'You'll shoot your eye out.' 70 years and counting for iconic toy of 'A Christmas Story'
In the opening minutes of the popular holiday film " A Christmas Story," little Ralphie Parker is mesmerized by a BB gun in a store window. Not just any BB gun, but "the holy grail of Christmas gifts," the Red Ryder 200-shot range model air rifle.
Of course, this being the Chicago Tribune, we don't get more than two more paragraphs in before the PSH starts:
But the notion of buying guns — even iconic guns that are considered toys — as children's gifts is a delicate topic these days. A leading gun violence prevention group notes that more than 10,000 people received emergency room treatment for pellet and BB gun injuries in 2009. And Daisy Outdoor Products, maker of the Red Ryder, acknowledged that gun awareness has hurt sales.
Okay, I'm going to have to ask for an unbiased link on that statistic. I find it exceeding hard to believe that there were 10,000 ER visits due to Red Ryder BB guns in 2009. Something tells me they're conflating all air rifle/air soft/paintball and other injuries, from guys that trip and fall playing paintball to kids getting a BB removed from their buttocks after a rousing game of BB gun tag...
I couldn't resist this story - sent to me by reader Chiefjaybob - especially considering I bought TheBoy his Red Ryder over two years ago...
That is all.
7 comments:
Something should be done. I posted this:
http://violentindifference.blogspot.com/2010/12/call-to-small-arms.html
Unless you get a BB in the eye, rub some dirt in it and get back to your BB gun war.
That was my philosophy.
I can't imagine going to the ER for a BB gun injury unless someone used one like a club and broke my arm or something.
Geez.
Seriously, both my brothers still have their eyes.
We were taught that anything thrown, dropped or shot could hurt someone bad. the idea of shooting at each other was well, not considered unless it was with garden hose or maybe later nerf toy.
As to the "come on" I shoot a Crossman/sheridan .22 pump up that I have taken rabbits with at 25yards! Then again I can throw a rock that far not as accurately but likely very capable of greater injury.
The point, any projectile with weight or speed can cause injury, until kids understand that they need to be watched. Unfortunately there are those that don't teach that and other have to suffer their stupidity.
Eck!
Of course, note that Daisy didn't make a Red Ryder in quite the configuration seen in the movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story#Ralphie.27s_Red_Ryder_BB_gun
...and partway down this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ryder_BB_Gun
Clearly the writer has problems with math right from the start.
"70 years and counting for iconic toy of 'A Christmas Story'"
Let's see. That movie was produced in 1983. If 2010 - 1983 = 70, then I can believe the stats quoted.
Maybe their sales are hurting because the once beloved toys are MADE IN CHINA. I was stupid enough to buy one in chinatown, er, I mean at walmart without checking the package last year. Won't even let my kids touch it. Started them on the ruger 22's (10/22 and MarkII) instead. The RED (ha ha) ryder gets the tannerite treatment this spring.
Anon, I think that the 70 years marks the beginning of production for the Red Ryder.
And yes, it is a damn shame they are made in China...
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