This Creepy Doll of William Shakespeare Is Going Viral for the Funniest Reason
"Shakespeare spends a lot of time on the potty."
Kids love playing with all kinds of dolls, but it's safe to assume that they're usually cute dolls. Well, it turns out that that's not always the case.
Sophie McBain, a New Statesman reporter who lives in New York, has a 20-month-old daughter who was recently given a William Shakespeare doll that resembles a creepy French clown more so than the great bard. The twist, however, is that her daughter absolutely adores it.
"She cuddles 'Shayspar' at night, brushes his gross old man hair, and puts him on the potty," McBain wrote in the caption to a photo of the doll that she posted on Twitter on Thursday. "Do I just embrace this? Do I hide him before their bond is unbreakable?"
My daughter was given this creepy William Shakespeare doll and it has become her favourite toy. She cuddles "Shayspar" at night, brushes his gross old man hair & puts him on the potty. Do I just embrace this? Do I hide him before their bond is unbreakable? pic.twitter.com/MKkYWgISfr
— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) December 13, 2018
McBain finds it baffling that, of all the toys her daughter has, this has turned out to be her favorite.
"She's got all these cute stuffed monkeys and bunnies and an Elmo toy, but for some reason, it's 'Shayspar' who's really captured her imagination," McBain told BuzzFeed. Now, they are inseparable. They eat breakfast together, go on walks around the house, and sleep together. She's even teaching him how to go potty, even though she hasn't quite mastered that skill herself yet.
"She likes to put him on the potty quite a bit," she said. "Which is interesting because I've been trying for a long time to get her to sit on the potty, and it's not happening, but Shakespeare spends a lot of time on the potty."
Of course, like all besties, they have their disagreements. "Sometimes she gets frustrated with him because she wants him to sit up independently, but he's too floppy to do that," McBain said. "She'll go, 'Shayspar, sit! Sit!' and gets very stressed out."
But, overall, they have a really special bond, and people on the Internet cannot stop making jokes about it.
do not hide shakespeare. the humanities are in enough trouble without shakepeare dolls being sent into exile.
— Iron Hermit (@2bigdoghouse) December 13, 2018
And many are commenting to say that Shayspar is nothing compared to some of the terrifying dolls they played with as kids.
This was my favorite doll that I dragged EVERYWHERE for years growing up and wouldn't let anyone touch, I think my parents would envy Shayspar pic.twitter.com/HO2sRkUyaM
— kris angel mind freak (@kokonarock) December 14, 2018
Seriously, things could get a lot worse.
— Alisa (@Alisacw1) December 13, 2018
Some are even suggesting the doll may be a sign that she is destined for literary greatness.
My sister had a beloved Miss Pear toy (not sure if that was the official name) and is now a vegan. I'm going to assume your daughter will become a renowned playwright and live on as a national icon. Definitely better to have a Shakespeare toy. 🖊 🎭 pic.twitter.com/oDb6eoSOTM
— Rosie Paice (@Rosie_Paice) December 13, 2018
Though this is also a possible scenario.
And 20 years from now, your daughter is a renowned playwright – and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In an interview at her writing studio, the camera captures an odd Shakespeare doll in the back.
"Oh, that's just my childhood friend…gives me advice." Giggles.
— predictionmonk (@predictionmonk) December 13, 2018
Either way, there's no cause for concern!
My daughter had the same attachment to Dath Vader but did not turn to the force. The worst that can happen is she starts speaking in iambic pentameter
— Rachel Sambrooks (@labellaraquella) December 14, 2018
For more feel-good stories featuring unruly children we can't help but love, check out this family's hilarious "real-life" Christmas cards.
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