Comments on: Eco House Dollhouse Brainwashes Teaches Kids About Sustainable Living

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:56:54 +0000

ted, I get the point, but at least Civil War stuff is history. That’s different.

By: ted

ted — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:51:47 +0000

I know what you mena, EB, but I disagree. When my aunt and uncle gave me a Civil War set to play with, they weren’t endorsing war.

By: Rocky Rook

Rocky Rook — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:11:46 +0000

What is that toy’s carbon footprint?

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:42:33 +0000

Possibly, but this is obviously someone created for the parents, not the kids.

By: ted

ted — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:37:13 +0000

You’re reading too much into it, EB.

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:19:57 +0000

Just adding to my last paragraph, that the reason this is more of an agenda driven toy than the average is because it is rather contrived. It’s goes beyond pink for girls and blue for boys and strikes me as more of a plush fish toy with a kitten face ala the PETArds.

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:05:41 +0000

I guess I should explain the point I am making with the agenda here, since already, people are pinning me as being a right wing conservative when I don’t even believe in party affiliations, nor do I live in the USA anymore.

First of all, I went to the web site but was distracted pretty quickly. However, one parent pointed out in the comment section that if you yourself cannot afford to live “green”, then the kid is going to be confused and get the wrong message. I don’t know or care how true that is, simply because I don’t have, nor do I want ankle biters, but I can understand the concern.

There’s also the idea that the whole message would be lost on a kid anyway, considering most kids have imaginations and turn doll houses into whatever they want them to be, thus my comment on building blocks. Those allow for more creativity. Maybe it’s just me, but when I was a little girl, I used my doll house for storage and nothing more. I preferred building stuff and knocking it down with my Lego blocks and other blocks. A lot of little kids get a great toy and prefer to play with the box in came in. Not saying that justifies never buying your kid a toy, but a toy with a green agenda at the age kids are playing with dollhouses is either going to turn them into little eco bastards nagging their parents for a windmill, or be completely lost on them.

No one wants to be harrassed by their snot nosed kid, nor should they, to install solar panels, and after all that rambling, that’s why I think this is a “toy with an agenda”, more so than the average toy.

By: ted

ted — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:38:44 +0000

Not that much brainwashing, is it? Maybe if one parent was a pregnant, transgendered man, I might suspect an agenda.

When I was a kid, I got to read books about potential colonies on the moon and farming on the ocean floor. Why not give kids a pipe dream? At least, this dream’s a little more realistic.

By: astrodex

astrodex — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:54:26 +0000

I’m not sure how this is an agenda. It is simply an alternative to a Barbie Dreamhouse laden with extravagances. Except for the wind turbine and the lack of car it very much resembles the house my children live in. As for the lack of walls, there are plenty of similar dollhouses out there that aren’t “sustainable.’ It makes it easier to reach in and play.

They have plants in their yard!? Dirty, freakin’ hippies!

By: niladmirari

niladmirari — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:35:56 +0000

It is interesting to me how “grid-centric” we as a society have become. Not all that long ago, you were responsible for gathering all of the energy you intended to consume. If you didn’t get enough firewood, you went cold. Just that simple. Now it is “brainwashing” to teach kids about being self sufficient? How backwards is that? It is good that you don’t have kids Evilbeagle, they would just end being mindless little consumers like mommy/daddy. How exactly are building blocks an “agenda-less” toy? They teach kids how to build things (agenda), balance (agenda), maybe some geometry (agenda), and even symmetry (agenda). Hey, that sounds like architecture (agenda). You’re right, keep ‘em dumb. They’re easier to manage that way.

By: lumpi

lumpi — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:10:27 +0000

Yea, don’t teach those kids RADICAL ideas about recycling and… wind wheels?

Seriously, why does reason have to be an “agenda” now?

It’s about time those right-wing nuts loose their power of twisting every phrase that was used to accuse them of propaganda and use it on harmless crap like toy houses with a recycling container…

By: andiscandis

andiscandis — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:02:11 +0000

I think it’s nifty and I want one.

By: Scooter

Scooter — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:38:06 +0000

Looks more like a motorcycle than a bike. If it was truly a “green” product should it not be made out of 100% recycled items. Wait… is that correct grammar?

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:06:10 +0000

I think most kids would be happier to get the building blocks and make their own house anyway. I know I would have been.

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:14:21 +0000

Gus,

I agree, it’s not brainwashing, but it’s not really much of anything either other then a doll house. I am reminded of the movie ‘Big’ with Tom Hanks. There is the part where they are in a board meeting, and they guy playing the jerk character introduces a robot which chances into an office building in order to teach kids about the business world. IMHO, same deal goes here.

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:48:02 +0000

Problem solved. Need a home cooling solution? Don’t build walls!

By: sw

sw — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:32:00 +0000

It’s cute. I’d just worried about being bullied by the kid to install a wind turbine on my roof.

By: Gus

Gus — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:19:54 +0000

It’s nice to see an idea out of the ordinary, and that too one that introduces alternatives to the so far norm. The issue is to give food for thought, not to invent one toy that actually teaches children how to visualise the ideal house!! Besides, a plain brick house would not be as interesting for a kid and I know cause I have three.
Whoever sees this as brainwash is retarded.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:31:57 +0000

Wouldn’t you need two kids to make it truly sustainable?

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:55:47 +0000

Contrived about sums this one up, Dan Smith.

By: Dan Smith

Dan Smith — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:22:42 +0000

seem healthy but somewhat contrived

i mean, who’s got a windmill on their house

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:57:33 +0000

This is one of many thousands of reasons that I don’t have kids, Moondingo.

By: Moodindigo

Moodindigo — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:45:16 +0000

Try and find a toy without an agenda (okay, the Rubiks cube). If they’re not confirming gender roles they’re trying to sell more toys. Living like this is going to be a reality for a lot of kids soon. I think it’s a good idea.

By: Evilbeagle

Evilbeagle — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:19:17 +0000

Toys with an agenda, no matter what it is, bother me.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:08:48 +0000

There is nothing sinister about teaching kids that recycling and renewable energy is a good thing.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:32:48 +0000

I suppose walls are an option that some folks don’t want. Free air conditioning!