Current:Home > MarketsEthermac Exchange-Mom calls out Fisher-Price for 'annoying' phrases on 'Like A Boss' activity center -WealthPro Academy
Ethermac Exchange-Mom calls out Fisher-Price for 'annoying' phrases on 'Like A Boss' activity center
Indexbit View
Date:2025-04-10 15:13:29
An Indiana mom is Ethermac Exchangegoing viral after sharing a video to TikTok that gives a tour of a Fisher-Price activity center she dubbed "baby's first cubicle."
Andrea Spencer, @stealth_revenger on the platform, said she "didn't pay attention" to what she was buying when she grabbed the "Like A Boss" play center for her now 1-year-old. She hoped the toy would help her infant's fine and gross motor skills.
"I just needed a couple of minutes here and there to chop an onion or get things in and out of the oven," Spencer told USA TODAY Friday.
Her baby wasn't very interested in the activity center, so Spencer didn't hear all the noises on it until much later when she went through all the sounds to give the toy away. That's when she discovered that the toy seemingly glorifies office jobs. So she decided to make the video, thinking other parents might find it as ridiculous as she did.
Spencer's close-up demonstration of the activity center posted on TikTok on Dec. 18 now has over 1.5 million views.
"I think the resounding response is that people relate and find it dystopian. I see that word a lot in the comments," Spencer said.
'Whoops, I was on mute'
The toy's accessories include a mini computer, a mouse, a cup of fake safety pins, a succulent plant, a coffee mug, a calendar, a tape dispenser and even a mobile phone next to some fake earbuds. There are Post-It notes and “tissues, for when you need to cry because it’s your first (expletive) cubicle,” Spencer joked in the video.
During her tour of the interactive toy, she shows some of the phrases and songs. Pushing buttons, a child's voice says things like, "Let's circle back on that, I love circles," "Whoops, I was on mute" and "Is it 5 o'clock yet?"
The toy also hums a little tune: "I work from home. I wish I was on vacation. I’ll pretend that I’m at the beach and I’ll use my imagination,” to which Spencer freestyled over with "indoctrination, indoctrination."
Spencer said she thinks it's fun for kids to mimic their parents, but the sounds surprised her. She said she doesn't see the need for "passive aggressive things like 'per my last email' which is considered rude in work culture."
"The sounds seemed to be more of a collection of the annoying things people experience at work rather than positive or even neutral things that would be fun for a kid to mimic," Spencer said.
Exposing kids to work culture
Spencer said that she appreciates Fisher-Price and its educational products. Parents specifically enjoy this one because they may have to bring their child to work, so the accessories and sounds are relatable.
Even so, some of us are uncomfortable exposing "work culture before (kids) are even toddlers," said Spencer.
"In the big picture, that’s just another issue that we, as a society need to address," Spencer said. "It just doesn’t sit well with me, but no judgement to those who enjoy it."
The toy is on sale for $109.99 on Amazon.
USA TODAY has reached out to Fisher-Price for comment.
Activity center gets mixed reviews
As for the public's response, not many found it entertaining. The video drew sadness and shock.
"Someone at Fischer Price literally just looked around them and built a toy,😆" one TikTok user said. Another added: "This is a cry for help. Someone check on the fisher price office workers 😭😭 They are NOT okay."
Others jumped in with comments of disbelief.
"This can't be real," many said. Others showed a unified distaste toward "capitalist dystopian toys."
And another: "Baby gonna be demanding PTO and a 401K."
veryGood! (5835)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- See Molly Ringwald Twin With Daughter Mathilda in Swan-Inspired Looks
- Disney asks for delay in DeSantis appointees’ lawsuit, as worker describes a distracted district
- Baseball Hall of Fame 2024 results: Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton voted in
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Democrat Dean Phillips vows to continue campaign after losing New Hampshire primary
- Greece faces growing opposition from the Orthodox Church over plans to legalize same-sex marriage
- New York man convicted of murdering woman after car mistakenly pulled into his driveway
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Horoscopes Today, January 24, 2024
Ranking
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- UN court to issue ruling Friday on South Africa’s request for order to halt Israel’s Gaza offensive
- Several injured after 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits part of western China
- South Korea says North Korea has fired several cruise missiles into the sea
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Netanyahu pressed on 2-state solution for Israel-Hamas war as southern Gaza hit with relentless shelling
- 'No reason to be scared': Why some are turning to 'death doulas' as the end approaches
- Get $388 Worth of Beauty Products for $67: Peter Thomas Roth, Tarte, Grande Cosmetics, Oribe & More
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Oklahoma superintendent faces blowback for putting Libs of TikTok creator on library panel
Groundwater depletion accelerating in many parts of the world, study finds
Why did 'The Bachelor' blur the Canadian flag? Maria Georgas's arrival gift censored
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
Pro Volleyball Federation launches with first match in Omaha: How to watch, what are teams
New Hampshire primary exit polls for 2024 elections
60-feet sinkhole opened in Florida front lawn, leaving neighbors nervous