Family Upset About Swearing Ninja Turtle Toy, Is Their Anger Warranted?
An Indiana family is furious over a phrase spoken by a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy that they purchased for their son from a local Target store. The Leonardo toy, which plays various recorded phrases, is claimed to say a curse word that rhymes with ‘itch’ and starts with the letter ‘B’. In addition to the foul language, the family also claims that the toy is dangerous to play with and could cause harm to a child. They fear that the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie, and news of a sequel, could increase the popularity of the toy and they want to warn parents of the danger.
The toy in question is a Nickelodeon branded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sling Shouts Leonardo Plush that says multiple phrases, included one that says, “This is gonna be epic” when you fling him across the room. However, the family claims that the toy really says, “It says this is going to be a b**** and it drags it out,” according to WSBT TV News.
Michelle McClain and her husband Larry bout the Leonardo toy for their son Brayden’s fifth birthday because he is infatuated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Leonardo is his favorite. However, when he began to play with the toy, both parents were shocked when they heard the swear word come from Leonardo. Larry McClain was the first to hear the curse word.
“It surprised the heck out of me. I looked at the wife and said is that what it said and she says yes,”
According to the McClain’s, their son started using the ‘B’-word soon after and stated, “ninja turtles say it, why can’t I?” The parents simply told their son that it is not a word a little boy should say.
The video below shows the full news story and allows the viewers to make their own decision regarding what Leonardo says. It seems to clearly say the word “epic” in the video and many viewers, like Robin Goins, agree.
“[J]ust someone trolling for a lawsuit. It very clearly says Epic. There isn’t even a hint of another word. If Jr. was saying it than he picked it up from somewhere else and was just blaming the toy when he got caught.”
What do you hear in the video?
WSBT News reached out to Viacom International Incorporated and Playmates Toys Incorporated, but have not received a response. They also visited a local target and confirmed the Leonardo doll on the shelf sounds exactly like the one in the McClain’s home. Target asked that the McClains contact them directly regarding the issue. As for the danger of the toy, it is unknown if it will be pursued with the manufacturer.
Other toys in the past have also been accused of cursing, such as the Play and Giggle Triplets sold at Toys R Us. What are your thoughts on the Leonardo toy, is the family overreacting or do they have a legitimate concern?
[Photo Courtesy: WSBT News]
