Sock'em boppers

Sock'em Boppers were a children's toy popularized in the late 1990s. Television advertisements for the product featured a jingle offering the boast that they were "More fun than a pillowfight". The comparison was made based upon the nature of the product: inflatable pads worn on both hands and used as oversized boxing gloves. No documentation was ever offered outlining any data on the relative entertainment levels of Sock'em Boppers and of pillowfights, and the claim made in the advertising material has never been considered particularly valid from any empirical point of view. [Fiftine, Penn. "Sock'em Boppers' controversial new claim draws skepticism". Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 23, 1997.] The toy also encountered controversy due to the violent nature of its intended use. Many parents reportedly felt that a toy created to instigate fistfights between children had no place on store shelves. [Rhys, Aleksander. "Local moms outraged over new toy". Minneapolis Star Tribune, January 11, 1997.] Defenders of the toy were quick to point out that the heavily cushioned pads made bodily harm unlikely, as well as that proper use of the toy was a valid form of aerobic exercise. Despite the connection between Sock'em Boppers and the sport of boxing, no boxers of any prominence were attached to the product for any promotions. [Manx, Liliana. "No boxers affiliate with new toy". Minneapolis Star Tribune, January 17, 1997.] Sock'em Boppers underwent something of a renaissance in the mid- to late-2000s, spurred on in equal parts by nostalgia and their increased availability from online retail stores. A July 24, 2006 article in the "Chicago Tribune" reports that "sales ... of [Sock'em Boppers] saw an increase of 18% between 2005 and 2006, ... the product's strongest showing in almost a decade."

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