Typhoid Mommy
One of Diva Girl’s few complaints about her new school is that no one there knows what Webkinz are.This time last year I too was blissfully ignorant of the time sucking, multiplying evil joy that is Webkinz. And now we own ten of them*.
Different schools have different cultures, and fads hit at different times. Diva doesn’t know what the “in” thing is at this school, but she does know that when she talks about Webkinz everyone’s eyes glaze over (and not for the same reasons mine do). Apparently interactive web based toys haven’t hit this particular playground, leaving Sabrina once again on the outside of cool.
Not for long, however, as fate has intervened in the form of a birthday party invitation. Since I don’t know this little girl at all, and have no idea what is cool at school, I’ve decided to do a bad, bad thing and kill two birds with one stone. Yes, I’m buying the birthday girl her very own Webkinz so that she too can whine for computer time be indoctrinated into the cult play online (hopefully with Diva Girl, who signed the card with her screen name).
Oh yeah, we’re going to be soooo popular here. I can feel it.
*OK, I feel the need to point out that I only bought two of those Webkinz. That’s it. One for each of them. Two. The others just sort of…arrived. I think they breed or something. And believe me, I’m deeply embarrassed by the plethora of pets here. I don’t believe a kid really needs more than one of these toys, but the Webkinz marketing machine is a mighty force.
Comment by Mom101
I think that is evil genius. More genius than evil. No doubt your daughter isn’t outside the curve but ahead of it.
And you’re right - your site IS pretty!
Posted on September 15, 2007 at 7:31 am
Comment by Lady M
Thanks for sending me the new url again! I haven’t been checking this site - I’m glad to see you’re writing here again!
I haven’t learned about Webkinz yet, so that’s a new one for me.
Posted on September 16, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Comment by Kate
Do tell how that stroke of genius went, I can’t wait for you to inundate the school with horrible little toys!!!!mwahahahahahahahaha
Posted on September 17, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Comment by Julia
What’s going on Kim? What happened to the IVillage blog? I’m so confused here.
I was told about Webkinz by a coworker and got Molly one for her first day of ballet…I’m ashamed to say I even got addicted. Only because Molly likes to overfeed Blue Bucket (orange and white kitty) and runs out of money, so I had to play games to make more money for her. The worst part is someone told me there is a cheat for unlimited money and I haven’t cared enough to go find it…instead I still play the games and tend her garden. Where was this when we were kids???
Anyway, enough about me…what’s going on??? I clicked on a link on your siggy because I noticed you were advertising another blog. This goes all the way back to before Regan had a tumor. Wow! So many things I didn’t know about you before. I teared up reading it all because I feel like I know you in person so well. But hell, now I feel like a guilty voyeur for reading it all.
Okay, random comment on a post that is 2 months old, but I had to ask you, what happened to IVillage?
I hope y’all are doing okay. I miss reading about your sarcastic (yet lightheartedly hilarious) take on life.
Posted on October 31, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Comment by Jewel
My child received a Webkinz in the mail for a birthday gift last month. It was a simple stuffed animal dog, (made in China). It looked like any other stuffed toy on the market. Little did I realize this was the latest and largest craze since Pokemon and beanie babies…with a catch. Printed on the toy’s tag is an “access” code that allows the owner access to the Webkinz website. Enter some of your child’s (seemingly innocuous) information and he/she has access to the site for one year. Inside, your child is allowed to “nurture” their virtual pet. But to do so, you need Webkinz money. The Webkinz money is accumulated by playing games on the site. Then the child is rewarded by getting to “buy” stuff for his/her virtual pet. If the child doesn’t visit the site enough to “care for” their virtual pet…the pet doesn’t “die”…it just “gets sad”. Brilliant really. This is genius marketing. The advertizer - Webkinz- doesn’t have to figure out how to get to your kids…because the kids come back to them after their first “hit”. Over and over. And they want more…more…MORE Webkinz.
I wish parents would clue into such advertising and their negative effects. Abject mindless consumerism. “Stuff” without meaning or use.
I googled two words. “Webkinz” and “gross” together. I landed on a chat site devoted to talking about how cool Webkinz are and how many kids can collect…etc..The kids ages appeared to be somewhere between 8 and 12 years old. But the site soon got rude, then nasty, then downright pornagraphic. I opted to throw out the “access code”. I explained to my daughter that she could play with the stuffed dog, but the games and site were merely a very clever advertisment designed to make kids waste their money on more and more of what they all ready have.
A few days later we went out to visit a favorite cousin. She had a friend over. They were in the basement, each sitting in front of a computer screen…(you guessed it)…playing Webkinz online. Plugged in and tuned out.
How I shudder.
Posted on November 16, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Comment by Art
Hi Guys,
Thanks for this sharing about your experiencs of and discovery of the World of Webkinz and how addictive they can become (we are all kids at heart!). I have been lookin for Webkinz for my kids and came across a site that shows webkinz videos www.l8st.info/webkinz.
Also I caught some great bargains at www.Best-Toys-N-Games.com to fill the kids stockings
Have peaceful holidays
Art
Posted on December 11, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Comment by Dad's Webkinz For Sale
My kids love their webkinz stuffed animals and they spend every day on webkinz world if they can. I wanted to check out the site to find out what it was about, (as any parent should) but I need to warn you. I spend a little too much time there now. I can’t believe how educational this site is. Have you tried Quizzy’s corner? This dad’s not looking to place his webkinz for sale anytime soon!
Posted on December 12, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Comment by Helen
I have to be honest , this is the first time that I`ve heard of a Webkinz , but they are really cute and I`ll have to get one soon for an upcoming birthday gift
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 1:54 pm