Dexter Figure Causes Controversey

[johnmiic]

From AOL News. I completely agree with Biff, Bang, Pow on this:


Jason Labowitz, one of the co-founders of Bif Bang Pow, the company that produces the Dexter action figure, released a statement about the item late last week.

"To clarify, Dexter is not a serial killer," Labowitz said in a statement obtained by the Lansing State Journal. "He is a fictional character that happens to be a serial killer. In his fiction, he is portrayed as a vigilante who kills bad people."

Labowitz added: "We don't recall any uproar over millions of Joker figures being sold from 'The Dark Knight,' where the body count was quite high."

'Dexter' Action Figure at Toys R Us Stirs Debate


So it's ok to sell The Joker? Freddie? Jason? The Terminator? All ficticious killers so why draw the line at Dexter? People need to get a life!

[RG]

yeah first thing I thought of are all the Mcfarlane stuff that has been sold.

maybe it's becasue he's a vigilante???? LMAO

[Sideshow Spock]

It was bound to happen. Heck, BBP probably wanted it to happen.. no such thing as bad publicity, right?

[haggis]

It was bound to happen. Heck, BBP probably wanted it to happen.. no such thing as bad publicity, right?

I think you hit the nail on the proverbial head there!

[MegoMark71]

some people are not happy unless there is something to complain about.

[Brazoo]

Hahaha - Amazing, I hope it sells like crazy.

[MegoSteve]

Labowitz added: "We don't recall any uproar over millions of Joker figures being sold from 'The Dark Knight,' where the body count was quite high."

Yeah, and how many people did Luke Skywalker kill when he blew up the Death Star? Had to be hundreds if not thousands. Won't someone think of the henchmen?

That said, I'm not sure if I agree with Lenzi's defense 100%. His analogy doesn't work because Joker is clearly operating in a fictional universe in a fictional city and is surrounded by unrealistic genre trappings like Batmobiles, Batwings, Batcycles, and caped crusaders.

Dexter, on the other hand, is a guy who lives in Miami. He doesn't wear a crazy costume or fly or live in a Ha-Ha-Ha-cienda. He doesn't have an arch-enemy who wears a cape.

I'm not arguing that Dexter isn't fictional; it's just that his kind of fictional is a little more realistic and adult than Joker's kind of fictional. Joker being a cold-blooded killer is insulated by layers of obvious fictional genre elements... the world he lives in clearly does not exist, so it's not as offensive when he kills an obviously fictional character as it is when Dexter kills someone in Miami, because Miami does exist.

The Joker's murderousness is further insulated by a history where some of his appearances weren't as coldly brutal as the recent movies, like his appearances on the Batman TV show, on Saturday morning TV, on Slurpee cups, or in Hostess Cupcake ads.

I'm not a parent, or even all that prudish, but I'd have to agree that seeing Dexter figures hanging in Toys R Us, whose marketing is clearly aimed at drawing young children and their parents to buy toys to play with, is a little weird and maybe not entirely appropriate. I'm not up in arms or threatening a boycott... just think it's an odd choice for Toys R Us to have that kind of product.

[jwyblejr]

Why no uproar over Watchmen figures?

[livnxxxl]

some people are not happy unless there is something to complain about.

Your absolutely right.

[livnxxxl]

Unreal! What a joke!

[Captain]

Yeah, and how many people did Luke Skywalker kill when he blew up the Death Star? Had to be hundreds if not thousands. Won't someone think of the henchmen?

That said, I'm not sure if I agree with Lenzi's defense 100%. His analogy doesn't work because Joker is clearly operating in a fictional universe in a fictional city and is surrounded by unrealistic genre trappings like Batmobiles, Batwings, Batcycles, and caped crusaders.

Dexter, on the other hand, is a guy who lives in Miami. He doesn't wear a crazy costume or fly or live in a Ha-Ha-Ha-cienda. He doesn't have an arch-enemy who wears a cape.

I'm not arguing that Dexter isn't fictional; it's just that his kind of fictional is a little more realistic and adult than Joker's kind of fictional. Joker being a cold-blooded killer is insulated by layers of obvious fictional genre elements... the world he lives in clearly does not exist, so it's not as offensive when he kills an obviously fictional character as it is when Dexter kills someone in Miami, because Miami does exist.

The Joker's murderousness is further insulated by a history where some of his appearances weren't as coldly brutal as the recent movies, like his appearances on the Batman TV show, on Saturday morning TV, on Slurpee cups, or in Hostess Cupcake ads.

I'm not a parent, or even all that prudish, but I'd have to agree that seeing Dexter figures hanging in Toys R Us, whose marketing is clearly aimed at drawing young children and their parents to buy toys to play with, is a little weird and maybe not entirely appropriate. I'm not up in arms or threatening a boycott... just think it's an odd choice for Toys R Us to have that kind of product.

