‘Breaking Bad’ Action Figures? Really, Toys R Us?

[Mosby]

In a spectacularly bad bit of judgment, the big box store puts a meth manufacturer on its shelves.

Human history is often defined by its very worst pitch meetings. Take the one in 1812, when one of Napoleon’s generals told the Great Emperor, “I’ve got an idea. Let’s invade Russia—in the winter!” Or the one in 1985, when the anonymous product developer at Coca-Cola said, “How ’bout we take a product everyone loves, quit making it and replace it with a different formulation no one is asking for! What could go wrong?”

So too it must have gone in the executive suites of Toys R Us, when someone made the compelling case for stocking a brand-new line of action figures based on the wildly successful Breaking Bad series. After all, nothing quite says holiday shopping like a bendable, fully costumed figurine of Walter White—the murderous chemistry teacher turned crystal meth manufacturer—and Jesse Pinkman, his former student and current bag man. And you want accessories? We’ve got accessories—including a duffle bag stuffed with imaginary cash and a plastic bag of, yes, faux crystal meth for White. Pinkman comes with a gas mask, because the folks at Toys R Us are not the kind to forget about corporate responsibility. If your kids are going to grow up to run a meth lab, it’s never too early to teach them basic safety.

http://time.com/3524685/breaking-bad-toys-r-us-walter-white/

[Beaverhausen]

1. Yes!!!

We already have mugs and t-shirts...

















Is this wrong?

[bluestateguy]

2. But action figures of Darth Vader are ok?

Need I remind you of how many people (and other intelligent life beings) he had killed on Alderaan.

[Mosby]

3. darth vader didn't cook meth

The WW doll comes with a bag of cash, a beaker to cook meth and a bag of his super pure blue meth.

[bluestateguy]

7. No. He just engineered a superweapon that destroyed a whole planet

nt

[Warren DeMontague]

13. BUT FOR ALL ITS FLAWS THE EMPIRE WAS STRONGLY ANTI-DRUG ABUSE

[bluestateguy]

14. No it wasn't

The Empire allowed the Kessel spice mining operation to continue existing, even using it as a labor camp.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Sure, they'd bring the spice in, profit off its sale in low-income neighborhoods on Dantooine

then they would round up low-level Trandoshan dealers and sentence them to ridiculous mandatory minimum sentences for possession, all the while milking the Imperial Senate for astronomical sums to fight the space drug war.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Do you KNOW Darth Vader didn't cook meth in that suit?

No, no sir, you don't.

[maryellen99]

6. They also an ALIEN action figure back in 1979

Even though kids couldn't see the movie because it was rated R

[Stardust]

4. Santa...I want a Jesse Pinkman doll...I've been really, really bad.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. TMI

Naughty list for you!!!!!!!

[BlueStater]

5. I'm not exactly sure what the problem is.

When I was a kid, they had action figures based on violent movies like "The Terminator". I even had one. Remember the T-1000 turning his arm into a knife and stabbing it through a guy's mouth and out the back of his head? Why was that okay and not "Breaking Bad"? Is it because the latter is based in reality?

This just strikes me as nothing new.

[Kalidurga]

8. It's most likely a toy aimed at adults.

I hope anyway. I can't imagine a lot of parents sitting down with their kids and watching the show. I have only seen a few clips on YouTube, but from that I am going out on a limb here and saying I wouldn't make this a family viewing show. But, lets say I watched it after the youngins are in bed and now I am shopping at Toy R Us. I got a couple dolls for my kids and one for me. Everyone is happy.

[TDale313]

12. I was gonna say something similar.

The majority of these are probably not being bought for or by kids. Many adults are into "collectibles" like this. Yeah, this particular one seems like an odd choice, but I wouldn't let my kid watch Walking Dead, either, but there are tons of Walking Dead themed toys.

[smokey nj]

21. It is a toy for adults. This is much ado about nothing.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Toys R Us has an adult section, who knew?

But given that salient piece of reality, I'm just not feeling the outrage.

That's a bad-ass action figure. They really captured his je nais se quoi.

[TDale313]

15. Silly, overwrought article.

This action figure is not gonna bring down Toys R Us or corrupt the kiddies. No, not really appropriate for children, but seriously, this is a really odd thing for people to get their knickers in a twist over. Most kids would probably find this toy pretty boring.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. I once bought a Michael Myers action figure at Toys R Us.

[Revanchist]

18. If I'm going to get a Walter White action figure

I'm getting the tighty-whitey version

[librechik]

23. I was hoping there was one of those! n/t

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

19. Go listen to the "Tell 'Em Steve/Dave" podcast sometime

You'll find out that the most loyal customers of Toys R Us are adult action figure buyers.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

20. Toys R Us used to carry a lot of McFarlaine toys as well...

I bought my Sin City Death Row Marv, complete with electric chair there (and when you threw the switch it growled "Is that all you've got, you pansies!&quot . Ash from Evil Dead/Army of Darkness, complete with chainsaw hand. Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw... Adults like toys, too. Breaking Bad is much more popular than any of those franchises, why not carry the action figures?

Much ado about nothing methinks.

[Doc_Technical]

22. I want one,

if they have an action figure of Don Héctor "Tio" Salamanca
in his wheelchair.

[Blue_Adept]

24. And we've got demons, devils and all sorts of other things.

Toys do not equal "just kids" and they haven't for some time. Just like comic books doesn't mean its just for kids. We've got a chain up here called Newbury Comics, which is primarily a music chain of course, but they carry all kinds of figures like what the Breaking Bad ones are. Lots of Walking Dead, plenty of rock stars, etc etc.