TheaterFire

I didn’t post the GoFundMe link because I didn’t know if that was allowed, but this makes me sad. Mattel should back up a truck full of money and take care of this guy.

Posted by Shatterstar23@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 241 comments

I didn’t post the GoFundMe link because I didn’t know if that was allowed, but this makes me sad. Mattel should back up a truck full of money and take care of this guy.

Reply to Post

241 Comments

Papichuloft@reddit

I watched about half of a He Man docusmentary, and He Man made Mattel over a billion buck from the toys back in the 80's, whcih today would be triple that.
View on Reddit #79786159

Gold-Mushroom9811@reddit

Sad to hear, I was a big Heman fan as a kid. My mom had dementia and died last year. The final stages are truly terrible. I donated in her memory. Wishing his family nothing but peace.
View on Reddit #79300920

No-Star-4343@reddit

I’m really sorry about your mom. Dementia is such a cruel thing to watch. It says a lot about you that you donated in her memory.
View on Reddit #79645095

Gold-Mushroom9811@reddit

Thanks for the kind words!
View on Reddit #79646267

No-Star-4343@reddit

Of course. I hope you’ve had some space to process everything. That kind of loss lingers.
View on Reddit #79647687

BilingualClothes27@reddit

Only giving him $5,000 is a slap in the face. They could afford to pay all his medical bills for the remainder of his life and not even notice the expenses. I think a boycott of Mattel products would be pertinent in this situation. Or at least bringing it out in to the view of mainstream society. Their “contribution” really shows how much they care for those who made them rich in the first place. Their actions are disgraceful.
View on Reddit #79619008

ProfitLost9408@reddit

This makes me so incredibly angry. Before I became an RN, my focus was working with dementia in a home healthcare caregiver role. There are so many families struggling to pay for healthcare for their loved ones that have fallen to dementia. Most can't afford to put them in memory care and having a caregiver is expensive too. I try so hard to give free care to at least one family when I can, because it's a disease that not many can handle and there are no liferafts for those that don't have the money to shell out for expensive care in a nursing home (and in many of those cases, the healthcare workers are stretched so thin, they burn out too quickly...and those with dementia are just parked into 'rec rooms', ignored, and to simply wait to die). I HATE HATE HATE our healthcare system. It is cruel and unjust.
View on Reddit #79483946

Cubelock@reddit

>According to the top donations, the Mattel Foundation also chipped in with $5,000 to help the man whose creations still make them a ton of money today. [(Source)](https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/24/he-man-creator-roger-sweet-treated-for-dementia/) Harsh..
View on Reddit #79285894

Express-Cow190@reddit

With a new He-Man coming out in 2026, you would think this would be the time to give some good PR. But then again I’m sure the accountants reminded them putting an “in memory of” at the end of the credits is cheaper instead.
View on Reddit #79288272

DJWGibson@reddit

Sure. But this also banks on the movie being a critical and/or commercial hit and not a huge bomb.
View on Reddit #79291546

dethslayer85@reddit

Definitely going to bomb lol
View on Reddit #79294180

DJWGibson@reddit

Probably. The show is popular among a very narrow age range and none of the three or four attempts to reboot the cartoon have really succeeded. It's trying to do what *Barbie* did but likely without the social commentary and meta narrative. Plus, it just seems like a rental. Skip until streaming.
View on Reddit #79294920

dethslayer85@reddit

🏴‍☠️
View on Reddit #79300310

DJWGibson@reddit

Which is what you do if you hate the IP and don't want them to ever make another. Movies are dying and theatres are struggling.
View on Reddit #79305203

OppositeRun6503@reddit

Movies are dying because today's generation has been raised on miniseries programming instead of Movies since streaming and premium movie networks no longer broadcast movies anymore.
View on Reddit #79375963

DJWGibson@reddit

Ticket sales have been declining steadily since 2002. This isn't the result of "today's generation" unless by that you mean people 40 and younger.
View on Reddit #79376971

yournamehere10bucks@reddit

Stopped going to the theaters around 2002 after some kid poured his soda between the seat from behind me and soaked me. DVD and big ass TVs or projectors for the win and now the only kids spilling their drinks on me are my own, and I didnt pay Cinplex $30 a head to see it.
View on Reddit #79455357

