Aug 26 2023

Selects: How Toy Testing Works

Selects 47 min 3 movies discussed
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It's every kid's dream - a job playing with toys that pays in toys. It's a real thing and has been around for a long time. Then there's the other side of the testing process, companies who ensure that toys are safe. It takes both of these testing techniques to successfully bring a toy to market these days. Dive into the ball pit with us today and learn all about toy testing in this classic episode.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know: Toy Testing

Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly wild history of toy testing, exploring both the safety standards that keep kids safe and the market research that makes toys actually fun to play with. From dangerous toys like lawn darts and cabbage patch dolls that could chew off your fingers, to modern-day YouTube sensations unboxing toys for millions of viewers, the guys trace how the toy industry went from completely unregulated to heavily tested and standardized. Along the way, you'll learn about early flame-retardant pajamas, why slingshots used to be terrifyingly lethal, and discover that some people are making tens of millions of dollars just filming their hands opening toys on camera.


Movies Discussed

Big
Big
1988 1h 44m
★ 7.2
"Yeah, I mean, that was his job. I forgot about that. Totally forgot about that. — Discussed how the main character Tom Hanks works as a toy tester in the movie, which inspired Josh's childhood interest in toy testing." — Chuck
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003 3h 21m
★ 8.5
"Ellen DeGeneres has a show feature where she has these kids that come out and test toys on TV. — Mentioned that Ellen DeGeneres' talk show features children testing toys, including child toy tester Noah Ritter." — Josh
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
1989
★ 8.0
"Wasn't that a Simpson thing, too? Yeah, it's Dr. Nick. He's like, inflammable means flammable? — Referenced a Simpsons episode featuring Dr. Nick discussing the word 'inflammable' and its confusing meaning." — Chuck

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