I just saw a TV commercial about Easter and I am very upset about it.  It is a mother saying that SHE will have no problem filling her children's Easter baskets with all the stuff that Wal-Mart has.  This is wrong because alot of kids still believe in the Easter Bunny.  I am a 62 year old woman and I believe in letting children believe in some fantasy in this already messed up world.

Danielle:

Will Wal-Mart be hiring actors to play the Easter Bunny (as malls generally do), or will the company be asking associates to put on a rabbit costume (like Wal-Mart did with Santa Claus last year)?

     I do not appreciate your recent commercial.  It is an Easter commercial with children and a mother talking about the Easter bunny, and what he has brought them in their baskets.  The children talk about the wonderful kinds of chocolate in their Easterbaskets on Easter morning, and the mother says, "Now I can put more in their baskets for less."  My children were watching ABC Family and this commercial came on.  My child's remark to the mother's statement was, "Ugh, there is no such thing as the Easter Bunny?"  This statement from my daughter really upset me, and ruined my daughter's belief in the Easter Bunny.  I am sure that other concerned parents were in shock that Wal Mart would air a commercial with that information on it.   

I think Wal-Mart should pull the add where the mother comments that because of the low prices she can put more in the children's Easter baskets.  Children watch these commercials and some of them still believe that Easter Bunny fills their baskets!!!!

Just saw the Walmart Easter commercial, with my 9 year old daughter, where the mother says, "Now I can fill up their Easter baskets and not spend a fortune."  Or something similiar to that, and my daughter's response was, "Thanks, Walmart."  What were you thinking?

With Wal-mart's recent commercial having the mom say that she can put more in her kids' baskets by shopping at Wal-mart, I'm surprised that Wal-mart is even having the Easter Bunny.  My 5 year old saw that commercial and is totally confused.  He still believed in the Easter Bunny, until today.  How can I take him to see the Easte Bunny now? So thanks for ruining that for him, and guess where I am not going to be shopping to fill the Easter baskets this year or ever?  Is Santa Claus going to be next?

Misty

Why does Walmart's commercial for Easter Candy have a mom saying that she fills the baskets?  I have young children who are enjoying the legend of an Easter bunnny.  This commercial came on during a cooking show and my daughter questioned who fills the basket, she thought it was the Easter bunny.

I expect a family store like Walmart to be better about childhood stories and not be revealing the "truth" in a commercial.  Is Santa going to be next?  I hope not.

I find it interesting that Walmart advertises the easter bunny coming.  Walmart currently has ads showing a mother stating "I can put more in their basket".  To me, this tells children that there is no easter bunny and the mother is giving them the basket.

I am with many others here in saying I am extremely disappointed in the current Easter commercial.  At the end, the Mom says, "I can put more in their Easter baskets for less." My 5 year old was watching (this was on at 5:30pm) and now she's questioning me about the Easter Bunny and who fills the baskets.  You would think a family store would be more careful about what they are putting out there.  Certainly this could have been worded differently and save the Easter Bunny from an early demise. 

I AM GLAD TO SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY UPSET PARENT.  I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT WAL MART WOULD AIR A COMMERCIAL ON ALL CHANNELS, STATING SUCH.  HELLO.... YOU NEED TO PULL THIS COMMERCIAL NOW AND CHANGE YOUR WEBSITE!!!! I CAN NOT BELIVE THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE SUCH A COMMERCIAL.  I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE A COMPANY FOR FAMILIES!!!

THANKS ALOT WAL-MART...which ad agency goofed up this one?  Your recent Easter Commercial had my 4 children looking at me with puzzled eyes.  "Who is the real Easter Bunny?"  they asked.  PULL THE AD AND BE MORE CAREFUL.  Know your audience!

I watched the Easter commercial at 4:00 on a Saturday and almost fell off my chair!  I have a 10 year old son who still believes in the Easter bunny and Santa Claus, a mirarcle, itself!  I am outraged by this commerical.  We try to censor our children from the horors of the world. Do we now how to protect them from Walmart?  Who, I feel, is attempting to rob them of their childhood innocence with such a commercial? .  Typically, this happens in school , and in our case we have been able to convince our son otherwise. However, I can't debate a national TV commercial.  Someone in your company definitely has poor judgement!  By the way, we wont need to shop at Walmart for Easter treats anymore.. thanks to Walmart the Easter Bunny won't be coming to our house!  Thanks!

