Far be it from us to promote ignorant claims like the one you're about to read, but we just couldn't help it. In truth: palm-to-forehead stories like this belong in other, less scrupulous blogs. And yet, we felt compelled to let our readers in on the irony.
The source link in this post directs to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a group with all good intentions but apparently less-than-intelligent advocates. On February 15th, they plan to announce their 2009 TOADY award to all twelve of the people that actually read their announcements.
Among the candidates for the winner of the category "Toys Oppressive and Destructive to Young Children" is the video game Lego Batman. The redonkulous page of Terrible Toys rails the co-op game for its promotion of the "violent Dark Knight movie series" and for " turning your toy into a video game...instead of deciding what to build next". Unfortunately for those twelve people who take the TOADYs seriously, the page blissfully forgets that the video game is modeled after the real Batman Lego toy sets, which despite being a "creative" toy, also promotes The Dark Knight to children (leaving parents to have the ultimate decision in the matter...*gasp!*).
Click "Read More" for the excerpt and some more gloriously sarcastic commentary (remember to add your own as well)...
Lego Batman Video Game by Warner Bros.
Retails for: $29.99 - $49.99
Recommended Age: 'E' for Everyone 10+How do you turn the ultimate creative toy into a symbol of commercialized childhood? Begin by partnering with media companies to sell that toy in branded kits designed for recreating movies like Star Wars, rather than creative construction. Then, dispense with hands-on building altogether by turning your toy into a video game so that instead of deciding what to build next, children choose which cyber weapons to use to beat up their opponent. Finally, ignore the fact it was rated suitable for ages 10 & up and partner with McDonald’s for a Happy Meal toy giveaway to simultaneously promote the video game, junk food, and the violent Dark Knight movie series to preschoolers.
What boggles me is that the game is clearly rate E10+...the text acknowledges this twice...and still the bitter parents feel the need to "ignore the fact that it was rated suitable for ages 10 & up"...because we all know that a Die Hard Happy Meal toy automatically makes kids Die Hard savvy.
So we want you to vote. Really. Seriously. Use their web page to voice your opinion, and overwhelm their faulty logic. This is not a solicitation...this is a request to make sure that even the smallest attack group understands the need for true research and objective video game criticism.
Besides, it shouldn't be too hard for us to beat twelve votes.
Source: Commercialfreechildhood.org