See 'n Say
Encyclopedia
See 'n Say is an educational toy created by the toy company Mattel
in 1965 after the success of its talking Chatty Cathy
doll.
In the 1960s, after introducing a line of talking dolls that said different phrases when a string protruding from their upper back was pulled, Mattel trademarked the word chatty. Several Mattel pull-string talking dolls and toys were packaged in boxes that read "A Chatty Toy" or "A Chatty Doll by Mattel". However, these dolls and toys spoke phrases at random when their "chatty ring" was pulled. See 'n Say, introduced in 1965, was the first Mattel talking toy that allowed children to choose the exact phrase they wanted to hear by adjusting a pointer on the toy's face to a particular item and pulling the "chatty ring."http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/see-say.htm The Farmer Says See 'n Say made animal sounds when a pointer shaped like a miniature farmer was aimed at pictures of animals on its dial. For example, when pointed at an image of a duck, the phrase "This is a duck...quack, quack, quack" was heard. Likewise, the Bee Says See 'n Say recited different letters of the alphabet ("G...Girl") when its bee-shaped pointer was aimed at them. Unlike other toys, the original See 'n Says required no batteries. Instead, sound was produced by a simple low-fidelity phonograph
record
driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string. This was the same mechanism used in Chatty Cathy
dolls.
After the success of the Bee Says and the Farmer Says See 'n Says, Mattel introduced several other toys in the line. The Mister Sound Says made city sounds, the Mister Music Says reproduced sounds of musical instruments, and the Clock Says gave the time indicated by the position of the pointer on its face. A Doctor Dolittle
Says edition was released after the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle
, and See 'n Says featuring Disney characters were introduced in 1968. Also introduced in 1968 were See 'n Say Talking Storybooks. Children would open the book to a page, aim the pointer at the arrow printed on the page, and pull the chatty ring. A pull-lever version of See 'n Say Talking Storybooks was released in the '90s with different titles.
A Mother Goose
and a "Snoopy Says" See 'n Say were unveiled in 1969. One recited nursery rhymes the other featured Peanuts comic strip characters. Also that year, Mattel introduced Mister Circus Says and Sing-A-Song See 'n Say, both part of its Super See 'n Say line. These two, which were battery operated, worked slightly differently than earlier See 'n Says: instead of pulling a string, the pointer was pushed and released to make the toy talk. The battery-operated toys were able to recite longer phrases than earlier pull-string versions. The remaining titles for the Super See 'n Say line were, "I Wish I Were" and the "Dr. Seuss Zoo"... both released in 1970.
In the 1980s, See 'n Say pointers were streamlined into a uniform design, a large arrow with a sticker affixed to it depicting a bee, farmer, and so forth. By 1989, the chatty ring was replaced by a lever that could be pulled to make the toy talk, after a Rhode Island
girl became blind by the string snapping off and hitting her in the eye. Chatty records were replaced with computer chips
in the 1990s. The new version of the Farmer Says toy still emits the same farm animal sounds that were used in the original 1965 See 'n Say.
The toy has also made various pop culture appearances. The songwriter and visual artist Daniel Johnston
has featured the Farmer Says See 'N Say on several recordings, most notably the song "Walking the Cow
" from his 1983 album entitled "Hi, How Are You
". The 1989 version of The Farmer Says See 'n Say is featured in the animated film Toy Story
(1995). A more recent version of The Farmer Says See 'n Say appears in the film Over the Hedge
(2006). On the Family Guy
episode "Petarded
", Peter Griffin uses a See 'n Say instead of a calculator on a mental test. Also in another Family Guy episode, Stewie Griffin was playing with a European See 'n Say, but the animals were making strange sounds (ex.: the cow says "Shazoo!").
A different See'n Say appears in Toy Story 3
(2010) it's an earlier model from 1964.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
in 1965 after the success of its talking Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010....
doll.
