- 10 hours ago
Sweet dreams are NOT made of these... Join us as we count down our picks for the strangest, creepiest, and downright unsettling toys from the decade of neon, VHS, and questionable fashion choices! From inside-out transforming nightmares to talking horrors that malfunctioned at the worst times, these toys left many kids wide awake instead of sleeping tight. Which disturbing toy would have kept you up at night?
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00:00Hi, my name is Teddy Ruxpin. Can you and I be friends?
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the strangest, creepiest, and downright unsettling toys from the decade of neon, VHS, and questionable fashion choices.
00:17I know you are, but what am I?
00:19Number 10, Popples.
00:21What happens when an inside-out flip transformation trick meets body horror?
00:25You get Popples.
00:27These cute and colorful plush pals were created by Mattel in 1986.
00:31See? Pop goes to Popples.
00:34They looked like adorable teddy bear cousins with long, poofy tails.
00:38The inside-out flip transformation was their gimmick.
00:41They could be flipped into a ball or pouch.
00:43But for Popples, this looked like a fuzzy friend folding into a fleshy cocoon.
00:48Bedtime! Pop goes to Popples.
00:51Add to this the oversized, glossy eyes and the deadpan stare that seemed to follow you no matter where you went.
00:56Let's just say bedtime wasn't so comforting anymore.
00:59Though they were marketed as fun companions, the Popples' unsettling stare and strange contortions gave children nightmares instead of sweet dreams.
01:07Go to Popples.
01:08Go to Popples.
01:09Go to Popples.
01:09Number 9, Garbage Pail Kids.
01:12Cabbage Patch Kids were their own oddity.
01:14But at least they looked sweet.
01:15Garbage Pail Kids were the gross parody that no one asked for.
01:19Still, millions loved them.
01:21They're a takeoff on the Cabbage Patch Kids, but these Garbage Kids are ugly and nasty.
01:26Introduced as trading cards in 1985 by Topps, they showcased everything from exploding heads, building warts, and pus-oozing sores to snot streams and mutated features.
01:37The kids loved it, and the parents hated it.
01:39It looks like the atomic bomb.
01:41It looks communistic.
01:43It looks like maybe someone is trying to break the American family.
01:47Despite this negative reception, the grossed-out humor proved to be a big hit.
01:51The shock factor gave way to two polarizing views.
01:55For some, these cards were funny.
01:57To others, they were nightmare fuel.
01:59Either way, they perfectly captured the 1980s' ew aesthetic.
02:03Parental objection to these cards is such that one school district in Connecticut banned the cards from all school property.
02:09Number 8, My Buddy Doll.
02:11For a long time, dolls were seen as only for girls.
02:14Then, in 1985, along came My Buddy, which broke the stereotype.
02:19Released by Hasbro, these dolls were designed to be a child's best friend, opening the doll market to young boys.
02:25My buddy, I'll teach them everything that I know.
02:30But all good things must come to an end.
02:321988's horror classic Child's Play made sure of this.
02:36The movie introduced Chucky, a murderous doll who looked eerily like My Buddy.
02:40From then on, the doll's legacy was tarnished.
02:43My Buddy just didn't seem the same anymore.
02:48The innocent smile of the doll now felt sinister.
02:51Its vacant eyes seemed to harbor something darker.
02:54Thanks to Hollywood, a doll meant to comfort became synonymous with horror instead.
03:01Number 7, Teddy Ruxpin.
03:03A talking doll seemed like a wonder in the 80s.
03:06When Worlds of Wonder released Teddy Ruxpin into the wild in 1985, they struck gold.
03:11Teddy was no ordinary teddy bear.
03:13My name is Teddy Ruxpin.
03:15Can you and I be friends?
03:17Yeah.
03:18Insert a cassette tape into it, and his mouth and eyes moved while narrating bedtime stories.
03:23For kids in the 80s, this was like high-tech magic.
03:26But high-tech doesn't always age gracefully.
03:29Hi there.
03:30My name is Teddy Ruxpin.
03:32Whenever Teddy malfunctioned, he went from animatronic marvel to creepy glitch show.
03:37A stuttering voice, jerky movements, and glassy eyes that refused to blink meant Teddy was no longer a bear.
03:44Kids still love Teddy, but others can never forget the sinking feeling in the stomach while watching a dead-eyed toy try to act alive.
03:51There's nothing in the world like a good friend.
03:54You can say that again.
03:55Number 6, Crypt Keeper Doll.
03:58Tales from the Crypt was a TV favorite for fans.
04:00What's even better?
04:01Translating its ghoulish host into a toy.
04:04This little drama is about one of life's unexpected pleasures.
04:10Dying, that is.
04:12While this doll technically hit store shelves in the early 90s, it's rooted in the 1989 horror show.
04:17With a rotting grin, sunken eyes, and shredded clothing, the Crypt Keeper Doll looked worse for wear.
04:24Imagine walking into your sibling's room and being greeted by a half-rotted figure staring at you from the shelf.
04:30For older fans of the show, the doll was a collectible.
04:33For kids who stumbled across it, it was just plain scary.
04:36Blurring the lines between toy and Halloween prop, the Crypt Keeper was not exactly the cuddliest bedtime companion.
04:43The Crypt Keeper kept kids up at night rather than putting them to sleep.
04:47Talking Crypt Keeper, promise.
04:50Number 5, The Boglins.
04:52In 1987, Tim Clark's Boglins slithered onto toy shelves, making their grand stage on the grotesque.
