This afternoon, searching for a birthday gift for my nephew, I ventured
into long-forgotten territory: a Toys R Us store. Just as a
child's growth is more noticeable to one who has been away for a while,
so did I find the cultural changes represented by the toys and games to
be startling. While there were a few of what I might call generic
games, most were branded with characters from television shows and
movies. Even the old standby, Candyland, now comes in Dora the
Explorer and Winnie the Pooh (Disney version, of course) flavors. Back when I was a more regular visitor of toy stores, there were already a
few media-inspired toys, but now the genre has exploded. I did
not linger, but left with the impression that I would find more of
reality at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
Comments
It's in the supermarket too. I've noticed that the junkfood industry has been colluding with the film industry to create all kinds of cereals, snacks, and candy. I suppose this is nothing new for Disney, but it seems to be part of every movie campaign now. Try going down the cereal aisle at 4-year-old height.
...and I still haven't been to the theater in well over a year.
Posted by
Andy
on Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 1:04 am
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