As most of us know, cats are fantastic actors. Who hasn't wanted to give a cat an award for their portrayal of "a fucking liar" in "I Have No Idea Who Knocked That Over" or their performance in the riveting drama "I Don't Care if You Are Having A Bad Day, I Am Fucking Doing My Own Thing!"?

The florescent lightbulb did! With its 100-watt light bulb slated for obsolescence, the beloved toy faces what MSNBC calls "an uncertain future."

After two little boys used the family bathtub as a "battle arena" for Beyblades, a spinning top toy, their mom had to get the tub resurfaced. As punishment, the mom decided to sell their Beyblades on eBay and use the proceeds, plus the money in their piggy banks, to pay for the $500 repairs. It sounds pretty harsh…

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing McDonald's, accusing the chain of unfair marketing for using Happy Meal toys to lure children. A McDonald's rep responded, "Parents consistently tell us they approve of our Happy Meals."

Starting next month in San Francisco, meals containing more than 600 calories and 35% calories from fat can't include a toy. Lawmakers say Happy Meal toys encourage childhood obesity, but a McDonald's rep responds, "It's not what our customers want."

The woman seemed a little thrilled when her young son asked for a Barbie, telling her husband it was healthy gender-identity experimentation. But the Barbie languished on the shelf. Why? "It's for when a girl comes over," he said matter-of-factly.

Even when they have less parts, and even when the toys are supposedly gender-neutral, the "girl version" can cost more than the "boy version" — especially at Fisher Price. Is pink plastic really that pricey?

Buzzfeed's header, "Dolls That Will Keep You Up At Night," isn't lying. Except it doesn't mention that, while up, you'll also be screaming uncontrollably and clutching a security blanket while the "Bee Sting Doll" lurches ever-closer...

Today's LA Times features an interview with David Horvath, creator of Uglydolls on the history of the weird little toys, whose celebrity fans range from Snoop Dogg to Sasha Obama. But who knew the back story was so sweet?

…Just like the movie! But seriously: His hair is laughably bad, and we're just not feeling the chemistry. Additional image at the link. [People]

In news that will likely please gender essentialists and leave others confused, boys and girls as young as six months appear to (maybe, sort of) prefer toys deemed traditionally appropriate for their gender.

People are excited about Toy Story 3. And Up made good money over the weekend. But NPR's Linda Holmes pleads to Pixar: "Please make a movie about a girl who is not a princess."

Interesting post on Feministe about the "gendering" of Legos. (Okay, that may not sound that interesting, but bear with me.) Apparently Lego's on the carpet for alleged gender stereotyping in its catalog... interesting, as legos have traditionally been gender-neutral toys. The writer of the piece, Holly, is a former…

Yowza. Your childhood playmate is looking fierce in the new $500 Barbie Fashion book. Check out images of the iconic dollface, sporting designer duds by Anna Sui, romping in New York and channeling a late '50s beach bunny. [NY Mag]

I've been hearing about The Cone-a futuristic-shaped vibrator that you would expect characters in Woody Allen's Sleeper to use-for well over a year now. I'm always a little wary of high-end and low-end vibes, the former because the price tag is usually indicative of a lot of hype, and the latter because the because…

I definitely have more of a "type" when it comes to sex toys than I do when it comes to men. Maybe that's because there's just this one specific need that a sex toy needs to live up to, so I tend to be unyielding in my bias toward certain kinds of toys. For instance, I've always been into clit stimulation, meaning…

I'm not opposed to spending big money on sex toys, because I can't really think of anything that I value more than my orgasms. For a while now, I've found myself intrigued by companies that shill "high end" vibrators, claiming they are "as pleasing to the eye as to the touch." Now, I don't really give a crap about the…

Did you celebrate yesterday? It was Barbie's birthday! Launched in 1959, Barbie was controversial from the beginning: She was one of the first dolls for little girls with breasts, and her proportions (36 inch bust, 18 inch waist) were rather unrealistic. (Her waist was widened in 1992.) Author Peggy Orenstein, who's…