Get your Walter White and Jesse Pinkman Now...

[Iron Mego]

...Before they get taken off the shelves at TRU. Some Florida mom has started a petition to get Breaking Bad toys out of TRU's, so the prices on these might just go through the roof and you can all make some $$$ on eBay.

I was at TRU today and saw these for the first time (actually only saw Jesse Pinkman figures), then came home and read about the "controversy." I find it funny that she picked Breaking Bad to go after, instead of the tons of horror toys they have on the shelves. I guess toys based on murdering psychos is okay, just don't sell any of those meth cookin' figures!

[Toy Timelord]

I hope TRU draws a line in the sand. They caved on the Dexter ones, but their reaction to the boycott of the Archie Kevin Keller marriage was to order more.

Here's hoping they don't cave. The more we bow to these attention *****s (and that's all this is is an attention grab. Fifteen minutes of fame) the less Adult Collectors will find on shelves.

When does it end? Django Unchained, Dexter, Breaking Bad...if they have no adult collector lines then they'll lose what has become a key demographic, in an already struggling retail environment.

Whatever happened to being a parent? TRU shouldn't decide what your kid can and can't buy, nor should you be able to tell TRU what other people (and other people's kids) can and cannot buy.

[kerowack]

image.jpg

They should do better than to cow tow to one maniac. Change their logo to this while they are at it...

[Gorn Captain]

I love Breaking Bad.
It's my favorite cooking show, along with Hannibal...

[enyawd72]

I actually agree with the mother. I would never tell anyone else what to buy, but I think it's in very poor taste to make drug dealer toys in the first place, even if they are aimed at adults. It's tough for parents to shield their kids from this stuff because it's everywhere. I don't even watch shows like Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, or Dexter because personally I don't like how they glorify those particular lifestyles, yet I'm completely familiar with them because of all the exposure they get. One doesn't even have to watch the shows and they still get beat over the head with the stuff, so I can see where the mother is coming from.
I also don't care for the slasher stuff like SAW and all that type of torture horror. Some of it is truly sick IMO.
I like the old classic monsters...but that's just me.
Anyway, I think a solution would be for TRU to have a "back room" ala the old video stores for the "adult" toys where you need to be 18 and over to enter. Problem solved.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Dwayne, I pretty much agree with you on this. I've never watched Breaking Bad, and I understand it's an excellent TV series, but I do find it somewhat disturbing that it's been merchandised the way it has, given it's subject matter. Same with Dexter. To each their own, but not my cup of tea.

Where TRU has these things doesn't make any sense. It's one aisle away from TMNT, Star Wars or Transformers. I'm honestly surprised someone hasn't really kicked up a fuss before now.

I do agree it would make more sense to have a separate section for these things, away from the kids toys. As a parent, I'm not sure TRU should have these types of things at all. Plenty of comic shops and internet stores like Entertainment Earth to carry this type of stuff.

I waffle back and forth on these sorts of things, between being a fan and collector and a dad. But being a dad always comes first, so he usually wins out.

Chris

[Hedji]

The irony is, this is all over the news this morning. The exposure will end up selling these out faster, rather than them just languishing on the pegs. Now, everyone from speculators (perceiving a hot banned toy) to on the fringe fans who didn't know the figures existed until now, will be snatching them up.

I'm a pretty protective parent. My 11 year old knows mom and dad watched Breaking Bad. She has no clue what it is, or what it is really about. Just that it is a crime show. I honestly can't see any kid going into a store and wanting to buy a figure of an old man in a black hat with dark sunglasses. I don't see these as something to tempt youngsters. They'd be more inclined to grab the latest Jason or McFarlane figure first, or probably some anime monster I've never heard of. My point is, I think these will be safely ignored by most kids who are looking for the Minecraft aisle.

[Gorn Captain]

I agree and disagree.
First of all, I don't think that making toys of these shows is such a great idea, and putting them in a normal toy store is inappropriate.
I have watched all of these shows, but don't feel the need to have figures.

