Clarissa's Blog

JUST IN: Toys “R” Us announces its biggest expansion in nearly a decade, opening 120 stores across the U.S. as toy sales surge among adult shoppers.

There are little colorful unicorn toys that my kid likes. She plays out long, complicated scenarios with them. The problem is that the unicorns are extremely overpriced. It says on the box that they are not toys but “collectible items.” They are very specifically aimed at adults. Every time we see them at the store, my daughter asks me why on earth an adult would want what is clearly a child’s toy.

There are also the sad dolls. These are very expensive and often very realistic dolls with sad, depressed, or weeping countenances. They are also aimed at adults. The adult section of every toy store is expanding dramatically. Often, it makes the toy stores or the areas of bookstores reserved for children practically unusable for actual children. These adult items are often branded with swear words. Being in a children’s section of a bookstore with a child has become an exercise in maneuvering in such a way that the child doesn’t see the inappropriate adult-themed stuff.

Come to think of it, what are Lindsey Clancy conspiracies or maroon sweatshirt obsessives, if not an imitation of children’s imaginative play? What does the support for Clancy indicate, if not resentment against children who are not letting adults pose as children?