#kidvid

[therobotmonster]

Less of this:

More of This:

[exclamaquest]

This is a very basic overview of the 1980 KidVid scandal, an important part of advertising regulation history and a good illustration of just how much power ad lobbyists hold. I recommend this or this (both PDFs, the second is from the FTC) to get a more in depth look at what went wrong.

In the late 70s and into 1980, there was a push from the Federal Trade Commission to amp up the regulations around what foods could be advertised on children's television, with a special emphasis on sugary foods. They were also concerned about ads that portrayed vitamins as candy-like that could encourage children to eat far more than they should.

The FTC requested a total ban on ads "for any product which is directed to, or seen by, audiences composed of a significant proportion of children who are too young to understand the selling purpose of or otherwise comprehend or evaluate the advertising [in this case, eight, though the limit was later lowered to six]" targeting "sugared food products directed to, or seen by, audiences composed of a significant proportion of older children".

This may seem harsh, but as you read, keep in mind it's still a far cry from the older, firmer regulations prohibiting any advertisement at all. Additionally, while eight may seem old, there were studies done that clearly showed that children could not reliably differentiate normal programming from ad segments.

Another piece of the most damning evidence used in the case came straight from the horse's mouth: Among other things, an advertising executive was caught on tape saying, "When you sell a woman on a product and she goes into the store and finds your brand isn’t in stock she’ll probably forget about it. But when you sell a kid on your product, if he can’t get it he will throw himself on the floor, stamp his feet, and cry. You can’t get a reaction like that out of an adult."

But this was during the leadup to Reagan's term and so, of course, it ended in misery. Advertisers, emboldened by Reagan's support of deregulating their industry and aggravated the the FTC's recent aggressive rulemaking, wrote scathing op-eds in national newspapers. They branded the FTC a "nanny" and put forth the argument that because parents were the ones making the final purchasing decision, there was no deception of consumers going on, and therefore it was an overreach of the FTC's rulemaking power. They even postured parents supporting the new regulations as a sign of weakness and inability to control their children.

Of course, these arguments fall apart under the slightest bit of pressure, but that didn't matter to advertisers or to newspapers. To them, every new rule on advertising was another chunk of money taken out of their lucrative ad placements. Even the Washington Post wrote against it.

There's a lot more to why this failed, including it happening at the same time as other FTC rulings that angered politically powerful businesses like funerary services, large used-car dealerships, and the tobacco industry, but that would take up a whole history book. Instead, it's important to know that the FTC had many, many enemies in very powerful positions, and this lead to the Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act of 1980.

The 1980 act cut the FTC off at the knees. It now required stringent congressional oversight, public announcements of proposed rules, and explicitly prohibited the FTC from any rulemaking involving children's advertising.

The FTC was burned so badly that on May 1, 1980, after the landmark Civiletti Opinion, they shut their doors. Luckily, funding was reappropriated relatively quickly thanks to President Carter's novel interpretation of the 1884 Antideficiency Act (the same one used by Attorney General Civiletti to shut it down in the first place) and the shutdown only lasted a day, but the wounds were there.

Even today, the FTC is loathe to touch children's television, instead focusing on advertising in apps and websites. The KidVid scandal is part of what enabled Reagan to enact such strict deregulation, and is a major contributing factor to the state of advertising as it is currently.

It's as fascinating as it is horrific, and it's something that's essential to know. Both the degree to which lobbyists were able to influence public opinion and public policy and the extent of the aftershocks of the KidVid scandal are very important to understanding today's advertising regulations and the FTC's position in them.

I tried to simplify this as much as I could, but there was a lot to cover, and this is only a fraction of everything that happened during the scandal. The two PDFs I linked in the first paragraph (this and this) are great resources for understanding more about what happened, and if you're interested, I'd highly recommend you read them.

If there's any questions, I'll do my best to answer them, but please bear in mind I'm neither a historian nor a lawyer, just a guy with a special interest.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

I've been on a slight classic Disney TV Animation kick.

I'm talking mid-1980s to early 1990s era DTVA... The era of DUCKTALES, CHIP N' DALE RESCUE RANGERS, TALESPIN, DARKWING DUCK, etc. I loved these shows as a kid, as I caught the many re-runs of them on Toon Disney in the late '90s when staying over my grandparents' house during the summer days before my mum got home from work.

