NEW YORK: Toy makers have gone to the toilet for their latest creations.
Mattel, a company best known for its clean-cut Barbie dolls, is set to release a game called Flushin’ Frenzy that sends a brown plastic poop flying into the air.
Rival Hasbro, whose water-squirting game Toilet Trouble was a hit last year, stuck with the potty humor this year and released Don’t Step In It, a game where players are blindfolded and have to avoid stepping in poop that’s molded out of a clay-like substance.
Toy analysts and experts say the potty-related toys are hitting stores now because of the popularity of the poop emoji, which has also made it more acceptable for parents to buy poop toys for their kids. At the New York Toy Fair this weekend, toy makers showed off poo-shaped action figures, squishy toys and other creatures from the toilet.
“Yeah, poop is a theme,” says Juli Lennett, the toy analyst at market research company The NPD Group. “Kids think it’s funny.”
Sticky the Poo, a squishy likeness with eyes, clings to walls and ceilings when thrown. The company behind it, Hog Wild, also sells a rainbow version called Sticky Unicorn Poo. Its Sticky the Plunger is sold separately.
There’s poo for collectors, too. Flush Force, by toy maker Spin Master, sells 150 nickel-sized mutant critters that kids can collect. Poopeez, meanwhile, makes tiny squishy collectibles with character names such as Pooji, Skid Mark and Dumpling.
Poopeez are aimed at boys aged 7-years-old and up, says Ashley Mady, who created Poopeez and works for toy company Basic Fun. But she thinks the appeal will spread.
“We really believe poop is for everyone,” she says.
Toy makers turn to the toilet for poop-inspired toys
Toy makers turn to the toilet for poop-inspired toys
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Lolo Zouai teases new album for 2026
DUBAI: French Algerian singer and songwriter Lolo Zouai this week revealed that her new album has been submitted and is expected to be released later this year.
“2026. ALBUM SUBMITTED. LET’S… GOOO,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a carousel of images of herself.
Fans quickly took to the comments section to congratulate the music sensation.
“OH MY GOD FINALLY!!! I’m so so so excited and proud of you omg, you did that,” one fan wrote, while another said: “some good news i needed this fr.”
Another comment read: “I’m so excited I just shed a tear… 2026 is so gonna be your year boo!!!! SEE U SOON!!”
Zouai’s latest release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.” It was the first release of the year.
Zouai captioned her announcement post, “time to hit em with the bilingual,” hinting that the track features lyrics in English and French.
In 2024, Zouai dropped several tracks, including her “Please Hold” EP featuring “jetlag” and “UNHHH,” along with “mute” and “Potential.”
In June 2024, she also announced that she had written a song for K-pop group NewJeans for their Japanese debut.
She captioned the post at the time: “‘Right Now’ by @newjeans_official out now!! Written by me. I’ve been a fan of NewJeans for a while and I’m honored to be a part of their Japanese debut!
Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, she has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.
Her career highlights include the release of a debut album “High Highs to Low Lows” in 2019, which featured 12 tracks, and a follow-up “PLAYGIRL” in 2022, which included 13 tracks.
After the album’s release in October 2022, Zouai was featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square.
She shared a video of herself posing in front of the billboard with fans. “I always said that one day, I would be on a billboard in Times Square. Today is that day,” she said in the short clip.
“Manifestation and hard work works,” she added.
The singer, who lives between Brooklyn and Los Angeles, embarked on a 30-stop tour for the album in 2023. The tour featured cities in the US, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