I am also upset about walmarts new commercial which is very disappointing to children.  I hope my kids don't see this commercial and start asking questions.  How rude of them to air this on tv.  Thanks walmart for ruining easter for children all across the usa.  I hope you make lots of money on your easter candy sales, but I will be shopping somewhere else. 

Yeah... thanks Wal-mart. You have now told my 7 year old that the Easter Bunny isn't the one that fills the baskets. :(

The commercial starts out with kids diggin in their baskets and bragging about all the stuff they received.

Then the mom comes out and says... I love Wal-marts low prices cause I can fill their baskets. Blah blah blah.

Umm... why couldn't they just replace the mom with an Easter Bunny and the bunny could say... "I love Wal-mart. Now filling your Easter baskets is easy on my wallet."  Or something!!!

I can't believe this. Wal-mart if you need someone to critique your commercials.... choose one of us. Because apparently the group of idiots that ok'ed that commercial are not doing their jobs.

WALMART has ruined the spirit of the Easter bunny. Unfortunately I have already purchased my candy and basket supplies at Walmart. But honestly... for what? My daughter knows that I am doing it now. 

This not only has me upset, but my child's father & her grandparents.

I thank all you mothers who also are thanking Walmart for their careless attitude towards Easter, I too have a young child (4!) who is questioning who brings the basket!!!

Thanks Walmart but you lost my sales this Easter!!!!

Stephanie, Covington, LA

I just saw your ad for Easter and I was very upset by the comment made by the mother that stated that she now can put more in the Easter baskets.  Children DO watch T.V. and some still BELIEVE in the Easter Bunny!! Perhaps you should reconsider this ad.

Thank you wal-mart for helping explain to my kids that there is no way the easter bunny or santa can bring you everything your commercial just made my son trust me even more i explain that parents help the santa and easter bunny and every other holiday we celebrate  i explain that its the parents job to help so that the easter bunny knows all his kids get something for eater .... come on parents lets get real and talk to our children

I think Walmart should read this! And apply it to the Easter Bunny situation.

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it’s so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

I have 2 nieces that no longer believe in the Easter Bunny thanks to Walmarts selfish commercial.  They had to know what they were doing when they approved that commercial.  But why they did it is beyond me!  I have not done any shopping for Easter yet, but you better believe, it will not be at Walmart.  That commercial should be pulled off the air.  And any network that shows it, is just as wrong as Walmart.

who buys the PEZ for walmart? please tell them to pick it up! i can't find hardly any in your stores!

who can tell us what you buy and where you put them? they are never in the same place and speaking for a lot of collectors, it's really frustrating! i've tried asking people in the store and they say "what?" hard to imagine they don't know what a pez is.

 I am not talking to my child and telling her that the easter bunny and Santa are not real, If it brings joy to my child and others  then that is up to you to tell your child that they are not real Not wal- mart or any other store or person. 

My kids saw your lousy easter commercial before I did, and told me that they found out the easter bunny isn't real because of it. Wal-Mart told  them that moms fill their kids  baskets, which really sucks the fun out of  family tradition.  I am a mother of four and come from a family of four kids. In my family we don't get cheap store bought pre-assembled easter baskets. We have baskets which are magically filled then hidden by the easter bunny. Whether or not we really believed in the Easter Bunny isn't the point, but we all play along with sincerity and that makes it a special treat. The contents of the baskets are personalized and special,  it is our tradition. What is so magical about a mom buying a pre-filled basket stuffed with a few candies and cheap toys that fall apart? For years i have had to try to explain all the pre made easter baskets for sale at the stores. Now i have to explain the truth to my kids, that Wal-mart is trying to ruin peoples beleifs in the easter bunny so that they can SELL MORE CHEAP BASKETS. This year, The Easter Bunny will shop elsewhere.

Wow, you have very perceptive children that listen intently to commercials (that are not toy or Hannah Montana related).  My kids are not dissecting walmart commercial dialogue and then debating its substance in relation to their beliefs.