And the funny thing is, when reading up on these shows and their histories... If a ton of these shows were being made today? I think they'd be met with a lot of doubt and skepticism on the Internet...

Like... "TALESPIN? Wtf is this? JUNGLE BOOK characters as cargo pilots in an INDIANA JONES-esque adventure setting? Chip and Dale lookin' like Indiana Jones and Magnum P.I.? Trying too hard to be relevant and cool. So dated! A Disney cartoon about Gummi Bears??? A candy??? Disney is totally out of ideas, man-"

And yet, the fledgling division - a brainchild of the newly-arrived CEO Michael Eisner, who saw that Disney had long barely contributed to the world of episodic television animation - went through with these shows circa 1985-1993... They came out, kids and audiences watched them, they all did very well, are fondly-remembered favorites of American animation's 2nd Golden Age. The early batch of shows arguably changed the game for TV animation in the states, which was by then soaked in toy commercials and cliche kidvid stuff.

And I almost get the feeling that once the Golden Age went full-throttle with the advent of THE SIMPSONS, Nickelodeon's "Nicktoons", Warner Animation's offerings (many of which involving Steven Spielberg!), MTV's groundbreaking adult cartoons, and many more, Disney TV Animation did have some re-routing. The early '90s was a kind of weird era for them, when they put out shows like BONKERS, RAW TOONAGE, and THE SCHNOOKUMS AND MEAT FUNNY CARTOON SHOW. The game was changing fast, and soon they were wowing once more with the likes of GARGOYLES, and venturing into other territory with shows like PEPPER ANN. They'd get creators of shows that were hits on other networks, such as Paul Germain from RUGRATS, who co-created RECESS with Joe Ansolabehere, who had previously worked on another iconic Nick show, HEY ARNOLD!

Kinda makes me think of where Disney Animation has been for a bit these past few years, in an era where the mainstream feature animation game is changing fast. And how! And it's not that what they do is bad or - as largely insufferable people say - "mid". Release something like ENCANTO or RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON or even STRANGE WORLD in 2015, it'd be praised, most people would be in agreement, "Yeah, another strong entry from the revitalized WDAS." Of course, RAYA and ENCANTO enjoyed solid reviews and excellent streaming results, and STRANGE WORLD even got pretty passing grade reviews (whereas something like the MARIO movie... Didn't. Funny how that works), but large chunks of weird animation fans on the internet seem to think they're all just "mid" or whatever... It's some console wars-caliber nonsense, I think, that's reductionist. If I didn't like something, I still acknowledge the hard work put in by the filmmakers/crew (especially crucial amidst the writer and actors' strike), and go about my day. I'm not pitting STRANGE WORLD against PUSS IN BOOTS 2, for sure. There's no reason for me to do so.

I thought about how in ANIMANIACS, they took potshots at BONKERS. The same era as "SEGA does what NintenDON'T." Those extreeeeeeme aaaaattitude '90s!

I know, because I lived most of that decade.

BONKERS is a show that fascinates me (I recently wrote a little thing about it on my main tumblr), and I thought while watching it... Release this show in 1988, and *not* 1993, it's likely hailed as groundbreaking. A cartoon trying to be zany and fun like 1940s Tex Avery cartoons, visually satisfying and nicely realized, and much more original than - say - the umpteenth CARE BEARS cartoon or the new Hanna-Barbera ersatz Scooby-Doo stuff. But, post-TINY TOONS, post-REN & STIMPY, and sitting next to ANIMANIACS, it seemingly just could not compare. It also didn't help that it was heavily inspired by the amazing film that is WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, its characters and premise ostensibly being a replacement for a property Disney could no longer do stuff with because of their feud with co-owner Spielberg. (Which puts TINY TOONS and ANIMANIACS' potshots at Disney and BONKERS, respectively, into perspective.)

