Poll: Parents want Breaking Bad toys pulled from TRU, thoughts?

sdc10

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Jun 9, 2010
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So it appears that Toys R Us carries a line of Breaking Bad toys, and some people (mostly over reactive mothers) are getting a bit bent out of shape about it and are calling for the toys to be pulled from the shelves and have started a petition to do so. Now I for one think this is a bit infuriating, to think that just because toys are associated mostly with children that its wrong for Toys R Us to carry and toys aimed at adult collectors. Let me say I am not a toy collector but to me this is the same kind of nonsense when parents get all up in arms about mature rated games being sold in stores. The real irony being that most of the parents who are supporting the banning of these toys probably more than likely buy M-rated games for their kids but thats besides the point. I just can't wrap my head around the idea of how these toys will somehow "corrupt" kids, after all I seriously doubt Geoffrey the Giraffe is standing in the front of the store waving Heisenberg in front of the faces of the kids that walk into the store.

Anyway, just looking to get a discussion about what people think about this and these kinds of outcries from the public.

p.s. If anyone else feels like myself this is a link to the petition against the banning of these toys if you feel like sharing your opinion.

http://www.change.org/p/toys-r-us-keep-breaking-bad-and-other-adult-collector-figures-on-tru-shelves?recruiter=162461784
 

tippy2k2

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Eh............I kind of have to side with the parents on this one.

Toys R Us is not an adult store...like....at all. I suppose there are toys adults can get there that they can enjoy (namely them vidja games) but it's a kids store first; not a collection shop. There are plenty of other shops that cater to adults; if the parents supporting the store want the toys gone, then so be it.

I don't think they should but if they did, I wouldn't blame them for it.
 

Caostotale

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Mar 15, 2010
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If a parent's young child even recognizes who one of the Breaking Bad characters is, I'd say they've got bigger first-world problems to worry about than the fact that the toy store is carrying the toys.

Outcries like this are barely worth anybody's time. From my point of view, the whole range of the situation, from parents wanting to double- and triple-shelter their children to grown adults paying through the nose for Chinese-made plastic bullshit, is vulgar consumer decadence of the highest order. Fussy helicopter parents could stand to shoulder more responsibility and control for raising their kids and man-children could stand to realize that it's perfectly okay to enjoy the artistry of a movie or TV show without having to redecorate their house with a bunch of silly paraphernalia.
 

Lilani

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May 27, 2009
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Personally I would just shake my head and leave it be, but I do agree with the "over reactive mothers" that an action figure with cash and meth bag props certainly is not a children's toy. And Toys R Us being chiefly marketed as a destination for kid's toys, I would agree it does seem outside of their purview. It would be sort of like having racy magazines in their book section--they have a place, but not in a kid's store.
 

f1r2a3n4k5

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Jun 30, 2008
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Yeah, I mean, I probably wouldn't MANDATE Toy-R-Us remove them from their shelves.

But it's a REALLY poorly thought-out move to include them in the first place. I mean, really, what were they thinking? I probably haven't been ina Toys-R-Us in over 15 years, but if I remember correctly, the whole brand is that of a completely "kid-friendly" place. Where they can just let kids wander around and absorb the wanton consumerism.

To have toys about meth-toting drug dealers seems a bit... out of place.
 

Neverhoodian

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Apr 2, 2008
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Huh, didn't know Breaking Bad fans were the toy collector type. Learn something new every day.

I realize toys, or "action figures" if you prefer, can be enjoyed by adults (I should know, what with my television currently flanked by Fluttershy and Derpy vinyl figures), but it is odd that a retailer that markets primarily to kids would have merchandise from shows that contain mature content. While I don't think they should remove the offending product, it would probably be a good idea on their part to clearly delineate their presence so parents can avoid it if they wish. Put it in a separate aisle or section all to itself with signs and labels that can be read from a distance. They may already do this for all I know (haven't been to a Toys-R-Us in a while), in which case good for them.

I don't have kids of my own, but I can sympathize with modern parents. It must be very difficult minimizing children's exposure to adult content nowadays, particularly when you factor in the internet. If I was a parent I probably wouldn't let my kids go online at all if I wasn't in the room. Once they reached the age of ten or so I'd start to gradually loosen the reins, but even then I'd keep an extra close eye on their browsing history.
 

Creator002

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Strange. I wouldn't think Breaking Bad would be popular enough[footnote]To clarify: with kids.[/footnote] to stock toys on a (primarily) children's store's shelves. To be honest, if your children know what Breaking Bad is and what it's about, you probably wouldn't object to them owning the toys, so I don't see the harm. That being said, it would seem more appropriate to have the toys in a collector/pop culture store, not a children's toy store.
I agree more with the parents here, but I don't think it's necessary to remove the toys from the selves.
 

Mikkaddo

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Jan 19, 2008
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I can't agree with you man, Toys R Us is a kids store, always has been always will be, especially now that Toys R US and Babies R Us is one building in most places. It's a store meant, entirely to cater to children of around like, 12 and under. The fact that it has a lot of "toys" that adults like and want (namely legos, video games and RC cars because FUCK YES RC CARS!) is really more coincidence than purpose. So it doesn't surprise me that they want the Breaking Bad toys pulled.

