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In Lean Economic Times, Toy Advertising Under Fire
The Associated Press ^ | November 29, 2008

Posted on 11/29/2008 3:36:08 PM PST by Batrachian

NEW YORK — In a season that inspires earnest letters about toys, one notable batch is being sent not by kids to Santa's workshop but by parents to the executive suites of real-world toy makers.

The message: Please, in these days of economic angst, cut back on marketing your products directly to our children.

The letter-writing initiative was launched by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which says roughly 1,400 of its members and supporters have contacted 24 leading toy companies and retailers to express concern about ads aimed at kids.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ads; children; christmas; coal; money; parents; spoiled; toys
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Where do you even begin with a story like this? Parents that can't say no to their kids begging toy makers to stop advertising. A woman that would sell herself to buy her kid a toy. I halfway believe this story was made up. It's pathetic, and a sorry testimonial about our society.
1 posted on 11/29/2008 3:36:08 PM PST by Batrachian
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To: Batrachian

These stories better stop soon. The Republican won’t be in office for long. In the meantime, stop your whining, MSM. We may be in a recession, but we’ve still got more toys than we know what to do with.


2 posted on 11/29/2008 3:38:15 PM PST by Tublecane
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To: Batrachian

the real problem? weak parents that spoil their kids and give in to every demand. Banning commercials won’t make a difference.


3 posted on 11/29/2008 3:43:57 PM PST by ari-freedom (Thank you for everything!)
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To: Batrachian
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

What's the matter with wimpy parents these days? I grew up watching ads for toys on TV, and I wasn't traumatized by a commercial-filled childhood. Back then, parents controlled the TV and could say NO without feeling guilty.


4 posted on 11/29/2008 3:47:17 PM PST by LibFreeOrDie (Obama promised a gold mine, but he will give us the shaft.)
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To: Batrachian

Yes, our children should instead get gemutchleikeit by serving die furher Obama!


5 posted on 11/29/2008 3:48:49 PM PST by Jeremiah2
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To: Batrachian
In the Obama Nation, surely these parents can be helped by a wide ranging ban on Capitalistic Advertising. Along with toys we must ban all advertising for unhealthy food and drink. Cheerios are disgusting and such sugar laden cereals can be banned outright. No Booze ads anywhere, no ads using religious backgrounds (ie. Christmas trees). In fact, just make everything Public Television. Those commercial channels are surely sending the wrong message. It's for the children, you know.
6 posted on 11/29/2008 3:50:17 PM PST by JimSEA
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To: Batrachian
Parents that can't say no to their kids begging toy makers to stop advertising.

Parents need to be parents and turn off the stupid TV and start interacting with their children if the advertisments are sooooo terrible.

I also suspect this as a false story.

7 posted on 11/29/2008 3:51:33 PM PST by Taggart_D
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To: Batrachian; grellis; xsmommy; tioga; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; SoftballMominVA; Amelia; metmom; ...

Mom Ping.........


8 posted on 11/29/2008 4:04:56 PM PST by Gabz (Is a sarcasm tag really needed?)
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To: Batrachian
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

aka Campaign for Socialism

9 posted on 11/29/2008 4:05:43 PM PST by VRWC For Truth (Throw the bums out who vote yes on the bail out)
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To: Batrachian
you are placing parents like me in the unenviable position of having to tell our children that we can't afford the toys you promote.

Psht, that's my kid's favorite excuse! The other one is "That toy is the ugliest, most obnoxious piece of crap I've ever seen, and I wouldn't bring it home if you traded your leg for it."
They seem to have survived thus far...

10 posted on 11/29/2008 4:06:01 PM PST by LongElegantLegs (Deplore the profligate scattering of corpses!)
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To: Batrachian

Old TV commercials for toys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dZe_cmZNDA&feature=related


11 posted on 11/29/2008 4:07:06 PM PST by LibFreeOrDie (Obama promised a gold mine, but he will give us the shaft.)
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To: LongElegantLegs; Gabz
you are placing parents like me in the unenviable position of having to tell our children that we can't afford the toys you promote.

Who are these whiny people?!? One of the great joys of my life is saying, "Are you out of your mind? There's no way on earth I'd buy you that, and you can't buy it with your own money, either! Obviously you haven't been paying attention for the last 8 years in our home, so you can clean all the bathrooms for the next week in order to focus your mental processes!" (Have a nice day ...)

I think I also say, "No, we're not getting another snake!" at least once a day, and you can't blame that on advertising.

12 posted on 11/29/2008 4:10:57 PM PST by Tax-chick ("And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day." (Is. 2)
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To: LibFreeOrDie

I got the “wait until Christmas” line!


13 posted on 11/29/2008 4:13:34 PM PST by pray4liberty (Always vote for life!)
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To: pray4liberty
"You'll shoot your eye out!"


14 posted on 11/29/2008 4:20:55 PM PST by LibFreeOrDie (Obama promised a gold mine, but he will give us the shaft.)
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To: Tax-chick
I think I also say, "No, we're not getting another snake!" at least once a day, and you can't blame that on advertising.

AH-HA.........So now I know where that "pet" idea is coming from..........

15 posted on 11/29/2008 4:23:25 PM PST by Gabz (Is a sarcasm tag really needed?)
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To: Batrachian
Time for some more "Just say no" public announcement ads, this time aimed at adults.


16 posted on 11/29/2008 4:36:45 PM PST by OCC
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To: OCC
“Never mind the toys!”

“We want pie! We want pie!”

17 posted on 11/29/2008 4:39:19 PM PST by RichInOC (Obama/Biden '08: "We Are Not Ruled By Murderers, But Only--By Their Friends."--Rudyard Kipling)
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To: Taggart_D

I grew up in a middle class to sometimes upper middle class family. Every year we’d ask Santa for way too much crap for Christmas and every year we got some (maybe most) but not all of it. Somehow we survived w/o getting everything we wanted.

It also shows how maybe the best gift you can give is cash. Let the kids see how much stuff really costs, and then see how much they really need when it’s “their money” that’s being spent.


18 posted on 11/29/2008 4:40:07 PM PST by perez24 (Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap.)
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To: Gabz

Would you like a snake? Tom could help you find one!


19 posted on 11/29/2008 4:43:41 PM PST by Tax-chick ("And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day." (Is. 2)
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To: Tax-chick

I’m sure Tom could, but thanks anyway, Jax is quite capable of finding them herself....

I have to keep reminding her the reason I keep feeding the cats, and allowing her to have more is because they keep the mice population controlled -— I don’t need snakes for that anymore.


20 posted on 11/29/2008 4:54:12 PM PST by Gabz (Is a sarcasm tag really needed?)
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