Toys for tots get trashed after Christmas: A Kenny Be Special Report

Holiday 2010: The never-ending toy story.

The backstory of Christmastime in a consumer culture always plays out in the alleys of Denver. This is where yesterday's must-haves are temporarily tethered to trash bins in an effort to make room for a glut of new holiday gifts. The kiddie clunker pictured above waits to make its final trip to the dump, where it will be entombed with a plethora of plastic playthings...

Holiday 2010: Dumpster kitchen.

If only the kiddie kitchenette in the photo above could speak! Imagine the many stories of whipping up imaginary meals out of thin air for dolls pretending to eat. Besides the insult of what looks like a still serviceable toy getting trashed, there is the sadness that the child who owned this toy outgrew it and now faces a lifetime of toil whipping up meals out of thin air in a real kitchen.

As seen below, somewhere a doll is crying tonight...