BigHobbit@reddit

Looks dope.
View on Reddit #79343982

HupetteGroulx@reddit

Yup, if only because of SkeLeto.
View on Reddit #79294335

silentbutsmedley@reddit

Not really. The movie is being launched by Amazon. The creatives have already made their money. It’s just a question of whether or not Amazon gets theirs back for buying it.
View on Reddit #79303135

12345CodeToMyLuggage@reddit

In *memory?*
View on Reddit #79289037

Fresh-Toilet-Soup@reddit

You have a dark sense of humor
View on Reddit #79305206

Planetofthought@reddit

I don't think they were making a joke.
View on Reddit #79305473

12345CodeToMyLuggage@reddit

I was
View on Reddit #79306511

Planetofthought@reddit

Right. Gotcha. This is awkward. Should I laugh?
View on Reddit #79312482

Apprehensive_Hat8986@reddit

The usual protocol here is a derisive snort or cough. Then carry on being even enraged at the billionaires at the top. (who are actually laughing at us)
View on Reddit #79351226

12345CodeToMyLuggage@reddit

I forget
View on Reddit #79313131

Rampasta@reddit

Yes, its cheaper to say 'I care' to show it by actually helping thean with a more significant donation
View on Reddit #79290465

Captain_Desi_Pants@reddit

In honor of, maybe…
View on Reddit #79320455

OneTwoThreeFourFf@reddit

"I'm not dead yet."
View on Reddit #79307299

nucl3ar0ne@reddit

I wonder if he gets any kind of royalties.
View on Reddit #79298598

hurlanon@reddit

No, he was an employee of Mattel, so they own all the rights.
View on Reddit #79301694

big_ringer@reddit

That's the change in the fucking sofa cushions to Mattell
View on Reddit #79382094

seolchan25@reddit

$5000. What the fucking hell? That is disgusting.
View on Reddit #79287942

abd1tus@reddit

Yeah. They could market a charitable “creators” line of toys, sell out in 5 minutes, and completely fund him.
View on Reddit #79313271

Gregory_GTO@reddit

They wouldn't even have to do that much because that would probably involve an assembly line. I'm sure they have things they could auction off if they were to hold a charitable auction for him.
View on Reddit #79338717

Gregory_GTO@reddit

I'd rather get nothing than that slap in the fucking face.
View on Reddit #79338597

WelcheMingziDarou@reddit

That is barely above the value of ONE quite used Battle Cat spring ride-on thingy. We got one in 1985. Sadly it’s long gone - otherwise I’d sell it and match the price to *donate more than fucking Mattel did!*
View on Reddit #79304869

audiate@reddit

That’ll last maybe 45 days if n a memory care facility
View on Reddit #79287668

jackytheripper1@reddit

Nah, it's $800-$1000 per DAY
View on Reddit #79334901

Emotional_Warthog658@reddit

Memory care is often more than $1000 a day :(  There is a whole cottage industry of people being an aid to someone in a senior apartment so they don’t have to go in a memory care A woman quoted me 1200 a month or so? On top of the 4000 in rent, my mother-in-law paid.  And it’s completely under the table, because if you get caught, you’re no longer a fit for senior living and you have to move out.
View on Reddit #79289656

Captain_Desi_Pants@reddit

wtf we are the richest 3rd world country. Piss poor excuses always as to why we can’t afford to fund this stuff but forever unlimited money for the military, Israel, DHS budget bumps, tax cuts for the uber-wealthy…etc.
View on Reddit #79320690

SignificantUse9375@reddit

Not even a month
View on Reddit #79288438

ThruTexasYouandMe@reddit

That's fucking INSANE.
View on Reddit #79287787

DJWGibson@reddit

I do wonder how much He-Man actually makes Mattel these days. It's not really sold in toy stores. It's a legacy brand that sells collectibles in hobby shops to adults who were fans in the '80s. It's likely not making that much money.
View on Reddit #79291835

KitchenNazi@reddit

A new He-Man moving is coming out this summer.
View on Reddit #79317832

DJWGibson@reddit

Sure, which exists because *Barbie* made bank despite all expectations. But I think a lot of people expect it to bomb. But even if it does manage to turn a profit that doesn't always translate into toy sales.
View on Reddit #79324997

glavent@reddit

They should have said, don’t worry we will take care of his needs. Cheaper in the long run for them to do this PR stunt than a measly $5k which is worse than them just ignoring the whole thing
View on Reddit #79319923

