The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has a problem with the Marvel toys McDonald's has been packaging with their Happy Meals lately.  Specifically, they object to clobberin’ time. That is, they think that the Thing promotes violence and the Human Torch will lead kids to set themselves on fire. And they also have a problem with McDonalds hawking junk food, which leads me to believe that they probably just want Micky D’s and Marvel out of the picture all together. Thanks to Bleeding Cool for pointing out this recent bout of overly-PC over-sensitivity.

You know, I sympathize with the stated intention of a group like this. I agree that kids shouldn’t be inundated with advertisements… in public institutions like schools. But McDonald’s is a business nobody has to patron and a campaign like this just reinforces a ludicrous “magic mind control” notion. That is, McD is forcing kids to get their super-sized fries and violent toys, while somehow rendering their parents both oblivious and powerless to do anything about it. If you don't want your kids playing with certain toys or eating certain foods, then you make that choice and stop them, yourself. Maybe there needs to be a campaign for a competent parenthood, instead. == TEASER ==

Anyway, what makes this protest even more asinine is that these characters have been around for 40 years. Presumably, this people in this campaign played with Fantastic Four toys when they, themselves, were kids. Clobberin’ time was around then, too. Then again, maybe their parents only let them play with dinosaurs and protested the FF cartoon until the Torch got replaced with H.E.R.B.I.E.thus continuing the cycle.  
 
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here.

Oh God...what is wrong with people.

if your kid sets himself on fire. there is more going on there than the Human Torch.

face + palm.  

Being overly protective and forcing our kids to be that exact thing we don't want them to do one protest at a time.

" @Caligula:  agreed!  Like which parent taught him now to use a lighter in the first place? "

I'm sure the Human Torch is where the Buddhist Monks got the idea during Vietnam.

This reeeeaaaly winds me up. The world we live in today is way too PC.

why the hell are parent groups so gad damned stupid? do they really think their kids don't talk about kicking each others butts twenty times a day?

" I'm sure the Human Torch is where the Buddhist Monks got the idea during Vietnam. "

HERBIE was in the cartoon for the same objection to the Human Torch.  And while I'd rather err on the side of caution with that one (because even one kid who stupidly sets himself on fire is a gawd-awful tragedy, nevermind the bad publicity for comics) I don't think the Thing's "Clobberin' time" is in the same league of threat. 
 
For that matter, since HERBIE was on TV, Firestar has been in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon, and she was surrounded by a fiery aura - I don't recall any little girls setting themselves on fire because of that. 
 
More to the point, two Fantastic Four movies have come and gone before these toys came out, and the Human Torch in those movies didn't cause any kids to set themselves on fire.  ...I really dislike parents' groups.  Can't they get their jollies at PTA meetings?

" if your kid sets himself on fire. there is more going on there than the Human Torch. "

I want a parent group to complain about a parent group.
That would make my year.

the Human Torch will lead kids to set themselves on fire. lol
If that is true i set myself on fire a long time before.

I can't tell you how many kids my parents lost because they saw Superman withstand a barrage of bullets. In fact, I still have a hernia after trying to throw a tank like the Hulk.
 
EDIT: Wasn't there a Torch helping Captain America out in the 40's?? Anyone else remember when all of those children got together to light themselves on fire to go fight Nazis!?!?

" @Caligula said:

" if your kid sets himself on fire. there is more going on there than the Human Torch. "

indeed, then i suppose they have a problem with Batman and Superman promoting vigilante justice. "

"

"

You aren't suposed to set yourself on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh-ow!

" You aren't suposed to set yourself on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh-ow! "

This "digital age" has been nothing but trouble,with mcdonalds? lol I wonder why they're complaining if we as kids played with the toys twenty years ago?[I lost my Mickey D toy collection long ago] I mean they put choking hazards outside the plastic on toys(with that toddler 3+). We got them for a reason.

what relley how stupid do they think kids are a average kid is going to know that if he set him or her self on fire the will not fire but in fact burn and the clobbern time thing i means its just his catchpharse its no like hes saying lets go kill people is it is it 

Uh then why the heck are kids allowed to watch TV then?
I guess then Ben 10 will make them go into interstellar battle and Sponge Bob will make kids drown themselves!

Parents are getting stupider and stupider each day lol

" Uh then why the heck are kids allowed to watch TV then? I guess then Ben 10 will make them go into interstellar battle and Sponge Bob will make kids drown themselves! "

 http://www.comicvine.com/forums/off-topic/5/marketing-happy-meal-toys-and-you/560528/
 
I totally called this.

I can understand where these organizations are coming from...but SERIOUSLY?!?!  The Thing and Human Torch has been around since November 1961 (the original Human Torch since August 1939) and they're complaining about this now!  WTF PEOPLE!  I hate it when these organization become OVER PROTECTIVE.  I agree with everyone whose said it before me:  if you don't want your child to play with certain toys, watch certain TV shows/films, and play certain video games...then make the initiative to do it YOURSELF!  Don't let the other people suffer that have children who can handle this stuff.

My feelings... 

I have a question.  Has a child ever set themselves on fire to emulate the human torch?   He's been around for over 50years.
Another question, whatever happened to parenting?  If you don't want your child to have one of these toys, or eat at McDonalds then why take them there?  Why must they stop selling a product that other children and parents have no problem with?  Just regulate your own children and stop trying to push your values on the rest of us.
I absolutely hate when sanctimonious parents think that they can raise everyone's children.  Focus on your own and maybe they wouldn't be smoking pot when you aren't looking.

Quick! We need a video game that gets the attention of soccer moms! Someone start rumors about a new GTA, I'll call Jack Thompson.

I could maybe understand where they are coming from in the "It's Clobbering Time" thing, but the Human Torch thing is crazy. If you have raised a kid who believes that setting themselves on fire will give them special powers says the parent is out spending to much time attacking fast food restaurants and not enough time teaching common sense.

  
"That is, they think that the Thing promotes violence and the Human Torch will lead kids to set themselves on fire" 
 

God I love America.

eediots

I hate parents groups like these who blame the media for their inadequacy of taking responsibility and raising their kids. Parents like these are the reason why saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons no longer exist because of "commercialization". The same people who claim that playing tag should be ban from school because it causes "victimization". It sucks to be a child in America because something that should be enjoyed is now only timed and plan to fit mommy or daddy's convenience.  

This is crazy

anyone that stupid or with a kid stupid enough to set them self on fire shouldn't be passing on their genes.

" Maybe there needs to be a campaign for a competent parenthood, instead. " 
AMEN! lol

 
These parents who protest things like this are ridiculous,   they seriosuly have no lives!
try protesting for a real cause.

You know what I'd like to start a protest against? Parents letting their kids go to mcDonald's five times a week. Tom said it: it's a business. They serve you addictive cow manure and give kids a shiny new toy that makes them feel whatever they need (happy, creative, manly whatever). That plus the concentrated cocaine they're selling leads kids to bring THEIR kids in and chuckle quietly "hehehe. I remember when..."