That's about all I can say right now about this destructive, damaging, obscene board game meant for preschoolers. It's about as subtle as a fart gag, and about a million times more noxious, because it seems designed to turn young children into budding anorexics.
The incomparable Sandy Szwarc had a lot to say about this today. As she points out, "[The game] teaches that foods, especially “bad” foods, make them fat. The message illustrated is that when a food is eaten, they must purge by expending a certain number of calories in exercise to avoid getting fat. Calorie counting before they can count."
The game reminds me of another ill-advised project of the last year, the inexplicable collaboration between two of my favorite children's authors on a book demonizing fat people and making plenty o' assumptions about them.
May Hungry Hank go the way of The Gulps. And fast.
7 comments:
I am so damned glad my grandkids are too old for this stupid, dangerous game. And if my son or his wife or one of her relatives bought it for them, I would burn the game before I let my granddaughters and grandsons play it (since they are all between 9 and 14 years of age, I don't think there's much chance of that happening, but still.....). This kind of thing is just outrageous.
Man - this is horrible! Especially since it's targeted at the age group who developmentally has magical thinking, tends to internalize, and has not yet grasped subtle reasoning and so divides experiences into A or B. Good or Bad, Black or White, Mom or Friend (that from my 5yo who told me this morning that mom's cant be friends ;-]).
For an antidote, chech out Joy Nash "Fat Rant" on YouTube. Hilarious!
I love Joy Nash!
People's idiocy never ceases to amaze me. It almost blows my mind that this game and book are both REAL. I mean come ON!!!
'Tho if I know preschoolers, a lot of them will ignore the harmful "message" of the game, and just keep pumping that button until they make Hank explode.
Still, what a stupid and un-fun game.
This is my first time to post here-- and my first time to send an angry e-mail to a children's toy marketer.
But I have to admit, ricki, your comment made me laugh out loud--the image of all those wildly grinning, cherubic faces,intent on blowing up poor Hank.
Harriet, I've been lurking, really enjoying your compassion and common sense, and that of the folks who read you. Everyone, thank you!
Ricki, thanks for the wonderful image! :-) Too right.
And welcome and thank you to *you*, Sheryl!
Post a Comment