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A few weeks ago, I finally gave into my 7-year-old son’s
request for a box of Reese’s Puffs (the chocolate/peanut butter/sugar crunch
that is sure to start the day off right).
However, I was disturbed to find that a cereal clearly intended for children was advertising
“The Dark Knight,”
a movie that even before its release was said to be extremely dark and unfit
for children. Eerily, the cereal also
contained a little figurine of The Joker, the mass-murdering character played
by the late Heath Ledger.
Just weeks before this incident, I noticed “Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was heavily promoted with children’s products ranging from cereals to
Lunchables to toys action figures. After
going through the grocery store and seeing Indiana Jones on everything, my son
asked to go see the movie. I had to explain
that since it was rated PG-13 (as is “The Dark Knight”), he was too young to go
see it, which (rightfully) confused him since it was on all of the products
that he and his friends wanted.
This problem doesn’t just exist in the grocery aisles. Commercials for movies like “Iron Man” and
“The Incredible Hulk” ran on the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. In fact, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free
Childhood
has launched a campaign
demanding that The Motion Picture Association of America stop marketing violent
PG-13 films to young children.
In response to criticism about this issue, Paramount Vice
Chairman Rob Moore said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, “Paramount has been and
will continue to be committed t o advertising responsibly to children. Our goal is to ensure parents have the
information they need to make appropriate decisions and choices for their
families. So much so, our film
advertising is reviewed by the Motion Picture Associate on America’s
advertising bureau for the appropriateness of ads and ad placements, and we
carefully select out promotional partners with whom we rely on to be equally
sensitive to parental concerns.”
Of course, ultimately, it is up to parents to use their best
judgment in deciding what movies their children are allowed to see. But where does the responsibility lie when it
comes to the actual marketing of violent films to young children? The motion picture studios, like Paramount and Universal
and Marvel Studios? The Motion Picture
Association of America? Or the companies, like Burger King and
Nickelodeon, who allow their brands to be used to promote these movies?
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