The DreamWorks Trolls World Tour Giggle 'n Sing Poppy Troll doll, introduced by Hasbro in its spring toy lineup, has a strategically placed button between its legs that giggles when the doll is placed in a seating position. Several posts on Fac…
The DreamWorks Trolls World Tour Giggle 'n Sing Poppy Troll doll, introduced by Hasbro in its spring toy lineup, has a strategically placed button between its legs that giggles when the doll is placed in a seating position. Several posts on Facebook – and a Change.org petition – describe the button as located in the doll's "private parts" area and suggest it is designed as part of an effort to groom young children for sex.
According to Hasbro's product description, the 12-inch tall doll is aimed at children 4 years and older and "giggles 3 different ways when she's tickled." It sings a version of the song "Trolls Just Want to Have Fun" from the DreamWorks Animation feature movie "Trolls World Tour."
The description adds that the doll can say "How about a hug?" and "Um, cupcake!" Finally, it notes that "when you sit her down, she makes other funny sounds, too!" Not all dolls in the spring collection include such a button.
In response to a fact-check by Leading Stories that declared the item "partly false," Cornaby responded on Facebook by saying, "Fact-checked??? How is my video/personal experience deemed untrue? Give me a BREAK ... I won’t be silent."
Similarly, a share of Cornaby's video from Facebook user Kaitlyn Aron Terrell on Aug. 4 includes the caption: "This... This is VERY disturbing. This is 100% why I say that they have been GROOMING kids all along ... Why is this button placed specifically where it is? Why is it not mention on the box? Why does it make such CREEPY sounds?"
Following the uproar, Hasbro said it was recalling the doll.
“This feature was designed to react when the doll was seated, but we recognize the placement of the sensor may be perceived as inappropriate,” Julie Duffy, Hasbro''s senior vice president for global communications, said Thursday in an email to USA TODAY. “This was not intentional, and we are happy to provide consumers with a replacement Poppy doll of similar value through our Consumer Care team. We are in the process of removing the item for purchase.”
