Twitter is exploding with mockery after a game which involves children aged “6 and up” ‘defusing’ a toy bomb got taken off the shelves at major retailers, following complaints by ‘offended’ parents.

Armed with only a pair of green plastic wire-cutters, Yulu’s ‘Cut the Wire’ is designed to let kids “be a hero,” and fulfil every child's dream of defusing an explosive device and avoiding a (simulated) fiery death.

But it seems that many parents see the game less as spy-simulation family fun, and more as a bleak reminder of the tragedy and danger of a world engulfed by political turmoil and terrorism. They were particularly concerned with an image on the box which depicts smiling children against a background of engulfing flames.

Well, I ordered mine. I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out on having a steady reminder of when the world was so messed up that bomb defusing became a game. @yulutoyshttps://t.co/paFYqLgN2u — Christopher Ayan (@ChristopherAyan) January 15, 2019

Weirdest YouTube ad ever: "Cut The Wire" game.So, we're going to give children toy bombs to diffuse. Because apparently this is fun for the whole family.How about "Duck And Cover: the Biological Attack Version" next? — Michael Bouck (@VainHostile) August 25, 2018

In a statement to the New York Times on Monday, the company’s president apologized for the “concern” around the game, and said they would no longer be shipping the product to North America. However, the game remains available on the company’s Amazon page.

Twitter users highlighted the hypocrisy of targeting ‘Cut the Wire’ when toy guns, knives and even one game about designing pandemic viruses are still for sale.

Toy Bomb diffuser forced off shelves after the “I’m Offended Movement” has their way with Walmart. But BB guns, paintball guns and toy weapons are still on sale. 🤦‍♂️ Hear our thoughts on Ep. 22 Death or Glory 🎙🎧💣🎙🎧💣🎙🎧💣 #offensive#givemeabreak #… https://t.co/HR5llpQZLFpic.twitter.com/0tZpugN6r3 — A Guy Thing Podcast (@Aguythingpod) January 16, 2019

Yulu’s other hit game, ‘Watermelon Smash’, encourages kids to break hard-shelled fruit over their heads, which, while not usually as fatal as an explosion, is probably ill advised.

Others saw the game in an explicitly positive light, reminding the concerned parents that bomb defusal may very well be an important skill for kids to learn in today’s day and age.

So apparently people are outraged about this bomb defusing game called Cut the Wire. I saw it at Wal-Mart:1. I wasn't outraged2. Wouldn't it be good if every kid knew how to defuse a bomb? — james wright (@realjameswright) January 11, 2019

Things could certainly be worse after all: at least the game has children learning to defuse rather than construct explosives.

Confess I don't see why this particular toy spun up the outrage machine. It has kids playing at *defusing* bombs, not making them. https://t.co/sFnPCr6iKk — Ken Andrade (@k808a) January 15, 2019

Parents aren’t the only ones sensitive about the game. The Tampa police department failed to appreciate it last week, when a deputy mailed the toy-bomb in question to a colleague at the police station with a handwritten note that read “boom.” The building was evacuated and the deputy resigned shortly afterwards.

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