<description>&lt;p&gt;In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children&amp;rsquo;s toys. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America &amp;mdash; igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;And the frenzy didn&amp;rsquo;t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;*&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza&amp;rsquo;s story in his book &lt;a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Story-About-Brooklyn-Seduced-ebook/dp/B01MS2A02A"&gt;The Life&lt;/a&gt;, available on Amazon.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Bad Seeds

iHeartPodcasts

The Cabbage Patch Crisis [from Very Special Episodes]

DEC 22, 202549 MIN
Bad Seeds

The Cabbage Patch Crisis [from Very Special Episodes]

DEC 22, 202549 MIN

Description

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children’s toys.   Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America — igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season.  And the frenzy didn’t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before. * Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza’s story in his book The Life, available on Amazon. Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.