TheMatt561@reddit

What a joke
View on Reddit #79316597

somanysheep@reddit

A whole $5k? Wow! He must not have any rights to his work...
View on Reddit #79286992

secretlythecat@reddit

Don't know for sure but most artist/creators from that era don't.
View on Reddit #79309189

Mediocre_Nectarine13@reddit

He doesn’t for two main reasons: 1. There isn’t any real idea as to who created He-Man to get sole credit for it. Roger Sweet and Mark Taylor both take credit for it and even people who worked at Mattel have never really given anyone some credit for creating He-Man. 2. He worked at Mattel when the idea for He-Man came about so that makes it a work for hire creation so he has no rights to it.
View on Reddit #79292944

GiganticCrow@reddit

That's what happens at any even small to medium size company these days. Anything you create belongs to them. I've even seen contracts where anything you create *even in your own time outside of work* belongs to them. 
View on Reddit #79289165

somanysheep@reddit

You'd think with a new He-Man in the works, coming up this June, they'd have went above and beyond for the good will & increased willingness to spend money to watch it. But what do I know?
View on Reddit #79290300

Cubelock@reddit

And he needs 10K a MONTH, so he gets only 2 weeks.
View on Reddit #79287816

RevolutionaryCar9927@reddit

Yup, he did according to this article [Everett Herald](https://www.heraldnet.com/news/wife-of-he-man-co-creator-starts-gofundme-for-his-care/)
View on Reddit #79287717

2plankerr@reddit

What a fucking joke
View on Reddit #79306355

xennial_1981@reddit

I believe they forgot a few zeros!! That's a slap in the face!
View on Reddit #79303644

Punkinpry427@reddit

I hate it here
View on Reddit #79297587

Homer007@reddit

The Mattel Foudnation is their charity (I only just looked this up). Meanwhile Mattel the company is worth 5+ billion. According to google the foundation is worth 150k.
View on Reddit #79291917

JPMoney81@reddit

Corporations gonna greed.
View on Reddit #79286811

anyb0dyme@reddit

Brand gonna brand
View on Reddit #79291055

fatbuddha66@reddit

My parents probably spent that much on He-Man merch when all is said and done.
View on Reddit #79289657

loztriforce@reddit

Wow that's fucked...$5K is nothing these days.
View on Reddit #79289071

Myfourcats1@reddit

With a major movie coming out soon
View on Reddit #79288142

anxiousnl@reddit

Wow, abhorrent.
View on Reddit #79286661

CheckYourStats@reddit

He collects zero royalties, too.
View on Reddit #79287954

CelticSith@reddit

Work your entire life, end up getting sick as you age, die in poverty…. We have failed as a species
View on Reddit #79286189

JWarblerMadman@reddit

Don't forget "make others rich"
View on Reddit #79286745

Flashy_Jello_9520@reddit

Species? This is a strictly ameircan issue baby.
View on Reddit #79319034

OppositeRun6503@reddit

America didn't exist when the first humans created the concept of money.
View on Reddit #79375429

Flashy_Jello_9520@reddit

I’m talking about universal healthcare.
View on Reddit #79377096

OppositeRun6503@reddit

Unfortunately the for profit Healthcare industry has a vested financial incentive to keep the human population sick. Cures for diseases are bad for business.
View on Reddit #79386198

Apprehensive_Hat8986@reddit

Check out human history. This is very much not just an American issue. They're really good at it, but no mistake, this is the same mentality of the wealthy _everywhere_.
View on Reddit #79351429

OppositeRun6503@reddit

Had humans never invented the concept of money we wouldn't have this problem.
View on Reddit #79290839

jaywinner@reddit

We'd have other problems like me not knowing how to grow food or build a house.
View on Reddit #79334506

BobTheFettt@reddit

This is the thing that blows my mind. Man created every single problem we gave today. It could all be gone if we just collectively decide that everything is actually free and money is worthless.
View on Reddit #79295323

Devium44@reddit

We failed as ~~a species~~ Americans.
View on Reddit #79287017

VegetarianZombie74@reddit

Modern American life basically extracts as much money as possible with each step in the journey. There is no passing generational wealth unless you are in the upper-upperclass.
View on Reddit #79325235

