Thursday, May 03, 2007

I Thought Toys Were Supposed to Inspire Children!

Last week I went shopping for birthday gifties for children (why are so many kids born in April/May/June)? Anyway, I was cruising up and down the aisles and I saw this:


Doesn't that kid look embarassed? Here's the description of the Pretend and Play Office Space per the manufacturer:

Everything kids need for a pretend day at the office fits inside an official-looking briefcase. The 74-piece set includes a planner, pretend stapler, cell phone with sound, ID badge and many other office essentials - even a stack of write and wipe paychecks and a refillable crayon "pen."

ID Badge? Stapler? PAYCHECKS?!? Listen, I'm all about realistic expectations. Not every child will grow up to be a ballerina or an astronaut or a super hero. But, to quote Gary from John Hughes' Weird Science:

"Why are you messing with the fantasy? We know about the reality. Don't ruin the fantasy, okay?"

This toy is geared toward 3 to 8 year-olds. What 3 year-old needs rewritable paychecks? Sheesh.

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