A comparison of 80s toys being re-marketed today
While browsing through the toy section of any store you are most likely going to bump into some familiar favorites of the past. Recently this has been occurring more and more with what are now considered “classic” toys and cartoon characters of the 80s and even the early 90s. Look around- “there’s the care bears!” “Oh, my little pony!” “He-man” and “that’s…wait, what the hell? This chick is supposed to be strawberry shortcake?!” It seems although it’s an obvious choice that when bringing back an old product that they re-vamp it for a new audience of today’s kids, something is still a bit off
remember when polly used to fit in your pocket?
Maybe it was the smooze from my little pony, maybe it was that toxic “dip” from roger rabbit, could’ve even been the evil Dr. Claw from inspector gadget and I wouldn’t put it past that peculiar purple pie man of porcupine peak. Whatever did it what I can’t help noticing is that somehow most of these new looks bare no resemblance to the character they are trying to capture. As noticeable with nearly all animation and drawings today that aren’t computer generated, they seem to have distorted over-exaggerated features that are a little too cartoon-y. Is it something in the water? The disappearance of brain cells? Why must these re-drawn versions of characters be so unrealistic? Do the companies today need to make things so boisterously over the top to market to kids that the human elements of characters don’t even look like people? It feels like they’re screaming when we look at them… “LOOK!! I’m a cartoon pony, with eyes bulging out the side of my head! You must LOOK!” at least the drawings of the old ponies looked semi-proportionate.
I don’t really see why it’s entirely necessary to distort things that would probably be just as commercially successful as they once were. Not only would you capture a new audience but all the old fans would reminisce about it and potentially buy the product too. (although I shouldn’t talk so much…I have been guilty in investing in one of those new-fangled ponies…it was just too cute. I gave in.) I guess the bottom line of what I’m trying to say here is that it worries me how attention grabbing all these characters are. All their curvy lines, gigantic eyes, over-sized heads and slutty looking makeup (see sky-dancers).
“Look I’m strawberry shortcake who lives in a cake made of strawberries!” “Look I’m a girl with a gigantic head and a strawberry on my hat, but that’s all beside the point!”
Anyone beginning to see a pattern here?
Are today’s kids so busy and distracted that the need all of that to grab they’re attention and take notice? It’s a different world now full of 3-d, in your face great big stuff and suffering animation styles that have now become victims of it all. What has happened to the days when a kid could turn on the tv or buy a toy that looked to some extent something that could potentially belong to society….
Other Victims....
pretty
scaryaww...cute, cuddly care bears! always there to teach us a lesson
But do we really need an "america cares" bear?
Trust me the only thing this bear should be caring about is the fact that it looks like its head is gonna explode!
