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PG-13 Summer Movies Heavily Marketed to Tots
By Christina Quick | May 13, 2008
Once again moviemakers are targeting little kids with violent, PG-13 summer flicks.
According to a press release from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the following strategies are being used to promote this summer’s movies to youngsters:
• “Iron Man” toys will appear in Burger King Kids’ meals. The movie is PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.”
• Kid-targeted ads for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images, will show up on M&Ms, Kraft Lunchables and Kellogg products.
• A line of toys, recommended for ages 3 and up, are tied to “The Dark Knight,” rated PG-13 for menace and intense sequences of violence. Ads for the film will also appear on General Mills and Hershey products.
• More than a quarter of a million toys have been released in advance of “The Incredible Hulk.” The film has not yet been rated, but the 2003 version was PG-13 and the trailer for the film suggests this version is violent as well.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America, a PG-13 rating means parents are “strongly cautioned” that some material may not be suitable for children under age 13.
“A PG-13 rating may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category,” the MPAA Web site says.
Unfortunately, the film industry continues to lure young kids to these inappropriate movies through the clever use of candy-coated marketing.
Paul Gitter of Marvel, which owns the rights to “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk,” recently told USA Today, “Especially for kids, they’ll see the toys before they’ll see the movie ads. If they want the toy, they usually want to see the movie.”
Parents take note. The sun’s rays may not be the only things you’ll need to shield your children from this summer.
Topics: Media |
May 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Excellent insight, Christina. This should be in every newspaper in America!