June 22, 2004
Not Quite the Crazy Old Cat Lady in the Scary House At the Top of the Hill - But Close
It's official. I've become an old fogey. An uptight one at that.
I'm not finding juvenile humor all that funny anymore. Especially when it comes to my kids' toys.
Apparently a couple of guys were sitting around over at Matchbox, designing cars and getting high.
Guy #1: Dude, you know what would be funny?
Guy #2: No, dude. What?
Guy #1: What if we snuck in a reference to weed on one of the cars.
Guy #2: Like a Hempmobile?
Guy #1: No, dude. It has to be subtle. And ironic.
Guy #2: Oh, you mean like some sort of Authoritarian Hempmobile. You know, like a cop car with a pot leaf on the side or something.
Guy #1: Yeah, you're getting there. How could we pull this off without being obvious? It has to be really, really subtle. Something....
Guy #2: ....That only stoners would get.
Guy #1: Yeah.
Guy #2: That'd be cool, dude. Pass the bong.
An hour later Guy #1 gets that look on his face and Guy #2 sees it. Without saying a word (because they don't have to - they're ultra connected on a higher level, remember), they start nodding at each other, giggling.
Guy #2: Dude, that's gonna be so awesome.
Guy #1: I know. Nobody will get it.
Guy #2: And the ones who do aren't gonna say anything. They'll be laughing their asses off.
Guy #1: We're brilliant, man!
Guess what? It's not that funny, dudes. If I didn't have kids, if I were into drugs, I'm sure I'd find this somewhat amusing. Or, if this were something marketed for adults....maybe. But these are toys, found in the middle of all the other kid things. A cop car called the "Badge Blaster" with 420 as the badge number. Howerver, I am a parent. I'm not into drugs. It's hard enough to try to raise your kids right and keep them away from drugs without someone slipping this into my kids' daily round of subliminal nudging. As humorous as someone thinks this is, subversive and sly....it's just not cute.
You better believe Matchbox/Mattel is getting a complaint about this one.
See? I told ya. I'm officially an uptight old fogey. How did it happen? WHEN did it happen? I may as well be shouting "you young'uns best get off my lawn!"
Note: Neither Matchbox nor Mattel show this toy on any of their websites. However, you can, however, find it here.
Um... I don't get it. :( Can you spell it out for your more naive readers? Thanks!
Posted by: Mrs. Smash at June 22, 2004 01:10 PMSee the "420" hyperlink.
Posted by: Mainframe at June 22, 2004 04:30 PMCareful there whippersnapper, or I'll gum ya...
Good luck with the complaint, can't blame you a bit.
Wow and for only $2!
You can't let down your guard when you're a parent. Sigh. You know how you're always looking around to see what your kid's doing? My head's been rotating for 31 years, and I still have an 8th grader.
I like to think that it's keeping me young rather than making me old.
go get em!
Posted by: mlah at June 22, 2004 08:15 PMIt's interesting that they didn't put in on a cop car though, they put it on the fire chief's vehicle and called it a badge blaster, which is strange too.
Posted by: Annmarie aka Mickey at June 23, 2004 01:07 AMMainframe,
Thanks for the tip, but the 420 hyperlink wasn't there when I posted my original comment. DG added the link for my edification. ;)
On a slight tangent... am I the only one who finds the word "cannabis" reminds them of "cannibal"?
Posted by: Mrs. Smash at June 23, 2004 02:11 AMMrs. Smash: Roger dat.
Posted by: Mainframe at June 23, 2004 03:44 AMall this talk is giving me the munchies...
I'm not sure when it happened to me, but I feel the same way - when did it becomegood business to undermine parents?
Posted by: PJ at June 23, 2004 09:09 AMYour scenario is colorful - but how can we possibly know that that was their intention?
I'm reminded of Frank Zappa's quote "If music could make you do something we'd all love each other -- because there are more love songs than anything."
To rephrase Freud -- sometimes a 420 is just a 420.
Posted by: Joe Crawford at June 23, 2004 09:25 AMNo way, Joe. These things are thought out down to focus group details...
Posted by: SondraK at June 23, 2004 02:44 PMThen there's all that 420 stuff as in April 20 . . .Hitler's birthday, Columbine, etc. 4/20 = Day of Death. NO WAY that choice was random. Nice catch, Goddess! Give 'em hell. I'd love to know if/how Mattel responds.
Posted by: Doc Rock at June 23, 2004 04:22 PMI'm thinking that if a kid is savvy enough to get the '420' reference, his or hers decisions probably aren't going to be based on the styling of a toy.
Posted by: Al at June 23, 2004 06:51 PMThanks for the heads up. I'm going shopping tomorrow. This would be the perfect present for my son, but then again he is 25.
Now if you're truly as old and as fogeyish as you say, how would you know what 420 refers to? ;)
If you have a kid playing with matchbox cars and has been around enough to figure out the 420,( whatever the hell that is), I think you might have other problems.
Posted by: James Old Guy at June 24, 2004 11:25 AMAhhh memories of spending a week in detention for having 714 drawn on my jacket.
Will you make me stay after class, sweetness?
Posted by: Anton at June 25, 2004 03:15 AMFrankly, I think that is reaching a bit...or you are over-reacting. I would grant you a marijuana leaf, or a bong, or the anarchist symbol...but 420 as a subliminal message to the under-10 set to get loaded? No, it doesn't make sense to me.
I agree that the toys are probably focussed-grouped to a gnat's eyebrow, though. Could be a subliminal message to the PARENTS.
Hey, you could have a 10-16 year old girl, and have the conflict over "can I shop at Abercrombie, mom?" "No, I'm still not spending my money on folks who market group sex and sex without condoms." Jeez.
(oh, and your comment thingy thinks my URL name (lizditz[dot]typepad[dot]com is questionable.
Posted by: liz at June 25, 2004 11:47 PM