Dear Wagon: Curious About Giant Microbes

Dear Wagon,

I don't have a problem, just a question. Why do people buy Giant Microbes? I mean, who buys them, and what do they do with them?

Sincerely,
Curious in Kent


Dear Curious,

Ah yes, plush microbes! What's not to love? They're cute, cuddly, and educational. We've sold some to science teachers, doctors, college students, teens, and even grandmothers. As for what these folks do with them, here are some of the best ideas we've heard.

1. A woman bought a stuffed chlamydia plush toy to give to her boyfriend with a Dear John letter. We hear it was very effective.

2. A student who was placed on academic probation at KSU bought HIV to give to his parents when they came for a visit. He told them he had bad news, then gave them the plush microbe to open. Once they were crying and promising to support him through it all no matter what it took, he told them about his bad performance at college. They were so relieved he wasn't sick, they took him out to dinner to celebrate.

3. A teen bought a cuddly E. Coli friend to give to the lunch lady at his school to show her there were no hard feelings about the recent vomiting and stomach pains he had experienced after lunch one afternoon.

4. A grandmother bought the swine flu to give as her "secret sister" gift in her bridge club. The woman she was assigned was Jewish, so she thought this gift would acknowledge the wisdom of not eating pork.

5. A mother bought some herpes, HPV, and mono plush microbes to decorate her 13 year old daughter's room. "The colors look so nice on her bed. Plus, they will send my daughter a gentle reminder of what she doesn't need to be doing and why," they mother commented.

So as you can see, the possibilities are endless. Who wouldn't want a Giant Microbe? We'd love to hear what others do with their Giant Microbes! Tell us!


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