This was absolutely based on a lawsuit threat and the refunds are being labeled a “settlement.”

From the NYT:

“Last year, lawyers threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers said, calling those claims “false because research shows that television viewing is potentially harmful for very young children.”

The letter cited estimates from The Washington Post and Business Week that Baby Einstein controlled 90 percent of the baby media market, and sold $200 million worth of products annually.

The letter also described studies showing that television exposure at ages 1 through 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7.

In response, the Baby Einstein company will refund $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein” DVDs per household, bought between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, and returned to the company.

Lawyers in the matter refused to comment on the settlement.

Last month, Baby Einstein announced the new refunds — or “enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantee” — but made no mention of the lawyers’ demands.

Harry Harlow. He did some studies with rhesus monkeys between 1957 and 1963 measuring maternal separation. He fashioned two “surrogate” mothers for the baby rhesus (rhesi?) – one covered in terrycloth and one made of wire with an added bottle of milk for food. He wanted to see if the baby monkeys were more likely to attach to the terrycloth surrogate, which felt more like their true mother…or to the wire surrogate, which provided food like their real mother. Turns out the babies would snuggle with the terrycloth surrogate until they got hungry and then they would stretch out to the wire surrogate and drink the milk.

The moral? Well, first, I bet these baby rhesus monkeys grew to be pretty effed up (assuming they were not slaughtered after the experiment – remember, it was the 50′s & 60′s), and second…you cannot replace mom and dad with surrogates. Even when it is a televised broadcast of musical genius.

now…where is my ebay account login…

Here is the FTC closing letter.

On another note, did you read the terms of the refund? They’re refunding four per household, at $15.99 a piece. I can get a pack of 26 of them on ebay right now for less than fifty dollars. How is it that the prices on ebay haven’t spiked yet?