Guns + Kids = Fun

From the days when boys were allowed to be boys, here’s a wild TV commercial for the Dick Tracy “Tommy Burst” machine gun and detective set. “You Can Tell It’s Mattel: It’s Swell!”

Was that Otis Campbell, Mayberry’s own town drunk at the window?

Notice the “detective set” doesn’t include anything like a fingerprinting kit, magnifying glass, notebook or binoculars. Just a pistol, a Tommy gun and a badge to make the killing all legal-like. Because that’s about all there is to detective work.

Obviously we’ve seen the last of playthings like this, although Mattel is still managing to make dangerous toys, bless ’em. But be honest, wouldn’t you rather expire manfully from a “safe” bullet in the eye than go out like a punk, licking lead paint off a “Press-N-Go Elmo”?