The study of love once led to the saddest of sights: a baby Rhesus monkey clinging to a wire and cloth recreation of its mother. The scientist behind the experiment, Harry Harlow, discovered that the comfort of cloth made all the difference in feelings of love and attachment. When presented with a wire mother with food or a cloth mother with no food, the monkeys overwhelmingly chose the cloth one, which might explain our soft spot for furry electronic toys.

This holiday's hit, Hatchimals, have just that sort of appeal. The adorable fluffy birdlike creatures hatch out of their shells (or not) and into kids' hearts. But the sweet toys might not be as innocent as they look. Parents are reporting that Hatchimals are murmuring "F**k me," making them not entirely appropriate companions for children.

This isn't the first time that toys have turned against us. I once had a Petster, a sort-of shag-carpeted Roomba with demonic red eyes that was supposed to stand in for a cat. A friend and I were using a Ouija board and Petster, with no batteries in it, sprang to life and did a spin. More often, though, toys that go bad opt for cursing more than being cursed. Check out a few other fowl-mouthed toys in the slideshow.