The year is 2026, and Rajeev Basu offers an imaginative critique of data center dominance with Bezzy, a server rack plush toy masquerading as a server rack. This grey sherpa fleece toy releases an unsettling hum, captured from actual data centers across the USA, when hugged. Such soundscape humorously underscores how our tech-laden world often prioritizes machines over nature.
Big Data’s Plush Pad: A Handmade Satire with a Stuffed Replica of a Server Rack
Bezzy features floppy limbs and googly eyes, invoking charity plush toys. Its torso contrasts with a black panel, highlighted with blue LED dots symbolizing server racks. Each of the 20 handcrafted pieces, made in the USA, carries a yellow tag that warns, “HUG ME FOR EAR PIERCING FOREVER HUM.” This satirical creation is designed to appear unrefined, echoing toys found in thrift store bins.
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Adopt A Data Center: More Than Just a Toy
Bezzy also serves as the centerpiece for “Adopt A Data Center,” a satirical project mimicking charity portals. Instead of adoption certificates, visitors receive data on noise, water consumption, and community impacts from data centers. Campaign stickers urge, “Open your heart. And your power grid,” featuring the poignant tagline, “All they ask for is everything.”
Meet the Creative Minds Behind the Plushie
Rajeev Basu, leading Basura, partners with musician Alan Wilkis of Big Data. Basu’s previous projects, like the Hinge Phonebook and Yerba Madre Dirt Shoes, share Bezzy’s DNA. Wilkis, launching his album Big Data 4.0 alongside Bezzy, critiques internet data monetization through music.
The hum originates from a resident living near a Virginia data center, part of extensive research involving conversations with affected communities. With over 500 centers in Northern Virginia alone, these facilities handle a significant portion of the world’s internet traffic. A 2026 UN University report projects alarming data center electricity and AI-related water consumption by 2030.
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At $99, Bezzy is unlikely to solve these issues, but its voice—literally and metaphorically—ensures the conversation about the novelty item continues. This satirical plushie is a reminder of the balance we must find between technology and community needs.
Source: yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Bezzy the plush toy?
Bezzy is a server rack plush toy designed by Rajeev Basu as a satirical critique of data center dominance. It is made of grey sherpa fleece, featuring floppy limbs, googly eyes, and a black panel with blue LED dots symbolizing server racks. The toy releases an unsettling hum captured from actual data centers when hugged.
What is the Adopt A Data Center project?
The Adopt A Data Center project is a satirical initiative centered around Bezzy the plush toy. It mimics charity portals by providing data on noise, water consumption, and community impacts of data centers instead of adoption certificates. It includes campaign stickers with the tagline, ‘All they ask for is everything.’
Who collaborated with Rajeev Basu on Bezzy?
Rajeev Basu collaborated with musician Alan Wilkis of Big Data to create Bezzy. Wilkis also launched his album Big Data 4.0, which critiques internet data monetization alongside Bezzy.