When a Florida parent learned that there were action figures from the very adult cable drama “Breaking Bad” on the shelf at Toys ‘R’ Us, she was upset. Not because she hates the show or anything, but because she found the toys inappropriate. She began an online petition campaign and spoke to a local TV station, and Toys ‘R’ Us has responded by taking the toys off its virtual and real-life shelves.

Toys ‘R’ Us confirmed to the Associated Press that the figures are no longer being sold in their stores. “Let’s just say, the action figures have taken an indefinite sabbatical,” a statement from the chain said. We suspected this on Monday afternoon, when we went to link to the products on the Toys ‘R’ Us site and found that the products were gone from the site. Not out of stock, but the items were erased from the online catalog entirely.

This story drew publicity to the action figure line, leading many people to sy, “Wait a minute! I didn’t know that these exist, and I want one!” Even the manufacturer’s site is out of stock or only accepting pre-orders for items that aren’t out yet. Having someone demand to ban a product is apparently a great way to gain publicity for it.

A counter-petition, also hosted on Change.org, argued that it’s completely appropriate for a toy store to sell “toys” for adult collectors and fans of violent movies and television shows. “Toys R Us recognized there was a void in the toy market left by the closing of stores like KB, Suncoast, and Tower Records,” the petition’s introduction points out. If the store can sell games with adult content, why can’t action figures and dolls coexist in different sections of the same store?

Just like TRU doesn’t sell “M” rated video game titles to young kids, they will not sell age-inappropriate toys to kids. PARENTS should be the one dictating what their kids watch, buy, read, play and consume, NOT the buyers or employees of Toys R Us.

For now, the anti-action figure forces have won. Plenty of other potentially controversial figures remain in stock, but the toy store is now a meth kingpin-free zone.

Toys R Us pulls ‘Breaking Bad’ dolls [Associated Press]

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