From the NY Post........September 7, 2002 -- Potter broom rattles parents THE "Harry Potter" toy broomstick from Mattel has a vibrating feature that has proven to be too popular with teenage girls.
The "Nimbus 2000" is a plastic battery-powered replica of the broom used in Quidditch matches by J.K. Rowling's boy wizard in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The $19.99 toy features a "grooved stick and handle for easy riding," according to Toysrus.com, and, "enhancing the excitement are the vibrating effects."
The Web site's review section is full of comments from parents who are amazed at the toy's popularity with their young daughters. One mom who bought the broom for her son writes that his sister frequently "fights him over it" and complains that "the batteries drain too fast."
Another notes, "When my 12-year-old daughter asked for this for her birthday, I kind of wondered if she was too old for it, but she seems to love it."
An equally enthusiastic parent marvels that "even my daughter's friends enjoy playing with this fun toy. I was surprised at how long they can just sit in her room and play with this magic broomstick!"
One astute New Jersey mom says of her daughter: "It wasn't until after she opened her gift and started playing with it that I realized the toy may offer a more than sensational experience. The broomstick has cute sound effects and vibrates . . . what were the creators of this toy thinking? She'll keep playing with the Nimbus 2000, but with the batteries removed."
"As always, the well-being of children is our top priority," Mattel rep Sara Rosales told PAGE SIX's Jared Paul Stern. "And we in no way consider this toy to be inappropriate."
Meanwhile, parents of young Harry Potter fanatics may have more to worry about with the next movie in the series. The London Times recently reported that Chris Columbus, director of the first two installments, won't be helming the third. Alfonso Cuaron, director of the sexually explicit coming-of-age flick "Y Tu Mama Tambien," may be taking his place.
The Harry Potter franchise has already come under fire from Christian groups for its allegedly Satanic, anti-Christian message. A chruch pastor in New Mexico said he planned to burn the books in a "holy bonfire." The books were also banned at a Christian school in Australia and a toy store chain in England.
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posted 09-07-2002 12:13 PM
, 
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I guess that's what happens when people abbreviate everything.
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