Posted on 12/26/2009 5:46:02 AM PST by ricks_place
Conservative bloggers are calling for a boycott of the company. Executives say the series, in which Santa is warned the North Pole could melt before Christmas, was intended to inspire children.
St. Louis - First, Chicken Little warned children that the sky was falling. And now Build-a-Bear Workshop has warned children that the North Pole could disappear before Christmas.
The Missouri-based company has found itself in hot water, defending an animated series on its website featuring polar bears, penguins and Mrs. Claus, as Santa is warned that global warming is "a serious situation."
Conservative bloggers reposted the videos online and called for a boycott of the toy company, saying Build-a-Bear should not be presenting a political stance to children.
The company relented, took down the videos and posted on its website a letter from Build-a-Bear founder and Chief Executive Maxine Clark.
"Our intention with the polar bear story was to inspire children, through the voices of our animal characters, to make a difference in their own individual ways," Clark wrote. "We did not intend to politicize the topic of global climate change or offend anyone in any way."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
We decided after my daughter uses her Christmas gift cards, that we will not shop at Build a Bear anymore
“”Our intention with the polar bear story was to inspire children, through the voices of our animal characters, to make a difference in their own individual ways,” Clark wrote. “We did not intend to politicize the topic of global climate change or offend anyone in any way.””
How about scare the crap out of little children?
Children are being thoroughly brainwashed to be Eco-freaks by schools, television, and my leftie wackos like this woman. Take your money elsewhere.
Contact Info here:
http://www.buildabear.com/aboutus/contactus/default.aspx?sc_hpan=footer&sc_hpdr=footer_veryleft
Letter from Maxine Clark Regarding Online Webisodes
December 22, 2009
We have received inquiries regarding our online webisodes and would like to provide you with the following information.
Our goal is to entertain and engage the imagination of children with our stuffed animals, our store environment, and online. Our intention with the Polar Bear story was to inspire children, through the voices of our animal characters, to make a difference in their own individual ways. We did not intend to politicize the topic of global climate change or offend anyone in any way. The webisodes concluded this week with Santa successfully leaving on his journey to deliver gifts around the world. The webisodes will no longer be available on the site.
I started Build-A-Bear Workshop as a place for families and children to come for a fun experience combining imagination, creativity and empowerment. I have always placed great value in the trust that our Guests have in our brand.
At Build-A-Bear Workshop we also strive to encourage kids to help others by participating in their communities. We listen to parents and kids about topics that they are interested in and care about. We especially value the input of parents. We are listening and taking all points of view into consideration for the future.
If you have questions, please contact us:
Guests with questions should contact:
Guest services
314-423-8000
866-232-7269
Guestcomments@buildabear.com
Media with questions should contact:
Jill Saunders
314-423-8000 ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
JillS@buildabear.com
Investors with Questions should contact:
Investor Relations
314-423-8000 ext.5353
Invest@buildabear.com
Sincerely,
Maxine Clark
Founder and Chief Executive Bear
Build-A-Bear Workshop
http://www.buildabear.com/aboutus/OurCompany/Letterfrommaxineclarkwebisodes.aspx
Letter from Maxine Clark Regarding Online Webisodes
December 22, 2009
We have received inquiries regarding our online webisodes and would like to provide you with the following information.
Our goal is to entertain and engage the imagination of children with our stuffed animals, our store environment, and online. Our intention with the Polar Bear story was to inspire children, through the voices of our animal characters, to make a difference in their own individual ways. We did not intend to politicize the topic of global climate change or offend anyone in any way. The webisodes concluded this week with Santa successfully leaving on his journey to deliver gifts around the world. The webisodes will no longer be available on the site.
I started Build-A-Bear Workshop as a place for families and children to come for a fun experience combining imagination, creativity and empowerment. I have always placed great value in the trust that our Guests have in our brand.
At Build-A-Bear Workshop we also strive to encourage kids to help others by participating in their communities. We listen to parents and kids about topics that they are interested in and care about. We especially value the input of parents. We are listening and taking all points of view into consideration for the future.
If you have questions, please contact us:
Guests with questions should contact:
Guest services
314-423-8000
866-232-7269
Guestcomments@buildabear.com
Media with questions should contact:
Jill Saunders
314-423-8000 ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
JillS@buildabear.com
Investors with Questions should contact:
Investor Relations
314-423-8000 ext.5353
Invest@buildabear.com
Sincerely,
Maxine Clark
Founder and Chief Executive Bear
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Remember when little children were taught things like kindness, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, gratefulness, and other values of the heart and mind? Remember when childhood lessons involved being kind to other people not the planet? Speaking of the dying planet, where do unwanted Build-a-Bears go to die? Does the company have a recycling program so that they aren’t just thrown away adding to the planets demise? They should stop selling new bears immediately and start the Share-a-Bear program.
Maxine Clark
CLARK, MAXINE K
SAINT LOUIS,MO 63124 BUILD-A-BEAR 6/24/08 $2,300 Obama, Barack (D)
CLARK, MAXINE K
SAINT LOUIS,MO 63124 BUILD-A-BEAR 6/24/08 $2,300 Obama, Barack (D)
CLARK, MAXINE K
SAINT LOUIS,MO 63124 BUILD-A-BEAR 6/19/07 $2,300 Obama, Barack (D)
Clark, Maxine
Saint Louis,MO 63124 Build-a-Bear/CEO 6/18/08 $28,500 DNC Services Corp (D)
” ‘Our intention with the polar bear story was to inspire children, through the voices of our animal characters, to make a difference in their own individual ways,’ Clark wrote.”
I just tried to sit through that “webisode” to see what it was about. Even when I was a child, I would have shut it off after about 30 seconds.
If they were trying to “inspire” children, they failed miserably. If, however, they were trying to bore them to tears, they certainly hit the mark.
Another stupid “FEEL GOOD” company on the list.
Here’s a link to the video (3 parts on YouTube; this is the 3rd, and has the Global Warming segment)
There’s a difference between people (and companies) who were deceived by the AGW scammers and the scammers themselves. Keep in mind the MSM, government agencies, and many universities pushed AGW for some time. Are we to blame everyone who fell for the AGW deceptions, or should we focus on those scientists who intentionally deceived people?
BTW, it’s still possible that AGW exists. The evidence for it is highly suspect, but it’s one of those things that’s as hard to disprove as prove. That’s part of what makes the scam so compelling. It seems to make sense, since people know that burning fuel releases carbon that is otherwise trapped. All this human activity, billions of people, must have an effect, but very few folks probably know enough to scale the effects of human technology versus the sun, heat loss into space, etc.
My point? Can any of us really know for sure? There’s really little difference between those of us who say AGW doesn’t exist and those that say it does, because nearly all of us are basing our beliefs on what we’ve read.
I’m just a few hundred thousand short of my dream of opening up my own line of stores. Build-a-Glock.
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