THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 51
12/12/96

Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR):
http://www.teleport.com/~gater/IAXS/IAXS.html

XMR is a periodic annotated world press review of
reports regarding the internationally syndicated
television show XENA: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and
the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor.  For
a free e-mail subscription send "subscribe XMR" to
ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Excerpts from the following
cites will appear in future issues of XMR.


Editor's note: It's just all about the toy controversy.
Enjoy!!!


[   a] 11-30-96
   THE HARTFORD COURANT. Saturday. Page A1. 1069 words.
"Annual List of 'Warped Toys' Targets Female Action
Figures" By Garret Condon.
   COMMENTARY: The Xena action figure made it on the
Rev. Rose's 10th annual 10 Most Warped Toys for 1996!
   EXCERPT:
   Imagine little Tommy waking on Christmas morning to
find that Santa's left him a voluptuous female action
figure that he can strip down to its oversized breasts
(nipples included) or destroy with one of his male
action figure heroes. 
   Not exactly a Norman Rockwell moment.  
   "What is it teaching little boys about women?" asked
the Rev. Christopher L. Rose, rector of Grace Episcopal
Church in Hartford and, for a decade, a nationally
known critic of mean, violent, sexist and otherwise
harmful toys. 
   In his 10th annual roundup of the 10 most "warped"
toys, Rose says he's found a new, unsavory trend:
erotically dressed and styled female action figures --
some cast as villains -- ready to be ravished by
children. 
   "Remove Xena's Princess warrior outfit," announces
the package on Xena II, part of the "Hercules, The
Legendary Journeys" toy series. Tiffany the Amazon has
the removable bra.
   "She's supposed to be a hero," says Rose of Xena.
"But why is it you take her clothes off?"
   Rose traditionally releases his list just after
Thanksgiving. Toy companies have protested Rose's
judgments in the past.     Because of the Thanksgiving
holiday, no representatives of affected toy companies
could be reached Friday....
   ...Rose, 43, began criticizing toys when he began
shopping for playthings for his son, Matthew, who is
now 11.
   A decade and an attic full of research toys later,
he says he still sees toys perpetuating cruel
stereotypes and desensitizing children to violence. 
   The toys of his own West Hartford youth -- even his
toy soldiers -- were more benign and encouraged
creativity, he says. 
   Along with the half-naked bombshell action figure,
there is Rose's No. 1 pick: "The Freak." This action
figure is a deranged-looking character in torn clothing
with a bag full of weapons who, according to the box,
"escaped from an insane asylum and wanders around New
York . . ."
   Rose says the figure looks like a homeless person.
"About 40 percent of the homeless are mentally ill," he
says, adding that members of Hartford's Homeless
Commission were shocked when he showed them the toy
recently. Rose is co-chairman of the commission....
   ...Rev. Christopher L. Rose's Warped Toy List, 1996
   1. The Freak -- McFarlane Toys, TMP International
Inc....
   ...Rose believes it ridicules the homeless, many of
whom also suffer from mental illness.
   2. Egyptian Batman & Egyptian Catwoman from Legends
of Batman -- Kenner (Hasbro Inc.)...
   ...encourages violence against women, Rose says.
   3. Lady Deathstrike from X-Men; Scream from
Spiderman -- Toy Biz ...These are toys in which women
join non-white males in the bad guy category, says
Rose.
   4. Spawn toys: Super Size Angela and Tiffany the
Amazon -- McFarlane Toys, TMP International Inc....
   ...Rose fears that young boys may develop their own
ulterior motives. Remove Tiffany's bra to reveal large,
naked breasts. The larger-scale Angela also is scantily
clad. Rose finds these figures inappropriately erotic
for kids and demeaning to women....
   5. Goosebumps Monster Head Maker -- Kenner (Hasbro
Inc.)...
Rose calls it "interactively violent."...
   6. Utra Force Ghoul -- Galoob...
A death-obsessed toy, says Rose, which he finds very
disturbing.     
   7. Dr. Dreadful Creepy Clinic; Dr. Dreadful Monster
Medical Center -- Tyco...Rose says the implied
cannibalism is grim. 
   8. Creepy Crawlers Cryptic Skeletons --
Toymax...Rose says such toys help desensitize kids to
pain and suffering.
   9. Hercules, The Legendary Journeys: Xena II and
Mole Man -- Toy Biz...Rose says package text seems to
encourage kids to take Xena's clothes off.
   10. Nerf: Brain Ball; Chain Blazer Blaster; Cyber
Strike Gear, including Auto Grip Blaster, Strong Arm
Blaster and Max Force Whiptail Scorpion -- Kenner
(Hasbro Inc.)...Rose believes such toys perpetuate the
idea that violence is fun and a good way to solve
life's problems.  


