"toy" news and stories

I am disturbed that the slogan for The Fizz Cup is "Buy it. Try it. Die for it."

The cup makes root beer floats and no matter how good a root beer float is, it is hardly worth dying for.

The Fizz Cup screws onto the top of soda bottles and, using a straw that extends from the bottom of the bottle, though the cup and into your mouth, you can suck the soda up and create an instant root beer float. The advantage of using the cup is that it is highly portable, unlike a traditional homemade float in an open cup. Another selling point, according to the company, "It lets you have fun watching the soda and ice cream mix inside the dome lid, just like a volcano. Experience the science of fizz making with this special treat!"

Is a soda volcano worth dying for? No, and a mentos fountain is probably more exciting. Worth $10 + $6 S&H for a pack of 6? Maybe if you really need to take your floats to go.

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Generally, meat is for eating and not to be used as a toy. In this case, however, I think we can make an exception. Sweet Meats sells (vegetarian!) meat plushies, all made from and stuffed with a super-soft fleece. The varieties they sell include ham, t-bone and pork chops, as well as ribs and hot links. Most of the plushies are available in a "family size" for those who like their meat larger, too.

It seems like they would make an amusing gift for vegetarian friends, since no animals were harmed in the making of these meats, or a cute alternative to a teddy bear for a young carnivore-in-training. Can you imagine a little kid carrying around a plush steak instead of a security blanket? Adorable!

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I suppose that there is a certain point at which you become well-known enough to warrant your own action figure. Celebrity chefs have now reached that status. Mario Batali has a little action figure - 5.25-in. high - called Food Flippin' Mario. He's even wearing little crocs! Toy Mario is made of tin and winds up to flip the spaghetti and meatballs in his little pan, while shaking a bottle of his secret sauce. The toy will be released in July, but in the meantime, you can view a live demo at the site that sells him. 

Who else would make a good action figure? Giada de Laurentiis? Rachael Ray? Anthony Bourdain?

[via Shiny Shiny]

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A chain of Canadian restaurants can continue to use the name Barbie's, despite complaints from toymaker Mattel. Canada's Supreme Court recently decided that the Montreal-based steak restaurants have nothing to do with the doll. Mining the decision for a bit of humor, Justice Ian Binnie read a dictionary definition of Barbie as "a female who is superficially attractive in a conventional way, especially with blue eyes and blond hair, but who lacks personality," Reuters reported. "In that regard, the association of the Barbie doll with food might be taken as a warning of blandness," he added. The same court also ruled that a Canadian line of women's clothing can continue to use the name Cliquot, which is only one c away from the name of the famous champagne house. Bloomberg also reports.

The Octodog is a gadget that bills itself as a "frankfurter converter." In a matter of seconds, it can cut an ordinary hot dog into a hot dog that resembles a sea creature, namely an octopus. The device is made out of sturdy plastic and cuts through the dogs by applying pressure, without the use of a blade. This makes it child-safe, but produces edges that are somewhat dull. To show off the "legs," the Octodog really needs to be served on a plate, not in a bun.

To be frank(furter), I can honestly say that I have never had a desire to try and convert a hot dog into any form of marine life, though sites selling them proclaim that "kids love them!" and I will admit that it is sort of cute, especially with some cartoon eyes added. If you want to check one out, they're for sale here.

 

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