Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Playmobil hits a nerve

File this under, "give me a break."
According to this New York Times article, one Playmobil set has hit a nerve with lots of people reviewing the toy on Amazon's web site.
The Airport Security Checkpoint set was made by Playmobil from 2003-2007 as part of their Airport theme. The toys, made for children 4 & Up, were apparently too realistic for some parents, who viewed the set as an example of our 'security state' in a post 9/11 world.
One review states "I applaud Playmobil for attempting to provide us with the tools we need to teach our children to unquestioningly obey the commands of the State Security Apparatus, but unfortunately, this product falls short of doing that. There’s no brown figure for little Josh to profile, taser, and detain?"
Wow. All that from a toy showing people getting their luggage scanned?
The set was part of a much larger airport set, that included such controversial sets as the 'Ground Crew' or 'Luggage Transport' pieces. Apparently, these sets weren't as offensive.
Seriously, it seems as if some people have lots of time to post biting commentary on a kids toy. Hey, I've seen toys that deserve such feedback, but come on, it's just an accessory to an airport set. And it's not even available anymore, except apparently at exorbitant prices on Amazon...thanks largely to the publicity surrounding it's silly reviews.
For fun, check out the reviews page at Amazon on this item.

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