1 00:00:10,362 --> 00:00:12,522 Speaker 1: This is an iHeart original. 2 00:00:15,842 --> 00:00:21,522 Speaker 2: Okay, So like it's a little triangular, cone shaped creepy 3 00:00:21,562 --> 00:00:23,762 Speaker 2: animal with two little feet sticking out the bottom that 4 00:00:23,802 --> 00:00:25,482 Speaker 2: are don't do anything. 5 00:00:25,562 --> 00:00:27,402 Speaker 3: It's kind of a cross between like a bird and 6 00:00:27,442 --> 00:00:28,282 Speaker 3: a little bear. 7 00:00:28,442 --> 00:00:33,442 Speaker 4: Maybe had a soft fur and a very sweet, expressive face, 8 00:00:33,682 --> 00:00:35,562 Speaker 4: and it was sort of like it looked like a 9 00:00:35,602 --> 00:00:37,442 Speaker 4: lot of things, so it was generally compared to. 10 00:00:37,522 --> 00:00:38,162 Speaker 5: Like a Grumlin. 11 00:00:38,362 --> 00:00:40,842 Speaker 6: It looks a little bit like Gizmo. Is these cute 12 00:00:40,882 --> 00:00:43,802 Speaker 6: little eyes and bats, its eyelashes. 13 00:00:43,322 --> 00:00:46,522 Speaker 7: Buzzy tail like a rabbit, and long ears for some reason, 14 00:00:46,562 --> 00:00:48,562 Speaker 7: are they are the ears of Yeah, there's been years. 15 00:00:48,602 --> 00:00:49,842 Speaker 4: I guess I guess they're ears. 16 00:00:50,002 --> 00:00:52,242 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're cute but a little creepy at the same time. 17 00:00:53,482 --> 00:00:57,122 Speaker 1: It's a couple of weeks before Christmas nineteen ninety eight. 18 00:00:57,762 --> 00:01:01,922 Speaker 1: Crowds across the US are out in droves doing their 19 00:01:01,962 --> 00:01:05,522 Speaker 1: holiday shopping. But if you happen to be buying a 20 00:01:05,562 --> 00:01:09,282 Speaker 1: gift for a kid, you're looking for one thing, and 21 00:01:09,562 --> 00:01:14,082 Speaker 1: one thing only, the must have toy that's both cute 22 00:01:14,602 --> 00:01:20,162 Speaker 1: and a little creepy Ferbie, and godspeed to you, because 23 00:01:20,362 --> 00:01:25,442 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight hottest toy is also nearly impossible to 24 00:01:25,562 --> 00:01:30,482 Speaker 1: find for the past two months. Ever since this six 25 00:01:30,602 --> 00:01:35,722 Speaker 1: inch furry animatronic creature appeared, crowds have been lining up 26 00:01:35,802 --> 00:01:41,322 Speaker 1: outside toy stores in the early morning hours. But even 27 00:01:41,362 --> 00:01:46,402 Speaker 1: that level of preparation doesn't guarantee protection from the shall 28 00:01:46,442 --> 00:01:51,842 Speaker 1: we say tenacity of other American consumers. Despite being first 29 00:01:51,882 --> 00:01:55,722 Speaker 1: in line at a Walmart in Des Moines, one grandmother 30 00:01:55,962 --> 00:01:59,802 Speaker 1: was shoved hard against a door by the matting crowd. 31 00:02:00,402 --> 00:02:04,922 Speaker 1: She walked away with an armful of bruises, not toys. 32 00:02:05,402 --> 00:02:09,922 Speaker 1: In other cities, there were reports of fights, cursing stampedes. 33 00:02:10,522 --> 00:02:12,922 Speaker 1: By the end of the year, the world was split 34 00:02:13,042 --> 00:02:18,522 Speaker 1: into two groups, the have ferbies and the have nots, 35 00:02:19,362 --> 00:02:22,882 Speaker 1: But just a month later, in early nineteen ninety nine, 36 00:02:23,482 --> 00:02:28,802 Speaker 1: it wasn't clear who the winners actually were. Parents reported 37 00:02:28,922 --> 00:02:34,562 Speaker 1: their Ferbies wouldn't shut up. They were talking in a 38 00:02:34,642 --> 00:02:39,602 Speaker 1: language people couldn't understand except for what sounds like swear words. 39 00:02:40,242 --> 00:02:43,722 Speaker 1: But as we'd later find out, the biggest issue with 40 00:02:43,842 --> 00:02:48,362 Speaker 1: ferbies wasn't that they were scarce or that they were swearing. 41 00:02:49,002 --> 00:02:55,082 Speaker 1: The biggest issue they might be spying on us. Welcome 42 00:02:55,242 --> 00:03:00,602 Speaker 1: to very special episodes and iHeart original podcast. I'm your host, 43 00:03:00,802 --> 00:03:06,002 Speaker 1: Dana Schwartz, and this is the Ferbie Files. 44 00:03:10,282 --> 00:03:13,322 Speaker 8: Welcome to season two. I'm Jason English. I'm here with 45 00:03:13,482 --> 00:03:18,042 Speaker 8: Danish Wartz and Zaron Burnett. As always, put up Jason, Dana. Hey, Hey, 46 00:03:18,482 --> 00:03:19,082 Speaker 8: big day. 47 00:03:18,962 --> 00:03:20,722 Speaker 3: For us, Very exciting. 48 00:03:21,002 --> 00:03:22,962 Speaker 8: Good to be back here, Good to be back in. 49 00:03:23,162 --> 00:03:27,122 Speaker 8: Just before we started recording, I got an email. I 50 00:03:27,162 --> 00:03:30,562 Speaker 8: got word that the Very Special Episode's podcast has been 51 00:03:30,602 --> 00:03:32,482 Speaker 8: nominated for a Signal Award. 52 00:03:32,922 --> 00:03:34,282 Speaker 1: Oh my god, look at us. 53 00:03:34,762 --> 00:03:38,762 Speaker 8: This is legit, dude. The Signal Awards are the Webby 54 00:03:38,802 --> 00:03:42,642 Speaker 8: Awards podcast awards. If that's confusing, it's kind of like 55 00:03:42,682 --> 00:03:47,962 Speaker 8: the Grammys of podcasting, the MTV Video Music Awards and podcasting. 56 00:03:47,722 --> 00:03:49,522 Speaker 1: The Oscars of podcasts. 57 00:03:49,882 --> 00:03:54,682 Speaker 8: Yeah, the JD Power and Associates. We're in the Best 58 00:03:54,722 --> 00:04:02,162 Speaker 8: Commute Podcast category. Very cool category. Yes, congratulations, gratulations Josh 59 00:04:02,322 --> 00:04:05,002 Speaker 8: producer Josh here as well the whole team. 60 00:04:05,162 --> 00:04:07,402 Speaker 1: This is very exciting. I'm very proud of us, and 61 00:04:07,442 --> 00:04:09,962 Speaker 1: I feel like there's no better way to kick off 62 00:04:10,042 --> 00:04:12,482 Speaker 1: season two than with this specific episode. 63 00:04:13,002 --> 00:04:14,722 Speaker 9: This is a fun one. Oh my god, so perfect 64 00:04:14,762 --> 00:04:16,722 Speaker 9: for a commute I mean, like, lend us your ears, 65 00:04:16,722 --> 00:04:17,722 Speaker 9: We'll give you entertainment. 66 00:04:19,322 --> 00:04:22,522 Speaker 1: When you think of Ferbees today, if you think of 67 00:04:22,722 --> 00:04:26,282 Speaker 1: Ferbe's today, you might think of one of the first 68 00:04:26,442 --> 00:04:31,802 Speaker 1: successful electronic toys of its kind. They must have toy 69 00:04:31,962 --> 00:04:37,162 Speaker 1: of the nineties an absolute worldwide phenomenon, But of course 70 00:04:37,242 --> 00:04:42,162 Speaker 1: it wasn't always that way. Every legend has its origin story, 71 00:04:42,562 --> 00:04:47,482 Speaker 1: and every multimillion dollar toy brand has its humble beginnings. 72 00:04:48,042 --> 00:04:51,602 Speaker 1: In the case of Ferby, it was a forty somethingter 73 00:04:51,722 --> 00:04:56,362 Speaker 1: former naval electronics expert who was living off the grid 74 00:04:56,482 --> 00:04:58,402 Speaker 1: in rural California. 75 00:04:58,482 --> 00:05:00,882 Speaker 5: The guy who really deserves most of the credit, I'd 76 00:05:00,922 --> 00:05:02,282 Speaker 5: say ninety nine percent out of the state. 77 00:05:02,322 --> 00:05:06,682 Speaker 1: Amped After leaving the Navy, Dave had turned to toy 78 00:05:06,682 --> 00:05:11,002 Speaker 1: to He spent much of his career developing new products 79 00:05:11,002 --> 00:05:15,682 Speaker 1: for large companies like Mattel, but by the nineteen nineties 80 00:05:15,962 --> 00:05:19,922 Speaker 1: he decided to go the independent route because what Dave 81 00:05:20,242 --> 00:05:23,602 Speaker 1: really wanted to do was build something of his own, 82 00:05:24,162 --> 00:05:28,282 Speaker 1: and in February nineteen ninety seven, he found himself in 83 00:05:28,402 --> 00:05:33,082 Speaker 1: New York City looking for inspiration at the industry's annual 84 00:05:33,162 --> 00:05:35,082 Speaker 1: trade show, Toy Fair. 85 00:05:37,362 --> 00:05:39,402 Speaker 5: Just for the year or two prior to Ferby, there 86 00:05:39,482 --> 00:05:44,642 Speaker 5: was a very popular electronic character or thing called Tamagatchi. 