Format: video with audio
Running time: 2 min 08 sec.
Summary: Pinky talks about the stupidest toys she's seen recently.

Transcript

Pinky: Toys are fun, I like toys. But there is such a thing as a stupid toy.

Like this one. It's called the catapult. Cat-a-pult - get it? Yea, I know what you're thinking: "Pinky has no sense of humor". But you know, cats, and animals in general, we put up with so much abuse and disrespect from human beings, the last thing I want to see is a child hurling little cats around a room - "for fun".

I don't like this one either. It's called "Forward Command Post" - it's an American soldier with his guns, and bazookas and grenades, hanging out in a bombed out civilian house. It's recommended for children 5 years old and up - doesn't say though, if it also comes with little plastic dismembered body parts, or a war-time raped mommy action figure.

Which brings us to this one - it's a realistic, life-size 44 caliber magnum... water gun. Um... does this seem like a good idea to you?

You know, violence toys like these have been popular for a very, very long time - which leads me to think that 1) it's probably not just stupid people who are buying them, and 2) you can't just boycott a few idiot toy manufacturers and then think toys like these are going to go away.

If we really wanted to take the violence out of children's toys, probably every adult human being is going to have to make some kind of sincere attempt to kick their addiction to violence.

Mr. President, I hear you stopped drunkenness and cocaine. Now, please take care of this war habit thing. Thank you.

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Credits

writing: Pinky
research: Pinky
bibliography:

All I Want for Christmas is a Bombed Out Dollhouse. Krista Foss. Globe & Mail (Canada), November 23, 2002.

Educating for Peace. Joan Almon (a web article excerpted from Code Pink's book How to Stop the Next War). This article includes an 8 step 'path to peace' that helps adults think about what they can do to cultivate peace in children.
< http://commongroundmag.com/2005/cg3205/codepink3205.html >

Feminists and Forward Command Posts. Louis Ann Lorentzen, from The Scholar and Feminist Online, Issue 2.2 - Reverberations: On Violence, Winter 2004. Excellent analysis, I hope people go to this url to read it.
< http://www.barnard.columbia.edu/sfonline/reverb/lorentz1.htm >

War Toys and National Character. Pierre Tristam. from CounterPunch website, dated December 27, 2002.
< http://www.counterpunch.org/tristam1227.html >

narration: Pinky drawings & illustrations: Pinky
titles: Pinky

[ image credits ]