11/19/2009
Cuddle Up with HIV, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea?
A UK company, Giant Microbes, is offering a wide variety of viruses as plush toys. Above, HIV.
Syphilis and gonorrhea cuddly toys, AFTER THE JUMP...
Also available: "The Common Cold, The Flu, Sore Throat, Stomach Ache, Brain Cell, E. coli, Kissing Disease, Ulcer, Black Death, Ebola, Flesh Eating, Sleeping Sickness, Dust Mite, and Bed Bug.
Posted 9:30 AM EST by Andy Towle in AIDS/HIV, News | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
On the website, these are listed as "great learning tools or gifts for anyone with a sense of humor" Personally, I find nothing funny about giving someone the gift of a plush, cuddly sexually transmitted disease that causes the death of hundreds of thousands of people a year. I'm a funny guy, and I can find humor in just about anything, from the anti semetic to dead baby jokes, but as someone who has lost several friends to a variety of illnesses, I can't help but question the "levity" of these toys. Are they really good for teaching about proper health and saftey or simply another retail ploy to capitalize on and make fun of the suffering of others?
Posted by: Patrick | Nov 19, 2009 9:55:54 AM
No Herpes???? I feel left out! :( haha JOKING!
Posted by: J. Bocca | Nov 19, 2009 9:57:29 AM
Tasteless.
Posted by: Traveler Q | Nov 19, 2009 10:04:33 AM
But Patrick, don't you think many Jewish people (and probably quite a few who aren't) would be offended by anti-Semitic jokes? That pesky Holocaust and all. And couples who lost babies might not laugh at dead-baby knee-slappers. I think these are funny, though I would personally cringe at the ones representing killers like ebola and HIV. It's black humor, though, and plenty of that is weird when you think about it. (Dressing up as corpses at Halloween, etc.)
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Nov 19, 2009 10:14:01 AM
I have had these for a few years now. I use them in several different courses. I usually walk in and toss them into the classroom for students to catch. Then I ask "what did you catch?" and then ask the student with the toy to tell the class: what is this STD (virus, bacteria, etc)? how do you catch it? how do you treat it? Then I launch into lecture to provided the correct information.
Posted by: Qjersey | Nov 19, 2009 10:26:27 AM
One of my colleagues gave me Ebola a couple of years ago. It still sits on my desk -- I love it and 100% appreciate the spirit in which it was given.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 19, 2009 10:46:15 AM
Lighten up, guys. They come will information about the virus or bacteria. These are great learning tools. My friend is a sex ed counselor and uses them in his middle and high schools. Humor allows the kids to talk.
Also, I got one for my nerdy, biologist brother. He loves them.
Posted by: JTlvr | Nov 19, 2009 10:54:00 AM
These aren't exactly new; they've been available on thinkgeek.com for years now. They also have a sperm cell and a beer yeast.
Posted by: Fredo | Nov 19, 2009 11:10:08 AM
Matthew, I can understand your point. Finding humor in even the most dire of situations is the best way for many people to cope. As I said, I'm a funny guy, and I appreciate dark humor as much as the next twisted individual... my quanadary is in whether or not profiteering from such "humor" is in and of itself a good thing. I VERY much enjoy what QJERSEY and JTLVER have stated about the educational possibilites, and I think I would feel a little bit better about them were a portion of the proceeds were donated towards cancer or AIDS related research. Just my own thoughts, I guess, but at least the aforementioned commentators can cite a positive reactions. That is encouraging. :) GO EDUCATION!!!
P.S. I'm not a total downer, just incase my future husband is reading...
Posted by: Patrick | Nov 19, 2009 11:19:41 AM
they're available since years ago - I'm a virologist, do research in the Ebola virus field and I think it's funny :-)
It sits on my lab-desk and watches me work every day :-)
Posted by: Jean | Nov 19, 2009 11:26:37 AM
We have these in the hospital microbiology lab where I work.
Posted by: eric | Nov 19, 2009 11:33:30 AM
I work at a medical school, these have been in the bookstore for years. You can also get them at ThinkGeek dot Com. I have HIV and the bookworm :)
Posted by: Keith near Dolores Park | Nov 19, 2009 11:34:58 AM
I am glad Patrick can see the educational value in this. When I read Patricks first post I was worried that he wanted everything to be serious about HIV. When I have seen people approach young peopel about HIV and be very serious. The young people don't listen. If you take a different approach you might get there attention.
If it takes me dressing up like Chuckles the Clown and giving a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down the pants to get people to be aware of the dangers of STDs I would do it.
One should do whatever it takes and not try to maintain the SERIOUS TONE of stds just because that seems the most proper thing to do.
Posted by: kujhawker | Nov 19, 2009 11:49:15 AM
You should see their plush toy condoms!
Posted by: anon | Nov 19, 2009 11:55:13 AM
Er... this is really, really old news. I've known about them for years.
I personally find it amusing, honestly. It doesn't mean to be offensive; it's just supposed to be some well-intentioned black humor that can help teach as well.
Posted by: Yuki | Nov 19, 2009 12:57:41 PM
IAwareables have been around for ages.
http://www.iawareables.com/
Posted by: Nick Name | Nov 19, 2009 1:14:01 PM
This is awesome! I know what I'm buying my sluttiest friends for christmas.
Posted by: TANK | Nov 19, 2009 2:13:42 PM
And that's a lifetime supply of penicillin. STuffed animals are gay.
Posted by: TANK | Nov 19, 2009 2:15:42 PM
If you want to make your friends laugh this holiday season give them a funny apron
When they wear it they will think of you and laugh. Check it out at
http://www.apronstore.com/funnyaprons.htm
Posted by: Perry Peck | Nov 20, 2009 10:04:36 AM