Articles – people - like this would have sent me into a gibbering rage a few years ago.
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.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to purchase many of the toys that my sons have asked for; we simply don’t have the money,” wrote Todd Helmkamp of Hudson, Ind. “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.”
Now they just inspire me to hit the Caps Lock key:
TURN OFF THE TELEVISION, YOU MORONS! TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO THE LIBRARY AND CHECK OUT SOME BOOKS TO READ. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELVES AND YOUR CHILDREN!!!!1!!eleventy!!!
Good grief. What is WRONG with these people?! Wait. It gets better:
“I had one parent who said she’d prostitute herself to get what her child wants,” Almodovar said. “It’s heartbreaking. They feel inadequate as parents.”
Go to it, honey. That’s certainly preferable to setting reasonable limits on your child, after all. And it’s certainly better than explaining that Christmas is a Christian holiday on which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; that while we give gifts to each other as a way to show our love and affection, the real point is that God showed us His love by becoming incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ, and has given us the gift of eternal life.
Well, I know, that’s too much to ask, and certainly it’s a reality that people celebrate Christmas in a secular way. But these people don’t seem to comprehend that it’s OKAY for parents to set reasonable limits on their children’s lifestyles – in fact it’s part of the job. It’s OKAY to turn off the TV. It’s OKAY to not have cable television. It’s OKAY to tell kids that they may not get The One Toy they want the most – maybe we can do that for your birthday instead. (By which time they will have forgotten about it and be on to something new anyway.) It’s OKAY to tell kids that they’re not going to have everything everybody else in the class owns. You know what? I had to wear bobos to school when the cool people had name brands, and I’m still alive to tell my tale of woe today.
Someone would actually prostitute herself to buy toys? Either she’s been watching too much Pretty Woman and has NO IDEA what prostitution is actually like, or she is insane. Inject her with some thorazine, stat, just to be safe. Because after she turns a few tricks to get The One Critically Important Toy, thereby exposing herself to violence and life-threatening diseases, she’ll need that thorazine badly. Because Junior’s going to play with the toy for ten minutes, and then play with the box for several hours – and enjoy the box more.
Here’s a really scary thought: what are these children going to be like when they grow up? Oh, wait – I already know – just like these people.
Wow, this is pretty disturbing. Its like these parents are held hostage by their kids and their wants. I finally broke down and let my 2 girls get Nintendo DS (spent their own money on them).
I was worried they would be playing it constantly, but we taught them well I guess. They only play them in the car on trips and occasionally at home. But they still read more than watch TV or play their nintendo. Its the parents who are screwing up these kids.
Rather than plop them in front of a TV, go to the damn library and get some books – then sit down and read with them. Every kid would rather do that because its the parents time and attention they really want, not the TV.
Spot on.