I agree with you 100%. Probably not the best of choices for TRU. I know in some local TRU stores, the more adult action figures (like McFarlanes stuff, HALO, and some of the other violent characters are sold in a special area behind the till in the electronics section (video game based or not), and if these do make it up here, I'll bet the same will be true for Dexter. I think thats a best case scenario for a resolution here that all parties can handle.

When I was a kid there were always stories that Mego wouldnt make a Daredevil figure because it had the word devil in the name. In the early seventies Dodge had to rename their Demon muscle car Dart Sport, due to outrage from the public and the Catholic Church. Now we can buy a Leatherface action figures in a kids toy store. I havent seen the Dexter figure or packaging yet, and it could be pretty tame, but...wow...what a difference 30 some years have made in societal/parental values and a corporations view on those values.

[LadyZod]

That said, I'm not sure if I agree with Lenzi's defense 100%. His analogy doesn't work because Joker is clearly operating in a fictional universe in a fictional city and is surrounded by unrealistic genre trappings like Batmobiles, Batwings, Batcycles, and caped crusaders.

Dexter, on the other hand, is a guy who lives in Miami. He doesn't wear a crazy costume or fly or live in a Ha-Ha-Ha-cienda. He doesn't have an arch-enemy who wears a cape.

I'm not arguing that Dexter isn't fictional; it's just that his kind of fictional is a little more realistic and adult than Joker's kind of fictional. Joker being a cold-blooded killer is insulated by layers of obvious fictional genre elements... the world he lives in clearly does not exist, so it's not as offensive when he kills an obviously fictional character as it is when Dexter kills someone in Miami, because Miami does exist.

Okay. I'll concede that yes, the Joker obviously lives in a made up world where common sense states that yes it's OBVIOUSLY fictional, while Dexter may not be as obvious.

However that does not explain why Dexter is singled out versus other not so obviously fictional action figures such as:

Hannibal Lector: a character that lives very much in a "real" world setting where locations such as Quantico,VA, Washington DC and Rome do exist. He's a crimminal, a killer, a cannibal, and the worse of all (per Tom Cruise), a psychiatrist! All very "real" things.

Or

Norman Bates: a character based on the real life of the very REAL serial killer, Ed Gein (although just barely). I recall actually purchasing a Norman Bates action figure at a Toys R Us. Because an action figure based on Ed Gein is so ok, I suppose, I noticed they also had Leatherface figures (also a character based on the case od Ed Gein.)

So ya, while the Joker analogy may not work completely in that sense, there are others that prove this whole thing is plain dumb.

What the Joker DOES show to illustrate for those who lack the ability to tell fact from fiction, is that Dexter, much LIKE the Joker... DOES NOT EXIST IN THE REAL WORLD. He is an archtype.

[Brazoo]

some people are not happy unless there is something to complain about.

There are some people that must have some very charmed lives.

[Meule]

It's a fictional character, are we really having this discussion? It's not like they're making an action figure of Hitler

[david_b]

Yeah, and how many people did Luke Skywalker kill when he blew up the Death Star? Had to be hundreds if not thousands. Won't someone think of the henchmen?

That said, I'm not sure if I agree with Lenzi's defense 100%. His analogy doesn't work because Joker is clearly operating in a fictional universe in a fictional city and is surrounded by unrealistic genre trappings like Batmobiles, Batwings, Batcycles, and caped crusaders.

Dexter, on the other hand, is a guy who lives in Miami. He doesn't wear a crazy costume or fly or live in a Ha-Ha-Ha-cienda. He doesn't have an arch-enemy who wears a cape.

I'm not arguing that Dexter isn't fictional; it's just that his kind of fictional is a little more realistic and adult than Joker's kind of fictional. Joker being a cold-blooded killer is insulated by layers of obvious fictional genre elements... the world he lives in clearly does not exist, so it's not as offensive when he kills an obviously fictional character as it is when Dexter kills someone in Miami, because Miami does exist.

The Joker's murderousness is further insulated by a history where some of his appearances weren't as coldly brutal as the recent movies, like his appearances on the Batman TV show, on Saturday morning TV, on Slurpee cups, or in Hostess Cupcake ads.

I'm not a parent, or even all that prudish, but I'd have to agree that seeing Dexter figures hanging in Toys R Us, whose marketing is clearly aimed at drawing young children and their parents to buy toys to play with, is a little weird and maybe not entirely appropriate. I'm not up in arms or threatening a boycott... just think it's an odd choice for Toys R Us to have that kind of product.

Excellent points on the Joker argument, although it's a slipery slope once you get into action figures with weapons, etc, etc.

Despite our obsession, we have to remember that this is to a childs mind, in a childs store.

Yeah, most likely, he/she'll just pass right by and it'll become a peg warmer, but the appropriateness of it might be a bit off.

Probably more appropriate in Spencers Gifts in the Mall or something, not TRU.

david_b