But six years later, the Sky Dancer was grounded. When spun aloft, the wings -- which felt so soft and cushy in the aisles of Toys "R" Us -- turned into steely-hard child manglers. In 2000, the CPSC announced that over 150 children fell prey to Sky Dancer's helicopter-blade arms and erratic "Oh-Jesus-it's-chasing-me!" flying patterns. Injuries included scratched corneas and temporary blindness, mild concussions, broken ribs and teeth, and facial lacerations that required stitches. Nearly nine million Sky Dancers were eventually recalled, leaving aspiring ballerinas to earn their battle scars the old fashioned way, with an eating disorder.
A funny* look at the worst toys of all time, just in time for those last-minute Xmas purchases.
* "Funny" being a relative term. Several of the toys caused deaths or serious injuries; we, however, will take our funny where we find it.