Mom calls out Fisher-Price for 'annoying' phrases on 'Like A Boss' activity center
An Indiana mom is going viral after sharing a video to TikTok that gives a tour of a Fisher-Price activity center she dubbed "baby's first cubicle."
Andrea Spencer, @stealth_revenger on the platform, said she "didn't pay attention" to what she was buying when she grabbed the "Like A Boss" play center for her now 1-year-old. She hoped the toy would help her infant's fine and gross motor skills.
"I just needed a couple of minutes here and there to chop an onion or get things in and out of the oven," Spencer told USA TODAY Friday.
Her baby wasn't very interested in the activity center, so Spencer didn't hear all the noises on it until much later when she went through all the sounds to give the toy away. That's when she discovered that the toy seemingly glorifies office jobs. So she decided to make the video, thinking other parents might find it as ridiculous as she did.
Spencer's close-up demonstration of the activity center posted on TikTok on Dec. 18 now has over 1.5 million views.
"I think the resounding response is that people relate and find it dystopian. I see that word a lot in the comments," Spencer said.
'Whoops, I was on mute'
The toy's accessories include a mini computer, a mouse, a cup of fake safety pins, a succulent plant, a coffee mug, a calendar, a tape dispenser and even a mobile phone next to some fake earbuds. There are Post-It notes and “tissues, for when you need to cry because it’s your first (expletive) cubicle,” Spencer joked in the video.
During her tour of the interactive toy, she shows some of the phrases and songs. Pushing buttons, a child's voice says things like, "Let's circle back on that, I love circles," "Whoops, I was on mute" and "Is it 5 o'clock yet?"
The toy also hums a little tune: "I work from home. I wish I was on vacation. I’ll pretend that I’m at the beach and I’ll use my imagination,” to which Spencer freestyled over with "indoctrination, indoctrination."
Spencer said she thinks it's fun for kids to mimic their parents, but the sounds surprised her. She said she doesn't see the need for "passive aggressive things like 'per my last email' which is considered rude in work culture."
"The sounds seemed to be more of a collection of the annoying things people experience at work rather than positive or even neutral things that would be fun for a kid to mimic," Spencer said.
Exposing kids to work culture
Spencer said that she appreciates Fisher-Price and its educational products. Parents specifically enjoy this one because they may have to bring their child to work, so the accessories and sounds are relatable.
Even so, some of us are uncomfortable exposing "work culture before (kids) are even toddlers," said Spencer.
"In the big picture, that’s just another issue that we, as a society need to address," Spencer said. "It just doesn’t sit well with me, but no judgement to those who enjoy it."
The toy is on sale for $109.99 on Amazon.
USA TODAY has reached out to Fisher-Price for comment.
Activity center gets mixed reviews
As for the public's response, not many found it entertaining. The video drew sadness and shock.
"Someone at Fischer Price literally just looked around them and built a toy,😆" one TikTok user said. Another added: "This is a cry for help. Someone check on the fisher price office workers 😭😭 They are NOT okay."
Others jumped in with comments of disbelief.
"This can't be real," many said. Others showed a unified distaste toward "capitalist dystopian toys."
And another: "Baby gonna be demanding PTO and a 401K."