Lazy Gopher Pachyderm

The Mattel toy recall boiled over during the week and I happened to be unlucky enough to be watching CNN one evening. A blow-dried baritone was (apparently) assigned to rake Mattel over the coals with as little background or context as possible. During an interview with the Mattel CEO, said interviewer was insistent on getting the CEO to admit that they’re only building toys in China so as to increase profit (as if there’s something wrong with that…).

Unfortunately, the CEO’s answers came off as mostly rehearsed spin, which made him look evasive and politician-like (which was not so bad given that the reporter came off like an agenda-driven shark instead of a thoughtful journalist). One thing I was waiting to hear from the CEO was the obvious; that Hot Wheels would probably cost $3 or more instead of $1 if they were made in the U.S. Companies produce overseas because American workers and regulations prohibit the manufacturing of goods at a price the American consumer is willing to pay.

Now my kid has about 40 Hot Wheels cars, if not more. Quite frankly, if I were told that one of them had lead in their paint my first reaction would probably be to shrug rather than dissolve into hysterics, as the CNN story seemed to demand (the reporter said he spent over an hour scouring his kid’s toy boxes). Lead is toxic, but like all toxins, the dose makes the poison. Is playing with one Hot Wheel car finished with lead paint going to hurt him? Not very likely…

# posted by Ricard : 1:05 PM