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Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood
Armed with over 3400 signatures, a significant number of statements from parents, educators and citizens nationwide, along with an updated mind-boggling figure of almost 5,000 commercials aired for PG-13 rated movies (March to July 2009), the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC) submitted their petition and request to the Federal Trade Commission’s Chairman, Jon Leibowitz this morning, voicing concerns on the continuous marketing of violent movies to children, which was featured in yesterday’s article here.
CCFC is asking once again for the FTC’s assistance in getting the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) “to stop the film industry from targeting young children with their advertising for PG-13 films,” which includes significant film-related merchandising.
After a summer filled with blockbusters, many that were designated with the MPAA’s own warning of, “Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children Under 13,” the concern continues that with this week’s launch of another PG-13 movie, GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (rated as having “strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout” ) that the commercials will continue during prime child and preschool viewing hours (6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ) on such channels as Nickelodeon and Disney XD.
To view the commercial monitoring study, provided by CCFC, just follow this link.
It is hoped that with CCFC’s continuing efforts, and those of parents, educators and concerned citizens, that the point may be finally driven home.
In a statement issued this morning, Susan Linn, CCFC’s Director and a psychologist at Judge Baker Children’s Center said, “As evidenced by this summer’s advertising assault, the MPAA is continuing its policy of indifference to children’s wellbeing.” She added, “Since the violent movies targeting young children today would have received the more restrictive R rating a decade ago, it’s more urgent than ever that we stop this onslaught.”
Will the FTC step up to bat on this pressing issue?
If this article was of interest, you may want to also read:
The selling of childhood: Have commercials and product placements gone too far?
The selling of childhood: Part 2
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