If you were conscious and in the Western world in the 90s, you were likely aware of so many must-have holiday toys, but perhaps one of the most famous (and nightmare-inducing) was the Furby. Equal parts annoying and creepy, it was the Tickle-Me-Elmo of Christmas 1998. Now, I didn’t ask for one, because I had been incredibly underwhelmed with the previous year’s mega-hit, the Tamagotchi, and figured it wasn’t as smart or fun as the commercial made it seem. I did have several friends who got one, and the consensus is that after a few days, it ended up with the batteries removed or in a closet with a blanket over it, like a cross between a gremlin and a parrot.
The original marketing portrayed them as being able to learn new words (this was actually a lie and it only started using new words over time). With large, staring eyes, and slow, methodical speech patterns, the toy was found by many to be incredibly unnerving, and the idea that it was always listening didn’t help. And it didn’t help that the combination of Mondegreen and auditory pareidolia led to Walmart pulling the toys after parents complained the toys were cursing.
These claims also caught the attention of the NSA, who began to investigate the toy. While they were quick to determine that the Furby didn’t actually record audio, it didn’t stop employees from guessing what possible security issues the toy could present, from being able to record voices, to using the IR sensor to capture crude images, to the possibility of being a trojan horse of other equipment. The NSA ultimately decided that setting a precedent of allowing random electronic toys into secure areas wasn’t worth the risk but not before an employee leaked the discussion to The Washington Post. The leaker was never publicly identified, and the conversations about the Furby remained hidden until early 2024, when a FOIA request came through. Ultimately, the NSA was never truly worried, but if you extrapolate, you can imagine how much work they must be putting in with Apple, Google, and Amazon’s AI assistants.
And, for anyone who missed the first go, Furbies are currently having a revival! However, people aren’t rushing out to purchase a toy that speaks warbled phrases and doesn’t ever shut up. They’re now making “Cursed Furbies,” which lean into the unsettling nature of the toy and take it to new levels, whether by replacing the fur with epoxied baked beans, or grafting it onto a robot dog.
Have fun!