NEWS: Credit Cards are Toys

CULTURE: Credit Cards are Toys

Aren't credit cards rad? You can buy whatever you want, and never run out of money. At least, that's the message that Mattel seems to be sending with their newly released Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique. As noted by Consumerist, the Barbie toy "features a built-in credit card swiper and a life-size credit card for young children to use when buying outfits for their dolls." Good clean fun, or evil indoctrination?

"I love shopping, you never run out of money," proclaims the cheery tween in the commercial, which you can watch on YouTube.

Never run out of money, eh? That must be why credit card companies come on to college kids so strong, and why four out of five college students will finish school with an average of $3,000 in credit card debt. Because they never run out of money. Duh.

Apparently, college isn't early enough to fully indoctrinate the masses, so they're going after the Barbie set. A pissed off reviewer on Amazon rants:

Stupid Commie deadbeat. Loosen up and have some fun. God, that jingle is fucking catchy.

Ken is really fucked!!!

ew, pretend paying for stuff is totally the most boring part of pretend shopping. my barbies were all shoplifters.

Jesus , that's even more annoying then the commercials where everyone is moving through the checkout to the timing of music until someone pays in cash . How dare you pay in cash ? How could you not want to use your card all the time ? Asshole !
Anyway , I weep for the future blah blah blah ...

I used to stock shelfs at Toys R Us, and the whole little girl's section is getting really fucking creepy. All of the Barbies are fashion-fever, or Glamour Beach, and everything has to do with fashion/makeup/princesses in the whole goddamn section. It's teaching young girls to be shallow and materialistic...

Give me Construction Worker Barbie, dammit!

Oh sweet jebus! I hate that commercial SO DAMN MUCH it's almost sniper-rifle-and-clocktower time every time I see it. [grit teeth]

Mattel will never see a penny of my money. Or my kids'.

Those commercials irk me to no end; probably because reality proves just the opposite.

When in line, the only thing that bums me out more than someone fumbling with a credit card machine, is when some fuckchop decides to write a check.

I know it seems quite trivial to you, but credit card problems have skyrocketed in this country.

We even had to make new laws to make it harder for people to claim bankruptcy because of the overwhelming number of people who live beyond their means.

I'm not a psychologist, but I have read (and believe) that children are quite impressionable, and giving them toys where they mimic putting themselves in debt may not be the best thing to get them comfortable with.

I know you're being sarcastic, but has anyone else seen this bullshit? Fuck learning to count and keep track of money, we're usin' credit cards now! WOOO!

I hate using debit and credit cards these days -- it's very hard for me to keep track of my funds if I can't see them. At my worst, I was very close to $3000 in the hole. I'm slowly, slowly, slowly limping my way back. Sucks to be that sort of statistic.

<----proud to have graduated college w/absolutely no debt.

hooray for never taking out a loan.

kickass.

*highfive*

Where's the store to buy candy cigarettes?

beautiful and totally fucking awesome (yes that was some mad ass kissing). My thoughts are pretty much on par with that. Even though i always wanted to grow up to be green and amphibious and be able to do karate, i don't think that me playing with ninja turtles fucked with my childhood. Its a toy, kids play with em, then they break em or grow out of em, they don't think of the deeper meaning.

The town in NJ in which I have my cigar store recently passed an ordinance banning candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars.

I have mixed feelings about that. No, I don't want my kids to smoke (even cigars), but I do think the ban is kind of silly.

Wow, the world is a truly frightening place.

Also, how the hell are they supposed to put fines on Free Parking?

TOO FAR, PARKER BROTHERS!

agreed

Bubble gum cigars, I'd buy one of those.

+a billion. Someone please take mine away.

Credit cards ARE evil! Have you seen the newest monopoly game? Is playing with fake money TOO SLOW for you? Now they have an 'electric' version that uses credit cards to pay for things!!!!!!