Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Crafty toy company big-shots

Remember that scene in "Father of the Bride" when George is in the grocery store ranting over the different number of hot dogs in a package compared to hot dog buns in a package? Let me refresh your memory...

STOCKBOY Excuse me, sir, but what are you doing?

GEORGE I'll tell you what I'm doing. I want to buy eight hot dogs and eight hot dog buns to go with them. But no one sells eight hot dog buns. They only sell twelve hot dog buns. So I end up paying for four buns I don't need. So I am removing the superfluous buns.

STOCKBOY I'm sorry, sir. But you're going to have to pay for all twelve buns. They're not marked individually.

GEORGE Yeah. And you want to know why? Because some big-shot over at the wiener company got together with some big-shot over at the bun company and decided to rip off the American public. Because they think the American public is a bunch of trusting nit-wits who will pay for everything they don't need rather than make a stink!

Aaaaaand, end scene. But not before George is arrested for this rant and learns a valuable lesson. Don't mess with the bull or you'll get the horns.

Well I have a rant of my own that hopefully won't land me in jail. I'm beginning to suspect that some big-shot over at the toy company got together with some big-shot over at the battery company and decided to rip off the American public. Why else would a toy say "goodbye" minutes after it's been abandoned for another shiny object?

We already purchased the toy so the big-shots at the toy company have no motivation in ensuring it's actually being played with. Yet moments after some far-too-happy song has FINALLY ended and my child has moved on to quieter entertainment, that darn toy reminds him that it's still there. And the music begins again. Why? WHY?! To run down the batteries, that's why! So we'll have to buy more batteries. So the toy can remind our kids that it's over heeeeerrrreeee. So that they'll run down the batteries. So we'll have to buy more batteries. So the toy...

You get the picture.

And to complicate matters, the big-shots at the toy company don't tell you their toy has this handy little feature until after you've purchased it, assembled the fortygillion pieces, given it to your child and recycled the box. They're crafty, those toy company big-shots. I'll give 'em that.

So what's a mom to do? How do we show them that we are on to them? How do we protest the blatant manipulation of America's youngest consumers?

No seriously, I'm asking what to do...

6 comments:

Dawn November 25, 2008 at 3:18 PM  

1. I'd email them directly.
2. I'd post the name of the toy and the manufacturer.
3. I'd twitter it (motrin proves that that works)!

La Maestra November 25, 2008 at 3:27 PM  

It is also like how every single electronic gadget known to man (cell phone, camera, camcorder, computer, printer, cable box, etc.) has a different charger cable or computer connection cable. USB my left foot! USB only plugs it into the computer, it doesn't plug into the gadget. So if you lose it (or leave it in a hotel, as we have at least twice!) you have to purchase the exact same one from the same manufacturer for the same model. And you end up with a big bucket of cords and no idea which goes with what.

The Tucson Gang November 26, 2008 at 4:51 AM  

OMG, Mindy is also right. We just bought new cell phones and of course had to buy all new charges for the car, this accessory, that accessory because very few of them are interchangeable...grrr.

As for your little toy dilemma missy - you are ABSOLUTELY right! So annoying! The good news...those abnoxious toys dwindle as you get out of the 2's and 3's...so only 2 more years of it - unless of course a new baby comes along...and then...it starts all over! :-)

La Maestra November 27, 2008 at 7:19 AM  

We just bought a Batman car for our nephew who is turning 5. It would start it's little diddy in the cart when we went around a corner. As we were taking the bags out of the cart, it started again. Clunk, into the trunk, started again. And yes, at a stoplight, we heard it again. Joyfully mocking us from the trunk.

Emily November 27, 2008 at 9:40 PM  

just had to say that I was laughing as I read your post...my friend and I used to love that movie and memorized and cracked up at that part. But, I find it's not so funny when it happens in real life, huh?

Matt Mikalatos November 29, 2008 at 10:00 PM  

We have certain toys that we just never put batteries in.

But perhaps I am just a bad father. :)

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