Business Coach: Nix Nick

I banned Nickelodeon myself about a month ago. I enjoyed iCarly, but they started playing less nice shows like Victorious, which seemed to be a bunch of mean girl “you’re not my friend” banter and I got sick of the attitude of Drake and Josh. Mainly, my kid watched them, had an attitude with me that I got very, very sick of. I can’t prove that her attitude was caused by Nickelodeon’s programming, but I don’t have to prove it. I just have to intuit or feel like it’s a problem and that’s good enough – because I’m the mom.

I’ll probably never turn it back on in our house because of the below email from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood which sites terribly poor judgement about what is good for children and makes it obvious that Nick is a predator who considers my children and my dollars their prey. No F’ing way. The inappropriateness of their Internet gaming is sickening and disturbing in a very gender-oriented way. I shouldn’t even have to boycott a child-oriented company for putting up “peeping Tom” and “keep women out of Congress” and “inflict more pain” websites. They should just have a few moms at the corporate table saying, “Hell NO! Are you out of your demented fucking mind?” It’s too late for them to retrieve one damn cent from my children – this is a permanent lifelong ban for terribly poor judgment and it’s irrevocable. I don’t trust you Nick.

This from the CFCC email, it is quoted:

We’re making a difference. Last week, Nickelodeon removed links to AddictingGames.com from the preschool websites under its NickJr.com umbrella, including Dora the Explorer, Backyardigans, and Wonder Pets.

More than 7,000 of you demanded that Nickelodeon stop promoting its Addicting Games website to children–and there are signs that Nick is finally getting the message.  But we need you to keep the pressure on.  Two Nickelodeon websites for preschoolers–Nick Jr. Boost and Nick Jr. Arcade–continue to link to the website, which includes some highly sexualized and horrifically violent games.  And Nick is actually revving up its promotion of Addicting Games to children.  On Saturday June 19th, Nickelodeon TV will air the Addicting Games Showdown at 10:00 AM–prime kids’ viewing time.

Will you take a moment to thank Nickelodeon for removing the links to Addicting Games from Nick Jr. …and demand that they stop promoting Addicting Games to all children?

Nickelodeon has also removed a couple of the games that CCFC highlighted, like Perry the Sneak, but the site continues to feature games that are inappropriate for children, such as:

• Nancy Balls: “You can try to keep women out of congress, but it’s going to be really difficult.  Take their shoes away and collect guns.  That’s how to be a MAN.”
• Torture Chamber III: “The object of Torture Chamber is to cause as much pain as possible to your victim before he dies.  Doing so awards pain points, and unlocks new forms of punishment.”
• Highway Pursuit: “Robbing the bank was the easy part: now you have to protect the getaway car! Shoot those jerks [cops] who want their money back.”
• You Da Sperm: “What has this woman been eating that there are apparently jellyfish inside her uterus? Take Sammy the Sperm through the inner canals that is woman, and avoid the stingy jellyfish.” (The game’s soundtrack is a moaning woman).

It is clear that Nick knows that children are playing these games; CCFC found advertising for Nickelodeon’s popular pre-teen show iCarly on You Da Sperm and a Scholastic book for pre-teens on Highway Pursuit.  You can find more examples of the egregious games CCFC found last week at Addicting Games–and who is advertising on them–here.

We’re pleased that Nick removed the links from NickJr.com.  That’s a start, but it’s not enough.   CCFC won’t stop our Addicting Games campaign until Nickelodeon stops promoting violent and sexualized games to children.  That’s why Nick needs to hear from you today.  And please share this action alert with friends and family.

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