Furby [Part 1]

This is one I've tried to hold off on for as long as possible, but I think it's time we finally tackled it.

I had multiple Furbys growing up, and, as such evidence might suggest, was an enormous fan of interactive toys, especially robotic pseudo pets. I had various other types - including one of those robotic dogs - but nothing ever really matched the Furby just for its overall weirdness. But it wasn't just the weirdness or the unique aspects of the toy that made me love it, there was another reason entirely, and that is that I am 100% obsessed with animatronics.

For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with animatronics. I remember going to Chuck E Cheese as a kid and loving the band that played on stage. I remember going to Disneyland multiple times throughout my childhood and loving all the rides, not because they were fun or based off movies I liked, but because of the robots inside of them, especially the more grandiose ones like Splash Mountain. I remember the first time I saw a Furby and realized I could have an animatronic all of my own.

There's a thing called the Uncanny Valley, and it's where something is supposed to look real but looks just off enough to make you wary of it. I think this applies to animatronics, and may partially be why so many people are creeped out by them, hence the success of video games like Five Nights At Freddy's, because something that looks sort of real, but so very clearly isn't, is just off putting to them. Despite being a fan myself, I can understand this line of thinking. Nonetheless, I needed a Furby, no, I need multiple Furbys.

The Furby was originally released in 1998 by Tiger Electronics. Over 40 million were sold during the original three year run of its production. 1.8 million sold during their launch year in 98, with a whopping 14 million selling the following year. Think about that, that increase, that number. In the span of 12 months, their units sold increased about 12 MILLION. That's absolutely ridiculous, but that's just how hot this toy had become. Some could write the Furby off as a fad, certainly, especially since their real general publicity didn't extend much past those first few years, but I'd argue to say that, while they aren't wrong in that belief, they're wrong in not acknowledging that, for a fad, it was also actually cool. The thing about fads is most of them are dumb and worthless. They're not really interesting and have no long lasting impact. But The Furby is unique in that it is interesting, and it's capable of being enjoyed long past the time you get it. You can play with a Furby for 10 years after you buy it, because it'll always interact with you. That's much better than a Pog, which, sadly, we'll have to cover at some point too.

Most toys that are fads aren't worth the hype, but the Furby is. The Furby is a unique toy that's actually fun to play with, and I think that doesn't get recognized near enough, not to mention how it's had a weird long lasting legacy solely online, which we'll get to in next weeks post.

They were also a milestone in robotics, as they were the first successful attempt to produce and sell a domestically aimed robot. This is long before you started giving your Roomba a nickname and treating it like a pet, alright? They're also sort of learning robots, because they have their own language but over time can grow their vocabulary into English. Because of its uniqueness, demand catapulted during the 98 Christmas period, driving the resale price over $100 instead of the standard retail $35, and sometimes going even as high as several hundred dollars. Some were even sold in newspapers and auctions for $300. For god sakes, they were so popular they got their own goddamned McDonalds toy. That's when you know you've made it as an icon in pop culture.

Because of this demand, and extortion level prices for said toy, this often resulted in people getting scammed by paying for Furbys that were ultimately never delivered. Parental battles, arguments and fights increased rapidly as supplies dwindled. The Furby was literally tearing families apart. Was this part of their fiendish plot the entire time? It does sound like something out of a science fiction story, doesn't it? Aliens create a device so cute and demanded that it rips apart the very fabric of our community.

The way they communicated with one another was an infra red port that had been placed between their eyes, meaning they could not only engage and interact with the children who played with them, but also other Furbys, which is - not gonna lie - an incredibly evil genius move, because that forces the child to tell their parents "I need more Furbys! They need friends!". That's a pro marketing tool right there. You let the consumer decide they need more without straight up advertising it to them. Worked on me. Well, that and my obsession with animatronics, like I stated. The thing is, they couldn't repeat phrases said to them, despite an incredibly persistent myth to the contrary, which wound up leading to them being banned from the offices of several intelligence agencies because they were thought to potentially be used as spy devices.

I want you to keep in mind, once again, this is the goddamned Furby we're talking about here, ok?

On January 13th, 1999, the National Security Agency, otherwise known as everyones favorite questionable branch of government, The NSA, decided to ban Furbys from entering the property (I like how this was stated, because it insinuates the Furby is a sentient being who was trying to enter of their own free will) due to the concerns that the myth perpetuated that they might be used to record and thus repeat classified information. Roger Shiffman owner of Tiger Electronics, has stated that if someone from the agency had simply, you know, ASKED he would've told them it wasn't possible, especially since the microphone inside a Furby not only can't record a sound at all but can also only hear a single monotonous beep if a loud sound is produced around them. Thankfully this ban was eventually repealed.

Just goes to show you what kind of really super intelligent people we have working in the US government, doesn't it? Brilliant mechanical engineers, top line generals, classically trained weapons experts...all terrified of a fucking Furby. Maybe they didn't like it cause it spoke a different language, who knows.

I had a lot of trouble making friends as a little girl, and spent far too much time talking to my toys, my stuffed animals, what have you, because I knew they would never hurt me or let me down. But an interactive toy? An animatronic toy? One that actually could respond to me? That was a dream come true, and I required it, and then required more than one so that Furby could have friends. I have since lost those Furbys and royally regret allowing that to happen, but I'm on the hunt for new ones this past year, and hopefully soon I'll be able to have new animatronic friends. Boy it doesn't end there. Because, just as I never forgot about the Furby, neither did the collective internet, which lead to their legacy being born...

...as musical instruments.