87 00:05:45,402 --> 00:05:49,122 Speaker 1: That's Stuart Simms. He met Dave when he was senior 88 00:05:49,202 --> 00:05:54,802 Speaker 1: vice president of Product development and Marketing for Tiger Electronics, and. 89 00:05:54,722 --> 00:05:57,802 Speaker 5: These were sort of little characters that were on in 90 00:05:57,962 --> 00:06:01,522 Speaker 5: LCD screen. The display was about the size of a pendant, 91 00:06:01,882 --> 00:06:05,242 Speaker 5: and the idea was that you more you interacted with it, 92 00:06:05,322 --> 00:06:07,962 Speaker 5: the healthier it became, and the more fun you had 93 00:06:08,002 --> 00:06:09,642 Speaker 5: with it. Theoretically, you were raising a pet. 94 00:06:10,322 --> 00:06:15,122 Speaker 1: So Dave Hampton is wandering around Toy Fair hoping something 95 00:06:15,162 --> 00:06:18,842 Speaker 1: will catch his eye. On his last day there, he 96 00:06:18,962 --> 00:06:23,722 Speaker 1: sees the Tamagachi. At this point, it's already big in Japan, 97 00:06:24,202 --> 00:06:27,922 Speaker 1: but it hasn't been released in the US yet. Dave 98 00:06:28,282 --> 00:06:32,682 Speaker 1: likes how interactive it is, but in his opinion, there's 99 00:06:32,842 --> 00:06:36,402 Speaker 1: one very clear problem. You can't pet it. 100 00:06:37,202 --> 00:06:39,362 Speaker 5: Stave's that we can do a lot better than that. 101 00:06:39,442 --> 00:06:42,602 Speaker 5: We can make something that's real or appears to be real. 102 00:06:43,482 --> 00:06:48,002 Speaker 1: So Dave goes back to California and, alongside fellow toy 103 00:06:48,082 --> 00:06:53,962 Speaker 1: designer Caleb Chung, starts feverishly working on this idea, a 104 00:06:54,122 --> 00:07:00,002 Speaker 1: Tamagatchi that you can pet. After some tinkering, the toy 105 00:07:00,122 --> 00:07:05,482 Speaker 1: starts coming together. It has large expressive eyes, big ears, 106 00:07:05,602 --> 00:07:09,722 Speaker 1: a little beak, and a round, fuzzy body. With the 107 00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:13,242 Speaker 1: help of a knob, it blinks, it moves its head, 108 00:07:13,682 --> 00:07:18,882 Speaker 1: it wiggles around. It's rudimentary, for sure, but there's something there. 109 00:07:19,482 --> 00:07:24,682 Speaker 1: Dave calls it Ferby. Dave has big dreams for Ferby. 110 00:07:25,242 --> 00:07:28,922 Speaker 1: He envisions a toy that reacts to stimuli around it, 111 00:07:29,442 --> 00:07:33,802 Speaker 1: that talks and dances and burps and sneezes and laughs, 112 00:07:34,162 --> 00:07:37,962 Speaker 1: a toy that can communicate with other Ferbies and even 113 00:07:38,042 --> 00:07:41,402 Speaker 1: learn English. He wants it to be more like a 114 00:07:41,602 --> 00:07:48,042 Speaker 1: friend than an amalgamation of cold plastic parts. Dave starts 115 00:07:48,202 --> 00:07:53,242 Speaker 1: shopping the prototype around to the toy manufacturers, and by 116 00:07:53,282 --> 00:07:56,922 Speaker 1: mid nineteen ninety seven, Ferby has made its way to 117 00:07:57,122 --> 00:08:03,002 Speaker 1: Tiger Electronics. Tiger was a small but mighty toy powerhouse, 118 00:08:03,482 --> 00:08:08,322 Speaker 1: best known for its handheld electronic games, for a Tamagotchi 119 00:08:08,442 --> 00:08:15,002 Speaker 1: competitor called GigaPets, and for Talkboy now, the voice recorder 120 00:08:15,042 --> 00:08:19,922 Speaker 1: and modulator made famous in home alone too. Tiger had 121 00:08:19,962 --> 00:08:24,122 Speaker 1: a reputation for taking chances, and they were looking for 122 00:08:24,202 --> 00:08:28,882 Speaker 1: a new hit. This early Ferby. It seemed promising. 123 00:08:30,562 --> 00:08:33,722 Speaker 4: You know, we as a company saw lots and lots 124 00:08:33,762 --> 00:08:38,282 Speaker 4: of tremendous and exciting inventor concepts, but generally they would 125 00:08:38,362 --> 00:08:41,562 Speaker 4: fall into different categories of toys that sort of existed, 126 00:08:41,642 --> 00:08:45,282 Speaker 4: and this was the first time that we were presented 127 00:08:45,522 --> 00:08:49,882 Speaker 4: a product that was going to, in a lot of ways, 128 00:08:49,922 --> 00:08:50,722 Speaker 4: feel alive. 129 00:08:51,482 --> 00:08:55,602 Speaker 1: Jeff Jones was VP of Marketing at Tiger Electronics at 130 00:08:55,642 --> 00:08:56,042 Speaker 1: the time. 131 00:08:57,082 --> 00:08:59,082 Speaker 4: I don't know what made me think it was a 132 00:08:59,122 --> 00:09:03,162 Speaker 4: good idea, but I you know, we saw it. It 133 00:09:03,282 --> 00:09:07,922 Speaker 4: was super rudimentary, but there was something just inherently unique 134 00:09:07,962 --> 00:09:08,882 Speaker 4: and special about it. 135 00:09:09,442 --> 00:09:13,962 Speaker 1: Jeff's boss, Stuart Simms remembers seeing Ferby for the first 136 00:09:14,162 --> 00:09:16,042 Speaker 1: time too well. 137 00:09:16,242 --> 00:09:18,362 Speaker 5: Captinated me about it was it sounded like something that 138 00:09:18,602 --> 00:09:21,682 Speaker 5: was totally fresh and new, and I thought our line 139 00:09:21,722 --> 00:09:26,602 Speaker 5: needed something unique, and so I wanted to do it. 140 00:09:26,722 --> 00:09:29,602 Speaker 4: Stuart Simms, as we were walking out after having seen it, 141 00:09:29,842 --> 00:09:32,482 Speaker 4: I looked at him and I said, if we do it, 142 00:09:32,562 --> 00:09:33,122 Speaker 4: I want it. 143 00:09:34,162 --> 00:09:37,802 Speaker 1: By the fall of nineteen ninety seven, all of Tiger 144 00:09:38,042 --> 00:09:42,282 Speaker 1: is fully on board with Ferby, so much so they 145 00:09:42,322 --> 00:09:46,802 Speaker 1: decide they want it available to the public before Christmas 146 00:09:46,962 --> 00:09:50,482 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight, which means it needs to be ready 147 00:09:50,522 --> 00:09:54,522 Speaker 1: to show off to industry buyers by next year's toy 148 00:09:54,602 --> 00:09:59,122 Speaker 1: Fare just a few short months away. It's a timeline 149 00:09:59,242 --> 00:10:02,842 Speaker 1: that is almost unheard of, but they pull it off. 150 00:10:03,482 --> 00:10:08,322 Speaker 1: And exactly one year after Dave Hampton and first struck 151 00:10:08,402 --> 00:10:12,602 Speaker 1: upon the idea, Ferby is at Toy Fair in a 152 00:10:12,642 --> 00:10:18,642 Speaker 1: display surrounded by purple tumbleweeds and a sparkly sky, ready 153 00:10:18,722 --> 00:10:23,002 Speaker 1: to wow, or at least they hope so. Because the 154 00:10:23,082 --> 00:10:27,562 Speaker 1: thing is the prototype they've rushed to get together. It's 155 00:10:27,682 --> 00:10:30,442 Speaker 1: a little well crude. 156 00:10:30,682 --> 00:10:33,322 Speaker 5: When we first presented Ferbi at Toy Fair, we didn't 157 00:10:33,322 --> 00:10:34,362 Speaker 5: have a Furby that was working. 158 00:10:35,482 --> 00:10:39,722 Speaker 1: This Ferby was a long way from the Ferby children 159 00:10:39,802 --> 00:10:43,722 Speaker 1: across the world came to know and love. Sure, it 160 00:10:44,042 --> 00:10:48,202 Speaker 1: more or less looked the same, the big eyes and ears, 161 00:10:48,322 --> 00:10:52,642 Speaker 1: the furry body. But this Ferby wasn't free and loose 162 00:10:52,722 --> 00:10:56,002 Speaker 1: and chatty. It was tethered by a cable to an 163 00:10:56,042 --> 00:11:01,002 Speaker 1: electronics box. Still, there was something about it that caught 164 00:11:01,202 --> 00:11:06,402 Speaker 1: buyer's eyes. Ferby soon became the talk of the fair. 165 00:11:07,202 --> 00:11:12,722 Speaker 1: KB toys asked for several hundred thousand of them. The 166 00:11:12,762 --> 00:11:16,282 Speaker 1: Walmart buyer in attendance snaps up a third of the 167 00:11:16,522 --> 00:11:21,842 Speaker 1: entire supply. A supply that is at this point completely hypothetical. 168 00:11:22,642 --> 00:11:24,962 Speaker 1: As Jeff Jones explains. 169 00:11:25,122 --> 00:11:28,682 Speaker 4: I remember riding back to the airport after Toyfair. We 170 00:11:28,722 --> 00:11:32,162 Speaker 4: have a product manager and he said to me, you know, 171 00:11:32,242 --> 00:11:34,122 Speaker 4: how does it feel to have the hit of Toy Fair? 172 00:11:34,162 --> 00:11:37,122 Speaker 4: And I said, well, it's great, except we haven't shipped 173 00:11:37,122 --> 00:11:40,402 Speaker 4: any we haven't sold any, so still we still have 174 00:11:40,562 --> 00:11:41,162 Speaker 4: ways to go. 175 00:11:42,002 --> 00:11:46,482 Speaker 1: Not only has Tiger not actually sold any, they haven't 176 00:11:46,522 --> 00:11:50,442 Speaker 1: even fully built any, at least not any that are 177 00:11:50,482 --> 00:11:53,442 Speaker 1: ready for the public. And now they have to do 178 00:11:53,482 --> 00:12:00,202 Speaker 1: this coding, building, testing, producing, shipping by October. This process 179 00:12:00,282 --> 00:12:05,162 Speaker 1: could normally take years, and now they're doing it in months. 