Unlike the “Toy Story II” thread, this is not a hoax:
TOY MAKER OFFERS ‘ONE-FINGER’ SALUTE TO CHILDREN
Today, the American Family Association criticized Flambeau Corporation,
parent company of Duncan Toy Company, the largest maker and distributor of
yo-yos in the U.S., for it’s newest sales pitch…‘The Finger.’
In a pre-Christmas advertising blitz designed to introduce its new
“Hard-core Series” of yo-yos, Duncan began airing a television commercial
that bounces from one rebellious personality to the next, each floating the
crude gesture of social disrespect into the camera in slow motion. After 17
“one finger salutes”, the announcer tags the 30-second spot, “Give us the
finger, we’ll give you the power.”
ACTION URGED: Contact Flambeau Corporation, parent of the Duncan Toy
Company, and politely express your outrage over their attack on America’s
children.
Flambeau Products Corporation
Duncan Toys Division
President Jason Sauey
15981 Valplast Road
P.O. Box 97
Middlefield, MI 44062
Ph 800-356-8396 (Flambeau Corp.)
Ph 800-232-3474 (Duncan Toys)
Fax 440-632-1581
E-mail: info@yo-yo.com
mailto:info@yo-yo.com
Tim Wildmon, Vice-president of the American Family Association, called it
“negligent” and "irresponsibility of the lowest form. Duncan Toys should be
ashamed of themselves for legitimizing the most antagonistic and obscene
symbol of our society in exchange for a few dollars profit."Wildmon
continued, “For decades, the Duncan yo-yo has been as much of an American
icon as baseball and blue jeans. Today they have deserted their long
established character as a children’s toy maker for a new status - social
renegade. Parents will be outraged to learn that Duncan Toys is subverting
the core moral values they want their children to exercise. By promoting
such behavior, Duncan is defying the trust of those who kept them in
business a generation ago, the parents of today’s customers.”
AFA has called on Duncan Toy Company President Jason Sauey to immediately
recall the offensive commercial before more children learn to associate
anti-social behavior with their product. AFA believes the gesture has long
been associated with provoking violence and that Duncan should realize their
corporate responsibility to children by pulling the spot. “Parents don’t
want their children using the Duncan yo-yo as an excuse for exhibiting an
obscene gesture,” said Wildmon.
The commercial began airing last week on the partially Disney-owned cable
network E! Entertainment channel.
“Stop the rope and let me in or I’ll go out and get some gin”