The Albuquerque Journal Markets Violence to Kids

In a big front page graphic and A-8 story, the Journal again sells a product. Are they getting paid? The Journal could not even wait for its Friday Venue, where it usually promotes movies, but a day early had to advertise a much criticized, violent PG-13 movie, which targets children AS YOUNG AS FOUR.

The PG-13 movie, Transformers, pays for widespread and irresponsible marketing to preschoolers, so did they pay the Journal? The film, which opens on July 4, 2007, was rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language” by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

There are more than one hundred Transformers’ toys FOR CHILDREN UNDER SIX, and Transformer promotions by Kraft and Burger King are clearly aimed at young children with advertisements on children’s television programming rated appropriate for kids as young as two.

“It is extremely disappointing that Hasbro and DreamWorks would choose to promote a film to preschool children that the industry deems inappropriate for anyone under the age of thirteen,” said the Center for a Commercial Free Childhood's Dr. Susan Linn. “In their cynical attempt to wring every last dollar from one of this summer’s blockbusters, these companies have shown little regard for children’s well-being or parents’ desires to limit their children’s exposure to violence.”

EVERY SINGLE ONE of the 129 Hasbro Transformers toys reviewed by the CCFC came with a recommended age YOUNGER than thirteen.

Seventy-two of these products (56%) are recommended for children as young as FIVE; an additional thirty-two toys (25%) are recommended for children as young as FOUR; thirteen toys (10%) are recommended for children as young as THREE. A toy promotion at Burger King is also for children THREE and up.

Not one word about this widespread and easily available criticism appeared in the Journal.

Are they: 1) bought; 2) lazy; or 3) stupid?

Hey, Journal, what happened to those good, old fashioned, Republican family values?