180 00:12:05,522 --> 00:12:08,162 Speaker 4: From the faithful day when I've said to sit said 181 00:12:08,642 --> 00:12:12,082 Speaker 4: if we do it, I want it to when we shipped, 182 00:12:12,322 --> 00:12:16,602 Speaker 4: my entire life became consumed with this, absolutely consumed. 183 00:12:17,042 --> 00:12:21,282 Speaker 1: The whole team, in fact, is consumed. Dave Hampton designs 184 00:12:21,322 --> 00:12:25,042 Speaker 1: and programs the Ferbie brain and how it reacts and 185 00:12:25,242 --> 00:12:31,122 Speaker 1: responds to stimuli. Another group develops its mechanics and puppeteers 186 00:12:31,362 --> 00:12:35,682 Speaker 1: orchestrate it's every movement. Really, it's a work of art. 187 00:12:36,482 --> 00:12:41,882 Speaker 4: The way that Ferby moved was extremely lifelike. They puppeteered 188 00:12:42,642 --> 00:12:48,282 Speaker 4: every possible movement Ferbie could think, from the speed of 189 00:12:48,322 --> 00:12:52,242 Speaker 4: its eyes to the synchronization of the beak when it 190 00:12:52,322 --> 00:12:57,322 Speaker 4: was speaking, to when it would tilt forward and back dancing, 191 00:12:57,402 --> 00:12:59,122 Speaker 4: to ear movements, everything like that. 192 00:12:59,802 --> 00:13:05,202 Speaker 1: Dave also creates a language for Ferby, Furbish, which borrows 193 00:13:05,282 --> 00:13:10,282 Speaker 1: from Thi, Mandarin, and Hebrew. When everything is finished, Ferby 194 00:13:10,402 --> 00:13:15,082 Speaker 1: is capable of at least three hundred different unique combinations 195 00:13:15,442 --> 00:13:19,562 Speaker 1: of eye, ear, and mouth movements, and at full capacity, 196 00:13:19,962 --> 00:13:22,762 Speaker 1: can speak nearly two hundred words. 197 00:13:26,202 --> 00:13:31,442 Speaker 4: It had a sense of actual life. Right. The thing 198 00:13:31,442 --> 00:13:33,842 Speaker 4: about toys is that they tend to be very cause 199 00:13:33,842 --> 00:13:36,642 Speaker 4: and effect, Like you do this, and this happens. You 200 00:13:36,682 --> 00:13:39,602 Speaker 4: do something else, something else happens. The thing about Ferby 201 00:13:39,802 --> 00:13:43,962 Speaker 4: was Ferby behaved the way Ferbey behaved most of the time, 202 00:13:44,282 --> 00:13:48,122 Speaker 4: unless it didn't like sometimes when you tickled it. Most 203 00:13:48,162 --> 00:13:51,922 Speaker 4: of the time, it would laugh. Occasionally, it would burp, occasionally, 204 00:13:51,962 --> 00:13:55,562 Speaker 4: it would fart, occasionally, it would make some other sound. Right, 205 00:13:56,282 --> 00:13:58,682 Speaker 4: that's very organic, that's very alive. 206 00:13:59,602 --> 00:14:04,362 Speaker 1: In September nineteen ninety eight, Wired magazine publishes an article 207 00:14:04,802 --> 00:14:10,202 Speaker 1: that delves extensively into Ferby's creation and development. It sets 208 00:14:10,202 --> 00:14:14,602 Speaker 1: Ferby up as the hottest toy of the upcoming holiday season. 209 00:14:15,202 --> 00:14:19,562 Speaker 1: It also sets off a media frenzy. Reporters are hustling 210 00:14:19,642 --> 00:14:23,562 Speaker 1: to cover a thing that doesn't even exist, so when 211 00:14:23,682 --> 00:14:29,962 Speaker 1: Ferby arrives, it arrives in a big way. On October second, 212 00:14:30,202 --> 00:14:34,562 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight, Ferby makes its debut, fittingly in the 213 00:14:34,602 --> 00:14:38,802 Speaker 1: same city Dave Hampton first had his revelation, New York. 214 00:14:39,202 --> 00:14:41,402 Speaker 4: Ferby was launched at fair Schwartz. 215 00:14:41,802 --> 00:14:45,042 Speaker 1: That's Jeff Jones again, VP of Marketing at Tiger. 216 00:14:45,402 --> 00:14:47,962 Speaker 4: So there was lots of media there and there were 217 00:14:48,042 --> 00:14:51,162 Speaker 4: kids lined up to experience Ferby for the first time. 218 00:14:51,482 --> 00:14:55,922 Speaker 1: At the appointed time, a white stretch limousine pulls up 219 00:14:55,962 --> 00:15:01,242 Speaker 1: on Fifth Avenue. Six children, each carrying a purple pillow 220 00:15:01,362 --> 00:15:05,602 Speaker 1: with a Ferby carefully balanced on top, make their way 221 00:15:05,842 --> 00:15:14,602 Speaker 1: down the red carpet as kids around them cheer. It is, 222 00:15:14,802 --> 00:15:18,482 Speaker 1: in short, a spectacle and it works. 223 00:15:18,882 --> 00:15:25,282 Speaker 4: It started generating momentum, and then it sort of got crazy. 224 00:15:25,762 --> 00:15:30,402 Speaker 1: Ferby's start making their way into toy stores across America. 225 00:15:30,922 --> 00:15:34,642 Speaker 1: They arrive in shipments of a dozen, thirty or a 226 00:15:34,682 --> 00:15:38,962 Speaker 1: couple hundred, far fewer numbers than the customers that want one. 227 00:15:39,442 --> 00:15:41,602 Speaker 1: The race to get a Ferbie is on. 228 00:15:43,282 --> 00:15:47,962 Speaker 4: There were lines and stores. The receptionist that the Tiger 229 00:15:48,002 --> 00:15:53,482 Speaker 4: office was absolutely bombarded with phone calls. And then people 230 00:15:53,522 --> 00:15:56,242 Speaker 4: started buying it and we sold out of the initial 231 00:15:56,242 --> 00:15:57,962 Speaker 4: shipment and like no time at. 232 00:15:57,882 --> 00:16:02,002 Speaker 10: All, Ferby has fueled a feeding frenzy. 233 00:16:02,242 --> 00:16:04,562 Speaker 5: Every morning we have a line out the front door 234 00:16:04,802 --> 00:16:05,202 Speaker 5: for a month. 235 00:16:05,282 --> 00:16:08,282 Speaker 11: People had been on the prowl hunting for Ferby. This 236 00:16:08,402 --> 00:16:10,442 Speaker 11: year is hotter than hot new toy. 237 00:16:10,442 --> 00:16:12,882 Speaker 1: Now my money right here, Irby. 238 00:16:13,442 --> 00:16:15,962 Speaker 9: Ah, the Ferby, the little gremlin like creature. 239 00:16:16,042 --> 00:16:18,082 Speaker 8: People were lined up at midnight to get. 240 00:16:18,442 --> 00:16:21,242 Speaker 12: It's the hottest toy in America. There is one hundreds 241 00:16:21,242 --> 00:16:24,002 Speaker 12: and hundreds of people and there's hundreds of people waiting 242 00:16:24,082 --> 00:16:24,962 Speaker 12: still in line. 243 00:16:25,122 --> 00:16:26,922 Speaker 13: Police were even on hand to keep the peace. 244 00:16:27,202 --> 00:16:28,562 Speaker 2: We are out of Ferbi. 245 00:16:30,002 --> 00:16:32,722 Speaker 4: How do you describe a spark? Right, It just sort 246 00:16:32,762 --> 00:16:37,642 Speaker 4: of happened. It just took off, and then the legend grew. 247 00:16:37,722 --> 00:16:43,282 Speaker 1: Profits grow too. Around two million Furbies are sold between 248 00:16:43,322 --> 00:16:48,482 Speaker 1: October and December nineteen ninety eight. Demand is so great 249 00:16:48,522 --> 00:16:52,962 Speaker 1: that a secondary market emerges where folks sell Ferbies for 250 00:16:53,482 --> 00:16:57,922 Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of dollars, far more than their thirty 251 00:16:57,962 --> 00:17:02,402 Speaker 1: dollars retail price, it seems like people would do anything 252 00:17:02,562 --> 00:17:03,362 Speaker 1: to get one. 253 00:17:03,602 --> 00:17:06,122 Speaker 11: With a chug of eggnog, the Ferbie Derby is on. 254 00:17:06,642 --> 00:17:09,602 Speaker 11: These three Ferby seekers are competing in a radio contest 255 00:17:09,642 --> 00:17:12,122 Speaker 11: for one of the rare toys. The rules are easy. 256 00:17:12,442 --> 00:17:16,242 Speaker 11: Drink the eggnog, decorate a Christmas tree, wrap a package 257 00:17:16,322 --> 00:17:18,922 Speaker 11: sort of, then throw fruitcakes through a wreath. 258 00:17:19,682 --> 00:17:23,762 Speaker 1: Ferbies are so omnipresent they even make an appearance in 259 00:17:23,962 --> 00:17:29,482 Speaker 1: Congress where Representative Mary Bono quips, quote, the economy is strong, 260 00:17:29,722 --> 00:17:33,042 Speaker 1: the stock market is great, although some of us still 261 00:17:33,122 --> 00:17:37,122 Speaker 1: can't get Ferbies, so it's not strong enough. The team 262 00:17:37,122 --> 00:17:40,642 Speaker 1: at Tiger, they'd had a feeling Ferbie would do well, 263 00:17:40,802 --> 00:17:45,242 Speaker 1: but this response, it's beyond their wildest dreams. 264 00:17:45,882 --> 00:17:50,962 Speaker 4: We stopped running TV commercials because it was everywhere. We 265 00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:54,042 Speaker 4: didn't need to pay for TV space because we were 266 00:17:54,042 --> 00:17:54,962 Speaker 4: getting it for free. 267 00:17:55,122 --> 00:17:57,082 Speaker 5: Every toy you do, you hope is going to be 268 00:17:57,122 --> 00:17:59,442 Speaker 5: a winner. But I've never seen anything quite like this. 269 00:17:59,802 --> 00:18:02,562 Speaker 4: We would call it viral today. There was no such 270 00:18:02,602 --> 00:18:05,562 Speaker 4: word back then, but it just became viral. 271 00:18:06,122 --> 00:18:09,642 Speaker 1: If there's one thing we know about viruses, though, it's 272 00:18:09,722 --> 00:18:12,402 Speaker 1: that sometimes they get out of control. 273 00:18:24,442 --> 00:18:25,162 Speaker 3: I love toys. 274 00:18:25,202 --> 00:18:27,802 Speaker 6: I always have, probably always will. 275 00:18:28,442 --> 00:18:31,762 Speaker 1: Mercy Depina was one of the lucky ones who managed 276 00:18:31,762 --> 00:18:35,002 Speaker 1: to get a Ferbie courtesy of her then boyfriend. 277 00:18:35,562 --> 00:18:37,962 Speaker 6: He claims that he had to suffer to get it. 278 00:18:38,002 --> 00:18:39,682 Speaker 6: I don't know if that's actually true or not. 279 00:18:40,482 --> 00:18:44,602 Speaker 1: Even now, twenty five years later, the memory of Ferbi 280 00:18:44,962 --> 00:18:47,482 Speaker 1: entering her life is still vivid. 281 00:18:48,162 --> 00:18:53,082 Speaker 6: All I remember was running around my apartment, probably. 282 00:18:52,642 --> 00:18:54,122 Speaker 1: Like a four year old like. 283 00:18:56,042 --> 00:18:56,282 Speaker 14: Herb. 284 00:18:56,802 --> 00:18:59,162 Speaker 6: It's like losing my mind because I had this Furby. 285 00:18:59,242 --> 00:19:03,762 Speaker 6: I was so so excited, I could barely contain myself. 286 00:19:03,842 --> 00:19:06,322 Speaker 6: I was hugging it, I was petting it. I was like, 287 00:19:07,122 --> 00:19:08,562 Speaker 6: we have a new member of the family. 288 00:19:09,362 --> 00:19:13,282 Speaker 1: She named this new family member Malik, and at first 289 00:19:13,482 --> 00:19:16,362 Speaker 1: their relationship was well magical. 290 00:19:17,042 --> 00:19:19,082 Speaker 6: So we would play music for it and be like 291 00:19:19,202 --> 00:19:20,242 Speaker 6: dance Ferbie dance. 292 00:19:20,682 --> 00:19:21,442 Speaker 3: It was so cute. 293 00:19:21,482 --> 00:19:24,202 Speaker 6: It would like move around and dance it like kind 294 00:19:24,682 --> 00:19:26,282 Speaker 6: kind of like shake and shimmy a little bit. 295 00:19:26,842 --> 00:19:30,322 Speaker 1: She also took care of Malik. He, like all furby's, 296 00:19:30,442 --> 00:19:34,402 Speaker 1: needed regular feedings. He wanted to be played with, and 297 00:19:34,602 --> 00:19:37,442 Speaker 1: this soon became part of Marcy's routine. 298 00:19:37,962 --> 00:19:39,642 Speaker 6: They used to work down the street from my house. 299 00:19:39,642 --> 00:19:41,922 Speaker 6: I was like coming home to feed my Ferbie, like 300 00:19:42,202 --> 00:19:43,602 Speaker 6: the same way that you would have to go home 301 00:19:43,642 --> 00:19:45,762 Speaker 6: to walk your dog or go pick up your kid 302 00:19:45,762 --> 00:19:47,402 Speaker 6: from the babysitter. I was like, Yeah, I gotta get 303 00:19:47,442 --> 00:19:49,562 Speaker 6: home to my Ferbie. 304 00:19:50,202 --> 00:19:54,762 Speaker 1: At first, these attributes made Marci love Malik even more. 305 00:19:55,082 --> 00:19:57,562 Speaker 6: Even though it was an electronic toy. You know, he 306 00:19:57,642 --> 00:20:02,722 Speaker 6: felt like a real entity, like a person or an animal. 307 00:20:02,322 --> 00:20:03,842 Speaker 3: Like he really felt alive. 308 00:20:04,282 --> 00:20:07,402 Speaker 6: I actually had to interact with it, and as crazy 309 00:20:07,442 --> 00:20:10,122 Speaker 6: as it sounds, like that made me bond with it, 310 00:20:10,242 --> 00:20:14,682 Speaker 6: Like I actually had a connection with this electronic toy. 311 00:20:15,042 --> 00:20:19,122 Speaker 1: This connection, It was exactly what Tiger had hoped would happen. 312 00:20:19,642 --> 00:20:23,682 Speaker 1: They wanted people to create and find their own interactions 313 00:20:23,722 --> 00:20:27,442 Speaker 1: with Ferby. As Jeff Jones explains. 314 00:20:27,162 --> 00:20:31,882 Speaker 4: It didn't have a call, it defined play pattern. There 315 00:20:31,922 --> 00:20:34,882 Speaker 4: was no one way to play with it. There was 316 00:20:34,882 --> 00:20:38,082 Speaker 4: no one way to interact with it. Ferby's just were 317 00:20:38,882 --> 00:20:41,722 Speaker 4: and so they could be anything you wanted them to be. 318 00:20:42,402 --> 00:20:45,402 Speaker 1: The magic of Ferby started from the minute you put 319 00:20:45,442 --> 00:20:50,842 Speaker 1: the batteries in and it spoke its first words of Furbish. 320 00:20:49,962 --> 00:20:53,202 Speaker 4: So like do alo ulai means good morning? Right, It 321 00:20:53,242 --> 00:20:55,602 Speaker 4: was it's a general greeting, and it kind of sounds 322 00:20:55,602 --> 00:20:57,562 Speaker 4: like that, right, you know, it's sort of like, yeah, 323 00:20:57,602 --> 00:21:00,682 Speaker 4: good morning, diela ulai, that sort of thing. And then 324 00:21:00,802 --> 00:21:07,242 Speaker 4: gradually over time it did speak English, and so that 325 00:21:07,242 --> 00:21:11,802 Speaker 4: that whole pattern of I'm learning to communicate with Ferbey, 326 00:21:11,882 --> 00:21:15,322 Speaker 4: Ferby's learning to communicate with me. It was just another 327 00:21:15,522 --> 00:21:18,882 Speaker 4: layer of depth in the relationship. 328 00:21:19,282 --> 00:21:23,922 Speaker 1: And maybe the most important thing about Ferby what made 329 00:21:23,962 --> 00:21:25,122 Speaker 1: it so lifelike. 330 00:21:25,722 --> 00:21:28,362 Speaker 4: Ferby didn't have an on off switch, and that was 331 00:21:28,442 --> 00:21:33,162 Speaker 4: a very deliberate decision and I think was pretty much 332 00:21:33,322 --> 00:21:36,562 Speaker 4: critical to the way that people reacted to it. Right, 333 00:21:36,602 --> 00:21:40,442 Speaker 4: people put a sheet over a bird's cage so that 334 00:21:40,522 --> 00:21:42,602 Speaker 4: it won't wake them up in the morning. You were 335 00:21:42,802 --> 00:21:45,842 Speaker 4: doing that. You were treating Ferby like a living thing. 336 00:21:46,642 --> 00:21:50,922 Speaker 1: Similar to a living thing, Ferbey's could also be needy 337 00:21:51,042 --> 00:21:55,282 Speaker 1: and dependent. If left alone, a Ferby might go to sleep, 338 00:21:55,722 --> 00:22:01,282 Speaker 1: but might also cry or become despondent when ignored. Many 339 00:22:01,322 --> 00:22:07,082 Speaker 1: people reported Ferby's rebelling or changing in odd ways. He 340 00:22:07,242 --> 00:22:08,162 Speaker 1: remembers this too. 341 00:22:08,642 --> 00:22:13,722 Speaker 6: Okay, So here's the thing about about Malik. If you 342 00:22:13,802 --> 00:22:18,602 Speaker 6: didn't play with him, or feed him or take care 343 00:22:18,642 --> 00:22:22,202 Speaker 6: of him, they would like kind of cry, like kind 344 00:22:22,202 --> 00:22:24,562 Speaker 6: of like a kid or a dog, And so that 345 00:22:24,642 --> 00:22:26,362 Speaker 6: was kind of cute at first, and then it like 346 00:22:26,562 --> 00:22:29,642 Speaker 6: wasn't cute, right, it wasn't cute. I'd come home and 347 00:22:29,762 --> 00:22:32,842 Speaker 6: this Ferbie would be literally like having a temper tantrum. 348 00:22:33,482 --> 00:22:35,042 Speaker 1: Mercy looked for a solution. 