Exclusive: Anti-kid vid group ponders forcing name change for all 'Baby Einstein' videos
Filed under: Family Money, Consumer Complaints
Call it the E = MC squareoff.
Bolstered by its successful anti-screen media campaign that led Baby Einstein to offer a refund for its kid videos, leaders at a Boston-Based non-profit are weighing whether to fight on -- and demand that Walt Disney Company drop "Einstein" from the name altogether, WalletPop has learned in an exclusive.
"We absolutely think they should change the name, but we haven't decided yet what we're going to do with our campaign," says Josh Golin, associate director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). "We also think that Hebrew University, which licenses the rights to the Einstein name, should reconsider what kind of product they want his name associated with."
At issue for CCFC is whether it thinks continued use of "Einstein" in the megabrand's moniker constitutes a continuing claim of educational value in the videos, targeted largely at kids aged five and under. While "pleased" with Disney's offer to refund $15.99 each for up to four Baby Einstein videos, Golin says he'll watch the campaign closely "to see how things play out."
Also at stake: an estimated $200 million that Baby Einstein rakes in from its 90% share of the baby media market, according to CCFC figures gleaned from the Washington Post and Business week.
Should Disney choose to aggressively market around the refund campaign -- not so far a stretch considering how the company piled on publicity counter-spin in the wake of Miley Cyrus' repeated embarrassments with racy photos --- that might leave CCFC no choice but to join the battle at a higher legal level.
Golin stresses that it's "too soon to tell" when his group will announce its next move, but he won't rule out a return to court, because, as he put it, "When these videos took off, someone, whether it was [Baby Einstein founder Julie-Aigner Clark] or the folks at Disney, should have taken a look at these claims of their being educational -- and asked themselves whether there was any evidence to back them up."
In fact, the videos -- with smart-sounding titles such as "Baby Shakespeare" and "Baby Mozart" -- seem anything but smart in terms of developing kids' intelligence. "The research out there is very clear: they don't have any educational benefit," Golin says. "One study showed irregular sleep patterns in kids who watch these videos; another one adverse language development; and another shows kids watching videos spent less time interacting with parents."
He adds: "There's not enough evidence to say that these turn anyone into Baby Moron. But we wanted parents to make decisions based on real information and not hype."
Representatives for Baby Einstein have been contentious in defending themselves against the charges of CCFC and its director, Susan Linn--including in their latest statement obtained by WalletPop in response to this story.
"Susan Linn herself admits she's beating up on our brand for the purpose of raising money to pursue her personal agenda. Millions of consumers around the world continue to trust and enjoy Baby Einstein products and reject her point of view," a Baby Einstein spokesperson said.
"Unfortunately, with Susan Linn's latest stunt, we cannot be silent any longer," reads a statement on the Baby Einstein web site in reaction to CCFC's anti-kidvid campaigning. "Linn's obvious dislike for Baby Einstein has now turned into a sensational, headline-grabbing publicity campaign that seeks to twist and spin a simple, customer satisfaction action into a false admission of guilt. This is clearly not the case."
The statement, attributed to Baby Einstein Vice President & General Manager Susan McLain, acknowledges that the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any video watching in kids under the age of two, yet takes issue with that advice. "While we respect the American Academy of Pediatrics, we do not believe that their recommendation of no television for children under the age of two reflects the reality of today's parents, families and households -- for example, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 68% of all babies under two years old watch screen media on any given day."
Yet a recent New York Times article by Tamar Lewin on the Baby Einstein issue has a Kaiser executive taking a skeptical look at the brand's educational claims. "When attention got focused on this issue a few years ago, a lot of companies became more cautious about what they claimed," said Vicky Rideout, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, in the Times piece. "But even if the word 'education' isn't there, there's a clear implication of educational benefits in a lot of the marketing."
And so, as the pontificating, finger-pointing and parental pondering continue, one thing remains certain: The two biggest stakeholders in the ongoing story will have no say at all.
That would be toddlers everywhere ... and the late Albert Einstein.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-27-2009 @ 5:41PM
Jennifer said...
This is insulting me and all the mothers out there. We should have the freedom to choose whether our children watch kid videos and companies like Baby Einstein should have the freedom to produce them without worry. Why don't we start with prime time commercials being played during family shows or billboards as you drive on a public road. If your that worried about the children, start with what's not voluntary.
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10-27-2009 @ 5:35PM
Dorothy said...
Are they kidding me? My kids love the DVD's and books and have for years. Go find someone else to pick on and leave something with no violence and blood and guts alone for my kids. I love Baby Einstein!
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10-28-2009 @ 9:56AM
alwaysstarshine said...
