It doesn't hurt that Render has established himself as a moderate, skeptical voice on toy security issues.
Although the calls for a sequel remain unrequited, as with many films of this genre, the movie has built up a cult following in both the United States and Japan, where until 2008, Medicom, a major toy manufacturer, issued two versions of 12" poseable action figures and replica helmets based on the film.
While it may seem like a trivial issue, toys help children to learn new skills and develop intellectually, says Dinella.
They toyed with that issue by framing the story with Davis as a storyteller, recounting parts of his life in his own unique fashion.
Although few new plays adapted for the toy theatre were issued after the middle of the 19th century, a handful of publishers kept the old stock in print until the 20th century.
Nor did he take long to settle into the groove; the race-based gags flew out of his mouth from the start—"If they nominated hosts, I wouldn't even get this job"—and there was absolutely no question, as we soon discovered, of his toying with the issue of diversity and then laying it gently to one side.
But with the holiday season at its peak, what will happen to all those Elmo toys as this issue gets more and more complicated?
"It's not just the toys which are the issue, but the whole idea that some things are just for boys or girls.
Legal issues aside, toy analysts say that Bratz is facing a tough market with heightened competition and young consumers with an increasingly short attention span.
Although these lab-grown brains are a far cry from actual human brains, the research does raise an interesting issue about toying with consciousness in stem cell research.
