Would you believe that McDonald’s is giving away superhero action figures in its Happy Meals? The horror!
McDonald’s latest Happy Meal giveaway features Marvel Superhero action figures such as the Human Torch, Thing, and Captain America. Awesome right? Not according to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which calls the giveaway a “new low.”
The campaign writes: “It’s hard to believe, but McDonald’s Happy Meal toys have hit a new low.” Is McDonald’s giving away porn? Guns? Rat poison? No, just superhero toys. The CCFC seems to think that the toys will get children addicted to “violent PG-13” movies. I’m not joking.
“It’s awful that this giveaway continues the troubling trend of fast food restaurants promoting toys linked to violent PG-13 movies,” the CCFC says. “A so-called happy meal at McDonald’s features the horrifying spectacle of a man on fire and a menacing figure that explicitly spurs them to violence.”
The CCFC is referring to the Thing’s action figure, which says: “It’s clobberin time!” Apparently, the CCFC thinks this will send pre-schoolers into a violent rage. And a “horrifying spectacle of a man on fire?” Seriously?
The Happy Meal promotion also features a Spider-Man figure that terrifyingly sticks to walls with suction cups, the Silver Surfer unimaginably standing on a surfboard, and Captain America throwing his shield to disgustingly protect innocent people. How awful can McDonald’s get?
“If clobberin’ time is McDonald’s idea of family fun, it’s time to steer clear of the Golden Arches,” the CCFC says. What dimensional portal did these people just emerge from? Hasn’t McDonald’s been giving away action figures for decades? Can’t the organization understand that the toys are just fun for kids to play with?
Though I don’t agree with activists and politicians that campaign against videogame violence, I can almost understand where they’re coming from. These action figures are so innocent, I feel like the CCFC has got to be joking. This would be like Jack Thompson saying that Carnival Games was going to cause World War III. I’m trying to see a valid point in here somewhere, but I don’t.
Via: Bleeding Cool
