A Halloween decoration called Jabberin' Jack has gone viral after shoppers realized one of its built-in songs sounded unexpectedly suggestive for seasonal decor, prompting the manufacturer to apologize and say it will remove the track from its 2027 lineup.
Here's what to know
Made by Mindscope Products, the decoration is a plastic pumpkin with an LED face that moves along to three preloaded tracks. The song drawing the most attention is "Wicked for One Night," which started raising eyebrows once listeners heard lyrics that felt more flirtatious than spooky.
As Vice reported, the pumpkin croons lyrics including, "Come closer, I have a kiss for you, and it tastes like pumpkin pie" and "How would you like to scream all night? I'll fill you full of fright. I'll spoil you with my roasted pumpkin seeds."
Joan Dark (@joanofdarkknits) shared a video of the product, writing: "We bought this because we heard there was some controversy with it. I thought it was somebody overreacting as usual but lol I kind of get it now."
Songwriter Peter McEvilley wrote the track in 2019 and has said he was in on the joke from the beginning. In comments given to Business Insider, McEvilley described it as a song about a "lonely pumpkin who wants to be loved."
The decoration also appears to have been on the market since 2023 before shoppers broadly caught on to how "horny" the song sounded, as Vice put it.
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Since singing Halloween decorations are usually sold as campy, family-friendly novelties, "Wicked for One Night" can initially seem like just another playful seasonal tune.
What's being done?
After some shoppers said the song made them uncomfortable, Mindscope Products apologized. The manufacturer says it will remove the track from next year's lineup.
McEvilley appears to be taking it in stride, calling the whole thing "hysterical."
Where can I learn more?
If this viral pumpkin got you thinking about Halloween decor more generally, these stories dig into some of the bigger questions around seasonal shopping.
• A former Spirit Halloween employee said unsold merchandise went straight to landfills after the season.
• Secondhand decorators showed how cute-as-hell Halloween style can also cut seasonal waste.
• Shoppers called fake spider webs dangerous for neighborhood animals after repeated Halloween safety scares.
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