Posted on 11/30/2008 4:27:02 AM PST by CE2949BB
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, 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.
“By bombarding them with advertisements ... 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.” wrote Todd Helmkamp of Hudson, Ind.
The Toy Industry Association has responded with a firm defense of current marketing practices, asserting that children “are a vital part of the gift selection process.”
“If children are not aware of what is new and available, how will they be able to tell their families what their preferences are?” an industry statement said. “While there is certainly greater economic disturbance going on now, families have always faced different levels of economic well-being and have managed to tailor their spending to their means.”
The toy industry is commonly viewed as recession-resistant, due largely to the parent-child dynamic.
“Parents have trouble saying no,” said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociology professor. She says parents often buy toys to avoid guilt and ensure their children feel in sync with school classmates.
“Even under circumstances of dire financial straits, that’s the last thing parents give up,” said Pugh. “They’ll contain their own buying for themselves before they’ll make their child feel different at school.”
(Excerpt) Read more at tdtnews.com ...
Well, you'd be wrong.
Let's run down a handful of the names mentioned:
Allison Pugh is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia. She was a Foreign Service Officer (1991-1994) and a Reporter for the Associated Press (1989-1990).
Amanda Almodovar is a social worker. If I need to say more, you're living in a different universe.
Erin Beth Dower Charron is a Office Associate in the Curriculum Management Office at Columbus State Community College. She's also an an alum of Americorps.
John Schenkenfelder is, depending on the source, either an Vice President with UBS or an Investment Executive at UBS Financial Services Inc.
Last, but not least, is Susan Linn.
I could go deep with this one, but let's just leave it at: She was published, along with William Ayers, in a book called The New Press Education Reader: Leading Educators Speak Out.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CommercialFreeChildhood.org and CommercialExploitation.org, I guess they use a different address for different audiences) is a 'program of the Judge Baker Children's Center' (based at Harvard).
From what I've been able to gather, this article is littered with anti-Capitalists using the moral outrage of parents to attack business. The businesses, in this case, are the toy companies.
It's actually a little ironic. Attacking the toy companies is a big business, in terms of books and careers, for these people. heh.
Here’s an idea: start marketing capitalism and limited government to the little darlings, instead.
> Amanda Almodovar is a social worker. If I need to say more, you’re living in a different universe.
Hmmmmmm... I’m afraid I wouldn’t know Ms Almodovar if she jumped up and bit me in the arse. Who is she?
“By bombarding them with advertisements ... 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.”
I am sick of Christmas bashing coming from all directions. Times were worse back in the day and parents were able to make a nice Christmas for the kids. Have the kids write out fifteen items they want and get them five to seven items. They will be happy with that. It is not that hard as parents have been going through this for decades.
All I've been able to dig up on her is her status as a Social Worker in the North Carolina school system.
Given my personal experience with social workers, they are some of the nuttiest people on the face of the earth. Anti-family, anti-man, anti-capitalist... ugh.
She's probably the least threatening in the group I mentioned.
They have been raised with a sense of value, both monetarily, and family.
There are far to many parents in this world that are afraid of there children. To often the decision maker is the youngest one in the house. This is a soap box I could get on for hours. :)
“By bombarding them with advertisements ... 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.” wrote Todd Helmkamp of Hudson, Ind.
Kids should know that there are things their parents can't afford. It's nice to be seen as all-powerful, but it's far better for kids to learn that such attributes are not found even in parents - only in God. My kids know well that all purchases are choices, that buying one thing means that you no longer have the money for something else.
“Parents have trouble saying no,” said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociology professor. She says parents often buy toys to avoid guilt and ensure their children feel in sync with school classmates.
I have no trouble saying "no", nor do I have any problem limiting TV viewing (close to zero) or commercials during those TV shows they do watch. As for peer pressure and feeling "in sync", my kids are better off being themselves.
Yes, yes, darling man-child, your child must be freely able to dictate to you, as you dictate to others.
This is so pathetic it is massively humorous and entertaining.
It's simple: Turn the tv off. Stay out of malls. If your children are older: even simpler: "No, I don't think so, dear."
But really what is going on here is, these so-called adults, were probably the worst whiners and tantrum throwers in their own youths - their parents caved, went into debt, whatnot, and now grown, these so-called adults can't cope. Don't know how to cope. Haven't been ever raised in learning to cope with such "adversity". lol.
Strength through Whining was the motto as children: Strength through Whining is yet their motto as adults.
It's a liberal legacy which continues on down the ancestral whine; until some generation actually grows up.
Bingo! Parents begging someone else to be responsible for parenting? Good Lord, we have become a nation of welfare.
Yes, peddling propaganda has made a number of people rich in the U.S.
Thanks for the addional info.
Just as I thought a bunch of ultra left-wing nutjobs.
The three www's of the liberal internet world: Whining, Welfare, and Wimpiness.
My kids make a list of everything their heart desires. It’s a joyful time of unbounded fantasy of “I want that. Oh, and that! OH AND THAT!!” For three weeks before Santa, every commercial is scoured for every new gadget, toy, knick knack, game, etc...
They hand over their list and keep in mind the really super important things to ask Santa for. There are instructions that A) There will be things they NEED under the tree. They’ll be glad to have new underwear when the others have a whole in the crotch, even if it doesn’t produce squeals on Christmas morning. Usually they’ll shake their head yes in understanding on that logic (who wants holy underwear?) B) Even if we were Bill Gates, they would NEVER get every single thing on their list and C) Usually the things that are remembered to tell Santa, are the ones that are important enough to really be wanted. And even then it’s a ‘try to’, so ask for more than you expect so you at least get one thing you really want.
So far that has worked out pretty darn well. But my kids also think that other kids just haven’t been told the secret that parents have to pay Santa for anything over one present. They are in the loop. haha
Which can usually work out with kid psychology. My youngest wants a Nintendo DS (because she is the only kid in her class who doesn’t have one! But I remember 2nd grade). She has an older version with a ton of games and it works fine so far. So the one present rule works when I explain she can have that super expensive gift, but no games to play! So she forfeited that idea for a Barbie dollhouse. Much better choice!
My parents just told me "no" and it worked. I plan to do the same with my child and future children.
Another thing they did when I was young was give me an allowance in exchange for doing chores. I remember becoming pretty picky about toys when I bought them with such money. I guess I am still the same way now!
I thought that in order to help the economy, we were supposed to keep buyibg stuff. It would be un-American for them to stop targeting kids, wouldn’t it?
are they this stupid or only feigning it to conjure a strawman?
Nothing wrong with Christmas and presents. It's the constant bashing of the Baby Jesus and religion that bothers me.
These people never let up. They more immature than their own kids. Just say NO!
One year I went overboard with Christmas, one of the toys I bought was a Nerf basketball goal that hangs on the door, I think it cost at the time $4.00. That was the ONLY thing they actually took out of the box and played with.
Learned my lesson after that.
What the heck is wrong with these parents? If they are on drugs, and I suspect that many are, just say NO to your kids. How much simpler can it get? Tell them if it is something they want so badly, to start saving their allowances and buy it themselves—or if really expensive, tell them you could go halvsies on it. This teaches them many lessons,-delayed gratification, saving habits, etc. But then, whom am I kidding? The parents that are begging should all have been sterilized early on since it would seem they lack even the basic of parenting skills.
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