The Cat in the Hat product tie-ins (mild)

The BBQ Pit
1

I’ve seen for a while, so many different companies tying in their products with the “Cat in the Hat”: Burger King, Sierra Mist, Pringles, Toys are Us, Master Card, the US Post Office, Kellogg’s, and a few more which I can’t remember

All these are kind of annoying enough, but then a few days ago, I saw a biography on Theodore Geisel, and it mentioned how he never wanted his products over marketed. Oh sure, there were some figures and toys made of his characters, but to the extent of the marketing that’s going on today, I got the impression that this is something he never would have wanted. Hell, “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” had somewhat of an anti-consumerism message, valuing family, freindship and togeatherness over consumer products.

Now what bothers me somewhat more, is that his widow is in charge of the Geisel impire, and she’s completely on board with this. So much for someone who was supposed to know and understand him so well. In the end I guess money wins out over respecting the memory of the man who started it all, and what he stood for.

I know that it might be silly to be a little irked by this, but I am.

2

I’d also find it easier to take if all the bloody commercials didn’t rhyme. Makes me want to by them even less.

3

Well, it can be really hard to say “no” when millions of dollars in merchandising tie-ins are throwing themselves at your feet.

I sure wish someone would give me the chance to say “no” to millions of dollars… :smiley:
And, you may be interested in this article.

4

Here’s why I can’t complain too much about the marketing.

Yeah, the Cat’s everywhere now, because of a movie that’s only been out a few weeks, instead of the fact that he’s classic and has actually been around for close to fifty years.

But…I’ve got two kids, ages 6 and 4. I’ve been reading the book to them literally all of their lives. They like it, but as they’ve grown older, their tastes have changed.

My daughter (the six-year-old) still remembers 9-11. My son doesn’t, but he’s growing up in a post 9-11 world. It’s all about superheroes and fighting bad guys and conquering evil.

But because the Cat is literally everywhere now, my childrens’ interest in him has been renewed. They haven’t seen the movie, but they can’t get through a day without either reading the book or watching the animated special, and usually it’s both.

They’ve gone back to being innocent little children again. Silly, happy, nonsensical goofball little kids.

I don’t know that even Ted Geisel could argue with that.

5

Your son stopped being an innocent little child at some point… and he’s four?

6

Well, renewed interest in his books is a good thing, I’ll give you that, but still, his wife making his creations highly commercialized while he himself fought against that while he was alive…

7

All I know is, the store where I work has a metric buttload of CITH merchandise…and I’m always having to retrieve it and put it back in the children’s section.

Ya dig? We’re not actually moving that much product. The wee ones are picking up the stuffed cats, the sticker books, the hats, fiddling with them for a little while, then abandoning them. Marketing blitz != consumer interest.

8

I’m waiting for the CitH liquor tie-ins.

9

This happens a lot as famous folks die off.

How long was it before they turned Col. Sanders into a cartoon?

If my wife or children were to pass away it would take more than money to turn them into cartoons. But I’m sure my wife would OK a cartoon of her if the character had great abs and a sword.

For me to contemplate selling out the memory of a family member for a few bucks would require a bunch of soul searching, deep thought and brandy.

Not being able to honor our dead better than this shows us a great deal about who we are as a culture.

10

Merchandising aside, that movie simply sucked. A Lot.

The Shat in the Hat would be a better title.

11

The merchandizing doesn’t bother me, why should the Cat be treated different from any other kids’ movie?

But… they’ve re-written the book!! I bought a C-in-the-H doll for my 3-year old cousin, it came with the book (so I thought) which made a nice present. Then I discovered that it wasn’t the book at all! The front cover looks the same, but the text is completely different (no rhymes!!!) and the back cover has a picture of a car chase scene (from the movie, I presume, how can you make a movie without a car chase?)

I’m appalled. It’s like finding a cheap Asian import rip-off copy.

12

:eek: They re-did the book ? :eek:

So, can you give a breif summery of what’s in it now?

And, if it’s illustrated, please don’t tell me that instead of drawings it now has picutres of Mike Myers or sceens from the movie instead. :frowning: