Wednesday.May.07.2008
Lines Form in New York for 'Joker' Action Figure
By
Jason Perry
My first reaction to this news was "People still wait in line for toys?"
Collectors and die-hard Bat Freaks in New York are lining up early at toy stores to get their mitts on a Joker action figure based on late actor Heath Ledger's role in this summer's highly-anticipated film The Dark Knight.
The figures are selling as fast as shelf stockers can get them out on the floor. A Toys R Us in New York, told the New York Post that there were no Joker figures in the warehouse and "You will be waiting a while if you want one."
Toys R Us spokesman Bob Friedland performed damage control, saying the stores get Dark Knight action figures "on a regular basis."
A Joker figure by Mattel will cost you ten bones.
No doubt many are snatching up the figure with visions of selling it for big bucks in the future. Ledger's unfortunate death will jack up the value of anything his face is on.
Profit from tragedy. Thank you, capitalism.
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Lex Walker
They're toys.
And in my opinion really CRAPPY looking toys at that. That's one of the worst Ledger/Joker likenesses I imagine to be possible.
If you really want to piss people off, start manufacturing Hitler action figures. Compared to that, I think action figures modeled after a recently dead celebrity is pretty tame. If people think these things will fetch them $20 in the future...who the hell cares?
May 8, 2008 - 1:02 pm
Anonymous
Yeah! People are tools.
May 8, 2008 - 11:34 am
Saul B.
Dammit. What the hell is wrong with me?
*They're
May 8, 2008 - 8:06 am
Saul B.
The argument against cashing in on unfortunate events can be made in several manners, but you've gotta be careful, Jace.
Think about 9/11. I'm all for films like United 93 being made, as long as their as good as United 93 is. Many people I'm close too, though, feel that the very inception of such material aids terrorism.
One of the biggest box office smashes of all time was based on the sinking of the Titanic (regardless of the fact that it avoided the subject as much as it could, but that's another rant).
If one thing is off limits, it all has to be. No one is forcing people to buy the Joker figure or selling it at an unfair markup, but if people choose to buy 10 or 15 or a hundred of them, then the only people at fault for the hoarders making a profit are the ones who buy them in five years on Ebay.
May 8, 2008 - 8:05 am
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