ObjectiveStandard635@reddit

You can put species. A funeral is even 10-15k today.
View on Reddit #79287850

Over_Interaction_925@reddit

Oh my ... I'm screwed
View on Reddit #79288439

zeller99@reddit

Don't worry friend! YOU won't have to pay it. I told my wife to bury me on the hill with our dogs... or just throw me in the trash... whichever is easier.
View on Reddit #79300708

geekgirlwww@reddit

I told my younger brothers just find a vet willing to put me down.
View on Reddit #79323634

Over_Interaction_925@reddit

I like your morbid sense of humor. I agree with you. I'm surrounded by woods and hills. Let us pass in the woods and give back to mother nature. Life will restart again
View on Reddit #79302483

thechristoph@reddit

If you cremate, you can cut that in half. I just paid for one. Still feels like armed robbery.
View on Reddit #79322492

captainpuma@reddit

Except other countries’ citizens receive free healthcare
View on Reddit #79301568

TheGrapeSlushies@reddit

It doesn’t have to be. Ask a Mortician on YouTube talks about the funeral business and how they prey upon the feelings of those grieving and ignorance of the system. You don’t have to be embalmed, you don’t have to get a vault, you don’t have to get the zillion dollar casket, there are lots of more economical choices. I’m not ill but I like to be prepared.
View on Reddit #79291005

MsBlondeViking@reddit

When my brother was murdered in 2004, between funeral costs and 6k for his headstone, total was around 15k. My parents were encouraged by our state and their attorneys, to spend high. My uncle, the murderer, was paying for it.
View on Reddit #79290077

YakiVegas@reddit

Yeah, other societies don’t have these specific problems. It’s uniquely American in terms of the western world.
View on Reddit #79322591

KlausKinki77@reddit

\*country
View on Reddit #79311684

BobTheFettt@reddit

You haul 16 tonnes and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt
View on Reddit #79295164

OccamsYoyo@reddit

Don’t speak for us. It’s the U.S. and its blind worship of an economic system that’s breaking.
View on Reddit #79288895

PackEnvironmental960@reddit

The only ones who failed him was his attorney for having him sign such a shitty contract with Mattel.
View on Reddit #79286613

MeteorMike1@reddit

Roger Sweet was an in-house employee at Mattel when he designed He-Man. Like any other employee, he would have received a salary and maybe a bonus if the toy line did well. When you get hired at a company, it’s typical that you sign a proprietary rights agreement assigning IP rights to the company for your developments while working there. They won’t hire you if you refuse you sign. Extremely unlikely that any attorney would have been able to negotiate for royalties.
View on Reddit #79288045

madogvelkor@reddit

Yeah, he was lead designer in the 70s and 80s. He worked on a lot of things, He-Man was the successful one. He got paid a salary even for flops like Kid Gallant or Robin and the Space Hoods.
View on Reddit #79288352

OneToothMcGee@reddit

To be fair this isn’t a new thing. We’ve failed as a species for a long ass time.
View on Reddit #79287351

schwing710@reddit

The American healthcare system is beyond fucked
View on Reddit #79287177

OppositeRun6503@reddit

And all because humans worship a concept that they invented over doing what is in the best interests of their fellow people.
View on Reddit #79292016

Tzunamitom@reddit

Wait we talking about the concept of money, capital, the corporation or privatised healthcare?
View on Reddit #79308797

OppositeRun6503@reddit

None of these things would be a problem if humans simply did away with the concept of money and an economy....that way people could have free access to the goods and services that they want or in some cases absolutely need. Money is one of the three greatest evils that the human brain ever invented alongside politics and religion.
View on Reddit #79309854

MartinMerten@reddit

Money isn’t the problem. The problem is that Money is BY FAR the most important thing in society. If it money was ranked 3rd or 4th it would work fine.
View on Reddit #79380086

OppositeRun6503@reddit

Which is exactly why money IS the problem.
View on Reddit #79383328

zerokijz@reddit

Has anyone told Kevin Smith?
View on Reddit #79357129

OracleVision88@reddit

It's crazy they won't throw him like 200K. Just the goodwill they'd get from that is worth doing
View on Reddit #79343346

farquin_helle@reddit

Just needs to hold aloft his mighty sword
View on Reddit #79338276

theking4mayor@reddit

If he has dementia, then it seriously needs to be looked into who is taking care of him and why there is a financial situation. His social security check should be enough to cover his care needs. It's possible that someone is stealing from him and this money is going into the thief's pocket
View on Reddit #79292652

hurlanon@reddit

That’s an absurd take. Dementia care is over $10k per month. Do you know anyone that gets $10k a month from social security?
View on Reddit #79302502

theking4mayor@reddit

No it's not My grandma has dementia and it's not that much it's pretty much the same as a regular elderly care.
View on Reddit #79334992

unomasme@reddit

The 6 year old kid in me told me to give some money to him
View on Reddit #79328494