Similarly, Hanna-Barbera - long one of the studio names synonymous with TV animation in America - were in an odd place themselves, until they - under the stewardship of one Fred Seibert - began bringing in some incredible talent like Genndy Tartakovsky, Paul Rudish, Rob Renzetti, to name a few... We had moved away from the likes of YO YOGI!, TOM AND JERRY KIDS, and SIMPSONS-chasing "adult" cartoons like CAPITOL CRITTERS and FISH POLICE... 2 STUPID DOGS, which had been dismissed as a REN & STIMPY wannabe by some folks back in the day, was really a launchpad for those talents. And soon, Hanna-Barbera Productions was rockin' the mid-to-late '90s with all the iconic Cartoon Network shows we all know and love... Kinda makes me think of how Illumination gets looked at, they've been around for some time and they "churn out" stuff that's just "mid" or "bland" or whatever, but I think post-SING 2, post-MINIONS 2, there's a sort-of newfound appreciation for them in some circles. Somewhat. SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE got a pass from a lot of people engaging in these weird console wars, despite its middling critical reception and a lot of folks saying it actually wasn't good. (I liked it fine, but I felt it was more a "Mario's Greatest Hits" showcase than an actual movie.) But, Illumination has an adult animation division (Moonlight) firing up, some pretty dynamic side projects and shorts, too. They even got talent like Benjamin Renner, who directed the upcoming MIGRATION. They're doin' something right if they got him.

I think, more than anything, things change so fast in entertainment. Tastes change, things trend, animated movies take a while to come out and are largely determined at a stage long before a print (or digital file) of the finished film projects onto a screen somewhere. How does one know what the world looks like, culturally, five years after they have started their film? Let alone 2 years? It's why I don't pile on films like ELEMENTAL, STRANGE WORLD, LIGHTYEAR, RUBY GILLMAN, et al losing money. They seemed surefire when they signed off on them, and like William Goldman said... No one knows anything!

I dunno, I thought I'd just relate some current feature animation things to what was happening in TV animation some 30 years ago... all because I was watching TALESPIN and BONKERS and such-

[roccosupreme]

Imagine if #KidVid had access to Bluetooth electronics in the ‘90s.

…

#doodle #burgerkingkidsclub #kidsclub

[post-post-apocalypse]

ZAP BY PumpkinSoup

[tokka]

#BugerKing #BurgerKingKidsClub #ActionFigures : "#KidVid" #1990 ⚡📺📼🐢👦🏼🍔 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWDLinELldc/?utm_medium=tumblr

[robinmead]

I couldnt resist putting this here even after posting on FB.. hes just such a cutie my lil grandson #cutekids #cutestkid #cutebaby #cutestboyever #cutedtboy #kidvid #cutekidvids #mylilbuddy #littleman #cutelittleman

[jagrbeauxbtns]

Apparently all I did as a small child was eat at @burgerking. Now that I’m old, I can’t even eat burgers! Maybe BK will start making #glutenfree burgers and get with the times! Some of us do it for health reasons, not just as a fad, okay?! Anyhoot, this is my #birthday post to myself. Never stop dreaming kid, you still go a long ways to go! Here’s to 33 being the best year yet! 😁🎉🤘🏻#iamthekuya #pinoy #tmnt #burgerking #japan #korea #armybrat #fastfood #youngin #thenineties #hipster #dadgoals #teenagemutantninjaturtles #burgerkingkidsclub #kidvid (at La Salle, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuxC7FIHF08/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=b1ixqyqkqw25

[sharklilly]

This is the last of the lore i did in this format. From here, I want to start a series called Cloister Tales (Spurnshoot Edition)

[therobotmonster]

TyrannoMax: The Motion Picture (1994)

I, like most people, thought the legal issues between Buzby-Spurlock and the distributor meant that only pan-and-scan VHS versions from Europe were all we could get, but check out these screen shots sent in by a follower (thanks Midge!)!

Could a re-release be on the horizon? I for one would be glad to have better than a fansubbed 6th gen VHS copy from Greece.

Feel free to reblog with your Tyrannomax memories, of the movie or the animated series.

[exclamaquest]

PLEASE tell me how post wwi tax breaks lead to my little pony

-Advertising agencies help supply propaganda during WWI ->

In return, the government gives them large tax breaks by counting advertising as a business expense ->

Advertising in America grows from something most people are at the very least wary of to a lynchpin of capitalism ->

The FTC expands their powers and abilities to combat deceptive marketing, which includes advertisements ->

The FTC signs into law the funeral rule of 1980 which places consumer-friendly restrictions on how funeral homes can sell their products ->

Then they pursue legislation that would lead into the KidVid scandal. The laws would control what kind of ads can run on kid's television and when ->

Ronald Reagan runs on a platform of deregulation, and ropes the pissed off funeral home industry (among others) into supporting his campaign. The animosity the FTC drilled up helps get him elected ->

In 1980, a new act was signed into law that harshly limited the powers of oversight the FTC had over TV shows ->

Hasbro debuts My Pretty Pony in 1981 and then My Little Pony in 1982, complete with tie-in animated specials that would never have been legal otherwise.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

An aesthetic I often think about... The Golden Age of Hollywood, particularly the animation and cartoons, but revisited through a late '80s/early '90s lens...

