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Florida mum petitions against Toys R Us’ sale of ‘Breaking Bad’ toys

SINGAPORE – The characters from the award-winning series Breaking Bad, where a high school chemistry teacher becomes a drug kingpin, have been immortalised in 15cm of plastic and sold at Toys R Us outlets just in time for the holiday season, and some people are not happy.

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are on sale as 6-inch figurines at Toys R Us. One Florida woman has started a petition to remove the dolls from their shelves. Photo: Toys R Us.com

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are on sale as 6-inch figurines at Toys R Us. One Florida woman has started a petition to remove the dolls from their shelves. Photo: Toys R Us.com

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SINGAPORE – The characters from the award-winning series Breaking Bad, where a high school chemistry teacher becomes a drug kingpin, have been immortalised in 15cm of plastic and sold at Toys R Us outlets just in time for the holiday season, and some people are not happy.

As of yesterday (Oct 20), more than 2,460 people have signed a petition for Toys R Us in the United States to take the toys off their shelves.

Ms Susan Schrivjer from Florida, who started the petition, said in a statement on her petition page at Change.org that the decision “to sell a Breaking Bad doll, complete with a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth, alongside children’s toys is a dangerous deviation from their (Toys R Us) family friendly values”.

“While the show may be compelling viewing for adults, its violent content and celebration of the drug trade make this collection unsuitable to be sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters,” the statement said.

A quick search on www.toyrus.com shows you could own a mini version of Walter White or his alter ego Heisenberg, complete with removable hat, removable glasses, a sack of cash, and a bag of blue crystals.

If you’re a fan of Jesse Pinkman, there are the silver or yellow Hazmat suit versions, with the latter having add-ons in the form of a gas mask, chilli powder and a a tray of blue crystal, according to the accompanying product descriptions.

The toys, manufactured by Mezco, range in prices from US$13.99 to US$17.99 (S$17.80 to $22.90) and have a product description saying: “Relive the tense, edge of your seat excitement as Mezco’s Breaking Bad action figure stares at you from inside his collector friendly clamshell package, he dares you to make your move.”

According to the Guardian, Ms Schrivjer, a mother, told the Today Show that she was “very shocked and appalled”. She added: “I just think they (Toys R Us) need to look at their vision and values, as they call them.”

Toys R Us has issued a counter statement saying the items are intended for ages 15 and up and “are located in the adult action figure area of our stores”.

According to Time, Breaking Bad figures are also sold by Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and other major retailers.

 

Sources: Time, Guardian

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