I don’t know if this thing is still available, but some time ago Mattel released a Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Broom. It’s a broom that looks exactly like the one Harry flies around on in the movie. Not exactly remarkable in itself, the broom has a few interesting features: It comes with sound effects, and it vibrates. That’s right, they’ve marketed a vibrating stick for twelve-year-olds to put between their legs. Hilarity ensues.
Here are some comments that appeared in the Customer Reviews section on Amazon.com. (Apparently, Amazon wised up to this and has since deleted the offending reviews, these were clipped earlier this month):
“When my 12 year old daughter asked for this for her birthday, I kind of wondered if she was too old for it, but she seems to LOVE it. Her friends love it too! They play for hours in her bedroom with this great toy. They really seem to like the special effects it offers (the sound effects and vibrating). My oldest daughter (17) really likes it too! I reccomend this for all children.”
“My 12 year old daughter is a big Harry Potter fan, and loved the part with the Nimbus 2000, so I decided to buy her this toy. I was afraid she would think it was too babyish, but she LOVES this toy. Even my daughter’s friends enjoy playing with this fun toy. I was surprised at how long they can just sit in her room and play with this magic broomstick! “
And then The Serial Caller weighed in and gave Mattel a call.