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We don't usually get political here at TheToyGuy.com.
In fact, about the only time we engage in any kind of political
discourse is when Barbie is running for President, and we're pretty
sure that was a promotional gimmick. Just like when Mr. Potato Head
ran for mayor of Boise, and we know that wasn't real because we
know people in Idaho and he wasn't on the final ballot.
In the current environment, we know that one cannot win political
arguments; we can just add to the noise. Moreover, we vastly prefer
to write and talk about those things we as adults can do to ensure
that the children in our care have rich and fulfilling childhoods
and that play is supported as the platform through which they learn
about themselves and how to express themselves.
Yet there are times, inevitably, when politics and toys will overlap
and, all kidding aside, not in the context of a PR stunt. Of course
there are serious recalls where previously unidentified manufacturing
flaws or products with a problem cause manufacturers to recall a
toy. We encourage parents to check all toys before they're given
to children (particularly infants and toddlers) and check the Consumer
Product Safety Commission Web site for any recalls. (http://cpsc.gov).
But what we're talking about today is not the rare problem of defects
or flaws. We recently got a bitter letter of complaint from a consumer
in Florida who had purchased Fisher-Price's Shout Elmo. We think
he's really cute, and like Elmos in recent years, sings a popular
preschool song. ("You know you make me want to shout…")
At one point in the song, the toy says, "Be like Elmo and shout."
Now, this consumer thinks she heard the toy say, "Beat Elmo"
and launched into a tirade suggesting Fisher-Price is condoning
and promoting violence. She went so far as to convince a TV station
to cover this "controversy," and has apparently instituted
an e-mail campaign to convince Fisher-Price to recall the toy. Fisher-Price,
quite rightly in our opinion, is not going to do that. They may,
according to a spokeswoman, put a lyric sheet in the toy package.
Not a bad fix, particularly for those deprived souls who are not
Elmo-fluent.
We tested the toy with people, and not one of them heard Elmo say
anything untoward. More than a few adults didn't understand what
he was saying at all, but that was to be expected. More importantly,
even for those who guessed, they did not guess something to do with
violence or harming children.
On one level, it would be easy to dismiss
this as an isolated event in which someone made a mistake, but had
the strength to act on the courage of her convictions, no matter
how strident or excessive the expression might become. We certainly
applaud anyone's right to free speech and opinions, and to do whatever
they can or need to to get a message out. I have had the privilege
of arguing my points of view on television talk shows, with more
or less success: Notably that Barbie cannot destroy a girl's body
image (in our opinion that comes from the values context of the
home) and that Harry Potter is not the Devil. (Though I have the
utmost respect for those who think that Harry Potter violates their
beliefs and would encourage them not only not to buy the books but
to educate their children calmly and rationally about why that particular
family believes as it does.)
On some levels, it's natural that the toy and children's entertainment
industries would come in for a tremendous amount of controversy
of this nature. It is what PR folks would call a "target"
industry. The threat that something could be harmful to children
is always going to get the attention, particularly of television
news directors. Of course, they're trying to do a public service,
but at the same time a rational head can't help but think that there
are times when stories are chosen for their sensational values.
In fact, I've spoken to a promotion director at a major market station
who readily admits that his job is all about ratings, and notes,
"My job is to scare people into watching our program."
He also admits that he has exaggerated facts in order to make a
piece more appealing. In other words, he has "marketed"
the news.
This, however, is a reality of our time. In a crowded market, size,
volume and the ability to trigger emotion is an essential marketing
tool. It is far easier and faster to have an emotional reaction
than an intellectual response. Emotional reactions trigger our human
"flight or fight" responses, and while they can be important
if you're, say, trying to save a falling ice cream cone, they can
also be exploited to create beliefs and reactions based not on facts
but emotion. Yet, we can't argue that it works. And we know this
because the market supports it and we see it all the time.
The sad byproduct of this heightened emotionalism
at the expense of rational thought is our current culture of outrage.
Everyone is angry about something all the time, and that, in the
opinion of news departments and borne out by ratings, makes good
TV, so that's what we see. Our emotional reactions are validated
with attention and airtime, while rational thought goes to PBS and
NPR. (I admit my own exaggeration here to make the point.)
Nonetheless, if you watch any of the debate
shows or discussions of issues, what you see are people yelling
at each other, talking over each other and saying, sometimes, the
most outlandish things and not just disagreeing with someone who
holds a different view but attacking that person. This does create
a certain amount of drama, and drama is what TV and the media business
thrive on.
Whatever the issue of the day is (and by the way, can you name one
story that was "outraging" you last week as reported by
the TV news?) pales in comparison to the potentially detrimental
message being given to our children through all of this, and the
behavior that is being modeled for them. And this applies to everyone
regardless of what side of any issue you are on.
We are demonstrating that every issue is worth screaming about,
that it is our emotion and our feeling that is important. This is
not a good behavior to engage in or to model for our children because
while it's possible to stir the pot, a lot of stuff we see in our
culture is half-baked. (Nothing like a good old-fashioned mixed
metaphor to give my old English teachers the pip.)
Seriously, though, while there is no reliable research that shows
that children who watch violent TV or play violent games engage
in more violent behavior (because it is impossible to segment out
these influences from everything else in a child's life), there
is research that shows that children who live in violent homes are
more likely to be violent. We're not just talking about physical
violence: there is emotional violence and violent reaction. If we
live in a culture that reinforces and models this kind of behavior,
we have no right to be surprised when it shows up in our children.
So what can we do as parents and caregivers?
We can't change the culture. But we can create the context in which
children engage in it. We can point out when people are over-reacting.
We can let a level head prevail. In the case of our Elmo, we can
take the criticism seriously, but we must add the step of our own
knowledge to respond, rather than react. Can you point to any time
in it's illustrious 75-year history that Fisher-Price ever knowingly
advocated violence? Is this allegation inconsistent with your experience
of the brand? It's not enough to simply write off the person who
brings these charges as someone you disagree with, you have to go
the extra step and explain to kids how mistakes can happen and encourage
them to think.
And it's important to realize that as consumers, you ultimately
hold all the power. But, as Spider-Man says, "With great power
comes great responsibility." Your first act must be to ensure
that what you bring into your home reflects your values and that
you consciously and conscientiously share and model those values
for your children. You have no power over what's out there, you
have the power to interpret and choose what comes into your home
and how that is perceived. All our research shows us that time and
time again when we talk to young people—even teenagers—their
parents and direct caregivers are the ones they look to for how
to be in the world.
Use that power, and you will find that it can be one of your greatest
assets.
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