Armed bears, kids repugnant

[MKSheppard]

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2003 ... ewis01.txt

Is there any justification for this shameless bit of war profiteering?

Armed bears, kids repugnant

By Rich Lewis April 3, 2003

I hope there's a special room in Hell for those who try to squeeze profits out of human catastrophes such as the war in Iraq.



Is there any justification for this shameless bit of war profiteering?
I hope there's a special room in Hell for those who try to squeeze profits out of human catastrophes such as the war in Iraq.

If there is such a place, I want to make a reservation on behalf of the executives at The Bradford Group.

Oh, I don't mind the local stores that put out American flags or yellow ribbons for sale. People will be shopping for that sort of thing anyhow to show support for the troops in Iraq.

No, I'm talking about the shameless marketers who go out of their way to cash in on the surge of emotions that comes with war — from pride and patriotism to worry and heartbreak. The emotions are genuine; the products manipulative and insulting.

The Bradford Group, which bills itself as "the leading international provider of limited edition collectibles," is among the worst offenders I have ever seen.

The company ran full-page, full-color advertisements in two popular Sunday newspaper magazines this past weekend — Parade and USA Weekend.

The products in the two ads are slightly different but equally appalling.

One is a 4-1/2-inch-tall "handcrafted figurine" of a teddy bear in full desert-style American military uniform, complete with helmet and goggles.

The bear — standing atop a pile of "sand," and behind a stack of sandbags — is carrying an M-16 automatic assault rifle.

"To honor the brave dedication of the U.S. Armed Forces.... A tribute to all who serve our nation," says the cloying sales pitch. "Just one look at this handsome bear's boundless courage and fierce commitment to his country, and your heart will fill with pride."

Mine fills with disgust.

Can you imagine anything more horribly incongruous than an armed teddy bear? The beloved, gentle toy of childhood decked out in the paraphernalia of killing?

Cuteness and violence merged in one repugnant package.

How many soldiers who left young children at home to go fight in the desert would want their kids associating those two images?

The level of bad taste is so high you simply have to ask: What were they thinking?

The Bradford Group's other offering is equally grotesque insofar as it attempts to exploit both childhood and religion.

That piece, "A prayer for America's military heroes," shows a waif-like child in military uniform. The sweet-faced, wide-eyed youngster also is holding an M-16 — the way you'd expect him to be holding... well... a teddy bear, maybe.

The jack-booted, armed child is entirely nestled in a pair of crystalline "praying hands."

What an abomination.

The good news is that the Bradford Group is apparently way out of the mainstream in attempting to fill its pockets by selling the war.

An Associated Press story this week says that most businesses nationwide "are questioning to what extent, if any, they should use patriotism as they try to bring in sales."

The story continues: "Not lost on marketers, some observers say, is the consumer recoil over some ads that were perceived as profiteering from the 2001 terrorist strikes."

The story gives the example of some automakers back then "who hawked zero-percent financing as ultra- American, saying car sales would help the grieving economy."

As for the local area, The Sentinel's advertising director, Steve Crowley, tells me that local advertisers have been "extremely respectful" when it comes to the war and patriotism.

If they are thinking at all about business issues in connection with the war, it is concern over the impact on the economy in general, not on how they can use the fighting to boost their profits.

Good for them.

But The Bradford Group apparently feels no such respect, or decency or restraint. I hope they reap a whirlwind of consumer anger over it.

In fact, if you'd like to express your feelings, the gun-toting bears and waifs are sold through The Hamilton Collection, with corporate offices at 9204 Center for the Arts Drive, Niles, IL 60714.

You can stand behind the troops, cheer for them, pray for them — and it won't cost you a nickel. You can spend a few dollars on flags and ribbons and decals to make your support known publicly.

But companies such as The Bradford Group don't deserve your support or your money.

They deserve your scorn.

[Anarchist Bunny]

Thats nothing compared to the coin scam. The guy is charging 20 bucks for a colorized 50 cent piece, and promises to match their purchase price by 100% and send it to the troops. So for each 20 bucks you spend, you get a painted 50 cent piece, and he sends half a dollar to the troops(although he didn't set anything up to do so). He's claiming that it takes him 5 bucks to make the coin.

[MKSheppard]

Yeah well, I want that bear with the M-16 now

Anything that POs the left off is fine by me

[Darth Wong]

Fixed the bad quote tags.

BTW, I don't see why a soldier-bear is any more offensive than GI Joe. We've been selling soldier toys to kids for decades. My boys have buckets full of toy soldiers, little plastic tanks and aircraft, etc. What's the big deal?

[Vympel]

I think it's cute.

I had a pretty cool GI Joe collection when I was a kid. My quilt thrown on the bed in a bundle would serve as the appropriate battlefield.

[Howedar]

Fixed the bad quote tags.

BTW, I don't see why a soldier-bear is any more offensive than GI Joe. We've been selling soldier toys to kids for decades. My boys have buckets full of toy soldiers, little plastic tanks and aircraft, etc. What's the big deal?

Because this version is coming out in wartime to evidently capitalize on wartime patriotism?


I dunno. Doesn't look much like a toy either, more like a little thing you set on the mantle. Maybe people see a difference between the two.