[   c] 11-30-96
   THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Saturday. Domestic News. 272
words. "Female Action Figures Hold Dubious Distinction" 
   COMMENTARY: The Xena action figure leads off the
main Associated Press Article even though the figure is
listed at #9. If that ain't a sign of XWP's ever
burgeoning popularity (not that it would make it on the
list...but that the first four paragraphs are dedicated
to the Warrior Princess in a nine paragraph article!)
   EXCERPT:
   Buxom Xena can be stripped down to her voluptuous
plastic skin, while the violent Freak, with his
tattered clothes and bagful of weapons, may encourage
kids to fear homeless people.     Christmas toys have
taken a decidedly unsavory bent, says the Rev.
Christopher L. Rose, compiling his 10th annual list of
warped playthings.   
   In his latest list, published Saturday in The
Hartford
Courant, he criticizes erotically dressed female action
figures.     "What is it teaching little boys about
women?" asked Rose, rector of Grace Episcopal Church.
   He notes that the package for Xena II, part of the
"Hercules, The Legendary Journeys" toy series,
suggests: "Remove Xena's Princess warrior outfit." And
Tiffany the Amazon has a removable bra....
   "She's supposed to be a hero," says Rose. "But why
is it you take her clothes off?"


[   j] 12-01-96
   AP ONLINE. Sunday. Domestic, non-Washington, general
news item. 1414 words. "AP Top News At 3 a.m. EST
Sunday, Dec. 1, 1996" By Benita Green
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   ...DIFFERENT TOYS
   HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)
   The Reverend Christopher Rose has published his
latest list of Christmas toy no-no's in Sunday's
edition of The Hartford Courant. Among them are Tiffany
the Amazon, which has a removable bra; and Xena, which
can be stripped down to her voluptuous plastic body. He
says the dolls promote sexism and violence, and send
all the wrong messages to kids. His number one target
this year is called ''The Freak.'' It's a
deranged-looking action figure in tattered clothes with
a bag full of weapons. And according to the box, ''The
Freak escaped from an insane asylum and wanders around
New York.''...



[   l] 12-02-96
   DAILY NEWS (New York). Monday. Page 17. 229 words.
"Sexy Female Dolls for Boys 'Warped,' Minister Charges.
By Helen Kennedy
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   Several female action figures some with removable
bras being peddled to little boys this year are
encouraging a little too much unwrapping under the
Christmas tree, says a minister
campaigning against "warped toys." 
   Besides the sexy dolls, the Rev. Christopher Rose's
main target this year is a plastic character called
"The Freak," a deranged homeless man, complete with
tattered clothes and bagful of weapons....
   ...Most of the toys on Rose's annual list, published
Saturday in the Hartford Courant, are busty female
figures targeted at little boys. 
   Rose noted that packaging on the voluptuous plastic
Xena II, part of the "Hercules, The Legendary Journeys"
toy series, suggests: "Remove Xena's Princess warrior
outfit."
   "She's supposed to be a hero," said Rose. "But why
is it you take her clothes off? What is it teaching
little boys about women?"
   "Tiffany the Amazon" comes with a removable bra.
Scantily clad "Super Size Angela" is described on the
package as "an angel with ulterior motives."...


