Do you think it's inappropriate....

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to market merchandise (toys, video games, books, etc.) based off PG-13 and R-rated movies ("Avatar", "Small Soliders", the live action "Transformers" movies, etc.) to children? For me, I'm OK with kids with playing with that stuff, but when they see the actual movies themselves, the kids would probably regret using that stuff.

I also think that it's a very bad idea. If kids can't watch the moves, than don't market toys, for them that are related to those movies.

I think it is inappropriate, because marketing merchandise based off of PG-13/R-rated movies to kids will only encourage them to watch those movies.

I was always surprised that they marketed Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise towards children, because the movies definitely aren't appropriate for kids. Some scenes that stick out in my mind are when Jack and Will first meet and have their sword fight and Jack asks Will if he's a eunuch, and the part where Barbossa's crewmates tell Elizabeth she has to wear the dress and eat with the Captain or eat naked with the crew. And that's just from the 1st movie; there could be more adult themes in the sequels.

it would be better if tie-in toys were limited to pg-13 stateside/<14a/v everywhere else.

I agree with you. That way, kids won't feel encouraged to watch adult's movies and shows.

I remember those Austin Powers dolls that were on the shelf. A mother's 11 year old boy, asked her what the word, horny meant. Because of that woman, all the Austin Powers figurines, were taken off the shelves, in the toy stores, where I lived. I was very ticked off, because I wanted to own one, but at the same time, I know where that mum was coming from.

Depends on the films involved. I don't see the problem with kids watching Avatar and Transformers anyway.

But when they get a lot more older, they'll probably understand all the cusswords and hidden sexual references in those movies. Also, they might imitate some of the super-violent stunts.

That was actually pretty funny Maybe it wasn't meant to be, but I enjoyed your comment. I agree that it is strange to market merchandise from films with mature subject matter towards children.
It would bother me if I had to hear small children parroting profanity. It doesn't sound very nice. To be fair, I don't like to hear it from anyone. (To the extent that the grammatical frame of the sentence is lost in swear words... That bothers me )

What are you guys talking about? I loved my Porn Star inflatables as a kid.
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So what if they do? As you said, they'll understand it when they get older anyway, and when kids turn into teenagers it's not like they need to watch films to know about sex and swearing, is it?

As for imitating the stunts... Kids play like that anyway.

Again, for those films, I don't see the problem, especially if we're not even talking about the films themselves, but toys related to the films.

I watched gladiator (lots of blood adn decapitations) when I was 4. I'm fine. All age ratings are ridiculous any way!

So I'm assuming that children here means anyone under 13. While PG-13 movies tend to be more edgy than G and PG movies, is it really that bad for them to see PG-13 movies? Isn't the whole point that a parent or other older person is with them? The MPAA doesn't seem to think it's so bad if kids under the age limit can go with their parents. I also thought that PG-13 was the highest "safe" rating that parents would be okay taking their children to see. After all, they can't live in a bubble forever where many "bad" things don't exist till they lived long enough. Even various PG movies I seen got away with various stuff in PG-13 films, just on a smaller scale, like swearing less, while still using mostly the same words except the f-bomb. Not to mention many of those kind of movies (even G rated movies) tend to have hidden sexual references and jokes that would fly over a kid's head anyway. Isn't maturity the main factor here, not an age that decides that for you?

As for the toys, the biggest market for them would likely be younger children. Even teenagers, based on what I know, tend to not play with toys. The only other things that could be done with them is to collect them and those tend to be marketed under something other than toys, in name only. Getting rid of all the Austin Powers dolls in a store because some mother didn't want her boy to know what horny meant? Sounds pretty stupid and just gives more power to those who think they can make stuff go away that they don't like. Just because the boy asked doesn't mean he had to know. Seriously, people act like they have to crater to a kid's wants if they ask for or about something. Could have easily told him he wouldn't understand what horny meant. He could have gone to an older friend, but that's another case altogether. Not to mention at age 11, in another year or two, he would know for sure what it meant. A prime example of ruining it for everyone else.

They should put more emphasis on children's movies, when they're making those toys.

I have a feeling they are targeting the parents who make the buying decision rather than the kids who will nominally be playing with the toys.