Stretch Armstrong

What Is It?

Stretch Armstrong was an extremely popular toy that was first introduced in 1976.  The idea behind the doll is that it's filled with gel and can stretch out to 4 or 5 feet long.

What Happened?

It is rumored that there have been several strangulation incidents (none I can find reports on, but if you look online you can read several stories of Kids who had very minor injuries).  There were also rumors that the gel in the doll was hazardous but this has been unsubstanciated. 

Aftermath?

The CPSC recalled the vintage doll in 2000 but stated it was regretfully so since the toy was an awful lot of fun.  Kenner refused to comply with the recall, it has since repackaged and released the doll but the new version is not said to be dangerous.

Links:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/consumer-safety-commission-fondly-recalls-stretch,425/