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From: sophie@mnetor.UUCP (Sophie Quigley)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: The Care Bears in their first obscene movie...
Message-ID: <478@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 28-Apr-85 11:35:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: mnetor.478
Posted: Sun Apr 28 11:35:44 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Apr-85 13:14:18 EDT
References: <889@trwatf.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 46

> Created within the dark recesses of some evil and Satanic ad agency,
> they have now been unleashed on the world to manipulate the hearts of
> young consumers.  So lovable and cute they are ... BUT DON'T LOOK!
> Turn AWAY!  Underneath those soft, furry exteriors beat the greedy
> hearts of formula mass marketing experts!  This is evidenced by the
> fact that the little monstrosities are owned and copywritten by the
> American Greeting Card Corporation.
> 
For fun, try reading the  December 83 issue of "This Magazine" (if you
can get access to it.  It is quite obscure).  There is an article there
entitled "Care Bears, a moraltale" by Ken Sobol who wrote a half hour
animated special tointroduce the care bears to the public.

Here'sa passage:

"Strawberry Shortcake, I was informed, had been the brainchild of the market
research group of American Greeting Cards, and was the vedette of the
trademark grouping, which is called 'those characters from Cleveland'.
After untold surveys and unfathomable expense, the group had arrived at the
conclusion that the most loveable, least threataning, and salable of all
previously unexploited earthly objects was the strawberry.  Don't laugh.
These people in their Martian way, are clever enough.   Most market research
is worthless because the researchers are entrammeled by conventions.  These
guys actually saw further than their brothers and made a breakthrough.  They
realised that with proper packaging anything can be anthropomorphized .
...........

Spurred by the success of Strawberry Shortcake, the character mongers
from Cleveland have gone on to develop a new concept - they have 
located something even more precious to the human heart than strawberries,
something that could be an even bigger property.  The hot product of the
eighties will be - a teddy bear.
............

Hearts everywhere.  Because the Care Bears love you.  Love, love,love.
Whenever things go bad, or you need a friend, or cheering up, or can't
fall asleep, the Care Bears are there.   Because the Care Bears care
about you.  They're your special, fuzzy, furry friends.  They love you.
And you'll love them.  More love, love, love.  Even that's not all.
They live in a paradise on a cloud above the earth called 'Care-A-Lot'.
They drive around in cloud cars.  They - well, you get the picture."

etc..
-- 
Sophie Quigley
{allegra|decvax|ihnp4|linus|watmath}!utzoo!mnetor!sophie