349 00:22:35,642 --> 00:22:37,722 Speaker 6: We tried to turn it off. There's no way to 350 00:22:37,762 --> 00:22:41,202 Speaker 6: really turn it off, so we decided to put it 351 00:22:41,242 --> 00:22:44,802 Speaker 6: in the closet. Then you'd think that, Okay, it's occupied, 352 00:22:44,802 --> 00:22:47,322 Speaker 6: it's sleeping or whatever. But as soon as it knew 353 00:22:47,322 --> 00:22:49,922 Speaker 6: that you were in the vicinity, it would start communicating 354 00:22:49,922 --> 00:22:52,882 Speaker 6: with you. So that meant there was no quiet time 355 00:22:52,962 --> 00:22:54,882 Speaker 6: like hey, we're going to watch a movie or oh, 356 00:22:54,922 --> 00:22:55,602 Speaker 6: I'm going to take a. 357 00:22:55,642 --> 00:22:59,842 Speaker 1: Nap, and there was no knowing what would set Malik off. 358 00:23:00,562 --> 00:23:04,882 Speaker 6: I could still hear exactly how it sounds, because it 359 00:23:04,922 --> 00:23:07,962 Speaker 6: was pretty weird to be sleeping and then hear this 360 00:23:08,042 --> 00:23:11,722 Speaker 6: thing like calling out to you. It became really annoying. 361 00:23:11,642 --> 00:23:16,082 Speaker 1: For some, though Ferbi's were more than annoying. For some, 362 00:23:16,722 --> 00:23:22,442 Speaker 1: Ferbies seemed downright sinister. Jenny Sparks and Lars Nordstrom are 363 00:23:22,522 --> 00:23:26,922 Speaker 1: video game developers. They also ran the website Ferbie Autopsy, 364 00:23:27,322 --> 00:23:31,602 Speaker 1: which they built in ninety ninety eight. It still exists today. 365 00:23:35,122 --> 00:23:37,682 Speaker 2: It has not changed since nineteen ninety eight. Is exactly 366 00:23:37,682 --> 00:23:38,042 Speaker 2: the same. 367 00:23:38,082 --> 00:23:40,362 Speaker 3: I don't really know how to edit it anymore. Yeah, 368 00:23:40,882 --> 00:23:43,482 Speaker 3: it's preserved. It's not han solo and carbonite. 369 00:23:43,522 --> 00:23:45,002 Speaker 2: It's just it's frozen in time. 370 00:23:46,042 --> 00:23:49,322 Speaker 1: The couple built the site after the motor on their own. 371 00:23:49,362 --> 00:23:53,362 Speaker 1: Ferby froze and died just a few days after they 372 00:23:53,402 --> 00:23:54,162 Speaker 1: got it. 373 00:23:54,162 --> 00:23:56,962 Speaker 2: It started to smell like burning electronics, and we. 374 00:23:56,922 --> 00:23:57,602 Speaker 3: Still use that. 375 00:23:57,682 --> 00:24:01,042 Speaker 7: Whenever we smell something that smells like it's electronically burning, 376 00:24:01,122 --> 00:24:03,482 Speaker 7: I go it smells like burning Ferbian Here. 377 00:24:04,122 --> 00:24:08,282 Speaker 1: Lars and Jenny were curious how this toy actually worked, 378 00:24:08,722 --> 00:24:11,962 Speaker 1: and so they decided to take it apart to find out, 379 00:24:12,602 --> 00:24:15,282 Speaker 1: and they figured they'd share what they'd learned. 380 00:24:15,882 --> 00:24:18,682 Speaker 2: There was a lot of misinformation about what the Ferbies 381 00:24:18,682 --> 00:24:21,442 Speaker 2: could do and what they were capable of, and like 382 00:24:21,482 --> 00:24:23,282 Speaker 2: what sort of magic powers they had. 383 00:24:23,522 --> 00:24:25,962 Speaker 7: There were so many crazy rumors going around. We just 384 00:24:26,082 --> 00:24:27,322 Speaker 7: knew that that couldn't be true. 385 00:24:27,962 --> 00:24:31,962 Speaker 1: To Lars and Jenny, Ferbie Autopsy was always meant to 386 00:24:31,962 --> 00:24:34,842 Speaker 1: be a little tongue in cheek part of a certain 387 00:24:34,882 --> 00:24:38,922 Speaker 1: style of websites popular in the late nineties. Still, the 388 00:24:39,002 --> 00:24:43,562 Speaker 1: couple was curious what the general response to Ferbie Autopsy 389 00:24:43,762 --> 00:24:44,122 Speaker 1: might be. 390 00:24:44,722 --> 00:24:47,442 Speaker 7: I said, let's put this up here and see what 391 00:24:47,522 --> 00:24:51,442 Speaker 7: people think. And boy did we get thousands and thousands 392 00:24:51,522 --> 00:24:52,522 Speaker 7: and thousands of emails. 393 00:24:52,562 --> 00:24:55,122 Speaker 3: We still get emails. They're very funny. 394 00:24:54,922 --> 00:24:55,682 Speaker 4: Some of them, but. 395 00:24:57,282 --> 00:24:59,282 Speaker 3: And they're very weird. We just got it was a 396 00:24:59,282 --> 00:25:00,562 Speaker 3: lot of children writing to us. 397 00:25:00,562 --> 00:25:03,082 Speaker 7: In those early days of the web, when kids no 398 00:25:03,162 --> 00:25:05,402 Speaker 7: one really thought about kids being on the computer, and 399 00:25:05,442 --> 00:25:08,762 Speaker 7: so they're in their school computer lab typing away. It 400 00:25:08,842 --> 00:25:11,842 Speaker 7: was pretty much half hate mail, half can you fix 401 00:25:11,922 --> 00:25:14,762 Speaker 7: my Ferbi too? I would answer everyone. 402 00:25:15,082 --> 00:25:18,762 Speaker 1: With little official Ferbie information on the web, and with 403 00:25:18,922 --> 00:25:23,562 Speaker 1: millions of Ferbie owners, Ferbie Autopsy soon became the de 404 00:25:23,682 --> 00:25:27,882 Speaker 1: facto site for people wanting to find answers or ask 405 00:25:28,162 --> 00:25:33,002 Speaker 1: questions about these strange little creatures that seemed to have 406 00:25:33,282 --> 00:25:34,522 Speaker 1: minds of their own. 407 00:25:35,162 --> 00:25:36,282 Speaker 3: There's just such weird. 408 00:25:36,562 --> 00:25:36,762 Speaker 15: Hi. 409 00:25:37,002 --> 00:25:38,642 Speaker 7: My name is Arthur, and I was wondering if you 410 00:25:38,642 --> 00:25:40,562 Speaker 7: could burn a Ferbie in a cardboard box. 411 00:25:41,002 --> 00:25:44,602 Speaker 2: I heard answer these, go for it, God, Arthur, Yeah, 412 00:25:44,762 --> 00:25:48,602 Speaker 2: or that you know, my Ferbie has learned new words 413 00:25:48,642 --> 00:25:49,002 Speaker 2: from me? 414 00:25:50,682 --> 00:25:54,042 Speaker 7: So many kids saying, my Ferbie learned to say blankety 415 00:25:54,082 --> 00:25:58,002 Speaker 7: blank blank blank, and my Ferby is haunted. My Ferby 416 00:25:58,082 --> 00:25:59,522 Speaker 7: says it wakes up in the middle of the night 417 00:25:59,522 --> 00:26:00,762 Speaker 7: and says it wants to kill us all. 418 00:26:00,922 --> 00:26:01,882 Speaker 2: My Ferbie can walk. 419 00:26:02,322 --> 00:26:03,922 Speaker 3: That was a good one. Your Furbie can walk? 420 00:26:03,962 --> 00:26:08,442 Speaker 16: Okay, Yeah, you don't have motors for that. 421 00:26:09,602 --> 00:26:12,322 Speaker 2: Local radio station executed a Ferby and there was some 422 00:26:12,442 --> 00:26:14,162 Speaker 2: kind of blood in it. Is that true? 423 00:26:14,282 --> 00:26:15,802 Speaker 7: There was a lot of people who thought that there 424 00:26:15,842 --> 00:26:17,722 Speaker 7: was some sort of blood or something in it. 425 00:26:17,802 --> 00:26:19,842 Speaker 2: Yeah, don't believe everything you see on the radio. 426 00:26:20,362 --> 00:26:24,002 Speaker 1: Tiger, of course, did receive some of these complaints too. 427 00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:29,122 Speaker 1: Here's its president Roger Schiffman talking to CBS. 428 00:26:30,402 --> 00:26:32,202 Speaker 17: I've been told that we're developing a Ferbie that can 429 00:26:32,282 --> 00:26:34,682 Speaker 17: drive a car in the year two thousand. We've also 430 00:26:34,762 --> 00:26:36,802 Speaker 17: been told that the current Ferby has the technology to 431 00:26:36,882 --> 00:26:39,802 Speaker 17: launch the space Shuttle. We have one woman who was 432 00:26:39,882 --> 00:26:42,802 Speaker 17: absolutely insistent that her Ferbie Singh's Italian operation. 433 00:26:43,722 --> 00:26:46,682 Speaker 1: Stuart and Jeff also remember these calls. 434 00:26:47,962 --> 00:26:52,082 Speaker 5: The whole idea of popularizing electronics was still very new, 435 00:26:52,322 --> 00:26:53,442 Speaker 5: at least in the toy industry. 