I found these ads for Matchbox via Copyranter. In them, war toys are sold by situating small boys in realistic, not at all playful, conditions. The blurring of the lines between pretend and real war is really interesting. Whereas pretend war could be fun, real war is certainly not so. And, oddly, the facial expressions and postures of the children in the ads do not suggest that they are having fun at all. The ads seem to reveal, more than most, how play is also socialization.
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Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments 16
Phoebe — September 4, 2009
Ugh. This makes me sick.
Anonymous — September 4, 2009
Notice that none of the weaponry is active, nor do any backgrounds seem to be affected by battle. There are no other humans around, either. It's like GI Joe meets Robinson Crusoe...
The Tank piece uses background cues of "there", not "here."
The activity of building these models can be quite immersive, and I understand they're trying to communicate the idea of being transplanted into the scene.
What's interesting to me is how we've given societal permission for these images, but not others. Not to be blunt, but can you imagine transposing a cigarette or alcohol ad this way? Or a sex scene (also an adult activity)? I think the social outcry would be enormous....
Craig — September 4, 2009
I'm just amazed that these are legitimate advertisments that someone thought said _positive_ things about war-related toys. I'd have an easier time believing they were edgy shots from an art installation. Looking at them makes me feel very sad.
Of course, should we feel any better about the brightly colored plastic bombs and missiles G.I. Joe is lobbing all over the place? Or young Anakin Skywalker's "Yipees!" as he zaps his robotic enemies? Maybe we should want _more_ ads like this. How about the tow-haired munchkin trying to hold his buddie's abdomen together while yelling for a medic?
ms liberty — September 4, 2009
Gross.
Links of the Day (9/4/09) | my five year plan. — September 4, 2009
[...] Horrifying Matchbox Ads [...]
wendy — September 4, 2009
It's interesting how passive (and almost stone cold) looking the boys are in the ads-- especially in the second one.
Most disturbing is that without other people on the receiving end of those (toy) guns and bombs, these images are stripped of the consequences of war.
These are adult sized TOYS without any kind of humanization on the other end of them. Goes right along with the video games the Army has that glamorize war and violence without any thought of the consequences. This reminds me too of the ways that the Atom Bomb was talked about among those who developed it-- talking about "collateral damage," calling one of the bombs "big boy."
It's disgusting the way these ads prep young boys to have the attitude that was is about playing with big toys, and not about consequences of violence for human life.
Sighter — September 5, 2009
I want to be outraged. But mainly I just feel deeply, deeply sad.
jpe — September 5, 2009
I'm the only one whose first thought was, "I wish I had that when I was a kid?"
War games are sweet; boys don't need to be prepped to understand that, nor is it sad.
Amanda — September 5, 2009
This is unbelievably offensive. Does Matchbox recognize that, in the course of putting children in hilarious outfits with hilarious weapons in hilarious scenarios, that there are some kids right now in uniforms with weapons who are not so excited to be doing what they are doing? And also, what a disgusting thing to suggest to a parent: imagine your child that you love so much right now. now imagine him growing up and going to war to die, kill, or be scarred for life. how about that?
Insane.
Mike — September 5, 2009
Those kids all have 1000-yard stares. Creepy. I'd like to think Matchbox was making some sort of subversive statement about what the military and war do to Our Boys, but I know it's not.
Matt K — September 5, 2009
I really have trouble believing that anyone thought this was a good idea...the original site seems to think they are real, but still.
Criminologia | Verlinkenswertes (KW 36/09) — September 6, 2009
[...] Preparing Boys To Be Soldiers (Sociological Images, 05.09.2009) [...]
Joy — April 10, 2010
Matchbox is all about "imagination" isn't it? maybe that's Imaginex. I don't know. Maybe they joined forces. :O Anyway, its just the kids pretending to be in the army. Kids do that a lot. I used to do that when I was little. I don't know if I would put it in an ad though.