Complex_Mention_8495@reddit

The 50k is already reached but c'mon lets make this Gofundme go through the roof. We have the power!
View on Reddit #79296397

Exact-Sheepherder797@reddit

I donated, everyone with the means should follow suit
View on Reddit #79325603

fraghead5@reddit

I get Mattel owes this man nothing, but if they came out and covered all of his medical bills it would be great PR for them and be a drop in the bucket of nothing for them.
View on Reddit #79287683

Exact-Sheepherder797@reddit

They won't though because cruelty is the name of the game with capitalism
View on Reddit #79325374

Nomadzord@reddit

Best they could do was $5,000.
View on Reddit #79288140

fraghead5@reddit

That is like George Lucas donating $25k to James V's go fund me, he is worth like 7 billion, he donated money from inbetween his car seats.
View on Reddit #79288903

micro_penisman@reddit

>he donated money from in-between his car seats Some loose change he had lying around
View on Reddit #79299280

GiganticCrow@reddit

Someone worth $7b donating $25k is the equivalent to the mean worth American donating $3.6.
View on Reddit #79289503

fraghead5@reddit

yeap, that is why I brought it up. its pennies to them.
View on Reddit #79290335

OccamsYoyo@reddit

They don’t care. To them the cruelty is feature, not a bug.
View on Reddit #79291262

Unethical_Gopher_236@reddit

I'd say they owe him a lot.
View on Reddit #79288708

fraghead5@reddit

yes, as would most of us, but they "legally" owe him nothing. This is strictly a respect and honor thing for someone that gave them a great thing.
View on Reddit #79288832

Exact-Sheepherder797@reddit

Donated, wish I could do more
View on Reddit #79325351

Dependent-Way6345@reddit

5K?? Bastards!
View on Reddit #79324401

jojackmcgurk@reddit

I was already not gonna see the movie due to Jared Leto, but this is another good reason. Fuck Mattel
View on Reddit #79319920

JPMoney81@reddit

USA! USA! USA! Such a great health system you guys have down there.
View on Reddit #79285678

dowripple@reddit

Hey we have a concept of a plan, and that concept is "go fund-me" accounts. Works way better than the commie ACA.
View on Reddit #79319651

aroundincircles@reddit

Other countries would have just killed him via medically assisted suicide. also calling it "medical care" really isn't valid, Having had family with Dementia, it's really just "care" as in living in a care facility. Those are expensive, My father in law lived in one till he passed, and it was $4500/month. They didn't do much besides make sure he was safe, took the few pills he was on, fed him, and made sure he was clean (He couldn't live with us, we tried, and he got... aggressive around our small kids, PTSD from being in the miliary on several deployments + the dementia).
View on Reddit #79286522

The_BSharps@reddit

I’m desperately trying to find the point to what you are saying. I know there were a lot of words and stuff, just haven’t found the point yet. Don’t worry, I might be slow, but I won’t give up.
View on Reddit #79286790

aroundincircles@reddit

Countries, like Canada, push medically assisted suicide if you become too much of a burden on the system. Elder care is not medical care. Caring for the elderly is not and should not be a burden on the medical system, but on the elderly themselves (saving for their own care when young) and possibly on their families to an extent.
View on Reddit #79287873

Hades_Mercedes@reddit

Do they? You would know this because you have experience with the Canadian public healthcare system, right?
View on Reddit #79289072

aroundincircles@reddit

Medically assisted suicide their fifth leading cause of death and will soon be their 4th, raising at a double digit percent rate year over year, and next year when it is allowed for people with even minor mental health issues? I have a feeling it will explode soon to top 2.
View on Reddit #79289321