Yeah, that was a thing circa 1988-1994ish. A real nostalgia rush for the way movies used to be made and how things used to look, but reinvented with those signature offbeat qualities of the late '80s and the tech/effects they had on hand.

In a way, Robert Zemeckis' WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT - featuring exemplary animation directed by Richard Williams and an unsung Dale Baer - and Tim Burton's BATMAN really ushered in this era. Throwback films like the INDIANA JONES series already existed by this point, but I feel it was movies like these that really started a brief movement of sorts.

The former reminded audiences that it was not only cool to like cartoons again, but that the old favorites were actually pretty neat. After Roger Rabbit, you saw revivals in Looney Tunes and you saw many TV cartoons made in a similar vein, ending a frustrating era where most cartoons on TV were kidvid toy commercials. This was also greatly helped by Disney releasing their animated classics and cartoon shorts on video for the first time during this era, and soon Warner Bros. and Turner were releasing retrospective VHS and LaserDisc compilations pulling from their vast libraries of animated shorts. Especially w/ character birthdays coming up!

The latter lead to a bunch of pulp-style superhero/action movies, though that aesthetic seemed to quickly flame out by the mid-1990s. THE ROCKETEER went down as a cult classic, while THE SHADOW, THE PHANTOM, and others just couldn't cut it at the box office. Curiously, there was also a BRENDA STARR, REPORTER movie - simply titled BRENDA STARR - that was filmed in 1986 (it's the image of the woman on top of the windowsill, high off the ground), but wasn't released in the U.S. until 1992. While it was a big critical and commercial flop, this campy take on the 1940s comic strip kind of beat this wave to the punch? There was also a CAPTAIN AMERICA movie partially set during World War II made after the success of Tim Burton's BATMAN, too, one that also had a hard time getting released after it was completed.

It all just happened to come out around the same time.

[neannitelites]

🍔🍟Burger King Kids Club Series: Jaws!!! #burgerking #kidsclub #kidsmeal #90s #nostalgia #nostalgic #fastfood #kidvid #boomer #jaws #iq #snaps #lingo #wheels #jd #digitalpainting #digitalart #art #artistic #color #corel #corelpainter #illustration #drawing #artist #artoftheday #artistoninstagram #instaart #instartist (at West Oakland, Oakland, California)

[jayohee]

Oh we RAPPIN’ for @mr.demaio now!!! Click the link in my bio for his new video! You’ll find a link to my song there, or peep my SoundCloud. Enjoy. #mrdemaio #kidvids #educational #mteverest #marvingaye #vidsforkids #facts #tammiterrell #aintnomountainhighenough #flipped #remix #chopped #bassline #joedizza #sairu https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RXoSNlF-o/?igshid=1k33xy57k7pl2

[dudenukem]

Diving into some new work HAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAA!!! 😅😂😭💀💦💦💦 #ohgodimlosingitguys . . #takintheplunge #plungeworthy #wip #deepzoom #peepzoom #comeonandzoom #comeonandzoom #ubbydubby #AELvidzforPBSkids #ispendalotoftimealone #kidvid #bkkidsclub #AELvidsclub #jesuschrist #somebodystopme #themask #smokin #digitalcollage #dangleboy #danglers #deepseadangling #20000leagues #softball #kickball #touchfootball #backyardwrestling #lawnsports #eckmanlawnchairs #help

[lldesignsatl]

#TheJadynArielShow playlist is going #live tomorrow @ 10am (via @youtube @theswinkagency). #Subscribe now!! ▶️ #TheSwinkAgency __________ #swink #jadynariel #kidvids #dswink #butterfly #sandraswink #family #daughter #artist #art #creative #creativity #kidart #kidartist #shepreneur #girlpreneur #youtube #playlist https://www.instagram.com/p/B-m1QldgXwY/?igshid=y3i5b664b7o0