Mattel is jumping on the "kids-don't-get-enough-exposure-to-the-arts-these-days" bandwagon (emphases mine):
Aug. 29 - Sept. 5, 2005 issue - Who said Lindsay Lohan couldn't get any smaller? The teen starlet's new doll, part of Mattel's My Scene line, is now arriving in a slinky red-carpet gown. Also sold separately: a limo, a dressing room and an ... animated DVD?Girls used to be able to get a doll's backstory from the back of its box. But that's changing, as more retailers release straight-to-video productions that help introduce new characters—and sell more dolls...
Parents might see the movies as underhanded advertising. But Mattel, which has sold nearly 27 million Barbie films worldwide since 2001, doesn't agree. "Kids see through that," says Rob Hudnut, vice president of entertainment development. "We're trying to fill a void in the education system in teaching kids about the arts."
Uh-huh. If Mattell wants to sell DVDs along with dolls, more power to them. But to claim this is somehow "teaching kids about the arts" is pretty absurd.
Posted by kswygert at August 25, 2005 09:13 AM