In the 1960s, after introducing a line of talking dolls that said different phrases when a string protruding from their upper back was pulled, Mattel trademarked the word chatty. Several Mattel pull-string talking dolls and toys were packaged in boxes that read "A Chatty Toy" or "A Chatty Doll by Mattel". However, these dolls and toys spoke phrases at random when their "chatty ring" was pulled. See 'n Say, introduced in 1965, was the first Mattel talking toy that allowed children to choose the exact phrase they wanted to hear by adjusting a pointer on the toy's face to a particular item and pulling the "chatty ring."http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/see-say.htm The Farmer Says See 'n Say made animal sounds when a pointer shaped like a miniature farmer was aimed at pictures of animals on its dial. For example, when pointed at an image of a duck, the phrase "This is a duck...quack, quack, quack" was heard. Likewise, the Bee Says See 'n Say recited different letters of the alphabet ("G...Girl") when its bee-shaped pointer was aimed at them. Unlike other toys, the original See 'n Says required no batteries. Instead, sound was produced by a simple low-fidelity phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy's string. This was the same mechanism used in Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010....
dolls.
After the success of the Bee Says and the Farmer Says See 'n Says, Mattel introduced several other toys in the line. The Mister Sound Says made city sounds, the Mister Music Says reproduced sounds of musical instruments, and the Clock Says gave the time indicated by the position of the pointer on its face. A Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle. He is a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages...
Says edition was released after the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle
Doctor Dolittle (film)
Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor...
, and See 'n Says featuring Disney characters were introduced in 1968. Also introduced in 1968 were See 'n Say Talking Storybooks. Children would open the book to a page, aim the pointer at the arrow printed on the page, and pull the chatty ring. A pull-lever version of See 'n Say Talking Storybooks was released in the '90s with different titles.
A Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
and a "Snoopy Says" See 'n Say were unveiled in 1969. One recited nursery rhymes the other featured Peanuts comic strip characters. Also that year, Mattel introduced Mister Circus Says and Sing-A-Song See 'n Say, both part of its Super See 'n Say line. These two, which were battery operated, worked slightly differently than earlier See 'n Says: instead of pulling a string, the pointer was pushed and released to make the toy talk. The battery-operated toys were able to recite longer phrases than earlier pull-string versions. The remaining titles for the Super See 'n Say line were, "I Wish I Were" and the "Dr. Seuss Zoo"... both released in 1970.
In the 1980s, See 'n Say pointers were streamlined into a uniform design, a large arrow with a sticker affixed to it depicting a bee, farmer, and so forth. By 1989, the chatty ring was replaced by a lever that could be pulled to make the toy talk, after a Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
girl became blind by the string snapping off and hitting her in the eye. Chatty records were replaced with computer chips
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
in the 1990s. The new version of the Farmer Says toy still emits the same farm animal sounds that were used in the original 1965 See 'n Say.
The toy has also made various pop culture appearances. The songwriter and visual artist Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
has featured the Farmer Says See 'N Say on several recordings, most notably the song "Walking the Cow
Walking the Cow
Walking the Cow is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, from his 1983 album Hi, How Are You.In October 1994, Pearl Jam covered the song in a performance at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit concert, and this subsequently became available on the bootleg album In Rock We...
" from his 1983 album entitled "Hi, How Are You
Hi, How Are You
Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album is the sixth self-released music cassette album by singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, recorded in September 1983. It is arguably his most popular album. Johnston claims he almost had a nervous breakdown recording it and calls this his "unfinished album."The...
". The 1989 version of The Farmer Says See 'n Say is featured in the animated film Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
(1995). A more recent version of The Farmer Says See 'n Say appears in the film Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge (film)
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
(2006). On the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "Petarded
Petarded
"Petarded" is the sixth episode of Fox's fourth season of Family Guy, which originally broadcast in the United States on June 19, 2005. It was written by Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild and directed by Seth Kearsley. The episode sees Peter taking the MacArthur Fellows Program to see if he is a...
", Peter Griffin uses a See 'n Say instead of a calculator on a mental test. Also in another Family Guy episode, Stewie Griffin was playing with a European See 'n Say, but the animals were making strange sounds (ex.: the cow says "Shazoo!").
A different See'n Say appears in Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
(2010) it's an earlier model from 1964.