Every year, millions of parents flock to Toys ‘R’ Us to buy the latest and greatest toys on the market. However, the company is now coming under fire after introducing Breaking Bad action figures.
Thanks to one Florida mother who started a petition on Change.org, the number of consumers disgusted by the retailer’s decision to sell these action figures is growing. As part of the petition, she is asking the Wayne-based retailer to stop selling the dolls because they depict characters of a crime drama series that went off the air in 2013 whereby a high school teacher who becomes a meth dealer. To date, more than 6,900 signatures have been collected.
The main character is Walter White, who along with the action figure comes with a sack of money and a bag of meth. Another character, Jesse Pinkman, is sold with a gas mask. There was even an article written on Time.com, blasting the Toys ‘R’ Us organization for using extreme bad taste in their decision to sell the Breaking Bad action figures.
In a statement released from a Toys ‘R’ Us spokesperson, the action figures are intended for older children, those age 15 and up. However, most parents agree even at that, the product should be pulled. After all, there are many 15-year-olds who do not fully understand the dangers of drugs or current events such as the Ebola virus outbreak and as such, selling these action figures creates unnecessary chaos and potential panic.
One of the concerns as reported by NBC is that the controversial Breaking Bad action figures are placed on shelves direction next to toys designed for much younger children. Obviously, this prompts questions and creates potential problems. In other words, the decision of Toys ‘R’ Us to sell the figures is bad enough but now the company’s marketing strategy comes into question.
Susan Schrivjer, the Florida mother who started the petition, is amazed that how many people were unaware the Breaking Bad action figures were even being sold. She hopes to reach a broad audience and that her message will be clear – there is no place for these figures in Toys ‘R’ Us stores.