I am extremly upset by this Easter ad. How did this get through? Did nobody from the person who thought of the ad to the person who filmed it think it may ruin the magic of the Easter Bunny? When I go to buy my Easter treats to help the Easter bunny out I will not be shopping at Wal-Mart!

I too am one of the unhappy parents that unfortunately saw your recent Easter ad that has been mentioned in all the above e-mails.  There is so little "magic" left in this world....kids have to grow up quick enough already.  I was only hoping to keep the magic of the Easter Bunny a little longer.  My boys look forward to it every year and I know I certainly enjoy making it a special day.   Now your ad has brought up questions about the holiday and about the fun existence of the Easter Bunny.  It should be every parents choice whether or not they want to keep with tradition and this commercial certainly doesn't help those of us which like the tradition.  Just wish a little more thought would have gone into the ad.  I am disappointed and who else should I hold responsible but your company.   

I am totally amazed by the comments on this post - all of you parents who want to exert control over your child's reality by lying to them about the Easter Bunny - and then let them watch TV!! 

Be consistent - either control their environment - tell them whatever fantasies you want - and shield them from outside influences that you can't control - (like television, school and their friends!!)  or teach them to live in the real world knowing the difference of pretending for fun and excitement, and being lied to and misled by persons in authority.

Stop blaming a TV commercial for exposing the disconnects in your own parenting styles and take responsibility for raising your children.

The new wal-mart easter commercial just aired on the television and I can not believe its content. In this commercial the mother states that she can buy more candy at Wal-Mart to fill her childrens' easter baskets . It baffles me that Wal-Mart would air a commercial that could ruin childrens' belief in the easter bunny. Did no one on the advertising team put any thought into the commercial?  Very thoughtless and inconsiderate.

I am also very upset about this ad. We we just watching the Food network and when this commercial came on (I was in the kitchen and overheard it) my kids looked at each other in disbelief and started whispering to each other. Can't imagine what WalMart was thinking (or wasn't).

I'm disgusted!  Glad to see that other parents are as upset as we are about the Easter ad.  At first my husband & I only saw it after 8:30 PM and we still got upset.  What if we let our son stay up late one weekend night.  Then this morning while watching a show with both of my children there is the ad.  Unbelievable, what where you thinking telling children that parents fill Easter baskets!  The questions that it raised.  Are you going to tell them about Santa and the Tooth Fairy too?  PULL THE AD!

What the heck are you thinking???  Does no one in your advertising department have children???   As someone else said you could have made a brilliant ad by showing the Easter Bunny saying how much more he could put in baskets this year, thanks to WalMart.  My kids haven't seen the commercial and it wouldn't affect them personally (they are 16 and 11) however they are very sensitive children and will be heartbroken for any child who will be crushed by this commercial.  This world is too real for kids these days, all that is on the news is violence.  Yes it is a violent world, but for a few days a year (Easter, Christmas) as parents, we can let our children be innocents and have a belief in something.  Thanks a lot WalMart.  For anyone who has already purchased Easter basket stuff at WalMart, I would suggest finding your receipts and heading straight back to the store.  And demanding your money back. 

I just want to say Thanks to Walmart for saving me about $60.00 this year.  Now that my children have seen your Easter Bunny commercial, they no longer believe and I will not be needing your Easter stuff!!!

Maybe my money does not matter to Walmart but if enough parents banned together they just might notice.

Walmart should be ashamed at this Easter Bunny Commercial!!!! With all the bad in the world today what is next? Santa? Retailers are already pushing it by advertising Stocking Stuffers!!

Why would one of the biggest retailers in the nation stoop so low as to do this to children?  If Walmart is still around when my children grow up I hope they will take their business eslewhere, and remember Walmart taking away the Easter Bunny and soon Santa.  We as parents need to band together and shop somewhere else!!! Not only for Easter but all the time.   If enough of us do maybe Walmart will get knocked down a notch or two. We all did fine without Walmart--we can do it again! We really are not paying more when we shop somewhere else.....Walmart has their store rigged so to make it hard to go for just  a few things....most people come out with more than they went in for.  Lots of stores like Kroger, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Freds have food staples for much less than Walmart and will even MATCH Walmart prices if theirs is lower to get your business!!

