Six Habits out of Seven Ain’t Bad.
In Franklin Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, one of the things he teaches is to “Seek first to understand, then to be understood“.
He basically says before judging someone, to put yourself in their shoes and try to understand how they feel.
But certain things I don’t want to understand.
Like this advertisement that I got in a stack of coupons the other day.
What a horror show.
I’m trying to figure out WHY, by everything that is sacred and holy, would any SANE adult want to PAY MONEY for one of these monstrosities?
I can’t understand.
And you know what?
I DON’T WANT TO!
Nothing like a miniature Demon-Fetus to brighten up your home.
Advertising a major candy corporation, at that.
This is wrong on so many levels.
I’m sorry, these babies aren’t’ cute. These babies aren’t lovely.
They’re just CREEPY.
I have visions of these wretched things becoming alive at night, skittering across your bedroom floor, and stealing your soul from you while you sleep.
Evil Babies.
(Shudder).
Great. Now I’m gonna have nightmares.
Explore posts in the same categories: Friar's Grab BagTags: babies, Franklin Covey, humor, mail-order junk, rant, Seven Habits, ticky-tacks
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October 18, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I’m surprised you didn’t comment about the inscription on the dolly’s toque – “I melt for no one.”
The advert also mentions “first issue” so be prepared for more to follow.
My suggestion is to e-mail a copy of your rant to http://WWW.MMS.COM. Address it to the Director of Advertising. Or better yet phone directly @ 1-888-709-MARS.
Let’s hear about your outcome.
Wonder if anyone else is as irate as you are?
p.s. I checked out the M&M website. I didn’t find the doll, but found lots of large-headed, big-eyed, skinny-legged M&M merchandise.
October 18, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Don’t ever post anything like that again.
It will take all weekend to recover from the horror.
C-R-E-E-E-E-E-P-Y!
October 18, 2008 at 11:34 pm
@Mania
I looked at the flip-side of the coupon advertisement. There are apparently three more of these horrid M&M dolls you can order.
Great. A whole coven of Demon-babies.
This was from the “Bradford Exchange”. Kinda the equivalent of the Franklin Mint (where they make all kinds of ticky-tacky crap for sale).
@Karen
What? This doll didn’t fill trigger your nurturing Motherhood instincts?
October 19, 2008 at 12:08 am
Ew! I hate scary dolls almost as much as I hate clowns.
October 19, 2008 at 2:30 am
Actually, I think he’s kinda cute! It’s the outfit that’s gotta go – yuck.
October 19, 2008 at 10:01 am
@Amy
I rank this creepiness right up there with Cirque de Soleil!!!
@davina
Really?
Oh, well, if you want, I can send you the form..you can order all four!
)
(You can always knit them some new baby clothes!)
October 19, 2008 at 11:56 am
@ Friar – ‘Motherhood instincts’? I’m unfamiliar with the concept…
October 19, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Funny.
Do you eat the baby? Does it melt in your mouth, not in your hand?
I took note of that good habits list. Thanks for linking it.
October 19, 2008 at 1:27 pm
(Dammit… now what the heck am I going to do with Friar’s Christmas present… anyone want to buy front row tickets to Cirque du Soleil in Vegas, and a complete set of M&M Dolls?)
October 19, 2008 at 2:34 pm
@Friar – Oh not even close. These are so many levels above Cirque du Soleil in creepiness. You’re going to give me nightmares now.
@Brett – I’ll take the Cirque tickets! Pick me, pick me!
October 19, 2008 at 5:17 pm
@Jaden
No….somehow I think these babies want to eat US…!! (There’s something about them…that ain’t quite right!)
PS. I actually took the Seven Habits Course at work once. It wasn’t bad.
@Karen
Aww…come on. Admit it. When you’re old and Gray, wouldn’t you WANT one of these (to go along with the 124 other Ticky Tacks around your apartment?
I think it’s mandatory, when you’re over 75, you have to start collecting these
@Brett
Aww….gee. Sorry I spoiled the surprise!!!
@Allison
Oh, I know I’m the minority here. All the ladies who comment on my blog seem to LOVE the Cirque.
But I stand by my grumpy Friar opinion.
I hate the Cirque. I HATE IT.
Creepiest. Show. Ever.
October 19, 2008 at 10:54 pm
@Friar — Wouldn’t that be “skittling” across the floor?
But the real question is, once the evil steal your soul, do they suck it very slowly or crunch it very fast?
‘Course then again, they wouldn’t have any teeth yet, so I guess they’d just be Gummy Bairns.
But seriously (yes, those last few lines were designed to be humourous…), that image kind of reminds me of the dancing baby from Ali McBeal. A little more lifeless though…
~Graham
October 19, 2008 at 11:32 pm
@Graham
Skittling across the floor! Ahahahah!
Good one!
Would the Evil Babies take the red ones last?
October 20, 2008 at 12:10 am
The baby is cute looking but I don’t fancy eating one, if that is what the ad is implying. Yikes!
October 20, 2008 at 8:50 am
I saw the picture before I read the post and I immediately though, WHOA, that is scary! Dolls in general creep me out, but this one’s face in particular…in trying to make it realistic, they skewed it somehow. It’s exaggerated or something, making it indeed creepy.
*Shudder.* I’m with Karen on this one!!
October 20, 2008 at 8:51 am
The “I melt for no one” sounds like a horror line, too. Like “You can try to kill me, but I won’t die!”