I mean think about it this way, if they had a line of Dexter toys (wouldn't surprise me if they do) complete with bloody rags and viscera covered blades and were selling THOSE at Toys R Us, don't you think there'd be an uproar about that? The only real crazy part about THAT being that, somehow, serial murder is less socially divisive than drug dealing, somehow.

The point being, Breaking Bad is made by adults, for adults, with the intention being that kids stay VERY far away from it, and so selling toys from that series doesn't make sense in a kids store. Now, if they want to sell them in a comic store, or a book store (places known to generally cater to a much older audience these days, usually expecting people of around 20ish to "old as dirt") it'd be more than fine, as the general expectation is that it's not 5 and 6 year olds running around them.
 

Trippy Turtle

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May 10, 2010
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Its not exactly a good business move for them I'd say but I hardly think it deserves a public outcry.
Then again, I think public outcries are stupid in general so I may be biased.
Perhaps they should learn to tell a child 'No, you can't have that' rather than have TRU do the parenting for them? And if the problem is that they can't have their child seeing a breaking bad toy on a shelf then they have bigger issues than I'm equipped to handle.
 

L. Declis

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Apr 19, 2012
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I think it's odd that Toys'R'Us have it, and if they as consumers want that change, then they can protest and ask for it to be removed as they wish.

However...

I also think that Toys'R'Us have the right, if they wish to, to stock all the Breaking Bad toys they want. I assume there is probably some kind of adult/teenager section where you can put that (next to the Game of Thrones models) and not next to, I don't know, Spongebob.

Also, I think the parents have to do some of the work too. Don't complain about Breaking Bad, and yet more often than not I see you buying Grand Theft Auto 5 for your 11 year old son.

Also, the world does not have to bend backwards for your child. If you think that, for example, Sex and the City is too graphic for your child, don't let them watch it. If Call of Duty is too violent, perhaps you should look at the 18 sticker on it? Etc, etc.
 

lunavixen

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Jan 2, 2012
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*facepalm* Wow... Are these parents so damned lazy that they can't just say to their kid that they can't have it? Any kid who recognises the characters and what they do probably has bigger issues. If this goes through, this will screw over some adult collectors, as online shopping can have ridiculous shipping prices.
 

LaoJim

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Aug 24, 2013
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I'd much prefer that they keep the whole store 'innocent'. To quote from the petition linked above:

Just like TRU doesn't sell "M" rated video game titles to young kids, they will not sell age-inappropriate toys to kids. PARENTS should be the one dictating what their kids watch, buy, read, play and consume, NOT the buyers or employees of Toys R Us. If you don't want to be "forced to explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs or why someone who sells those drugs deserves to be made into an action figure" then simply don't walk your kid down that aisle. Problem solved. I'm a parent of a school aged child myself, but I'm an informed, responsible parent and I closely monitor the toys, TV, music, movies and games that my daughter sees.
Firsty a question: in the UK Toy'R'Us do not, as far as I'm aware, sell any 'M' rated (equivalent is PEGI 15/18) video games at all only kiddie-friendly stuff, is this different in the US?

It's all very well saying don't go down that aisle, but suppose you are visiting with say three kids and an grandparents/uncle who maybe doesn't realise the nature of the aisle and while you are looking at one thing with kiddies #1 and #2 you shouldn't have to worry that granny and #3 are going to wondering into the wrong section (obviously the more 'walled off' and obvious it is the better). Secondly kid naturally want stuff they can't have. Tell kids about toys for grown-ups and they will want them. I disagree that parents should be 'dictating' what media children consume, children should be free to explore and Toys'R'Us should really be creating a safe environment for them to do it.

All in all, its not a deal breaker for me, but I would be happier if Toys'R'Us didn't expand in this way and this is not nearly the worst knee-jerk petition I've seen.
 

Ryan Hughes

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Jul 10, 2012
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Yes, they should. Not because they would corrupt children, but because I hate Breaking Bad. It is time we all forgot about that tripe and moved on. The only possible way that these toys could corrupt children is to give them terrible taste in television.
 

Alfador_VII

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Nov 2, 2009
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I have to say I side completely with the parents on this one.

I'm definitely not against collectible figures being made based on Breaking Bad or any other adult-oriented subject, I don't see how these have ANY place in a store aimed squarely at kids, whether it's the the stores themselves, or it's website.
 

lacktheknack

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Jan 19, 2009
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I'm raising my eyebrow really hard here. How on earth did Breaking freaking Bad get ANYTHING into a Toys R Us? Does the Disney Store sell Shrek figurines as well? That's what this is like.

I'm not going to call for them to be removed, but I want the process that got them there in the first place to be fixed, pronto.
 

Thaluikhain

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Toys R Us isn't really the place for that sort of thing. Lots of other places, sure, just maybe not them.
 

Casual Shinji

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It might be a bit weird, but I remember in my preteen years Toys R Us had Predator and Alien action figures for sale. But then kids like Alien and Predator... I doubt many children are into Breaking Bad. I think that's ultimately what makes this odd.