fumanstan

Don't see the big deal.

TruGator

Movie theaters are in business to make money (seller). Some branches of the US military choose to spend money to advertise in movie theaters (buyer). Why would I have a problem when a willing buyer and willing seller perform a transaction where both parties benefit?

superdeluxe

And not only that, but many times the commericals are for the national guard, and many times the commericals not only shows wartime actions, but other great things that national guard do (rescue people from disasters etc)

sauce07

I don't mind them unless they are 4 minute long music video for a Rob thomas song, that got old.

Brack

But all is ruined when they somehow tie in....NASCAR. Oy!

toddly6666

not so soon. I like the idea of children having no sense of fear for as long as possible. There's no rush to scare them with understanding death or fear. Looking both ways before you cross the street to avoid getting hit by a car is one thing, but trying to explain the concept of mean people blowing up your house is another.

superdeluxe

Why explain to them someone is going to blow them up? And instead tell them 'those are the men that protect america'?

Michael Corvin

I must have missed that commercial.

toddly6666

I don't hate the military. I just don't like to see military promotions before a G-rated cartoon. My kid watches the Disney channel and Elmo.


Well, protect america from what? I wish I could just say that, but my son is a "why, why, why" kid.

Does anyone who's already answered actually have kids?

whoopdido

I'm sorry, this will be hard to say without offending, but when did parents become such pussies?

I don't mean to single you out specifically and don't want to sound like a complete ass, but jeez. How long can you shelter your children before they have to grow up.

It seems to me, at the ripe old age of 29 that today's parents simply will not let their kids grow up. I don't know how adjusted today's children are going to be when they get into their 20's and 30's.

I could list example after example but do parents really did to walk their kids to the bus stop and stand there with them every single day? And not just 1 parent. I can see a team of parents taking turns watching over a group of kids, but I see it all the time...8 kids at the bus stop and 8 parents standing there with them wiping their noses and tying their shoes for them. 20 years ago my parents waved goodbye as I walked to the bus stop. When do parents think their kids are old enough to know about "bad things" and that life isn't all pussy cats and rainbows?

I hate to sound like a mean old man, especially since I'm not even 30, but it seems like today's kids are SO clueless about things and I think it's because parents coddle them for WAY too long. This just being one example. So a 4 year old is too young to know that there is something called a United States Military with the purpose of keeping us safe? I'm sorry but eventually your child is going to have to learn that there are mean people out there that want to blow up everything.

toddly6666

Yes, I'm a homosexual pussy and you are a real man. Like I said before, it's one thing to say something if you don't have kids, but once you do, ideals change and life changes. Have you even spoken to a 4-year old? Usually, in society, you don't make your kids (age 4) understand the scary facts of life. There are other basic facts of life to learn about at that age. But the scary facts of life come later. If that's what you talk about with kids, then you are like that uncle that has to be hushed or monitered before playing with his nephews. That's the age group of pre-nursery school. You may not have kids now and you may think that you are going to be one of those cool fathers that can casually talk about "sex or bad people hurting others". That's what I thought before having kids, but as you raise a child, it's not that simple.

mhg83

I'm more offended by those ads for the abortion pill playing before the movies.

whoopdido

Like I said, it would be very difficult to say what I did without offending. I am sorry...I didn't mean to offend, but that's just how I feel. And for the record, I do not have kids and if I ever do I have no idea what kind of father I'd be. I will say that I seriously doubt I would openly talk to a 4 year old about sex/drugs/violence etc, but I have to believe I would not shelter them to a point that I see some parents (not necessarily you) sheltering their kids to where they have no clue whatsoever as to how the world really is.

Brack

Are little kids unaware of war? Are those little green army men banned from toy stores or something?

Michael Corvin

I think the trash Disney shows during the afternoon does far more damage than a commercial at the theater you see once in a blue moon. Seriously, how often do you take them to the theater?

Hokeyboy

Hiding things from children doesn't teach them to have "no sense of fear". Just the opposite, in my opinion. It shelters and overprotects them to the point they have no way to handle real conflict once they inevitably encounter it. My parents told me not to play with matches for as long as I could remember. They didn't hide every book of matches in the house hoping I wouldn't find them.

You can explain the military and public service to a young child while not going into a detailed discourse on the nature of war and conflict. "They keep us safe, just like policemen do. Sometimes here, sometimes in other countries.", etc.

toddly6666

that's good to hear.

You know the cliched concept of:
1. single people that get pissed off at couples being affectionate with each other (holding hands, PDA)
2. people or couples that don't have kids complaining about parents methods of raising kids.

Once a person finds love or has kids, those cliched concepts don't even exist anymore. It's a whole new world.

toddly6666

Why? Who do they keep us safe from?

(let's do some role playing. I'm going to play the 4-year old. I expect you to give me some good answers that a 4-year old can understand so that I don't have to say why anymore! The concept of "mean" that my 4-year old currently understands is Iron Monger or Doctor Doom. They are mean because they hurt people and break things.)

Michael Corvin

superdeluxe

How about after the 3rd or 4th why:

"Because"

'why'

'Because I said so'

End discussion.

toddly6666

And what's up with all that subliminal sexual and rascist stuff in Disney films? It's just evil. I'm not going to show that filth to my child!!! It's wrong!!!

Kidding. Although my son isn't into Disney or Miyazaki as much as I am, there was a phase where he had to watch the 3 to 4 main songs in Aladin over and over. I don't think there's a better way to kill the enjoyment of a film. I think the DVD actually has a repeat option to play those songs which is great, so I didn't have to keep on running to the remote control.

whoopdido

I don't know man...I don't have kids and don't plan on having kids anytime soon, so I personally don't want to waste too much brainpower thinking about what I MIGHT say to my child in any given situation. I have no intention of telling you how to raise your child, but all I'll say is that I strongly feel that it's irresponsible on any parent's part to NOT teach their children that there are bad things out there and lead the child to believe that the world is always perfectly safe, because it's not.

toddly6666

Why did you say so?

Choose your own adventure:
1. I'm not going to talk about it anymore = kid throwing a fit in frustration(The end)
2. Continue to explain = go to Post #43

Michael Corvin

Go ask your mother.

superdeluxe

Seriously, Say military protect us from bad men. 'why' Because if they didn't the bad men would get us 'why' Because the bad men hate what we stand for..'why'

How do these games usually end with you and your child? They can go on forever unless you drop in the 'Because I said so'.