It infuriates me when fast food companies promote PG-13 films by giving away tie-in toys to children. Burger King is now giving away toys for children as young as three to promote "Iron Man" a movie with "intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence" (according to the Motion Picture Association's rating board) and opens with a joke about the main character having sex with twelve different Maxim cover models. These toys are intended to get kids to want to see the film. They are also intended to encourage parents to think that the movie is appropriate for children. Oh, and the movie has some jarring and intrusive product placement when the main character says what he most wants when he returns home is a cheeseburger and we next see him holding something that says Burger King.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has called on Burger King to stop giving Iron Man toys to children. CCFC’s Director Dr Susan Linn, author of The Case for Make Believe, said, “When it comes to marketing to kids, Burger King wants to have it their way; linking its brand to a blockbuster film clearly trumps any concerns about children’s wellbeing.” You can let Burger King know how you feel about this issue by calling 305-378-3535 Monday-Friday 9-5 Eastern time.
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Most ADULTS would know NOT to take their 3 year old to a PG-13 movie. If you are that concerned, go see it yourself first and decided for yourself if your children can handle it. And please, quit whining about non-issues such as this. YOU are the parent....Have you heard of the word NO?
Amen to your comment, Robb.
I have to say amen to Robb as well. As a parent, I monitor what my child watches, and if I don't think the toy is appropriate, I don't buy it. I control the purse strings, and I don't give in to temper tantrums.
And I took my daughter to see Iron Man. She's six. She didn't understand the double entendre, the violence was not graphic, she didn't buy into the product placement, and she enjoyed the film so much she asked if we could get it on DVD.
Robb, I entirely agree with you that it is the parents' responsibility to decide what is appropriate for their children and indeed much of what I put on this site is intended to provide them with the information they need to make that decision. And part of that information includes making it clear to them that just because a toy comes with a fast food meal does not mean that the movie is right for that age group. And just because you know how to say no does not mean that we should stand by and allow children to be even more bombarded with commercial messages than they already are. Sometimes we need to say "no" not just to our children but to companies like Burger King.
I completely agree with Nell. I thought Ironman was for kids and almost took my three-year-old. However, I ended up seeing it alone. The first twenty minutes is indistinguishable from a grisly war movie! It's unrealistic to expect busy and non necessarily rich parents to preview everything. That's why we rely on people like Nell to help us decide what is appropriate for children. I had no idea that Burger King was promoting Ironman. That is irresponsible. Burger King execs certainly had the wherewithal to preview the movie. Minimally, they could have created toys for older children and done something else for little kids. But they didn't go that route.
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