436 00:26:53,602 --> 00:26:56,522 Speaker 4: There were lots and lots of stories. We tried to 437 00:26:56,562 --> 00:26:59,322 Speaker 4: focus on the ones where Ferby we're saving people's lives, 438 00:26:59,362 --> 00:27:02,762 Speaker 4: but there were others as well. You know, Ferby's been 439 00:27:02,802 --> 00:27:04,882 Speaker 4: hacked to do this, and Ferby's been hacked to do that. 440 00:27:05,282 --> 00:27:06,882 Speaker 5: But I also suspected some of it had to do 441 00:27:06,962 --> 00:27:09,042 Speaker 5: with fun. People were pulling our leg a little bit too. 442 00:27:09,842 --> 00:27:12,682 Speaker 4: There has never been a toy that I've ever worked 443 00:27:12,722 --> 00:27:16,762 Speaker 4: on that had recorded voices where we didn't get at 444 00:27:16,882 --> 00:27:20,562 Speaker 4: least one complaint that it was swearing. I think there's 445 00:27:20,682 --> 00:27:24,402 Speaker 4: just a thing in society where something gets too big, 446 00:27:24,602 --> 00:27:27,642 Speaker 4: somebody's going to vilify it. And you know, Ferby was 447 00:27:28,082 --> 00:27:30,282 Speaker 4: at the time sort of the biggest thing that everybody 448 00:27:30,322 --> 00:27:31,042 Speaker 4: was talking about. 449 00:27:32,002 --> 00:27:36,762 Speaker 1: Everybody was talking about it, and the talking that was 450 00:27:36,802 --> 00:27:40,122 Speaker 1: a problem, but not in the way you might expect. 451 00:27:40,882 --> 00:27:44,802 Speaker 1: One day, the folks at Tiger get another call, not 452 00:27:45,002 --> 00:27:48,482 Speaker 1: from a customer declaring that Ferby was singing opera or 453 00:27:48,602 --> 00:27:52,122 Speaker 1: counting in French, or had saved them from a house fire. 454 00:27:52,802 --> 00:27:57,282 Speaker 1: This call was from the US government and Uncle Sam 455 00:27:57,482 --> 00:28:10,962 Speaker 1: was accusing Ferby of international espionage. It's now January nineteen 456 00:28:11,122 --> 00:28:15,522 Speaker 1: ninety nine. Ferby is still the hottest thing in stores. 457 00:28:16,122 --> 00:28:21,922 Speaker 1: Ferby seems to be everywhere, and the government they're getting worried. 458 00:28:22,562 --> 00:28:28,082 Speaker 1: Stuart Sims from Tiger Electronics remembers what happened next. 459 00:28:27,642 --> 00:28:29,882 Speaker 5: And we got a phone call at one point. But 460 00:28:29,922 --> 00:28:33,402 Speaker 5: apparently the NSA had banned it from the offices because 461 00:28:33,802 --> 00:28:36,202 Speaker 5: they suspected that Ferby might be able to pick up 462 00:28:36,202 --> 00:28:37,242 Speaker 5: government secrets. 463 00:28:37,682 --> 00:28:41,482 Speaker 1: The NSA had just issued a memo to its staff 464 00:28:42,042 --> 00:28:49,162 Speaker 1: banning all Ferby's from NSA grounds, and that memo, it leaks. 465 00:28:50,682 --> 00:28:54,282 Speaker 13: Ferby's might have been toy stores big seller this Christmas season, 466 00:28:54,402 --> 00:28:57,602 Speaker 13: but those furry playthings are off limits at the super 467 00:28:57,642 --> 00:29:01,762 Speaker 13: secret National Security Agency. Here, the NSA has issued a 468 00:29:01,802 --> 00:29:05,722 Speaker 13: directive banning Ferby's at its Fort Meade headquarters because they 469 00:29:05,762 --> 00:29:07,122 Speaker 13: contain a built in record or. 470 00:29:07,402 --> 00:29:10,602 Speaker 14: The National Security Agency is banning Ferby, it says, quote, 471 00:29:10,602 --> 00:29:14,082 Speaker 14: they prohibit the use of recording equipment in agency workspaces. 472 00:29:14,402 --> 00:29:17,802 Speaker 14: This includes any items with built in recording features, and 473 00:29:17,842 --> 00:29:18,802 Speaker 14: that means Ferby. 474 00:29:18,922 --> 00:29:21,122 Speaker 18: You may have heard that US Intelligence has a new 475 00:29:21,242 --> 00:29:25,882 Speaker 18: spy concern inside its own ranks, not a mole of Ferby, 476 00:29:26,362 --> 00:29:30,562 Speaker 18: the popular electronic toy Well tonight, the untold toy story 477 00:29:31,002 --> 00:29:35,282 Speaker 18: behind the stories are Ferby's with loose lips really a 478 00:29:35,402 --> 00:29:36,642 Speaker 18: national security threat. 479 00:29:38,282 --> 00:29:43,962 Speaker 1: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the NSA does not respond to requests for comment, 480 00:29:44,642 --> 00:29:47,362 Speaker 1: so the press turns to another Stuart. 481 00:29:47,722 --> 00:29:50,922 Speaker 16: I am Stuart Baker. I'm a lawyer in Washington. 482 00:29:51,122 --> 00:29:54,482 Speaker 1: Stuart had been a lawyer for the NSA, though he 483 00:29:54,562 --> 00:29:57,562 Speaker 1: was no longer there when the Ferby memo leaked. 484 00:29:58,082 --> 00:30:01,722 Speaker 16: I was one of the few people who was known 485 00:30:01,802 --> 00:30:05,042 Speaker 16: to have worked at the NSA and whose phone number 486 00:30:05,042 --> 00:30:07,282 Speaker 16: of people could find, so I got called all the 487 00:30:07,562 --> 00:30:10,522 Speaker 16: masked for comment on it. I don't know what was 488 00:30:10,562 --> 00:30:13,162 Speaker 16: going on in the hands of the people inside the 489 00:30:13,202 --> 00:30:15,922 Speaker 16: agency when they did what they did, but I've got 490 00:30:15,922 --> 00:30:16,762 Speaker 16: a pretty good idea. 491 00:30:17,602 --> 00:30:21,642 Speaker 1: We have a pretty good idea too. In early twenty 492 00:30:21,722 --> 00:30:26,602 Speaker 1: twenty four, the NSA released the internal conversation around Ferby's 493 00:30:26,682 --> 00:30:31,882 Speaker 1: after an Internet sleuth submitted a Freedom of Information Act request. 494 00:30:33,002 --> 00:30:37,362 Speaker 1: The sleuth, who uses the handle Dakota the Cat, then 495 00:30:37,602 --> 00:30:39,802 Speaker 1: shared the documents on Twitter. 496 00:30:40,122 --> 00:30:40,242 Speaker 19: Hi. 497 00:30:40,322 --> 00:30:42,802 Speaker 20: There, it's come to my attention that a new toy 498 00:30:42,882 --> 00:30:46,082 Speaker 20: on the market has an artificial intelligent chip on board. 499 00:30:46,642 --> 00:30:50,562 Speaker 20: Apparently these stuffed critters learned from nearby speech patterns. It 500 00:30:50,602 --> 00:30:53,242 Speaker 20: would seem to me that this might be a security issue. 501 00:30:53,402 --> 00:30:56,362 Speaker 20: I believe these things are called froppies, but I'm not sure. 502 00:30:56,562 --> 00:30:59,522 Speaker 20: My understanding is that these guys contain a writeable chip 503 00:30:59,602 --> 00:31:01,522 Speaker 20: that would definitely be a security concern. 504 00:31:01,722 --> 00:31:02,842 Speaker 12: Please help clear this up. 505 00:31:03,522 --> 00:31:06,402 Speaker 21: Now, the big curiosity is what medium of Ferbie uses 506 00:31:06,402 --> 00:31:09,042 Speaker 21: to record audio. I would assume that since it can 507 00:31:09,122 --> 00:31:12,322 Speaker 21: respond to certain audio cues, that it will use storage 508 00:31:12,362 --> 00:31:16,322 Speaker 21: similar to a digital answering machine or straight computer memory chips. 509 00:31:16,562 --> 00:31:21,442 Speaker 10: Anybody know, well, hopefully the Harry intruders have been properly 510 00:31:21,522 --> 00:31:24,722 Speaker 10: handled and removed from agency spaces. We surely want to 511 00:31:24,722 --> 00:31:27,082 Speaker 10: avoid the situation turning into a Furbie gate. 512 00:31:28,442 --> 00:31:34,282 Speaker 8: Anyone else consider this maybe a little embarrassing to the agency. 513 00:31:33,482 --> 00:31:37,042 Speaker 12: Not as embarrassing as security breach caused by employees toy 514 00:31:37,402 --> 00:31:41,002 Speaker 12: somewhat far fetch scenario, but way this possibility against how 515 00:31:41,042 --> 00:31:43,202 Speaker 12: badly anyone needs to have a furbiate work. 516 00:31:45,282 --> 00:31:49,802 Speaker 16: If you're NSA and one of these dolls is sitting 517 00:31:50,002 --> 00:31:55,642 Speaker 16: on a desk where very classified material is discussed routinely, 518 00:31:56,202 --> 00:32:00,402 Speaker 16: you say, well, do I really want this device listening 519 00:32:00,442 --> 00:32:05,242 Speaker 16: to these classified discussions and then walking out and maybe 520 00:32:05,362 --> 00:32:08,802 Speaker 16: saying something that it shouldn't say. Their job was security. 521 00:32:09,122 --> 00:32:13,482 Speaker 16: They weren't going to get fired for taking security seriously. 522 00:32:14,082 --> 00:32:16,042 Speaker 1: But it isn't only the NSA. 523 00:32:16,682 --> 00:32:21,162 Speaker 15: The security scare involving the Ferbie doll is spreading the now. 524 00:32:21,442 --> 00:32:24,962 Speaker 15: NASA has issued a memo barring Ferbies from Cape Canaveral, 525 00:32:25,362 --> 00:32:28,242 Speaker 15: saying the dolls should be treated no differently than cameras 526 00:32:28,282 --> 00:32:30,482 Speaker 15: and other recording devices. 