Florida mom Susan Schrivjer started a petition on change.org in response to Toys R Us selling action figures depicting characters from the hit TV drama series Breaking Bad. Schrivjer said on the petition, “Their decision to sell a Breaking Bad doll, complete with a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth, alongside children’s toys is a dangerous deviation from their family friendly values.”
Britain’s Telegraph reports that some of the action figures are dressed in Hazmat protective suits with a description saying, “as [the] Breaking Bad action figure stares at you from inside his collector friendly clamshell package, he dares you to make your move.” This can certainly give the wrong idea to impressionable kids.
Schrivjer makes a good point by saying, “While the show may be compelling viewing for adults, its violent content and celebration of the drug trade make this collection unsuitable to be sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters.” Even though parents/guardians might not end up buying the figure, many parents/guardians bring their children along for shopping, and children will begin to ask questions relating to the behaviors that these action figures stand for.
Sky News tweeted the picture below from the Toys R Us site selling the action figure, so you can decide for yourself:
A mum has launched a petition to get Toys R Us to remove Breaking Bad action figures from sale http://t.co/vhxyZtWFsv pic.twitter.com/lV5aAYDiIG
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 20, 2014
Toys R Us has since removed the Breaking Bad action figures from the site. Bryan Cranston responded by composing a tweet of his own saying, “’Florida mom petitions against Toys ‘R Us over Breaking Bad action figures.’ I’m so mad, I’m burning my Florida Mom action figure in protest.” I understand that stores need to think of ways to gain profits off exciting TV shows and what is popular right now, but at what cost? Do you think it is ethical for stores to sell Breaking Bad action figures?