TheLuckyCanuck@reddit

Please stop spreading lies.
View on Reddit #79289788

aroundincircles@reddit

How is the truth a lie? [https://eppc.org/publication/from-exceptional-to-routine-the-rise-of-euthanasia-in-canada/](https://eppc.org/publication/from-exceptional-to-routine-the-rise-of-euthanasia-in-canada/) That's as of 2024, the numbers are even higher now, they also will allow for suicide for mental health starting in 2027. [https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/maid-and-mental-illness-faqs](https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/maid-and-mental-illness-faqs) Please tell me how any of that is a "lie"?
View on Reddit #79290284

TheLuckyCanuck@reddit

You're lying about how MAiD is implemented. You're lying about what the data you are presenting actually means. Your entire framing of the existence of euthanasia as a part of compassionate care in Canada is wholly dishonest. This is not a problem. Every time a patient chooses to end their own suffering with dignity, MAiD replaces an horrific and painful "cause of death" on the medical record. A look at any of the actual patient files would show this, but instead you present bare numbers with no context and accuse a medical system you don't know the first thing about of murdering patients. Folks, pay attention. This is how propagandists gin up a moral panic.
View on Reddit #79299638

aroundincircles@reddit

and yet, there are dozens upon dozens of stores of people who were offered suicide as their only option from the government. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/veterans-maid-rcmp-investigation-1.6663885](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/veterans-maid-rcmp-investigation-1.6663885) Cant make this shit up folks. This person has their hands over their eyes to the horrors of their own country.
View on Reddit #79300183

TheLuckyCanuck@reddit

Here we see another prime example of the propagandist playbook. The link is a 4 year old article about how **one** Veterans Affairs employee inappropriately **offered** MAiD to **four** patients, none of whom were then "killed". This employee was immediately censured and disavowed when their wrongdoing was reported, and the subsequent RCMP investigation actually showed that a fifth suspected case of misconduct had actually been handled according to guidelines. The propagandist then presents this nugget of half-truth as representative of "dozens and dozens" of "stores(sic)" of "the government" suggesting Canadians kill themselves. Then we throw in a folksy plea to the audience, and a dash of character assassination. The unsuspecting reader (who couldn't be arsed to check the link beyond maybe seeing "CBC" and going "looks legit!", this is Reddit after all) is now primed to dismiss my comments as delusion or hysteria. The propagandist plays on our emotions to disguise the facts of an issue, and exaggerates the severity and frequency to further distract us from rational thought.
View on Reddit #79305313

aroundincircles@reddit

Right, I’m the propagandist, presenting facts and information, and you’re attacking me with feelings. Got it.
View on Reddit #79306616

Hades_Mercedes@reddit

The Ethics and Public Policy Center is a conservative Washington, D.C.–based think tank and advocacy group. that describes itself as "working to apply the riches of the Jewish and Christian traditions to contemporary questions of law, culture, and politics, in pursuit of America's continued civic and cultural renewal." So I'm just going to reject this outright because I don't have any fucks to give about what an American religious think tank has to report about anything at all, really. Your second link is to the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Q and A section on MAiD. Nowhere on this page does it say that MAiD is the 4th leading cause of death in Canada. The only places I have seen such claims made is in trashy Right wing newspapers for imbeciles
View on Reddit #79292005

aroundincircles@reddit

2nd link is about it becoming available for the mentally ill starting next year. What about the BBC? [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j1z14p57po](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j1z14p57po) Nearly one in 20, if you combine the numbers there with the numbers form here: [https://thedatainsider.com/top-10-causes-of-death-canada/](https://thedatainsider.com/top-10-causes-of-death-canada/) that specifically excludes medically assisted suicide, would make it the 4th leading cause of death, even above strokes. So I was wrong. it's not the 5th leading cause of death, but the 4th leading cause of death in 2023.
View on Reddit #79292787

Procrasturbating@reddit

Someone is sharing a story about their life so people can relate to the hardships and crazy high costs of elder care. What have YOU added to the conversation? If you have a therapist, show them this comment thread. You have some stuff to work through, and I suspect you might not realize it. Not trying to be insulting to you, I just think you might consider a change to how you approach conversation.
View on Reddit #79287632

CantaloupeAsleep502@reddit

It is so sad that you were downvoted. Really disappointing that there are people in our generation that don't see the societal grift.
View on Reddit #79287502

JPMoney81@reddit

That's terrible I'm so sorry for your family that you had to go through that. My mom passed when I was a teenager due to brain cancer which caused dementia type symptoms where she'd lash out angrily/violently for things that never happened and she failed to recognize her own children by the end. It's horrible.
View on Reddit #79286713

