Jesus action figures and other abominations.
Wal-Mart is about to start selling toys based on the Bible, according to a story in USAToday. The giant retailer will sell "a set of 3-inch figures based on Daniel in the lion's den for about $7. A 12-inch talking Jesus doll is about $15. And 14-inch Samson or Goliath action figures are about $20."
Why do corporations such as film studios, publishers, and big-box stores target Christians? Because that's where the money is--or at least a lot of it. USAToday notes,
"It's the first time the world's largest retailer has carried a full line of religious toys. 'We're seeing interest from parents in faith-enriching toys,' says Melissa O'Brien, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.
"Religious products have become a multibillion-dollar business, and the toy move comes as it targets a younger audience. Fox recently created FoxFaith, a 20th Century Fox unit to distribute family movies with Christian themes. In January, Universal Pictures will release The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything — A VeggieTales Movie, based on the spiritual characters by Big Idea."
...
"About one-sixth of Wal-Mart's 3,300 stores will carry the One2believe line, which will get 2 feet of toy aisle shelf space, says O'Brien.
"One way Wal-Mart decided where to carry them, she says: Stores that sell a lot of Bibles will carry the new line.
"'We view this as an opportunity to reach that audience,'" she says."
...
"Since 9/11, there's been a surge in faith-based products, says Bob Starnes, vice president of licensing at Big Idea, the firm behind VeggieTales. That's because most Americans have a 'faith perspective,' he says.
"Laurie Schacht, president of The Toy Book, a toy industry publication, says some parents also are dissatisfied with toys from conventional toymakers: 'There are a lot of wild things out there. Parents want to give kids wholesomeness.'"
Call me an old curmudgeon, but I'm tired of being pandered to as just another market segment. Yes, I appreciate the fact that some of this culture's movers and shakers have finally noticed us Christians, and I'm all for "wholesomeness" (as long as we remember that this was not Jesus' first concern). But let's not forget that our Christian faith is a whole lot more than a mushy "faith perspective."
And have you ever seen what kids do with their action figures? I'm not sure I want to see Samson beating up Jesus.
Posted by Stan Guthrie on July 17, 2007 5:30PM
Comments
Samson beating up Jesus? That was hilarious. Toys are nice, but no substitute for solid teaching from parents and church. (Is it still o.k. to say "Sunday School?"
Posted by: Gary at July 17, 2007
The trivialization of Christianity continues. As long as we play with Jesus action figures we have earned our entrance into heaven. Why do we believers seem to always get distracted from the profound things of God by such self deluded, trivial, banal ideas.
And what about the bar on graven images? I can also set up my Jesus action figure in a favorite nook and pray to it. This way it is both a toy and a way to connect with God.
Have mercy on us Lord, we know not what we do.
Posted by: reg at July 17, 2007
This is just the physical manifestation of what churches have done for centuries. There has been no end of church leaders and lay people using Jesus as their own action figure, taking his name to support their own pet causes, or using him to beat up their opponents, or otherwise divorcing him from the Gospels.
I'd much rather see a kid using Samson to beat up Jesus than think about how representatives of Jesus have used him to beat up each other.
Jesus has been a posable figure for centuries. Maybe seeing him packaged in plastic and cardboard might help us to see this extremely longstanding trend for what it is and help us all to stop placing him in the literal or theological or ecclesial nooks of our own creations.
Posted by: Patrick at July 18, 2007
Not only that, but since when is Samson a role model for young Christian kids? Name one trait you want your kid to emulate in Judges 13-16. Him being the Israelite version of a suicide bomber? Him being disobedient to his parents? Thinking with his groin? Visiting prostitutes? Smiting people with the jawbone of an ass?
The CEO of the company that makes these told USA Today, "Our goal is to give the faith-based community an alternative to Bratz dolls and Spider-Man." I want my son to know about Samson, but I'd rather he act like Spider-Man.
Posted by: Ted Olsen at July 18, 2007
Hey, Stan, I'm totally with you on this one. Maybe this ought to be a concerted effort to encourage Christians to take a sabbatical from shopping and to meditate on the fact that the evangelical subculture has become as materialistic as the larger culture.
It brings to mind the Dylan lyrics about "from toy guns that spark to flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark it's easy to see without looking too hard that nothing is left sacred."
(By the way, I see another 'Patrick' has posted above. Lest any confusion, it's not the same guy who has used that pseudonym on other threads since this liveblog started.)
Posted by: Patrick (the original one) at July 18, 2007
Ted Olson: great observation!
Posted by: Matt K at July 18, 2007
Well, Spider-Man is a nice Protestant boy, after all:
http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/comic_book_religion.html
Posted by: Ken Shepherd at July 18, 2007
I think my nomination for "tackiest Christian toy" would be the praying alarm clock that my (well-meaning, bless her heart) aunt gave to my kids. Yes, the clock says the Lord's Prayer out loud each morning. (So...if machines can pray in the name of Christ, does this mean they have souls? And given that a lot of popular songs have blasphemous lyrics, are our radios putting their afterlife at risk?) Having that alarm clock in the house has made me concede that the Muslims have maintained a reverence for prayer that many contemporary Christians seem to have all but forgot.
Posted by: Patrick at July 19, 2007
Get over it everyone! The days of playing with pick up sticks and erector sets is gone. My parents kept me from all of the (with an AG preacher staccato) TRAPPINGS OF THIS HORRIBLE AND CUR-SED PLANET, and I was sexually molested. NO! it was not their fault. I had stacks of GI Joes, the BIG ONES, were talking 1968.
Anyway, mix post vietnam saturated perceptions of a 9 year old and his shame and anger, nightmares and fear that the Symbionese Liberation Army was going to take me next, racial tension anxiety and the perceptions of guilt and shame...and you think that a toy is going to offend GOD..please. If I had a child, his/her hands would be full of these toys.
"In an atmosphere of love, truth can be spoken" Loving a child or non-believer into the kingdom is not full of rules. Christ used stories about the poor in spirit, Samaritans, Farmers, sons who leave and have to feed pigs to live, I'm sure that the pharasies stood by and judged his use of those stories, thinking "who does he think he's going to reach with this story". (if your bugged that I spelled pharasies wrong, this only proves my point)
If you dont' like the toys...go be a JW or other cult.
I like the toys and I plan on marketing christian action figures to the general public and NOT POINT THEM AT CHRISTIANS. MAKE SURE YOU DON"T BUY MINE>
Posted by: rclark at July 24, 2007
another, to carry it on. The value of the goods circulated between the The coffers of such a company, too, though they ought to be filled much
Posted by: Jessica at January 24, 2008
Post a comment