Whenever we hit up our neighborhood dollar store, we mainly inspect just the expiration date on any food or drink items. Everything else gets tossed into the cart faster than you can say "paper or plastic."
But we're going to pay closer attention next time after one mom purchased a pink fairy wand for her 2 year old and uncovered the most disturbing image: a demonic-looking girl cutting herself with a knife.
"If you look close enough, it's not a drawing. It's an actual picture of the girl slitting her wrist," an understandably upset Nicole Allen of Dayton, Ohio, told local news station WHIO. "There [were] Barbie dolls on one side and babydolls on the other side. And this was right in the middle of where they were at."
The owner of the store, Amar Moustafa, defended his inventory and said parents should be more mindful of a toy called "Evil Stick." Seriously? The name is actually written as one word in pretty cursive. For all a busy mother of two young ones knows, it's the exotic name of a princess from some imaginary land.
But we don't blame him - not entirely anyway. It's possible he was duped like the rest of us since you don't actually see the terrifying photo until you pull back the flower-shaped foil, and is trying to save face.
We blame the manufacturer. Self-mutilation is a very serious problem that millions deal with, and it certainly doesn't belong on a toy - with deceptive packaging, no less - for the purposes of scaring children.
What do you think? Is the parent wrong for not inspecting the toy? Should it stay on the shelves?