527 00:32:30,442 --> 00:32:34,762 Speaker 1: And if a Ferbe is spotted at Virginia's Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 528 00:32:35,122 --> 00:32:40,002 Speaker 1: personnel are ordered to immediately quote seize it and its owner. 529 00:32:40,922 --> 00:32:45,522 Speaker 1: The University of Calgary is so concerned Ferbies might confuse 530 00:32:45,962 --> 00:32:51,042 Speaker 1: voice activated medical equipment that the Canadian Ministry of Health 531 00:32:51,522 --> 00:32:57,642 Speaker 1: launches an investigation, and the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, 532 00:32:58,242 --> 00:33:04,642 Speaker 1: suggested protocols to protect Americans from potential damage the gremlin 533 00:33:04,882 --> 00:33:10,322 Speaker 1: like toys might reek. Because Ferby's were an electronic device, 534 00:33:10,762 --> 00:33:15,442 Speaker 1: the FAA is concerned the chatting creature might interfere with 535 00:33:15,642 --> 00:33:20,682 Speaker 1: sensitive flight equipment before flight takes off. Passengers are now 536 00:33:20,762 --> 00:33:27,842 Speaker 1: required to power down their discmn beepers and Ferby's. Even 537 00:33:27,962 --> 00:33:31,562 Speaker 1: Lars and Jenny at Ferbie Autopsy were asked about this. 538 00:33:32,602 --> 00:33:34,722 Speaker 7: We did hear from someone who's an engineer. At a 539 00:33:34,722 --> 00:33:37,562 Speaker 7: major airline that wanted to know more because they were 540 00:33:37,922 --> 00:33:40,322 Speaker 7: concerned about how you have to turn off your electronic 541 00:33:40,402 --> 00:33:43,082 Speaker 7: devices on a plane. They wanted to know if this 542 00:33:43,242 --> 00:33:46,242 Speaker 7: was another device that could perhaps do something. 543 00:33:47,002 --> 00:33:51,682 Speaker 1: The fear that Ferby would crash airplanes and divulge sensitive 544 00:33:51,762 --> 00:33:56,362 Speaker 1: information is escalating. But the thing is, none of the 545 00:33:56,442 --> 00:34:01,602 Speaker 1: rumors fueling these fears are actually true. Jeff Jones from 546 00:34:01,682 --> 00:34:03,442 Speaker 1: Tiger explains. 547 00:34:03,202 --> 00:34:06,922 Speaker 4: Ferbi posed no threat to the security of the United States, 548 00:34:06,722 --> 00:34:11,842 Speaker 4: and anyway, Japer warm Ferby's didn't even have recording capabilities. 549 00:34:11,842 --> 00:34:15,082 Speaker 4: They had a microphone, that's true, but the microphone was 550 00:34:15,122 --> 00:34:18,122 Speaker 4: a sensor to pick up sounds. Ferbie had no idea 551 00:34:18,122 --> 00:34:20,522 Speaker 4: what you were saying. It just didn't. 552 00:34:20,882 --> 00:34:26,722 Speaker 1: However, Stuart Baker, the former NSA lawyer, blames Tiger's promotional 553 00:34:26,762 --> 00:34:28,082 Speaker 1: efforts for the panic. 554 00:34:28,642 --> 00:34:32,682 Speaker 16: Here's what I think happened. When they made the Ferbian 555 00:34:32,762 --> 00:34:37,362 Speaker 16: started to sell it, they were, I think the nicest 556 00:34:37,522 --> 00:34:42,122 Speaker 16: word for it. They were puffing its capabilities. The manufacturers 557 00:34:42,402 --> 00:34:45,242 Speaker 16: they said, oh it will it will learn to speak 558 00:34:45,282 --> 00:34:46,122 Speaker 16: English from you. 559 00:34:47,282 --> 00:34:51,522 Speaker 1: The NSSA and all the others bought into the hype. 560 00:34:52,482 --> 00:34:56,322 Speaker 16: I think they relied on the marketing materials. They just 561 00:34:56,402 --> 00:35:01,162 Speaker 16: did the easiest bureaucratic thing, which was to say we're 562 00:35:01,162 --> 00:35:04,442 Speaker 16: going to say no to this. And obviously there was 563 00:35:04,522 --> 00:35:07,842 Speaker 16: nobody who needed a Ferbie at work, so it was 564 00:35:08,322 --> 00:35:10,002 Speaker 16: pretty easy to say, don't do that. 565 00:35:12,242 --> 00:35:17,282 Speaker 1: On October second, twenty twenty three, Ferbie celebrated its twenty 566 00:35:17,362 --> 00:35:22,442 Speaker 1: fifth anniversary. More than fifty eight million have been sold 567 00:35:22,602 --> 00:35:26,482 Speaker 1: to date. A new Ferbi, which now comes in colors 568 00:35:26,602 --> 00:35:31,682 Speaker 1: like fluorescent, purple and teal, cost seventy dollars and knows 569 00:35:31,762 --> 00:35:36,642 Speaker 1: over six hundred words, phrases and jokes. There are Ferbi 570 00:35:36,762 --> 00:35:41,482 Speaker 1: fashion accessories and Ferbi apparel, and of course. 571 00:35:41,442 --> 00:35:48,082 Speaker 19: Have you seen the furbletz. They're baby Ferby's. They can't 572 00:35:48,162 --> 00:35:51,482 Speaker 19: keep them in stock at Amazon and on Walmart. These 573 00:35:51,562 --> 00:35:53,322 Speaker 19: furblets are off the chart. 574 00:35:54,202 --> 00:35:57,762 Speaker 1: That's Richard Levy. He's a toy and game inventor and 575 00:35:57,962 --> 00:36:02,962 Speaker 1: was instrumental in bringing Ferbi two, Tiger Electronics and into existence. 576 00:36:03,322 --> 00:36:06,162 Speaker 19: The toy gods were smiling on Ferby from day one. 577 00:36:07,002 --> 00:36:11,842 Speaker 19: Consumed us for the longest time, but it's just been 578 00:36:11,882 --> 00:36:12,962 Speaker 19: a wonderful ride. 579 00:36:14,082 --> 00:36:18,722 Speaker 1: Richard is struck by how Ferbey's popularity still seems to 580 00:36:18,922 --> 00:36:20,522 Speaker 1: know no boundaries. 581 00:36:21,642 --> 00:36:25,642 Speaker 19: Ferby is a mega, mega brand. I travel oversees a 582 00:36:25,642 --> 00:36:28,642 Speaker 19: great deal and I'll take along a Ferby t shirt 583 00:36:29,642 --> 00:36:33,602 Speaker 19: just to see if a foreign audience recognizes it. And 584 00:36:33,642 --> 00:36:37,202 Speaker 19: I remember once I was coming out of Santiago, Chile 585 00:36:37,922 --> 00:36:42,482 Speaker 19: into the Andes Mountains and a truck from Bolivia had 586 00:36:42,522 --> 00:36:45,562 Speaker 19: broken down, and I got out of the our car 587 00:36:46,082 --> 00:36:47,602 Speaker 19: to see what was going on if I could help 588 00:36:47,642 --> 00:36:50,042 Speaker 19: the guy with his broken tire. And he looks at 589 00:36:50,082 --> 00:36:51,962 Speaker 19: my shirt and he goes, wit you a minute that 590 00:36:52,562 --> 00:36:55,562 Speaker 19: you know, you know, I mean, here's a truck driver 591 00:36:55,722 --> 00:36:59,722 Speaker 19: in Bolivia who knew Ferby. And I found that all 592 00:36:59,762 --> 00:37:06,442 Speaker 19: over the world, Malta, Greece, Singapore, Korea. It just it 593 00:37:06,522 --> 00:37:07,962 Speaker 19: hits all the right notes. 594 00:37:08,682 --> 00:37:14,442 Speaker 1: Ferby has indeed reached cult status. Visual artists have used 595 00:37:14,562 --> 00:37:20,882 Speaker 1: Ferbi or pieces of Ferby to examine identity and artificial intelligence. 596 00:37:21,562 --> 00:37:26,642 Speaker 1: There's a whole world on Etsy dedicated to Ferby, including 597 00:37:26,762 --> 00:37:32,402 Speaker 1: customized Ferbi's long Ferbi Ferbie jewelry, a Ferby made of 598 00:37:32,562 --> 00:37:37,842 Speaker 1: bark and moss, and a hand painted Ferbi altar. A 599 00:37:38,122 --> 00:37:41,962 Speaker 1: diamond encrusted Ferby even made an appearance in the twenty 600 00:37:42,042 --> 00:37:47,522 Speaker 1: nineteen movie Uncut gems. Today, no one's afraid of Ferby 601 00:37:47,722 --> 00:37:51,642 Speaker 1: spilling state secrets. But if you ask me if you 602 00:37:51,722 --> 00:37:54,842 Speaker 1: still have one of those little guys lying around your house, 603 00:37:54,882 --> 00:37:59,362 Speaker 1: somewhere tucked in a dark corner behind your polypocket collection 604 00:37:59,642 --> 00:38:04,002 Speaker 1: and tickle me Elmo, I'd be extra careful about what 605 00:38:04,082 --> 00:38:05,082 Speaker 1: you say around it. 606 00:38:07,802 --> 00:38:10,402 Speaker 8: I had mentioned previously that we were working on a 607 00:38:10,522 --> 00:38:13,802 Speaker 8: Ferbie episode and we got a wild email from a reader. 608 00:38:13,962 --> 00:38:15,962 Speaker 8: He didn't want us to use his name, so I'm 609 00:38:15,962 --> 00:38:18,642 Speaker 8: going to call him Hank. I have a Ferbie story. 