In the shows' defense: they do NOT glorify the characters at all. Take Breaking Bad. They show us that drugs destroy everything you love. Your family, your friends, your own values and those of the people around you. Breaking Bad is one big ad against drugs. If you have never watched Breaking Bad, you have missed the point completely. Walter White starts out as a decent man, and ends up as a monster because of drugs, and his own weaknesses.
It shows us that drugs will enhance those weaknesses and make you do terrible things.
And characters like Jesse Pinkman are just like so many younge people out there, confused and doing stupid things. Crystal meth literally destroys him, also psychologically. Breaking Bad says "never do drugs!".
In Dexter, he ends up alone, hiding. His wife murdered by a serial killer, he's estranged from his child. His sister shot. Dexter is left with nothing.

Don't do what those people who condemded Jango Unchained did: "I hate the movie, but haven't seen any of it."

[Hedji]

^Good post, Gorn Captain.

I find it amusing that no one made a fuss over the Walking Dead figures.

I am often blown away by the inappropriate ages of some of its viewers, or even kids' awareness of the show. Even local lottery tv commercials featuring gruesome zombie makeup that woulda sent me running from the room as a kid. The violence and gore is somehow more acceptable because it's a) zombies and b) popular.

[Werewolf]

Where TRU has these things doesn't make any sense. It's one aisle away from TMNT, Star Wars or Transformers. I'm honestly surprised someone hasn't really kicked up a fuss before now.

Totally.

If you are going to carry this stuff at least have a little common sense where you put it. I remember the Dexter figures were pegged side by side with Mickey Mouse from Kingdom Hearts. Breaking Bad should not be in the isle next to kids toys. Put adult collectibles in their own section far away from kids toys. Books A Million carries toys and adult collectibles. They are in totally different sections and are not anywhere close to each other. It's not that hard to do.

[palitoy]

I kind of think it's BS, my kids don't want a Walter White or Dexter, nor do they care who they are. They are not terrified of their image and I as a parent will not expose them to such things. I don't need some Maude Flanders dictating to me. I don't buy any of this stuff but it doesn't strike me as tasteless.

When I was a kid "Hustler" was a mere three feet above my comic books but my dad didn't let me go pawing through em.

I just found out that TRU Canada puts adult figures in the video game area. They even have NECA apes, I have to wonder what i've missed.....

[enyawd72]

I have to disagree with Gorn Captain....intentionally or not, these types of characters are glorified by the merchandising. I know plenty of people who think those characters, and ones like Dexter are "cool" regardless of how bad things go for them in the end. Heck, an entire subculture has been built on emulating Scarface.

[fallensaviour]

I agree and disagree.
First of all, I don't think that making toys of these shows is such a great idea, and putting them in a normal toy store is inappropriate.
I have watched all of these shows, but don't feel the need to have figures.

In the shows' defense: they do NOT glorify the characters at all. Take Breaking Bad. They show us that drugs destroy everything you love. Your family, your friends, your own values and those of the people around you. Breaking Bad is one big ad against drugs. If you have never watched Breaking Bad, you have missed the point completely. Walter White starts out as a decent man, and ends up as a monster because of drugs, and his own weaknesses.
It shows us that drugs will enhance those weaknesses and make you do terrible things.
And characters like Jesse Pinkman are just like so many younge people out there, confused and doing stupid things. Crystal meth literally destroys him, also psychologically. Breaking Bad says "never do drugs!".
In Dexter, he ends up alone, hiding. His wife murdered by a serial killer, he's estranged from his child. His sister shot. Dexter is left with nothing.

Don't do what those people who condemded Jango Unchained did: "I hate the movie, but haven't seen any of it."

I couldn't agree more,excellent post.
It has been mentioned already in another post but I truly feel that TRU needs to step up to the plate here and separate these figures from the rest of their children's figures.Much the same as the old adult sections in video stores.
Now that being said parents need to accept some responsibility and know what your kids are watching,playing and doing.
Seeing a figure on a shelf isn't going to turn them into drug dealers or serial killers!
If that was the case and mentality no figure line would have any villians as it would glorify being a villian right?
Some of the figures today are graphic in nature though and should be separated from the others for sure.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I don't like to see a witch hunt over things like this, but I think TRU should know better. Putting this stuff in it's own corner would help a lot. Putting it in the video games makes WAY more sense. Most TRUs have rather large sections full of video game and tech accessories, and I doubt very many small kids go near those aisles.

Chris

[palitoy]

If you feed into this, it won't stop.