Republicans and the Disney Difference
Monday, January 29th, 2007One other State of the Union comment, then I’m done.
During Sir Mr. President’s introduction of the honored guests sitting with his lovely bride, I was struck by the choice to honor Julie Aigner-Clark, and said to my husband, “Isn’t that odd?”
I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time. My only thought was that they needed to honor a successful businessman, you know, a rags-to-riches story, and it was even better that he was a she. And that the she had good hair.
The next day I realized what was up: the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood had already, last year, filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Aigner-Clark’s company, Baby Einstein. The complaint stated that Baby Einstein (and another company):
should not be able to say their products inspire “logical thinking,” foster “the development of your toddler’s speech and language skills,” or give “your child a jumpstart on learning.”
See, Aigner-Clark’s company, worth $200 million before she sold in to the Walt Disney Company in 2001, made videos for babies. Educational videos. For babies.
I guess if she had started her company later, she could have had the benefit of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2002 study that found babies and toddlers are already watching too much television for their own good.
Because no one would have been able to figure that out without a study.
I’m not alone on this. But I’m not so annoyed with Ms. Aigner-Clark. I’m sure her intentions are good. But why would the Republicans pick her out as a model during the year that Bush’s No Child Left Behind is under the microscope? When we know that reading to children — as early as infancy — is one of the single most important things you can do to ready your child for school? What were his people thinking?
Oh yeah. Three letters: D I S.
