Do they make pepto for Furbys?

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by 4th and Long

They still make Furbys? Didn't the Gremlins people sue their ass off and win some big lawsuit to stop production several years back?

I stand corrected.

True, False and Unclarified

There have been a number of stories circulated over the years about Furbys, lawsuits and various bannings. Here we try to separate the truth from the fiction:

Warner Brothers Lawsuit. One of the first was in December 1998, when it was reported that Hasbro, Tiger Electronics' parent company, had paid a seven-figure settlement, and promised a redesign of the Furby, to Warner Brothers, the makers of the Gremlins films: this was due to the alleged similarity of Furbys to Gremlins. All parties involved deny this. Lawsuit: False.

Furbys banned from the Pentagon. There are two different stories concerning the banning of Furbys from the Pentagon. One says that Pentagon staff banned them because they talked too much, and the other says staff banned them due to concerns that the Furbys could repeat confidential information. Banned for talking too much: Unclarified. Banned on the possibility of repeating confidential information: True. Another unanswered question is: Just who would want to take Furbys into the Pentagon in the first place?

A side note to the Pentagon story; due to the following little blurb, I find it odd that they were banned for being able to repeat phrases.

Furbys were programmed with a selection of words and phrases, 'spoken' in a language called 'Furbish' (the official language of Furbys). With three different pitches of voice, Furbys did not all sound the same. Here is a translation of some of their more common mutterings:

'Noo-Loo' - happy
'Ah-May Koh Koh' - pet me more
'Dah May Lah' - big hug
'Mee Mee A-Tay' - very hungry

Furbys were also programmed to simulate learning some English3 pre-programmed words and phrases too. With patience, repetition and determination, in a similar way to teaching a budgie to talk, it may be possible to stimulate your Furby into exhibiting these words and phrases more rapidly. However, unlike a budgie, a Furby cannot learn new words; they can only repeat the words and phrases they were pre-programmed to say.

Odd. And on we go.

Airlines banned Furbys from flying on their planes. Airlines classified Furbys as PEDs (Personal Electronic Devices) and as such, were under the same strict rules as other such PEDs. They were banned from being used and had to be turned off during specific times, as the Furby had no off switch, the batteries had to be removed. Airlines ban: Misconception, they were not banned from flying, they were banned from being used, and had to have their batteries removed.

A Furby saved a couple's life A couple fell asleep, after enjoying a candlelit romantic dinner. While they slept, the candles set fire to the curtains; they were woken by their Furby saying 'Ahh, bright light', allowing them to escape and raise the alarm. Lifesaver: Unclarified.

Subliminal messages There has been claims the Furbys were programmed with moralistic subliminal messages, such as: 'I obey the law', 'I respect the law' and 'I love God, country and community'. Furby’s designer has strongly denied this. Subliminal messages: False

ChiTown suggested you dismantle it, here you go.

Disposing of a Furby

If you possess a particularly sadistic streak, or if you have found the ownership of a Furby such a traumatic ordeal, that you feel witnessing its destruction will be ideal therapy, there are a couple of options:

Build a bonfire in your garden, and place your Furby on the top. It is advisable not to leave the bonfire unattended while it is lit, as your burning Furby may try to extract revenge by rolling off the bonfire in a ball of flames; this could start fires other parts of your garden.

Microwaving your Furby. As a microwave cooks from the inside out, the electronic parts of your furby would be burnt out and destroyed in a very short time. However, this is likely to damage and destroy your microwave as well, which would much delight your Furby, so this method is best avoided.

Picking your Furby up by its oversized ears, and unceremoniously dumping it in the wheelie bin, just before the wheelie bin is upturned and emptied into the rubbish truck, your Furby will then be compressed, along with the rest of the unwanted household waste.

Less cruel ways (but still therapeutic) include:

Dig a small, but deep hole in your garden, place your Furby in the hole, and fill the hole in, thereby burying it. Warning: If you have a dog, you should shut your dog inside your house, so that the dog does not see where you buried your Furby, and dig it up again

Look around to see if you have lots of unwanted items such as tastless gifts, or things that seemed a good idea to buy at the time (or you were simply drunk when you bought them). Take them along with your Furby and sell them at a car boot sale, or do it the US way, and have a garage sale. Alternatively, donate your Furby to a charity shop.

Remove the batteries and put your Furby in the loft of your house. In years to come, when you are a grandparent, you can get it down from the loft and entertain your grandchildren, showing them what electronic toys used to be like.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A71641#footnote3