October 20, 2008 at 11:03 am
At first, I seriously thought you have to eat that baby in the picture.
Yeah, I thought “What a breakthrough! Are they making ugly M&M babies now?”
October 20, 2008 at 11:20 am
@Evelyn
Like I said…that ad is so WRONG…on so many levels.
@Steph
You’re right. They skewed it somehow, it AIN’T RIGHT.
It’s something about the eyes. They’re too sentient and too focussed for an infant of that age.
@ksyu
I can just picture, the babies have a skin made up of a crunchy candy shell, with chocolate inside (and a peanut inside the skull, for the brain).
(Shudder).
October 20, 2008 at 11:37 am
Friar: You’re right. It’s the eyes. I covered them and the face isn’t nearly as frightening. I think the tilt of the head adds to the creepiness.
October 20, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Thanks, Friar. How am I supposed to eat my Halloween M&Ms now?
October 20, 2008 at 2:21 pm
On a bit more serious note, dolls like that are all over the place — this is not scientific fact, but my guess is that they’re marketed toward older people. I’ve never seen this particular doll, but I’ve seen ads for others that seem equally creepy.
I don’t claim to understand, either, but if I were to make a guess, it’s not cuteness that drive people to buy them.
It’s desperation.
I hope I’m wrong on this.
ari
October 20, 2008 at 2:40 pm
@Steph
Your’e right…I bet you if the eyes got photo-shopped, it would be possible to salvage this doll ad.
@Rebecca
You can always switch to Smarties!
@Ari
You make a good point. The Franklin Mint or Bradford Exchange keep putting out these tickhy-tacks…so obviously there’s a market.
I bet you it’s mostly old ladies (I can’t picture a man buying these). Probably childless (or lonely who are estranged from friends and family). Sad, lonely, out-of-touch people.
I think you’re right.
October 20, 2008 at 3:02 pm
About ten hours after reading this post, I actually *saw* that ad in a magazine. Definitely creepy, but made me laugh because I thought of this post.
We shall agree to disagree on the Cirque issue then?
October 20, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Its not bad enough that you like leaves that aren’t green. Now you are making fun of my doll collection.
I may have to start spamming your blog.
Francis
October 20, 2008 at 3:40 pm
@Allison
I promis, if Brett gives me tickets to the Cirque for Christmas, you’ll be first on the list to get them!
@Francis
DO the dolls talk to you? (Just as long as they don’t talk to you…you’re all right)
October 20, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Of course the dolls talk back to me….. sheesh.
October 20, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Friar,
That is one doll that makes “Chucky” look like an angel. BLECH! And from M&M Mars, no less, the largest candy company in the US!
Thanks – now, when I don’t sleep tonight, like on most other nights, I won’t REALLY sleep…
Rita
October 20, 2008 at 11:27 pm
@Rita
LOL!!!
Hahah! You’re right. I’d take Chucky ANY DAY over this one!!!
Mabye I should black-out the baby’s eyes with Photoshop and make it less scary!
October 20, 2008 at 11:28 pm
@Francis
(Whispering)…What are the dolls SAYING…???
October 21, 2008 at 3:41 pm
None of your business.
October 21, 2008 at 5:19 pm
There was this creepy show on BBC about these lady brits who keep dolls like they are their own children. THAT was creepy too. I couldn’t even watch. I played dolls when I was little, but this one of those back out of the room carefully kind of things…like that little Chuckie up there in the green. Move away from the weird green doll. It’s all kinds of wrong I say.
October 21, 2008 at 7:00 pm
@Janice
Oh, lots of girls played with dolls. But I suspect not with THIS kind.
I wonder of M&M should read this blog post, and see what kind of negative feedback everyones’ giving?!
October 21, 2008 at 11:27 pm
At first, I totally missed what everyone was talking about… the creepiness I mean. “Why are they calling this child a doll??” Until I realized it wasn’t a child at all and there was a reason why it said “doll collection” and actual size was 15 cm. I seriously thought this was an ad for baby clothes or something… but that’s why they send us to school to learn how to read. I’m still a little frightened though and I think blackening or whitening or doing anything to the eyes would only make it worse.
Dolls frighten me as well. I feel the opposite of “the more the merrier” for them.
And I love M&Ms… or at least I used to.
October 21, 2008 at 11:59 pm
@t.sterling
That’s what the problem is here…the doll looks ALMOST human, but not quite.
It ain’t right…it just AIN’T right!
October 22, 2008 at 10:10 pm
[...] (as I mentioned in a recent post), there are certain things that are so inherently screwed up and so WRONG…that I just [...]
November 2, 2008 at 6:54 pm
@ Friar
What is it that bugs you about the Cirque? I checked the one below and didn’t find it all that bad. I thought the camera work was too artsy and mucked things up. But that would not be a problem if one attended in person.
Just curious. I’ve never attended one in person.
November 3, 2008 at 10:13 am
@Ed
I never attended one, but I’ve seen clips on TV and I’ve seen the IMAX movie.
This same topic was brought up a few months ago on an earlier post (don’t recall exactly when…). I trash the Cirque routinely.
Yes, I agree that they physical feats the performers are doing are astounding.
But I dunno….there’s something CREEPY out it. A bit of Evil Clown here and there ….and stupid mime-makeup….considerable homo-eroticism thrown in.
Why can’t they just act like NORMAL acrobats….?
I dunno..it just CREEPS me out.
(But that’s just the Friar).
Though my readers tend to disagree (actually, all the women seem to LOVE it!)