04:58Come a little closer.
05:01Oh, did I scare you?
05:02These rubber hand puppets were slimy, had bulging eyes, and gaping mouths.
05:07Inside, the Boglins had levers that allowed kids to move their eyes, mouths, and facial expressions.
05:13The result?
05:15They looked disturbing, and worse, they were alive.
05:18The marketing was also on point.
05:20Don't get the phone!
05:21I said get it, not eat it!
05:24The Boglins' glowing eyes and eerie packaging, which resembled a cage, gave the perfect impression of a horror pet.
05:30Creepy, cool, and unforgettable, the Boglins gave kids their share of the spotlight in many mischievous deeds.
05:36And we're looking for good homes!
05:38Maybe yours!
05:39Number 4, Glow Worm.
05:42Among the many dolls designed to comfort 80s children afraid of the dark, the Glow Worm from Hasbro's Play School had the exact opposite effect.
05:49Glow Worm, Glow Worm, your child's goodnight friend!
05:55All you had to do was give the doll's belly a squeeze, and its soft, plush body lit up with a gentle glow.
06:01Sounds innocent enough, right?
06:02Until you add in the doll's blank, unblinking face.
06:05More spectral than soothing, for kids, the Glow Worm looked more like a ghost worm sitting on their pillow.
06:11I heard of you, Glow Worm.
06:13It was downright creepy, and didn't live up to its role as a nighttime buddy.
06:17Cute in theory, to sensitive sleepers, the Glow Worm felt more like a bedtime intruder than a bedtime pal.
06:23And its machine washable, Glow Worm, from Hasbro.
06:27Number 3, Pee Wee Herman Doll.
06:29In the mid-80s, Pee Wee Herman was a TV superstar.
06:32Naturally, merchandise followed fame.
06:35For the rest of the day, whenever anybody says a secret word, scream me aloud!
06:40In 1987, Matchbox produced a talking doll that took on Pee Wee Herman's appearance.
06:44The trademark gray suit, red bowtie, and wide smile made the doll seem harmless at first glance.
06:50A while later, that frozen grin quickly crossed into the realm of the uncanny.
06:54Worse, the pull-string voice box often malfunctioned, replaying Pee Wee's quirky catchphrases and distorted tones.
07:00Imagine hearing, I know you are, but what am I, on repeat, in a warped robotic speech at 2 a.m.
07:07I know you are, but what am I?
07:08The glitch transformed comedy into horror.
07:11A fun merchandise turned nightmare guest.
07:13The Pee Wee Herman Doll was one the kids preferred to avoid.
07:17What's that?
07:18Major luck!
07:19Number 2, Madballs.
07:21Few toys embody the 80s ew motif like madballs.
07:24These foam, or rubber bouncing balls, came decorated with grotesque, cartoonish faces.
07:30We play with a madball!
07:32We play with a madball!
07:34Invented by Amtoy and released in 1986 by Cloud Co Entertainment, Madballs had an assortment of characters.
07:40There was Slobulous with one eye hanging out.
07:42There was Screamin' Mimi with his perpetual shriek.
07:45We think you get the point.
07:46Now a great madballs are joined by a great more!
07:49Kids loved bouncing the balls around.
07:51The rotting teeth, exposed brains, and infected sores drove a grotesque craze.
07:56Madballs sold like hotcakes with over 10 million sold by the end of 1986.
08:01Revolting for the adults, they were a quintessential 80s creation, with the perfect balance of fun and disturbing.
08:08And in soccer, everyone gets a kick out of a super madball!
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08:27Number 1. Talking Freddy Krueger Doll
08:29You would think it made sense to keep A Nightmare on Elm Street for movie hauls alone.
08:34But the 80s were a wild time.
08:36There had to be some merchandise.
08:37And there was.
08:42Released by Matchbox in 1989, there was the king of disturbing toys.
08:46The talking Freddy Krueger doll.
08:48The razor-gloved villain was now a toy that you could cuddle.
08:52Freddy wasn't just any slasher.
08:53He was a murderer who haunted dreams.
08:56It's only a three!
08:57It's only a three!
08:58Come to Freddy.
09:00Of course, this naturally translated to putting him in plush form for kids.
09:04The doll walked a fine line between collectible and psychological scarring.
09:08It was great for horror fans.
09:10But for unsuspecting kids, it wasn't all sweet dreams.
09:13It's difficult to imagine a less appropriate bedtime companion.
09:25Which of these toys would have kept you up at night as a kid?
09:28Let us know in the comments.
09:29Pop goes the pop-o!
09:31Pop goes the pop-o!
09:32Pop goes the pop-o!
09:32Pop goes the pop-o!
09:32Pop goes the pop-o!
09:32Pop goes the pop-o!
09:33Pop goes the pop-o!
09:33Pop goes the pop-o!
09:34Pop goes the pop-o!
09:34Pop goes the pop-o!
09:35Pop goes the pop-o!
09:36Pop goes the pop-o!
09:37Pop goes the pop-o!
09:38Pop goes the pop-o!
09:39Pop goes the pop-o!
09:40Pop goes the pop-o!
09:41Pop goes the pop-o!
09:42Pop goes the pop-o!
09:43Pop goes the pop-o!
09:44Pop goes the pop-o!
09:45Pop goes the pop-o!
09:46Pop goes the pop-o!
09:47Pop goes the pop-o!
09:48Pop goes the pop-o!
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