosie-like robot at their service, each of these animatrons will be red and fuzzy with a big orange nose, and evil browless eyes.