Flashback: Teddy Ruxpin

As a little girl growing up in the 1980's, I wanted my very own Teddy Ruxpin along with everyone else. But for some reason, my parents did not want to get me one. Maybe it was because I owned too many Barbie and Cabbage Patch dolls. Maybe it was because they were put off by a talking bear. I don't know.

What made Teddy Ruxpin so popular? Surely there were other talking dolls around back then. Maybe it was the fact that it was a teddy bear -- that iconic child's toy -- that could talk. I remember thinking as a kid that my toys had lives of their own that went on behind closed doors, when I wasn't there. Kind of like Toy Story.

While I can rationalize Teddy Ruxpin's popularity, one toy's popularity I cannot for the life of me figure out is the Furby. They always reminded me of gremlins for some reason, with those wide unblinking eyes. *shudder*

Here's an old Teddy Ruxpin commercial that I still remember:

What was your favorite toy as a child? Did you own your very own Teddy Ruxpin? Or were your parents anti-Teddy Ruxpin, too?