OppositeRun6503@reddit

My family is presently grappling with the concerns of trying to care for an elderly mother with vascular dementia and belive me it hasn't been easy. My sister and I have been sharing care responsibilities over the last couple of years and are currently trying to get an apartment closer to where my sister currently resides to help improve the level of care that our mother receives.
View on Reddit #79291542

aroundincircles@reddit

Yeah, it wasn't fun, but we got through it. My wife's relationship with her father was... strained, as he continually chose my wife's druggy sister, enabling her continual bad choices. He cut my wife off for a couple of years to hide the fact he was letting my SiL live with him again - we were in the process of moving, he lived states away, and we could have bought a house that allowed him to live with us, and in that process he cut my wife off suddenly. We only found out later it was because she had moved back in with him when his landlord had gotten a hold of us to say he was evicting my father in law two weeks, because my sister in law had stolen all of his money sold anything of real value, and he was suffering from dementia without care. We only had about 20 months between when we went out to collect him and bring him to live close to us and when he passed. He didn't know his grand kids, barely recognized my wife, and had no idea who I was, despite spending 2 weeks to a month staying with us every year for years until he cut my wife off.
View on Reddit #79288259

MAILBOXHED@reddit

What is the fifth most common death in Canada?
View on Reddit #79286160

DJWGibson@reddit

According to WHO, the fifth leading cause of death is COVID-19. But the last recorded data was 2021 so it might be Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease again. But I assume you're trying to imply that dementia is also a cause of death in Canada. Which is technically true. Because there isn't a cure and care for demential is palitive care not curative care. The difference is in Canada when someone has dementia and needs health care, we don't need to do a GoFundMe to raise the $50,000 to provide health care.
View on Reddit #79287578

MAILBOXHED@reddit

The answer is euthanasia.
View on Reddit #79288709

DJWGibson@reddit

We have that in Canada. It's called [MAID](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html). Letting people with dementia to choose to die with dignity while they can still make the decision and before they lose themselves. As well as people with chronic pain or other illnesses who have a limited quality of life to choose how they end their life.
View on Reddit #79291292

MAILBOXHED@reddit

And now it’s the fifth leading cause of death in Canada.
View on Reddit #79291756

DJWGibson@reddit

That sounds like an exaggeration or misrepresentation of the data. Looking at the [official report](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2024.html), 16,499 died from MAID in 2024. That's just 4.78% of deaths for that year. A lot less than cancer (84k) and heart disease (57k). And since MAID isn't an official "cause of death" I expect there to be a lot of doubled entries. People with terminal cancer and heart disease (and dementia) who died from that program but are also counted in the other numbers. The program is also new (since 2016), so there's going to be a spike as it processes and approves years of backlogs followed by a decline as there are fewer and fewer new terminal cases.
View on Reddit #79294735

CuzTrain@reddit

Some Canadians are still but hurt about losing the golf medal final actually. The only thing our system has over our American cousins is that it is free.
View on Reddit #79287079

MAILBOXHED@reddit

It’s not free they’re heavily taxed for it, and the cost of living is higher there.
View on Reddit #79287653

OccamsYoyo@reddit

We actually get real, tangible stuff for our taxes. You guys get FA.
View on Reddit #79289032

MAILBOXHED@reddit

You pay to have people euthanized……
View on Reddit #79289618

Sklibba@reddit

The taxes that Canadians pay for their healthcare system are much less than what many Americans pay in premiums to *for profit health insurance companies,* and their public health insurance system doesn’t do everything it can to deny care to Canadians in order to generate value for shareholders, and their out of pocket costs for medically necessary care is zero dollars, wheras in the US you might end up owing *thousands of dollars* for a hospital stay or procedure even after insurance pays their part. I used to have an employer sponsored health plan that cost nearly $1000 *per month* for my family with an out of pocket max around $10,000 for the year. That’s not insurance, that’s a scam. And on average the cost of living in Canada is lower than the US, particularly for people who need to seek medical care. In large cities, it’s pretty comparable.
View on Reddit #79288172

CuzTrain@reddit

I'm Canadian and well aware of that, perhaps I should say that most don't have to go into debt for it (there are occasions where a provincial health organization won't cover a treatment).
View on Reddit #79287858

aroundincircles@reddit

Medically assisted suicide, and it's on the rise BIG TIME. you become a burden to the system, and they give you one option...
View on Reddit #79288363

