very weird

but can understand emotionally. Its different when you know someone in the military—though I myself wouldn’t have a cut-out of my uncle in my livingroom.

Posted by: letumubique99 on October 24th, 2008.

military background

I myself do not have anyone in my immediate family in the military... I have friends and friends of friends in though...

I do not like the idea of this at all.

common sence says this is weird.

pictures are hard enough to look at when someone is gone.

Posted by: Cancerstheproof on February 5th, 2007.

wow.

so, do those families think it's funny or cute to carry their flat daddy around with them? that is the most disturbing joke i've ever seen.

Posted by: aylacatherine on November 13th, 2006.

just bad

as a veteran i am not happy with the thought that i am easly replaced with a cut out of all things.

Posted by: heusinkveld on November 11th, 2006.

created by an army officer

a number of commentators have asked "who would have thought this up?"

In the summary on the Review page it says St. Cindy Sorenson, an individual officer, and that the idea was later picked up by the army.

Who am I to judge, since I can't possibly imagine what it's like to be a child or family member in the unfortunate circumstance of having a loved one in Iraq?

Posted by: ali on October 25th, 2006.

Eeew

I find this endlessly creepy and somewhat sad. There is a comfort in memories and photographs, etc, but this seems like a false comfort. Daddy is not just an image or a chunk of matter--Daddy is flesh and blood in a warzone and its important to tell children about that reality. To boot, as someone else said, it seems like they're aleady dead.

Posted by: stroll on October 24th, 2006.

that's horrible

What happens when "flat Daddy" dies overseas fighting an unjust war? Thank goodness the government has provided these families with a nice cardboard cutout to walk daughters down the aisle, teach children how to drive, and be a member of the family.

Posted by: imisslincoln on October 20th, 2006.

shameful?

first, i dont think that a person can be replaced by a piece of creepy looking cardboard.
eventhough the families in the pics look happy, how real and true are those images? are they staged? is this another effort by the gov and army to deflect the attention from their currupt and "evil" actions?
i think overall it is very predatorial upon the feelings of the families of those involved in the armed conflict

Posted by: monoalex81 on October 19th, 2006.

are you serious?

*incredibly* awkward. I don't know how a family could pose with that, or make their kids pose with it. I mean, that's like five years of therapy of just waiting to happen.

Posted by: architekality on October 18th, 2006.

wow

thats just stupid. its soo messed up. you cant replace someones father with a cardboard cut out of them. its creepy

Posted by: wills425 on October 18th, 2006.

a different perspective

I'm not sure anyone here on this messageboard has anyone in Iraq but if they do, will they speak up? Obviously, the pictures show people who are really finding comfort and happiness with this thing, so there MUST be something; we could really use a military family perspective here.

Posted by: bigjeff on October 18th, 2006.

WTF?

Wow.

Nothing can substitute daddy. Except for cardboard daddy.

Posted by: cheekymonkey on October 18th, 2006.

creeps

I have no idea where they are coming from on this one... I mean, what the hell is going on?

poor taste? lack of judgement here, what mind thought this up and then showed it to a review board... wich, of whom decided it's a [go]? are we serious now one reffered to this as comforting, are you out of your mind? a cardboard cut out of someone you love and miss equals comfort? it's like putting them in an early grave.

Posted by: cancerstheproof on October 18th, 2006.

i'm confused

i don't really understand this. are these cardboard cutouts supposed to make families feel like they're closer to the person overseas? it seems just creepy to me, making your kids pose with their dad's torso.

Posted by: soapnana on October 17th, 2006.

How's this

I have a better idea, why don't we send the cut-outs to war and keep the real fathers here.

Posted by: Truth on October 16th, 2006.

Good purpose...awful ending

I can't seem to put my head around this one. Photos aren't enough?

Posted by: bwfeeney on October 16th, 2006.

It is a normal reaction

A natural reaction of comfort, very human and nice.
I don’t think this is part of the pentagon marketing strategy.
This is filling a huge gap in the families involved. Disturbing as hell though, stop the war please.

Posted by: cubes on October 15th, 2006.

beyond bizarre

I suppose it's createdwith the best of intentions (by a soldier, I think it said), but I find this insanely disturbing. What are the kids in the back seat of the car supposed to do if, God forbid, their father is killed in action? This is creepier than "Jesus Camp."

Posted by: camper on October 15th, 2006.

sad but sweet

my knee-jerk reaction was recoil, but the families in the photos seem to be happy and to enjoy interacting with their loved ones' lifesize photos--it's their opinions that count.

Posted by: ali on October 13th, 2006.

ick.

it's like...taxadermy (sp?) but not.

morbid as shit.

Posted by: roxie on October 13th, 2006.

"Do you want to sleep over?"

"Hold on. Let me ask my dad. Oh, wait a minute. I can't. He's made of cardboard."

F**k the Pentagon's marketing dept. and f**k their poor taste.

Posted by: addinnyc on October 12th, 2006.

are you kidding me?

i'm speachless, that is so disturbing. why are their heads so big? it seems like the guys are already dead. me no likey.

-A

Posted by: euroskip on October 12th, 2006.