Do you remember the original Ty Monstaz toy – the one with gibberish audio that came out after you lightly pressed the toy? You probably bought it for a little toddler in the family or secretly played with it yourself. The toy was banned close to a decade ago, so you might be wondering why it has become a trending topic on TikTok.
The toy’s story has intrigued some TikTokers who have launched an investigation as to why the toy was banned. The cute fluffy toy left shelves due to its mysterious audio.
This article will delve into the possible phrases in the audio and the complaints that led to its premature ban.
The hidden message in the Ty Monstaz toy seems to be ‘Turn off the TV.’
Ty Monstaz toys were released in 2011, and a couple of years later, people posted videos trying to decipher the phrases behind the gibberish. A popular TikTok video refers back to a February 2013 YouTube video posted by RightThisMinute.
In the YouTube video, the hosts try to figure out what the toy says based on an amateur video taken at a retail shop. The hosts come up with Turn off the TV. Other responses picked up by internet users include “Punch the baby,” “He’s hurting me,” “He’s going to eat me,” and “Turn of the TV and watch the baby.”
The general consensus is that Turn of the TV is in the audio, but most people can’t agree about the other phrases. It might also be that there is no phrase behind the gibberish, and it’s simply our brains searching for one (cue the Yanny v Laurel debate).
Conspiracy theories about the Ty Monstaz audio caused the cancellation of the toy
As people searched for the meaning behind the Ty Monstaz audio, conspiracy theories began to emerge about the toy.
Concerned customers sent floods of complaints about the voice boxes in the toys as they couldn’t understand what the toys were saying. By mid-2014, most authorized dealers took the TY Monstaz ‘off order’, signaling the beginning of the end of the once-beloved toy.
In July, a similar version of the toy, but one without the voice box was introduced.