[Queeb Salaron]

My roomate Jeff brought up a good point (credit where credit is due). GI Joe is based in fiction. The very point of GI Joe is to make yet another child's war game in times of peace (like football, a tactical land-acquisition game to simulate war in times of peace). This bear is OBVIOUSLY NOT based in fiction. It came out (I assume?) at the same time as this war. That's just plain profiteering. It's not any more morbid than GI Joes, but it IS a more despicable business proposition. Like the colored coins. Just plain greedy.

[Darth Wong]

This bear is OBVIOUSLY NOT based in fiction.

You're saying the US Army actually has trained bears fighting for them in Iraq?

[Queeb Salaron]

You're saying the US Army actually has trained bears fighting for them in Iraq?

Obviously. Duh. They took the idea from Russia in during the Cold War. I mean, Smokey the Bear is a Ranger! Duh!! Yogi is Military Intelligence (smarter than your average bear)... Even Winnie the Pooh enlisted! Come now, you don't think that American bears would just sit idly by and let the rest of bearkind sit like defenseless ducks on a pond?

(The ducks take offense to that, of course. Donald Duck was, after all, a sailor in the US Navy. Yep. Fought right alongside Popeye. After WWII, Donald pulled some strings tp break Popeye into showbiz. Who woulda thunk?)

[Enforcer Talen]

bears with guns have been in military stores for as long as I can remember. I think I owned one when I was young.

[Master of Ossus]

Fixed the bad quote tags.

BTW, I don't see why a soldier-bear is any more offensive than GI Joe. We've been selling soldier toys to kids for decades. My boys have buckets full of toy soldiers, little plastic tanks and aircraft, etc. What's the big deal?

Because this version is coming out in wartime to evidently capitalize on wartime patriotism?

By that standard, stores that have begun selling American flags following September 11 are guilty fo "wartime profiteering."

I dunno. Doesn't look much like a toy either, more like a little thing you set on the mantle. Maybe people see a difference between the two.

If anything, a toy is far worse. A toy is actually given to a child to play with and simulate combat with. The bear just sits on the mantle.

[Sea Skimmer]

This bear is OBVIOUSLY NOT based in fiction.

You're saying the US Army actually has trained bears fighting for them in Iraq?

They'd go well the mine monkeys to help the army compete with the USN's dolphins.

[Darth Wong]

You know, if we can get the word out about these trained bears, maybe all the members of PETA will go to Iraq to liberate them.

[Howedar]

By that standard, stores that have begun selling American flags following September 11 are guilty fo "wartime profiteering."

Yes, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

If anything, a toy is far worse. A toy is actually given to a child to play with and simulate combat with. The bear just sits on the mantle.

Or, conversely, a toy is just for playing with, whereas a bear sitting on the mantle is a political statement.


I'm not saying I agree with them, I'm just trying to figure out their train of thought.

[HemlockGrey]

You know, if we can get the word out about these trained bears, maybe all the members of PETA will go to Iraq to liberate them.

Are you kidding? With the shit we're busting Saddam for, the last we need is to use weapons of mass destruction.

[Queeb Salaron]

As for wartime profiteering, I'm all for it as long as it's done well. That is to say, as long as the money used to buy these things recirculates back into society, that kind of economic upswing could never be a bad thing. Especially not in our current economy.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Once it get's resized it's going on my once and future avatar list....

[Nathan F]

My sister has a USAF bear, and one of the Air Force barbies.

And I had a nice collection of G.I. Joes. I guess those were profiteering of WW2, too.

[Nathan F]

Fixed the bad quote tags.

BTW, I don't see why a soldier-bear is any more offensive than GI Joe. We've been selling soldier toys to kids for decades. My boys have buckets full of toy soldiers, little plastic tanks and aircraft, etc. What's the big deal?

Heheh, I have a big plastic C-130 that is full of the little army men and a few tanks.

That is some war profiteering to it's finest, if you ask me!

Many fine hours on the playground setting up historically accurate models of WW2 battles were fought with those. Well, if you consider random placement of little green and brown guys with guns and two kids going 'Bang, boooom, bang, ratatatatat' realistic, it is historically accurate.

I tell you it was plastic violence at it's finest!

BTW, anyone really know why the brown ones were always the bad guys?

[paladin]

This bear is OBVIOUSLY NOT based in fiction.

You're saying the US Army actually has trained bears fighting for them in Iraq?

Instead of Rambo its "Rambear."

[The Yosemite Bear]

You have never seen Bambo either, big buck, 21 point rack, M-60, hates hunters.

[Kamakazie Sith]

I think it's cute.

I had a pretty cool GI Joe collection when I was a kid. My quilt thrown on the bed in a bundle would serve as the appropriate battlefield.

Fuck yeah!

I did that will those small plastic toy soldiers when I was young, my favorite was the soldier with the flame thrower......he died A LOT

[Companion Cube]

I think it's cute.

Damn, you beat me to it.


By a few hours...

[Darksider]

Fuck yeah!

I did that will those small plastic toy soldiers when I was young, my favorite was the soldier with the flame thrower......he died A LOT

the flamethrower guy is the coolest. How could you let him die?????