Bone Crunchin' Buddies, Goldberg Smash & Bash Game and Omniversal Annihilator hardly sound like games most parents would let their 4-year-olds play with.

But according to The Lion & Lamb Project, which released its ``Dirty Dozen List'' of toys on Monday, the toy industry is spending $1 billion every year to market such toys to young children.

``The dirty little secret is out,'' The Lion & Lamb Project executive director Daphne White told a news conference. ''Entertainment companies are marketing violence directly to kids and the toy industry is sending the message to children that violence is fun and violence is child play.''

The Dirty Dozen list includes World Wrestling Federation plush dolls named Bone Crunchin' Buddies, which make crunching sounds when their legs or arms are twisted.

The Lion & Lamb Project, a national parents' organization opposed to the marketing of violence to children, says the toy industry deems this item suitable for children age 3 and older.

White also criticized the toy industry for marketing toys such as action figures based on violent movies.

``Fists Full Of Metal''

The Dirty Dozen list features the 4-foot Wolverine Battlin' Bop Bag, a character based on the PG-13 movie ``X-Men'' that dares children as young as age 5 to ``hit me in the head'' with ''fists full of metal.''

Some violent toys are inspired by adult violent video games, White said. ``Omniversal Annihilator,'' which is labeled suitable for children ages 4 and older, urges children to ``join the blood battle'' and play ``Seed of Evil,'' the video game it is based on.

White said the toy industry uses the so-called whine factor, an advertising technique that makes children whine to get certain toys, to market toys based on violent video games and movies restricted to older audiences.

White's accusations echoed a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission that found patterns of ``pervasive and aggressive marketing'' of violent materials to children by the entertainment industry.

White said it is dangerous to market such toys to young children because those under 8 years are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality and this in turn could lead to violent behavior.

``Violence is a learned behavior,'' White said. ``Every toy is educational. The question is what do you want your children to learn?''

Toy Makers Respond

The Toy Manufacturers of America (TMA), which represents the toy industry, said that children are influenced by the environment they are reared in, not by toys.

``There is no such thing as a violent or nonviolent toy,'' TMA spokesperson Pamela Johnston told Reuters. ``They are inanimate objects that do not motivate violent behavior.''

White said her research has shown that violence conveyed by movies, video games and toys does contribute to more violent behavior in children.

White agreed parents have to be responsible but noted they have to go up against as much as ``$1 billion in advertising from the toy industry.''

White also said that less-heavily advertised nonviolent toys, such as board games, are not necessarily boring.

``We need to reintroduce kids to the notion that you can have fun without blowing things up,'' White said. ``A pretty radical notion!''

The 12 toys identified as violent by the project were:

• Goldberg Smash & Bash Game, by Hasbro
• Bone Crunchin' Buddies, by Jakks Pacific
• Metal Gear Solid, Revolver Ocelot by McFarlane Toys
• Turok Primagen, Omniversal Annihilator, by Playmates
• Wolverine Battlin' Bop Bag, by Toy Biz
• Pokemon Battle Stadium, by Hasbro
• Dragonball Z action figures, by Irwin Toys
• Laser Challenge, Gotcha Extreme!, by Toymax
• Nerf Wildfire, by Hasbro
• Bionic Commando Elite Force for Color Game Boy, by Capcom
• Turok 3, Shadow of Oblivion for Color Game Boy, by Acclaim
• Metal Gear Solid for Color Game Boy, by Konami

[Posted 12/07/2000]