toddly6666

Since I've now been taking my 4-year old son to G-rated childrens movies (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and The Princess & The Frog), both times the theater had shown U.S. military-related hero commercials - a Join-the-Navy commerical (the one where they are flipping their rifles on mountaintops as if it's a hands-across-America chain) and a Coke commercial (the one where it's snowing in Iraq for Christmas).

I don't mind as much if they show the military propaganda commercials before PG-13 or R-rated films, but showing that at kid's features - that's pretty sad. Yeah, maybe your local movie theater is staying in business thanks to the govt and their propaganda commercials. Bravo America! Now I have to explain to my son that "sometimes super mean people need to be shot and killed." This conversation can wait till he's at least 6 or 7.

Is anyone else annoyed by this?

RichC2

I find them offensively corny.

Otherwise they're just like any other advertiser and I don't see a problem showing them to kids (who generally look up to military types anyhow). Not like it's a Trojan ad thats going to prompt potentially akward convos.

They need to be more creative with the ads themselves, go back to the good ol day prop films:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MvQP8njW9Q4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MvQP8njW9Q4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

islandclaws

Yes. I don't want to see a single thing other than trailers before a movie, especially military recruitment ads.

UAIOE

The problem isn't that it is a military recruitment ad, the problem is that it is a commercial showing before a movie I *PAID* to see.

Why did I spend $6+ dollars to see a food/car/military commercial I see on TV all the time?

Brack

I don't find it too different from commercials during sports programming, when many kids could be watching. Maybe they're directed at parents who are willing to take the chance of leaving their children without a parent.

Groucho

I remember several years ago they showed this ad that showed a knight in a shining armor wielding a sword. Everybody was like "Whoa...what's this movie? Looks cool!!!" Then at the end it turned out to be an ad for the Marines.

superdeluxe

Its a commerical. Just like military commericals on the TV.

toddly6666

It's not really a big deal if you don't have kids. If you have kids who ask a lot of questions, then it starts to get tricky.

superdeluxe

There was a lawsuit I think to prevent theaters from showing these commericals before the start of a movie, and it got overturned, basically stating if you don't want to see these previews/commericals, then arrive for just the movie itself.

MBoyd

Why do you hate America?

superdeluxe

If these are the worst questions that you will get from your kids, consider yourself lucky.

seriously how difficult would these questions be?

MrSmearkase

I don't particularly like these ads myself, but they are not during the actual performance that you paid to see.

whoopdido

So you don't want to explain to your child that people in the military protect you and your family?

superdeluxe

Yeah I am kind of curious what the tricky questions would be..hrmm. I would imagine this discussion being easier than the 'sex/drugs' discussion.

Hokeyboy

Non-issue. It's just another freakin' commercial. I'd much rather explain to my child about the military (not WAR, just the military) than have to explain to them the "Aventura Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Wellness" advert that seems to come on 37 times before the movie starts.

Hokeyboy

BTW I love how the poll is worded. "US Military Propaganda"

Dr Mabuse

superdeluxe

Yeah I almost said invalid poll options

SuckaMC

Considering you have the luxury to take you child to the movie because of what the military does for you, I think that sitting through a bad commercial is the least you can do.

Brack

Make sure not to leave out discussion concerning private military companies.

Hokeyboy

That'd be like talking to a six year old about God and not leaving out discussion concerning The Inquisition. We're just not there yet!

Ginwen

Love it or hate it, I don't think you can deny that it's propoganda.

Personally, I don't care about it anymore than any other commercial. I wish we'd just have previews and the movie, but the commercials don't bother me, the theater has to make money somehow.

Senor Javi

So is a commercial for Coke propaganda too?

Mopower

Why do you hate the military? You realize they do far more than just "shoot" people. They help millions of people around the world as well. The vast majority of soldiers in the armed forces have never shot anyone.

Mopower

So is the national anthem before sporting events propaganda as well? Is July 4th part of the countries propaganda campaign as well?