Satirical plush toy plays real data center noise when squeezed

In short: A satirical project is selling a plush toy named Bezzy that screams with the sound of a real US data center when you squeeze it.

What happened

Bezzy is a stuffed plush toy that looks like a server rack, which is the tall cabinet that holds computers inside a data center. A data center is a large building full of computers that power online services, like apps, websites, and some AI tools.

The toy is part of a project called “Adopt a Data Center,” made by New York creative studio Basura and musician Alan Wilkis, who releases music as Big Data. When you squeeze Bezzy’s torso, it plays a few seconds of high pitched noise recorded by a neighbor of a data center in Virginia. The tag on the toy says, “Hug me for ear-piercing forever hum.”

Basura’s founder, Rajeev Basu, told WIRED the team chose the recording because it was “the clearest and most suitably irritating.” In the story, the person who recorded the sound compared it to a car alarm that never stops.

Only 20 Bezzy toys are available, priced at $99. They are handmade in the US and sold through the Adopt a Data Center website and the Big Data online store. The website also includes stickers with slogans and links to research and reporting about data centers.

Why it matters

Data centers are expanding in the US, and they are being criticized for heavy electricity use and for noise that can bother nearby communities. The creators say the toy is not arguing that data centers should not exist. They want people to pay attention to who decides where these buildings go, what resources they use, and whether local residents benefit.

Source: Wired