I read some articles on Lego faces and how they have become angrier because Lego started making a variety of different faces. (They used to only have a normal smiley face for all minifigures.) The researcher claims it is affecting children and how they play. He also goes to suggest the increase in conflicts, (Good v.s. bad.), is concerning.  

Personally I grew up with mostly Castle and Star Wars sets and I never really paid much attention to their faces to see if they were positive or not. As a kid you don't really care because all you really care about is having fun "playing" with them.

Here is a quote from the TVNZ article.

"He said Lego would find it increasingly difficult to hold on to its positive reputation as the figures moved closer to war-like themes."

 

Is Lego's positive reputation being tarnished by war-like themes like Castle, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Galaxy Squad, etc. and are those good v.s. bad conflicts affecting the children who play with war-like themes?

Links: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/angry-lego-not-good-building-block-kids-5455347 (TVNZ.)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10888378 (New Zealand Herald.)

Ignore it.  The research and article is from New Zealand so hardly reliable 

 

I think the major flaw with it is that the increase in "war like themes" was done as a natural business expansion and to help Lego as a company survive.  I think if you just looked at something like the City theme that has been around across decades there would be different results.

 

I also think the whole "influence on kids" angle is pretty weak.  There is far more exposure to other forms of violent media for kids these days than Lego toys.  Trying to isolate the cause in any effect on kids would be nigh on impossible.

some people are just way too sensitive and have nothing better to complain about. who cares if lego faces are getting angrier. its called diversity. people in real life have angry faces all the time. this is just like the jabbas mosque thing some guy had nothing better to do so he complained and got some attention. i don't have kids but if i did i sure as hell wouldn't think for a second that an angry lego face would affect them in the slightest.

Easy solution.  Go on bricklink and buy a lot of these: "3626bp01."  Then replace the heads on all your minifigures.  That's what I do with all my sets.  They all look so happy, so.... similar

I saw an angry faced LEGO and it made me rob a liquor store.  Now I'm happy.

LAME!

I saw an angry faced LEGO and it made me rob a liquor store.  Now I'm happy.

lol nice one  angry lego faces are gonna make us all criminals

I thought this article was kinda funny. In my humble opinion Legos are one of the best toys children can play with wholesomeness wise..

I always thought it was television and violent video games that turned me into a blood crazed psychopath.  It was the Lego toys all along...

No matter what the generation, somebody somewhere must find something to blame all that is wrong in the world on. Always looking elsewhere for 'reasons' turned into excuses instead of doing the simple thing of bettering themselves.

 

In regards to the article and lack of smileys on minifgures I'll say this.

"Not every person happy is smiling, and not every person smiling is happy."

 

And another thing, before they give Lego crap for less smiling faces they should take a good long look at Mega Bloks figures. They have always had stern faces. You'd think it would kill them to crack even a small smirk once in a while.

I can see it now,

 10 years from now ill be sitting with a psychologist... Telling him the reason im an alcoholic and why i beat my children is because my anakin skywalker lego mini figure had the look of evil on his face and it disturbed me as a young boy...

i think he would send me to a mental hospital

I can see it now,

10 years from now ill be sitting with a psychologist... Telling him the reason im an alcoholic and why i beat my children is because my anakin skywalker lego mini figure had the look of evil in his place...

i think he would send me to a mental hospital

 

lmao that is hilarious

This is about what I looked like reading this, WHAT?  My smiley head figures fought wars every day of my childhood.  I either had an all out space war between my Blacktrons and Classic space guys or I had a war between my Castle factions, or they all fought each other at the end of days.  The whole time they had a smile on their face.  This is just another sign of the wussification of the world.  

This is just another sign of the wussification of the world.  

Ha ha, perfect word for the situation. Seriously people, grow a pair and some common sense; this is ludicrous.

http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2013/06/12/foto/nuova_zelanda_i_lego_sono_sempre_pi_arrabbiati-60940838/1/#1

I don't speak gobaledegook.  This needs to be translated into English.

It'd be a little weird if General Zod or Darth Maul minifigs were smiling.

For those who don't speak "gobaledegook" 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/12/191011117/legos-are-getting-angrier-and-thats-not-funny-study-says

http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2013/06/12/foto/nuova_zelanda_i_lego_sono_sempre_pi_arrabbiati-60940838/1/#1

They are all smiling in that picture because of the girl on the left.

I don't speak gobaledegook.  This needs to be translated into English.

Few people in the world don't speak english...so Google decided to help them 

I don't speak gobaledegook.  This needs to be translated into English.

Have you tried Rosetta Stone gobaledgook edition?

http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/3759-angry-lego-faces-a-sign-of-the-times/

 

Looks like that "study" and initial article has been picked up around the world now.

http://community.brickpicker.com/topic/3759-angry-lego-faces-a-sign-of-the-times/

 

Looks like that "study" and initial article has been picked up around the world now.

Yup.

Not really trying to drum up this topic; I just found this article title on CNET funny!  (Plus the article itself is pretty laughable too.)

Lego faces are getting more pissed off, study says

I like the neutral smile faces and other more blank vintage expressions for nonlicensed material.  I think the facial expressions add more to licensed themes.  I do enjoy that many 'bad' minifigure faces have inconsistent facial hair and fake teeth.  Much easier to spot the criminal element, lol.