Today a Harvard-based advocacy group, the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC), launched a salvo against "Shrek the Third," the latest sequel in the animated Mike Myers franchise.
CCFC's beef: The title character is being enlisted by Uncle Sam to encourage kids to exercise, although Shrek has been used to hawk fast food to kids as well.
It's certainly of interest to parents and educators, I suppose, but CCFC is hardly the moderate "child advocacy group" that media outlets such as USA Today are blandly describing it to be.
As I wrote for the MRC's Business & Media Institute (BMI) last August, a review of CCFC's Web site makes clear the group's liberal, pro-regulation agenda (my emphasis in bold):
In a petition that CCFC urges Web site visitors to sign, [Harvard psychologist Susan] Linn’s group argues “that schools, communities, and nations, if they deem it necessary, have the right to restrict commercial access to children. Marketers do not have the right to exploit children for profit.”
Taken to its logical conclusion, that statement means that CCFC believes the government should be empowered to play censor to advertising on radio, TV, the Internet, billboards, newspapers, and anywhere else children might happen to see advertising.
And it’s not just commercials that destroy America’s youth. It’s the action-figures and other toys based off of cartoons and movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Spider-Man, Linn’s group insists.
“Toys based on media programs come with established characters and storylines, making it unlikely that children will use the toy to create their own world,” complained CCFC in a pamphlet entitled “The Commercialization of Toys and Play.”
BMI's Amy Menefee wrote about CCFC as recently as late March when the "CBS Evening News" picked up on one of the group's complaints.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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CCFC's beef: The title char
April 26, 2007 - 05:33 ET by motherbeltCCFC's beef: The title character is being enlisted by Uncle Sam to
encourage kids to exercise, although Shrek has been used to hawk fast
food to kids as well.
This is bogus. "Fast food" is not inherently bad. There is nothing wrong with the occasional burger and fries. I thought it was ultimately up to the parents to decide if and when to take the kids to Wendy's.....but apparently CCFC doesn't trust parents....
And who, pray tell, would be the ultimate arbiter of what children should and shouldn't see, hear, and play with? Wait!!! Let me guess.......
I guess it's a matter of time
April 26, 2007 - 06:30 ET by Mica the MagnificentI guess it's a matter of time before Toys R Us stocks only liberal, politically correct approved Al Gore dolls, distressed floating polar bear pop-up books, Hillary action figures, Mickey Mouse drowning in his mouse hole from global warming dvd's, and 'burqa's are cool, get used to them' clothing line.
The war is lost. The troops must leave. - Harry Reid's quote written on Osama Bin Laden's birthday cake
Nuts
April 26, 2007 - 06:28 ET by allanfA Harvard psychologist is behind this advocacy? Sounds nuts to me.
Linn is a socialist and obvio
April 26, 2007 - 08:11 ET by Gat New YorkLinn is a socialist and obviously believes that government should be controlling our lives from the day we come out of the womb. She apparently does not believe in free choice.
She also is oblivious to the fact that advertisers who she says target children actually also target the childens' parents because they are the ultimate decision makers.
Also it is apparent that Commrade Linn does not get out much because she would realize that McDonalds and Wendys do sell a wider range of products than she realizes including a growing array of salads.
Shrek Attack
April 26, 2007 - 08:55 ET by River CityThe last attack by CCFC was on Pizza Hut and their "Book It" program. I actually took the time to write to them via their website and inform them that as the parent of three children I had control of when and how often they ate at Pizza Hut, not the school. I also told them that we had indeed participated in the program and received the free Personal Pan pizza certificates but had never used one. The gentleman that responded to my note said that not all parents were as conscientious as me and that their organization had to look out for all children. Puleez!!!! Do people really unload their kids at Pizza Hut with coupons for free pizza and drive off? Maybe Alec Baldwin does, but no one I know.
Sad Childhood
April 26, 2007 - 11:01 ET by desertphreakIt seems to me most of these "do-gooders" must have had a sad childhood and have made it their mission in life to ensure no child has to be subjected to correction, disappointment, or any of the negative (read character building) trials of childhood...As for my children, they have a number of the toys from current movies and tv shows and I am amazed at the various "roles" any given toy will play outside of the character's given role.....Puleez indeed!