I remember a couple years ago the pet stores had to stop selling clown fish, because of Finding Nemo. A few years before that, there was a spike in dalmations at the shelters, because of 1001 Dalmations. I don't understand why parents just don't take a few moments, learn about the specifics of care and personality of the breeds of animals their kids are whining for, educate their children about those facts, and then tell them no, we can't get a clown fish, because they're salt water fish, and very very hard to care for. Or, no, we can't ge a dalmation, because they aren't the kind of dogs who actually like children, and they really need alot of attention. But as far as I can tell, if you tell a kid "no" that's some sort of abuse.
Again, it's always kind of sad to realize that, at least from what I've read, CF'ers would make much better parents than most existing parents now. We just seem more thoughtful in the choices we make, and don't just go out and blow a wad on some bullshit because "everyone else is doing it". Oh well.