610 00:38:19,202 --> 00:38:21,602 Speaker 8: I was a freshman in college when the Ferbi came out. 611 00:38:21,762 --> 00:38:25,082 Speaker 8: This annoying guy on my hall got one for Christmas 612 00:38:25,122 --> 00:38:28,082 Speaker 8: from his long distance girlfriend and it never shut up. 613 00:38:28,562 --> 00:38:30,642 Speaker 8: I don't know if it was defective or if this 614 00:38:30,762 --> 00:38:34,762 Speaker 8: is just what ferbi's do. After many jokes and some arguments, 615 00:38:34,762 --> 00:38:37,282 Speaker 8: we eventually stole the Ferbie and left it in the 616 00:38:37,282 --> 00:38:40,802 Speaker 8: woods off campus. He laughed about it at first, but 617 00:38:40,882 --> 00:38:43,762 Speaker 8: the girlfriend freaked out, so he went to our ra 618 00:38:44,162 --> 00:38:47,842 Speaker 8: and turned us in for stealing his personal property. There 619 00:38:47,962 --> 00:38:52,762 Speaker 8: was a disciplinary hearing, the dumbest disciplinary hearing of all time. 620 00:38:54,242 --> 00:38:57,282 Speaker 8: For our defense, we bought another Ferby and put it 621 00:38:57,322 --> 00:39:00,442 Speaker 8: on the table and watched it make annoying noises. The 622 00:39:00,522 --> 00:39:01,682 Speaker 8: case was dismissed. 623 00:39:03,002 --> 00:39:04,402 Speaker 1: Nice, that's so funny. 624 00:39:04,882 --> 00:39:06,762 Speaker 9: They could have gone over the RAS and over the 625 00:39:06,922 --> 00:39:09,562 Speaker 9: disciplinary board and it appealed to the NSA and say, look, 626 00:39:09,602 --> 00:39:13,522 Speaker 9: we got a threat for you. Have them come in. Yep, dude, 627 00:39:13,562 --> 00:39:14,282 Speaker 9: how wild's that? 628 00:39:14,482 --> 00:39:16,802 Speaker 8: Sarah? Did you happen to cast this episode? 629 00:39:16,882 --> 00:39:17,242 Speaker 4: I did. 630 00:39:17,282 --> 00:39:18,642 Speaker 9: I had some fun with this one. There were some 631 00:39:18,762 --> 00:39:21,442 Speaker 9: characters in it. Like I loved the Dave Hampton inventor right, 632 00:39:21,762 --> 00:39:24,682 Speaker 9: So for him, I was picturing Chris Pine, but dressed 633 00:39:24,722 --> 00:39:27,402 Speaker 9: as Chris Pine, you know, like all those celebrity shots 634 00:39:27,402 --> 00:39:28,962 Speaker 9: you see him in, like outside of a coffee shop. 635 00:39:29,002 --> 00:39:31,522 Speaker 9: I'm like, perfect, just wear that to the set. Then 636 00:39:32,042 --> 00:39:34,962 Speaker 9: see Malik the Ferbie. I thought you'd take a refurbished 637 00:39:34,962 --> 00:39:37,162 Speaker 9: old Chucky doll to give it the right menace, and 638 00:39:37,162 --> 00:39:40,362 Speaker 9: then you just skin it with the Ferby skin. For Marci, 639 00:39:40,482 --> 00:39:42,882 Speaker 9: I was thinking Journey Smolette the actress. I thought she 640 00:39:42,922 --> 00:39:46,722 Speaker 9: would be perfect. And for Jeff Jones, the toy company executive. 641 00:39:46,802 --> 00:39:50,442 Speaker 9: Benedict Cumberbatch, I don't know why he just screams executive 642 00:39:50,482 --> 00:39:50,682 Speaker 9: to me. 643 00:39:50,842 --> 00:39:53,882 Speaker 1: I feel like he could definitely do like Stern executive 644 00:39:54,162 --> 00:39:55,082 Speaker 1: right exactly. 645 00:39:55,122 --> 00:39:55,362 Speaker 10: He can. 646 00:39:55,402 --> 00:39:58,122 Speaker 9: He can do either like your cigarettes company executive, alcohol 647 00:39:58,162 --> 00:40:01,602 Speaker 9: company executive, Ferbie company executive. I believe him in every role. 648 00:40:01,842 --> 00:40:04,322 Speaker 1: I never had a Ferbie. Did either of you have Ferby's? 649 00:40:04,482 --> 00:40:05,962 Speaker 9: I wanted to ask you, Danna, because I know you're 650 00:40:06,002 --> 00:40:07,802 Speaker 9: a little younger, so I was did you have one? 651 00:40:07,802 --> 00:40:09,842 Speaker 9: Because I babysat kids who had them, so I know 652 00:40:09,922 --> 00:40:12,122 Speaker 9: the annoyance, but I never personally. 653 00:40:11,922 --> 00:40:14,922 Speaker 1: I never had one. Had I think my parents preemptively 654 00:40:15,002 --> 00:40:17,442 Speaker 1: understood how annoying it was absolutely going to be. 655 00:40:18,442 --> 00:40:19,242 Speaker 8: Did you want one? 656 00:40:20,042 --> 00:40:22,882 Speaker 1: No, that was not a toy that was appealing to me. 657 00:40:24,442 --> 00:40:27,282 Speaker 8: I thought about because they still make them, They're still 658 00:40:27,282 --> 00:40:30,002 Speaker 8: in for sale. Last night I thought, could I get 659 00:40:30,002 --> 00:40:32,602 Speaker 8: one here for this recording? And I could get one 660 00:40:32,642 --> 00:40:35,442 Speaker 8: here for tomorrow? And I didn't want to hold us up, 661 00:40:35,682 --> 00:40:38,322 Speaker 8: and I also didn't want to spend forty nine dollars. 662 00:40:38,362 --> 00:40:40,722 Speaker 8: But if anyone was inspired by this episode to go 663 00:40:40,762 --> 00:40:43,722 Speaker 8: get one, leave it in a college dorm, see what happens, 664 00:40:43,842 --> 00:40:44,322 Speaker 8: go for it. 665 00:40:44,402 --> 00:40:46,962 Speaker 9: I'm definitely going to check out Ferbie Autopsy website. I'll 666 00:40:47,002 --> 00:40:48,202 Speaker 9: tell you him that much for sure. 667 00:40:48,482 --> 00:40:52,682 Speaker 8: Yes, love those people. Any very special character nominations. 668 00:40:53,322 --> 00:40:55,402 Speaker 1: I'm going to go with the Ferbie itself. I think 669 00:40:55,402 --> 00:40:59,202 Speaker 1: that Ferby's are sentient beings and that the Ferbie should count. 670 00:40:59,682 --> 00:41:01,442 Speaker 9: I'm with that. I'm just gonna go more specifically with 671 00:41:01,522 --> 00:41:04,162 Speaker 9: Malik the Ferby, just because of the agent of chaos 672 00:41:04,322 --> 00:41:05,562 Speaker 9: energy he brings to this story. 673 00:41:05,602 --> 00:41:06,162 Speaker 10: I liked him. 674 00:41:06,202 --> 00:41:09,282 Speaker 8: I'm going to nomine and any mall workers or toy 675 00:41:09,322 --> 00:41:12,162 Speaker 8: store workers in nineteen ninety eight, ninety. 676 00:41:11,922 --> 00:41:13,202 Speaker 9: Nine, good one. 677 00:41:13,642 --> 00:41:14,242 Speaker 10: Really like that. 678 00:41:14,282 --> 00:41:16,882 Speaker 8: I think that would have been fun, not at the time, 679 00:41:17,002 --> 00:41:19,242 Speaker 8: but a good story years later. 680 00:41:19,602 --> 00:41:19,802 Speaker 10: Yeah. 681 00:41:19,842 --> 00:41:21,522 Speaker 9: Like Veterans in the Trenches. 682 00:41:23,282 --> 00:41:26,162 Speaker 8: Very special episodes is made by some very special people. 683 00:41:26,922 --> 00:41:30,282 Speaker 8: The show is hosted by Danish Schwartz, Zaren Burnett and 684 00:41:30,362 --> 00:41:33,922 Speaker 8: Jason English. Today's episode, The Ferbie Files was written and 685 00:41:33,962 --> 00:41:38,042 Speaker 8: produced in conjunction with Celia Aniskovich and dial Tone Films 686 00:41:38,202 --> 00:41:41,242 Speaker 8: for I Heart. Today's episode was written and story edited 687 00:41:41,322 --> 00:41:46,122 Speaker 8: by Marisa Brown. Our producers are Karl Catel and Josh Fisher. 688 00:41:46,602 --> 00:41:49,842 Speaker 8: Editing and sound design by Zoey Denkla and Josh Fisher, 689 00:41:50,762 --> 00:41:54,642 Speaker 8: Mixing and mastering by Beheid Fraser. Original music by Aaron 690 00:41:54,722 --> 00:41:58,722 Speaker 8: Kaufman and Alis McCoy. Research in fact checking by Celia 691 00:41:58,722 --> 00:42:03,642 Speaker 8: Aniskovich and Austin Thompson. Show logo by Lucy Kintinia. Our 692 00:42:03,682 --> 00:42:06,882 Speaker 8: executive producer is Jason English. You'd like to email the show, 693 00:42:07,082 --> 00:42:10,042 Speaker 8: you can reach us at Very Special Episodes at gmail 694 00:42:10,082 --> 00:42:12,882 Speaker 8: dot com. You can check out more of Celia's work 695 00:42:12,922 --> 00:42:17,482 Speaker 8: at dial Tonefilms dot com. Call me Miss Cleo, Fruitcake Frauds. 696 00:42:17,562 --> 00:42:20,842 Speaker 8: She's got something for everyone. We've got more episodes in 697 00:42:20,882 --> 00:42:23,802 Speaker 8: the works with Celia's company. Be on the lookout for 698 00:42:23,842 --> 00:42:27,242 Speaker 8: those later this season. Very Special Episodes is a production 699 00:42:27,362 --> 00:42:28,762 Speaker 8: of iHeart Podcasts.