Ralph Lauren Pretends His Catalog is a Book For Kids

Posted on May 1, 2011 at 9:07 pm

Renée Loth writes in the Boston Globe this weekend about Ralph Lauren’s new “book” for children — really a thinly disguised catalog. They’re calling it “The first ever shoppable children’s storybook.’’

“The RL Gang: A Magically Magnificent School Adventure’’ is a 32-page volume, aimed at preschool-age children. Its slim plot involves a group of eight impossibly cute classmates, all dressed in Polo Ralph Lauren finery, with names like Willow, Oliver, Hudson, and River. The junior fashion icons use magical paintbrushes to draw themselves a garden party that comes alive, complete with ice cream and kittens.

Woozy yet? Reading along in the online video version — narrated by Uma Thurman — parents and kids can take a break to “look inside Oliver’s closet,’’ for example, and buy the twee outfits. “The RL Gang’’ is touted unblushingly as “an innovative way for parents and children to explore style, literature, and digital technology together.’”

It’s bad enough when product placement makes movies and television shows into infomercials and cross-promotions turn all kinds of products and almost-always unhealthy food into promotions for movies and television shows. But this is essentially a catalog designed to sell very expensive clothes to children, who are not old enough to understand the fast-disappearing line between writing and pictures that are intended to tell a story based on imagination, experience, and heart and writing and pictures designed to make you think you want things you would otherwise never have thought about.

To complain: CustomerAssistance@RalphLauren.com

Screen-Free Week April 18-24

Posted on April 16, 2011 at 3:45 pm

It used to be called TV-Turnoff Week but that was so 1990’s. Now it’s Screen-Free Week — one week for families to turn off the screens and reconnect with old-fashioned in-person interaction, to look each other in the eyes, spend time outside, cook together, read books on paper, daydream, play board games and cards, and, perhaps most important, go for more than 20 seconds without being interrupted by buzzing, beeping, ring-tones, or tweets. It’s also a chance to participate in the many Screen-Free Week events organized around the country. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has a fact sheet for kids and resources for parents and teachers, including an excellent Live Outside the Box Toolkit from Seattle and King County. Screen-Free Week is endorsed by a wide range of educators and health professionals including the American Medical Association, the National Education Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

I was disappointed to see Double X blogger KJ Dell’Antonia explain why she and her family will not be observing Screen-Free Week, apparently because it is inconvenient. Without television as a soporofic,

my four children will be running wild around me, invariably losing their generally excellent ability to self-entertain and peacefully interact at approximately 5:00 daily, precisely the moment when I’m desperately trying to finish up the last bits of work for the day and start dinner—without once resorting to the highly addictive, all-child-inclusive form of entertainment that is Phineas and Ferb.

She doesn’t try to suggest that there is anything beneficial to her children in her decision. It is Dell’Antonia who wants to continue to rely on television to keep her children quiet and does not even want to take one week to try to teach them that they have other alternatives — like reading a book, drawing a picture, playing a game, or setting the table. She has to admit, “I support the idea of a “screen-free week,” but I support it as a family project, not a top-down imposition of a temporary new screen rule.” The entire idea of Screen-Free Week is as a family project. I am certain that children will be so happy to have their parents put down their Blackberries that they will be more than willing to miss another rerun of Phineas and Ferb and that it is well worth it for everyone to learn that media is not the only way to spend quiet time.

Back to School Advice from Parent to Parent

Posted on August 28, 2010 at 3:51 pm

Common Sense Media has a very worthwhile list of back to school tips from the people who’ve been there — other parents. I especially like the idea of taking cell phones and putting them on an out-of-bedroom charger before bed and telling kids that privileges are earned by good behavior, not by reaching a particular age or grade. I support a no-television-or-movies-or-games-on-school-nights rule from kindergarten on, and strongly urge parents not to allow televisions or computers in a child’s bedroom, at meals, or on car trips of under an hour. Most important on the CSM list is, as always, for parents to set a good example. One of the best things you can do to get your child’s school year off to a good start is to let them see you sitting down often to enjoy a good book.

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Parenting School

More Happy Meal Toys for Kids Promoting PG-13 Movies

Posted on August 5, 2010 at 8:00 am

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is asking McDonald’s to stop giving children Marvel comics toys that promote violent PG-13 movies.

The fast food giant’s latest giveaway for preschool boys features eight Marvel comic action figures, including The Human Torch, a man engulfed in flames, and The Thing, which menacingly roars “IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME!” at the press of a button.

It’s bad enough to use junk toys to sell children on junk food. But now, for preschool boys, a so-called happy meal at McDonald’s features the horrifying spectacle of a man on fire and a menacing figure that explicitly spurs them to violence.

To sign their letter to McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner, visit the CCFC website. You can also read the report issued by CCFC last month about food company expenditures of well over $1.6 billion to market their products to children and teenagers.

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Advertising Marketing to Kids

Teacher Giveaway: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

Posted on July 1, 2010 at 3:51 pm

I’ve got something very special for the first teacher to write me — directions below. At the American Library Association’s annual conference in Washington DC last weekend I attended a reception in honor of The Cat in the Hat and his new television series about science for PBS, starting this fall.
Dr. Seuss revolutionized books for early readers with his riotously entertaining stories, classics that are beloved by generations like The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hears a Who, and many more. Now, in partnership with PBS, The Cat in the Hat will help preschoolers and early readers learn about science. The Cat’s voice will be provided by the perfectly appropriate Martin Short. He will guide best friends Sally and Nick through stories that will teach children vocabulary, science facts, and the fun of curiosity. And he will have help, of course, from Thing One and Thing Two, the red Fish, and a Thinga-ma-jigger vehicle that adapts to become whatever transportation the group needs to explore the world. PBS will make resources available for parents and educators to provide support, encouragement, and coordinate with curriculum.
I have a beautiful Cat in the Hat canvas tote bag with two Dr. Seuss science books and some information about the show to give to the first PreK-1st Grade teacher who writes to me at moviemom@moviemom.com to tell me your favorite Dr. Seuss character and why. Good luck and thanks for all you do for your students and their families!