Last weekend we saw the new movie “Grindhouse.” If you haven’t heard about it, you get 2 movies plus an intermission. The first flick is “Planet Terror” by Robert Rodriguez featuring sci-fi and horror staples like government plots, flesh-eating gore, and motorcycles.
The second is “Death Proof” by Quentin Tarantino. This was great! Incredibly violent, but disturbingly gratifying. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say it’s got girl power…
I’ve heard complaints about an action figure from “Planet Terror,” but frankly I don’t have a problem with it myself. The doll is called “Rapist #1” and features the character played by Tarantino. Again, I don’t want to spoil the movie for you, but I will tell you that his character is pure evil and is punished in a satisfyingly appropriate and fatal fashion.
So the real problem here is that there are parents who would buy this doll for their children? I think we have a larger problem in that case. We cannot baby-proof the world, so guess what? Parents have to do their job.
For example, I don’t think that the TV show The Simpsons is right for my kids to watch. I love the show myself, but my kids will never see it. In my opinion, it is only for adults. The kids in it are mouthy and rude, the parents are irresponsible and lazy, and the storylines are about adult happenings. It is one of my favorite shows for adults. I don’t advocate that it get taken off the air — instead I just don’t let my kids see it.
I can psychically feel many of you out there saying “Hey, my kids watch The Simpsons! I think it’s a great show for kids!” And see, we all get to make those choices for our own families.
So. Is it news that it’s a bad idea to buy violent adult-themed toys for your children? Nope. Are you a good parent if you buy this toy for your child? In my opinion: no. Is it the job of movie PR schlubs to make sure your kids don’t see things that are for adults? Nope again.
Now, let’s say you see this toy at your local Toys R Us… That’s completely different! Picket and boycott those fuckers until the end of time. If a toy store for kids sold these dolls that would be an outrage. But the fact that they exist in the world is not.
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