I believe Maddox waxed poetic about "xtreme" marketing in America. Basically the concept is that you take something like Gatorade, add the term "Xtreme" in front of it, and all of a sudden some new amazing ground breaking product is afoot.
Lots of people will say America has gotten a tad insane in the way they choose products to purchase over the years. But one unavoidable fact in today's world of commerce is that an "Extreme Tickle Me Elmo" is pure unadulterated class one grade A BULLSHIT:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14904938/
Amongst the marketing-speak in there, which really tells you nothing about the product itself, we learn that the "technology" behind a doll that slaps its knee and rolls around laughing maniacally is very advanced. Advanced compared to what? I don't know. But this guy's (who I assume is an adult) insight on the "extreme tickle me elmo" is well, see for yourself:
"“With today’s technology, this one is even more incredible,” Friedman said. “You really have to see it to believe it.”"
Okay, I never got the memo where we all decided Tickle Me Elmo was "incredible" in the first place. From the way that reads, if you didn't know the context, you'd think this guy is talking about a plasma TV or some new highly advanced blow up doll. But what makes it more "incredible"? According to the article:
"He’s still red, fuzzy and really ticklish, but now Elmo’s laughing fits have him slapping his knee, falling to the floor, rolling over and pounding his arm."
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmk
Now I'm not going to begrudge Mattel for selling products. But there's marketing a product and there's out and out bullshit. T.M.X. (Tickle Me Extreme) Elmo falls squarely into the latter.