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Thread
:
Something I'm noticing about Toy lines... and how kids can enjoy them
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02-16-2009, 06:39 PM
darthdrew13
Munitions Inspector
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Little Elm, Texas
Posts: 5,860
I am seeing a trend recently with the new Toy lines based on movies in theaters. For the most part, a comic/retro movie is released (like Iron Man and Transformers) and the accompanying toy lines match the movie designs as accurately as possible (based on cost/benefit factors) but the movie is PG-13 or better and the toy line is aimed at young children.
I get confused when I see
movie versions
of Combat Heroes for G.I.Joe aimed at 5 year olds and they shouldn't even be seeing the movie associated with those toys and therefore would not understand who the characters are. My son is 5 and likes G.I.Joe now, but I only let him watch the classic cartoons (mainly the ones that came with the DVD packs). I may be an overprotective parent but my 5 yr old doesn't need to be watching Iron Man yet with all of the sexual innuendos, nor Transformers either (Sam's happy time?). It may not even phase him as he doesn't know what sex is, but when he does start figuring that out in a few years, I still don't think the Iron Man or Transformers movies are something he needs to see until he is at least 10 (both had PG-13 ratings).
So, lets pretend my son is 8 and walks the toy aisles with me and sees a cool Iron Man figure he wants, how does he enjoy the whole experience without a movie, comic or TV show to spark the interest? How will he know who Iron Man really is? I could let him read the old comics which are more kid based or even the Iron Man adventures comics out today, but none of that has the same armor suits in it. It's different. And if you have a child of your own, trust me, they will let you know when something is different.
I guess for me, having a media connection to the toy (via comic, TV show, movie or whatever) helps me understand the big picture of what I am buying and makes me want more. The Joe DVD packs really help in that area. Watch a fun DVD which contains the figures you have in front of you to play with.
I guess what I am saying is, if toy companies were really smart they could harness the kids buying dollar by continuing that strategy. Why not have a PG version of Iron Man available for kids to watch? It should be relatively easy to re-edit the movie removing the major cussing and sexual innuendos. They do it all the time when a movie comes out on TV, why not release it on DVD that way? (along with the PG-13 version) Or have a cartoon shown daily (or weekly) on TV or online? So when dad goes to see the HULK in the theater and junior wants to get excited about it too because he has some cool toys, there is a media outlet available for the 2 of them to share the experience.
I may be a prude, but my son won't even be able to watch the Iron Man
cartoon
movie (from a couple of years ago) due to the hard core violence (the guy who was shot in the head at point blank range isn't something I think a kid is ready for until he's 10 or better).
Kids may be getting exposed to more material in school than I was back in the 70s and 80s, but that doesn't mean we need to make them grow up faster by showing them thugs who get capped in the forehead or superheroes who bang the reporter. Those are adult themes. TV and movie ratings are there for a reason. Let kids be kids and enjoy who they are before they get exposed to stuff like that. I am NOT saying to protect them from those things forever because the world is a messed up place sometimes, just bring them along in their development at the right pace.
I am sorry I got on to this long rant. I just wanted to offer the idea of alternative and age appropriate media for kids to enjoy a story based around the toys that they are bombarded with in toy aisles today. Remember, they will play with Iron Man and G.I.Joe toys while they are kids, but then they will graduate to Sideshow collectibles, etc in their teens and in adulthood (if they stay in the collecting realm). If they don't have something that makes a toy come to life (via TV or movie) the toy will wind up in a garage sale or on ebay in weeks rather than months, an nothing else from that toy line gets bought in the stores. (that sounds like I'm promoting buying a ton of toys, but that's not my point. Here is my point).
I want my son to have toys that he can enjoy all of the charcters and come up with his own adventures but I think that having a movie (like Star Wars was for me as a kid) or TV show (like Joe cartoons) to nudge along those creative juices enhances the whole experience and make play time that much more fun.
I am a voice actor now because I would always imitate the cartoon and movie voices of characters while playing with my toys (I could never get Flint's voice to sound right) which made me believe I was creating my own episode of the show. I'd love for my son to have his own experiences like that or however he chooses.
Thanks for listening. Yo Joe!
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