I am sure Walmart will not think they have done anything wrong now, but maybe enough children will remember Walmart Stealing from their childhood and not shop at Walmart when they are older.

Thanks again Wamart!

I would like to say that reading these comments truly upset me.  It is sad to see that a religous holiday has turned so commericial.  Are you also teaching your children the meaning of Easter and the history behind it, or is it all about the Easter bunny?  There is no Easter bunny in the story of Jesus.  Put things into persepective and get over the fact that a commericial is being realistic.

Another thought...how do explain to your children all the Easter related things that are in the store?  That is where the Easter bunny stores it?

I can't believe what I saw on TV. My kids just happen to be in bed so they didn't hear it. How on earth could you be so heartless as to ruin the Easter bunny for little children!! There was no excuse to have this commercial on tv and it needs to be pulled. Unfortunately I'm sure it has already ruined the fun for many children's (and the parent's) easters. Thanks a lot Wal-Mart!

My daughter saw the ad on Food Network.  She is
8 and she said "Well, that's mean".  Thanks alot Walmart.  I knew you were trying to discourage older people by making it almost impossible for them to go shopping.  Now you are trying to hurt innocent children's fun.  I think it should be left to parents to tell their children about such things, not hear them on every T.V. station.  I will be taking back the purchase I had already made.

i cant believe you put that commercial on.  I also have a nine and a seven year old.  they also asked why the mom puts the candy in the basket instead of the easter bunny?  why would you put this on TV.  STUPID.  i cant wait to see what you have in mind for next Christmas.  i bet my kids wont believe anymore.  thanks a lot. 

This weekend, a friend warned me about your "mom filling the basket" Easter commercial.  I didn't believe that it could be as bad as she made it sound.  After seeing it myself - Clearly I was wrong!  You've outed the secret of the Easter Bunny!  Seriously, what were you thinking?!?  Shame on you for approving this ad!  PULL IT before you do any more damage!  Finally, and obviously, I will be making my purchases from Target or Meijer!

When this commercial first started airing I sent a letter to Walmart corporate via their contact link on the corporate page of their website. NO RESPONSE. SO now I am wondering.. . .does anyone read their e-mails at Wal*Mart or their blog comments for that matter. Acknowledgement from Walmart might be nice don't ya think?

And to all of you parents who are on your high horses condeming all of the "over-controlling" moms whom you assume are having the television babysitting their kids while forgoing the "real" meaning of Easter for teaching their kids about the Easter Bunny - heres my response to you which I also posted to another such "whats your problem" poster when told to teach my kids reality vs fantasy . . .

. . . . Walmart airing a commercial that clearly hints towards the non-existence of the Easter Bunny is not only rediculously insensitive to their main market (MOMS) its just plain stupid. In reality is it the end of the world - NO - but on the flip side, was it necessary to put moms in the predicament of having to explain why something their kids want to believe in might not be true - nope, totally not necessary. Theres a number of ways that commercial could have been worded and they chose to make unresponsible choices and piss off a bunch of moms. Your assumption is that all kids that view that commercial are at an age that they can understand the “talk” about what is and isn’t right - what is and isn’t real - what should happen vs what does happen. Why put parents in that position in the first place, we have enough out there to protect our childrens innocence from. I make choices like not letting my kids watch questionable shows - I protect their viewpoints of the world by skewing certain answers - do I lie- damn right I do, life is hard enough and if I choose to lie to my children because they get pleasure out of enjoying imaginary concepts than thats my business and its certainly not Walmarts place to force the issue when I’m not ready to go there yet. The long and short of it is - by airing a commercial of that nature during times that a child would clearly see it (its not like its only on at night) than Walmart has lost my Easter shopping business along with a lot of other moms.

 I think it's pathetic that you have all be lying to your children about the Easter Bunny (and apparently Santa).  No surprise to my kids, they know Easter isn't about the bunny, and Christmas isn't about the fat man in the red suit. 

And they are lots more "innocent" than many of their friends who DO believe the lies.  They have NO problem with their imaginations....and totally know that the easter bunny and santa are made-up. 

So, obviously, I don't have a problem with the commercials or my kids seeing them. 

When you lie, at som