If you rely on some over-priced digital stream of pictures with horrible voice over skills to teach your babies and children cognitive skills, I question your ability of parenting said children. Yes, my mother showed me television shows whenever I was a child, but they were solely for entertainment purposes, as you cannot trust anybody but yourself and professional teachers to teach your children how to speak and read. Watching shows to learn these different skills only allows rote learning to take place; in which case the child doesn't even actually learn the material. Did your parents use television shows and DVDs to teach you the skills you have today? No. Would you like to know how I learned how to read? Whenever I was three years old, I learned from billboards and traffic signs. I was reading full books by the time I was four--on my own and articulately, word for word The studies supporting ideas that these shows alter sleep patterns are probably dead on. I have insomnia that developed only after I was allowed to start watching television whenever I pleased, as opposed to the one or two hours per day I was capable of watching as a child. So in retrospect, I feel that it is up to the parent to teach their children. After all, what type of feeble-minded person are you if you rely on adorable characters whose voices are portrayed by forty year old men to teach your children?
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10-27-2009 @ 9:13PM
Linda said...
you must have been one stupid kid to walk out in traffic to read billboards and traffic signs.
10-28-2009 @ 9:54AM
Jessica said...
alwaysstarshine...get real...we are in the 21st century, where more often then not, it takes to incomes to successfully run a household. Some parents don't have the time to sit down everyday and teach their children. My 9 month old loves watching Baby Einstein, while I make dinner...what is the harm in that? And my 4 year old who is now in VPK, is 3 times more advanced then the children in his class because he can read and knows basic math skills. And guess what, he was allowed to watch the same Baby Einstein DVDs while I made dinner, when he was a baby! I am not saying that Baby Einstein should replace personal interaction and learning but there is no harm in allowing your child(ren) to watch once in awhile! I agree with Linda your parents must not have taught you much if you had to walk into the street to read billboards and stop signs! Think about that...billboard signs now-a-days are covered with alcohol, cigarettes, and explicit images...I really don't want my child learning from billboards!
10-27-2009 @ 11:18PM
Linda said...
Who cares about the name of a stupid video if they don't like the videos they shouldn't buy it. They also don't have to shove their parenting ideas down other people's throats. If someone wants to put their kid in front of the TV to learn thats their problem not ours. It's oblivious to me that nobody thaught these people mind your own business
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10-28-2009 @ 9:55AM
Debbie said...
We should not think that a video, book, collection of music, or any other single thing will make our children Einstein (Mozart or Steinbeck either). We would be fools to kid ourselves and we would be grossly underestimating our children. There have been studies out for Years showing the risks of screen time to young children, even if it weren't obvious. The group of people who brought the lawsuit are a disgrace and should be embarrassed for not taking responsibility for their own actions. Raise your children actively. Don't let the TV do it for you, and don't blame anyone else when you don't get the results you want. I didn't expect Mr. Bubble to spring out of the shiny white can into my bathtub when I cleaned it last week either.
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10-28-2009 @ 9:55AM
Debbie said...
We should not think that a video, book, collection of music, or any other single thing will make our children Einstein (Mozart or Steinbeck either). We would be fools to kid ourselves and we would be grossly underestimating our children. There have been studies out for Years showing the risks of screen time to young children, even if it weren't obvious. The group of people who brought the lawsuit are a disgrace and should be embarrassed for not taking responsibility for their own actions. Raise your children actively. Don't let the TV do it for you, and don't blame anyone else when you don't get the results you want. I didn't expect Mr. Bubble to spring out of the shiny white can into my bathtub when I cleaned it last week either.
Reply
10-28-2009 @ 9:55AM
Debbie said...
We should not think that a video, book, collection of music, or any other single thing will make our children Einstein (Mozart or Steinbeck either). We would be fools to kid ourselves and we would be grossly underestimating our children. There have been studies out for Years showing the risks of screen time to young children, even if it weren't obvious. The group of people who brought the lawsuit are a disgrace and should be embarrassed for not taking responsibility for their own actions. Raise your children actively. Don't let the TV do it for you, and don't blame anyone else when you don't get the results you want. I didn't expect Mr. Bubble to spring out of the shiny white can into my bathtub when I cleaned it last week either.
Reply
10-28-2009 @ 9:55AM
Jackie said...
This contorversy is amazing to me. Has anyone paid attention to the cartoons on tv? Baby Einstein videos are soothing, educational, and a great alternative to the other things that the rest of the household watches on the tv. I am a special education teacher and a early intervention specialist. I use the Baby Einstein "My First Signing Words" for my clients of little ones who need that extrat communication tool to be understood. Parents love it the kids are learning and I have been asked if there is second edition. I would be willing to challenge anyone who thinks these videos are not worth the time.
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