Tickle Me Elmo

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A first-generation "Tickle Me Elmo" stuffed toy.

Tickle Me Elmo, Tickles Me In All The Right Places is a children's toy from Tyco, introduced in the United States in 1997, becoming that year's top fad. Bright red in color and based on Elmo, a Muppet character from Sesame Street, when squeezed, Elmo would chortle. When squeezed three times in a row, Elmo would begin to shake and laugh hysterically.

In 1996, the Tickle Me Elmo was the "must have" toy. Many parents literally fought other parents in North American toy stores to purchase one of the toys for Christmas. When stores were running low on toys battles would be held in the store room. The short supply of the toy, due to unexpected demand, meant that stores hiked the price on the dolls drastically. Newspaper classifieds even sold the plush toy for hundreds of U.S. dollars. People reports that the US $28.99 toy fetched as much as $1500.

Employees injured

A clerk at a Hot Topic store in Forks, Washington, United States was among those injured by "Elmo-mania". A crowd of 300 stampeded into the store on 14 December 1996; spotting him with one of the remaining toys, he "was pulled under, trampled—the crotch was yanked out of [his] brand-new jeans." According to People, the clerk "suffered a pulled hamstring, injuries to his back, jaw and knee, a broken rib and a concussion^[1].

Further Tickle Me toys

By February 1997, Tickle Me: Ernie and Tickle Me: Big Bird toys were released, followed by Tickle Me Cookie Monster in May. None of these toys achieved nearly as much fame, or sales. With the rerelease of Tickle Me Elmo, mini Tickle Me Cookie Monster and mini Tickle Me Ernie were also put on the market.

The "Surprise Edition" of Tickle Me Elmo, issued in the Fall of 2001, was an elaborate contest. Five of the "Surprise Edition" Elmos stopped laughing on 9 January 2002, and instead announced to the people squeezing them that they had won a prize. The grand prize was US$200,000.^[2]

TMX

In 2006, a new Elmo doll was announced at the American International Toy Fair, called TMX (meaning Tickle Me (Elmo) Ten or Tickle Me Extreme). Rather than simply vibrating like the original, the TMX rolls around on the floor laughing and smashing his fist on the ground, begging for the tickler to stop.^[3] The full look of the doll was not revealed until it debuted live on ABC's Good Morning America and arrived on store shelves on September 19, 2006. Toy experts said that the delay was unprecedented, with only a few people in the media allowed to preview the product, all signing confidentiality agreements. The packaging it comes in has been designed so that the doll cannot be seen without purchasing it. The box includes a preview flap, but upon opening, only the doll's eyes are visible. It requires six AA batteries, and costs approximately US$40. In a promotional clip, Jim Silver, co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine said, "The first reaction I had was, 'Where are the wires?' Because I didn't think anything like that could move on its own."^[4].

Toy analyst Chris Byrne told USA Today, "This is a quantum leap forward, another breakthrough in the preschool plush category." Byrne believed sales would be high, but the reaction would not be as unprecedented. "The culture has moved beyond that, the whole hot-toy phenomenon." He cited the fact there has not been such a craze since Furby in 1998.^[5] However, some members of the media expected a large response.

Toys R Us stores and Amazon had a pre-sale program for the doll, the first included elaborate in-store displays with a digital countdown to the doll's launch. Amazon took more presale orders than it could fulfill.^[6]

As with the original Tickle Me Elmo doll, demand for the new toy has given rise to extreme acts by some people. One person in Tampa, Florida was allegedly threatened with a gun to hand over a TMX toy.This was parodied on Saturday Night Live, which said the man "was subued by the new 'Gimmie a Reason Bert'"^[7]

Mattel credits this toy, along with two others, for its performance the six cent share increase from that time, a year earlier. TMX also helped increase sales of other Elmo toys.^{[citation needed]}

Variations

There are three versions of the TMX doll, one which has the Warning sticker on front (which most TMX dolls have now), the Top Secret sticker (which was just for launch, making that more rare), and one that no longer includes a flap and instead a hole to try the toy. The Warning and Top Secret boxes appear to be identical except for the variation in the text on the front, and Elmo says different things when opening the flap. When the flap is opened on the Top Secret box, Elmo says "Uh uh uh! No peeking! Hahahaha!" When the flap on the Warning box is opened, he says "Elmo feels really ticklish in here! Hahahaha!" However some "Top Secret" boxes in the United Kingdom have been reported to have the latter sound, e.g. "Elmo feels very ticklish in here" etc when lifting the flap. There are differences under the flap too. On the Warning box, there are images of the TMX Elmo rolling and giggling, while the Top Secret box only has an image of Elmo peeking out of the box. On the Try Me box, consumers can tickle Elmo using the hole in the box. However, it does not include a flap.

Mattel has released versions of the toy featuring Ernie and Cookie Monster.^[8]

eXtra Special Edition

For the Christmas 2007 season Mattel released a version with hidden surprises. Mattel has provided a website with rhyming clues that can help find the special messages^[9]

Clues

1. A silly surprise can be found...

   Something with a musical sound!

   Just lift Elmo's arm straight in the air.

   Then find his belly and tickle him there!

2. What's bothering Elmo you will know

   When he does an exercise involving toes

   The plan will go without a hitch

   if(when he's not looking) you pull a switch

   Then tickle his extremity and Elmo's problem you will see

3. For silly Elmo sound effects,

   Follow all these silly steps

   How big is Elmo? Have him show you

   Then if he goes to sleep, don't let it throw you

   Just one more secret tickle place

   And you'll hear the silly sounds that Elmo makes.

4. Elmo's trying without success

   To get out of a silly mess.

   He's doing a workout on the floor

   is he "off"? is he "on"?

   It's certainly never a bore.

   Leg-lifts always make him grin,

   So do tickles on his chin.

   But, when his workout at last is through

   You'll see what Elmo finds so hard to do.

5. Elmo's got a serious question.

   So, place him in a standing position.

   Raise his arm...up, up it goes,

   Then bend him over to his toes

   Now tickle his foot (that's your final task)

   And then it's time for Elmo to ask...

6. We think you've got a secret...

   One that Elmo knows.

   To find out what it is...

   Turn him off, sit him up and rest his hand on his toes!

   Get on with it... lie him back.

   Do a sit-up and relax.

   Arm on the floor.

   Stand up once more.

   And tickle his belly, too!

   and... that's the way you'll find out

References

External links

• Wired: Elmo's Worth More Than a Tickle on the Surprise Edition
• Sesame Street: Tickle Elmo, an online simulation of the toy
• CBS13.com: Elmo Demostration Video demonstration of the new Tickle Me Elmo