Elmo is back, and he won’t shut up

Just when it seemed a bad memory, here is yet another version of the ridiculous red monster-doll that overtook the 1996 holiday season, Elmo. Not satisfied with that year’s profit, Mattel is launching He Knows Your Name Elmo, which parents can program to say their child’s name and spew other personal information, like his or her favorite color or birthday. “It is pure magic for a child,” says the president of Mattel Brands. It may be magic for Mattel shareholders.