Corporate Greed 
Ghostwritten studies appear to have been relied upon to support Merck’s claim that Vioxx was safe and effective. A 2008 editorial published in JAMA questioned whether Merck might have deliberately manipulated dozens of academic documents published in the medical literature, in order to promote Vioxx under false pretenses Many drugs are now
“marketed for perpetuity,” meaning they’re
intended to be taken for life. These include ADHD drugs,
antidepressants, statins, hormone replacement therapy,
proton pump inhibitors, and asthma-control medicines. Sadly
most of these drugs come with potential side effects that
can be far worse than your original symptom, and few of them
have been definitively proven to actually provide any
significant health benefits. In fact, some of these drugs
have been found to worsen the very condition they’re
meant to treat, and/or cause other serious diseases.
So, here's to you, child-sized crotchless panties -- and hoping you never ever happen again. In case you missed that one, see below for the full story and click through 10 more items we just weren't buying in 2011. Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo -- consistently touted as gentle and infant-friendly -- turned out to have trace amounts of cancer-causing chemicals in it. Under pressure from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the company agreed to remove said chemicals over the next two years. Obviously, no parent wants to wash his or her baby's hair with a potentially toxic substance -- no matter how convincing its commercials are. 'Kids N Teen' Store Crotchless Panties - Parents in Greeley, Colo. were up-in-arms that a kid-friendly store was selling crotchless panties (just the phrase induces shuddering). It's pretty clear that kids of all ages could do without this distasteful lingerie item. The store has since pulled the panties of its shelves for good. Toy Trucks Recalled - In April, retailers throughout North America had to empty their shelves of "Troy the Activity Truck." The toy, which was sold at Babies R Us, Toys R Us and Meijer's posed a choking hazard according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. Even with his sweet-looking, droopy eyes, Troy just couldn't be trusted to keep young kids out of harm's way. 'I Heart Rich Boys' Kmart Thong - Kmart Australia came under fire this month for selling some "racy" underwear targeted at girls (although the company maintained that these undies, part of the Girl Xpress line, were actually meant for more mature women). The underwear were emblazoned with charming phrases such as "Call Me" and "I Heart Rich Boys." (Walmart's No Boundaries Undies) Corporate Retail America seems to have been into the kinky intimate ware for pre-pubecent girls for a long time.) Mobile Learning Tablet For Infants - In case your child hasn't mastered his or her iPhone / iPad / MacBook skills yet, VINCI has created a tablet targeted specifically at infants. It seems sort of disturbing to give a baby a mini computer to begin with -- and especially one that costs $389.99. HuffPost blogger Josh Golin even included this tablet on his list of "Worst Toys of the Year." 'I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework' T-Shirt - This JC Penney's t-shirt (sold for a mere $9.99) was thrust into the national spotlight this past August, gaining national media coverage and serious notoriety. We can't even begin to express how much is wrong with the shirt's message (it seems fairly obvious), so it comes as no surprise that it's no longer being sold. The Sweet-Talkin' Ken Doll - Probably the least offensive product in this round-up, the Sweet-Talkin' Ken Doll is more creepy than anything. The "Ultimate Boyfriend". AAP Says No To Crib Bumpers - In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out solidly against the use of crib bumpers. The AAP's new regulations stated that while crib bumpers have not been proved to reduce risk of injury, they have been proven to increase the risk of SIDS. 'Smart Like Dad,' 'Pretty Like Mommy' Onesies - Iconic infant clothing company Gymboree faced the wrath of the mom blogosphere for selling "Smart Like Dad" onesies for infants, but no female equivalent (just onesies emblazoned with the tag line "Pretty Like Mommy"). Parents started two separate petitions, one on Change.org and one on MomsRising.org. Although Gymboree never formally responded to the petitions, the items are nowhere to be found on the company's website. Toy Keys Recalled - At the beginning of August, Battat Inc. was forced to recall over 1 million toy keys because they posed a choking hazard. The keys, which were recalled in both the U.S. and Canada, apparently broke apart far too easily. The company decided not to take any chances -- clearly an intelligent decision. Forever 21
'Allergic To Algebra' Tee - Not to be outdone by JC
Penney's, Forever 21 rolled out a shirt in the same vein
just a few short weeks after August's "T-shirt-gate."
Although it didn't quite reach the same levels of offensive
that the "I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework" t-shirt did, it
still ruffled some feathers and sent some questionable
messages to the young girls it was marketed to. Shockingly,
young women around the world are still doing long
division. |
The
6 Types of Pills Big Pharma Wants You Hooked On for Life -
Story at-a-glance
