‘I had to look it up’: Mom demands answers after seeing new Play-Doh container
A woman turned to the internet after noticing the eyebrow-raising design of Play-Doh's new holiday container.
On Dec. 19, TikTok user A Wagman (@wagnercreations) uploaded a PSA directed at Play-Doh, questioning the decisions behind the container’s shape. The video quickly went viral, amassing over 1.4 million views in just a couple of days.
“Why?” Wagman asked Play-Doh at the start of her now-viral TikTok video. “Why did you change your [container] for the holiday?”
Mom demanding answers about new Play-Doh holiday container
She was referring to Play-Doh’s new holiday themed container, shaped like a Christmas tree. With its rounded edges, the design appears more like a soft cone than a traditional tree.
“Why did you choose that shape?” she pressed, struggling to stifle her laughter and disbelief.
In the video, Wagman speculates on how the container managed to pass through multiple stages of approval, given how many people likely worked on the project.
“I know you have researchers and product designers, and I know your product is made for children,” she remarked. “But it is adults who will be buying this product for their children, and let’s face it: Adults are stupid, and they’re gonna do stupid stuff.”
Confident that the container’s shape could inspire unintended uses, Wagman issued a lighthearted yet serious warning: “It’s the holidays, which means [people are] going to do even crazier, stupid things. [...] Your product is an ER visit waiting to happen.”
She ended the video with a final caution—this time to the viewers: “For those of you who aren’t Play-Doh, definitely don’t google ‘holiday Play-Doh.’ Don’t do it.”
How could the container lead to more ER visits?
Wagman’s concern suggests that the shape of the Play-Doh holiday container could pose a potential risk for individuals who might, unfortunately, insert objects into their bodies. This worry appears to be backed by a frequently cited statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports that nearly 300,000 American adults visit the emergency room each year due to foreign objects being inserted into their bodies.
One study specifically examined emergency room visits related to rectal foreign bodies from 2012 to 2021. It estimated nearly 39,000 visits during that time and found a noticeable increase in such incidents over the years. The study highlights that foreign object-related injuries are common and the trend is rising, particularly in the case of rectal foreign bodies.
People couldn’t resist looking it up
Despite Wagman’s warning, people couldn’t help but google the Play-Doh holiday container. What they discovered left some in stitches, while others were baffled by what she was even insinuating.
“Me Googling holiday Play-Doh!” someone admitted.
Another person wrote, “If it’s the Christmas tree, my kids got one and I laughed so hard thinking of the [EMT] guy doing a video because of it.”
“As an ER nurse, I can confidently tell you, ER visits are about to increase,” someone else added.
However, some didn’t see what Wagman saw when it came to the Play-Doh holiday themed containers.
“I looked and had no other thought than it’s a Christmas tree,” one person said.
“It literally just looks like a snowman and a Christmas tree. It’s actually really cute and Christmas-y,” another commented.
Someone else asked, “Are we overthinking this?”
“They've done a tree/snowman container for years, they don't look suspicious either... and I have a very colorful mind,” another pointed out.
@wagmancreations Happy Holidays from play doh! #playdoh #playdohholiday #christmas #emtguy #er #erstories #why ♬ original sound - A Wagman
Wagman did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment. We also reached out to Hasbro for a statement.
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