MajorMiners469@reddit

Smothered by boobs. Just guessing, fingers crossed.
View on Reddit #79286708

S_A_R_K@reddit

Death by snu snu
View on Reddit #79287141

JPMoney81@reddit

I'm a fat guy so this could very well happen to me if I sleep on my back, but it would be my own boobs!
View on Reddit #79286786

PraetorianXVIII@reddit

Remember when JVDB from Dawson's Creek died and his family set up a fucking GoFundMe for his (dead guy's) medical bills?!!
View on Reddit #79286495

LongjumpingJaguar308@reddit

Also, he probably had health insurance since he had been working a bit but probably tried to do it "natural" so the grift was to pay off the grifters. His widow was posting anti vax type stuff.
View on Reddit #79292301

cityshepherd@reddit

He’d just purchased a multi million dollar home like a month or two before he died. The gofundme is just a grift.
View on Reddit #79286665

PraetorianXVIII@reddit

holy shit you're right.
View on Reddit #79289164

sgrams04@reddit

Please accept me into your country. I would like to escape this hell hole. 
View on Reddit #79287482

MrSouthMountain86@reddit

Yeah I need to follow this guy in too please
View on Reddit #79291051

Kalel42@reddit

It's not perfect, but think of all the value that's generated for the shareholders!
View on Reddit #79285982

ResurgentClusterfuck@reddit

The Dow is over fifty thousand
View on Reddit #79287981

Thatonegirl_79@reddit

Oh, we are fully aware it is utterly horrid. It sucks.
View on Reddit #79287308

Minute_Job1876@reddit

Boycott the movie until they pay this man.
View on Reddit #79317861

Sacramentardo@reddit

Masters of the Universe made billions for Mattel. Likely $100 million+ yearly, still. It’s one of their most iconic brands. So they donate $5,000 to a GoFundMe for Roger Sweet, one of the key figures behind Masters of the Universe. This will pay for less than two weeks of his current treatment. For a multi-billion-dollar corporation, $5K is nothing. It feels less like honoring a legacy and more like an insult. If companies are going to keep monetizing nostalgia, maybe they should show up meaningfully for the people who built it. Shameful.
View on Reddit #79288670

Mysterious-Falcon221@reddit

>Masters of the Universe made billions for Mattel. Likely $100 million+ yearly, still. This a stretch, Mattel is only worth 5 billion period. >It’s one of their most iconic brands. I think barbie has done more for Mattel than he-man. And hot wheels and matcbox and American girl dolls and etc. I agree Mattel is a shit company but billions?
View on Reddit #79301746

Academic-Trifle8151@reddit

This is a weird hill to die on. First, making money is not really synonymous with their worth, Barbie for example generates over $1 billion in annual gross sales. So it's really not a stretch to suggest masters of the universe has made billions since its creation. Also, "one of" is accurate. He didn't say it's their top brand. Mattel own a shit ton of brands, He-Man is definitely up there at the very least in terms of it being an icon, like what was claimed.
View on Reddit #79304136

Mysterious-Falcon221@reddit

>This is a weird hill to die on. It's weird you think I'm dying lol. There isn't even a he-man toy available at my local walmart, there's pages of barbie stuff. I don't think he-man is 100 million+ annual money maker, that's just absurd. Reading the masters of the universe Wikipedia page lists about eight other creators, so saying this dude made Mattel billions is absurd. They made a knock off of "Conan the Barbarian", they admit that much, they weren't exploring new territory. The comics the shows and etc all have other creators. He-man was a saturday morning cartoon at its best and it was kinda stupid tbh.
View on Reddit #79307309

Academic-Trifle8151@reddit

Not really that weird to think you're dying when you're conflating worth with sales. It's impossible to know exactly what it is making each year, but like the original comment says, it has made them billions, that much is known for sure. So the point he was making is accurate. We do know that mattel recorded sales of $1,242 million for the bucket that MOTU sits inside: “Action Figures, Building Sets, Games, and Other.” but we don't know their exact share of that. It also doesn't take into account licensing etc. And who knows how much the new film will make. Second, it was never claimed that he made them billions, it was claimed MOTU did and that he was a key figure. Which is true. The rest is just irrelevant. Who cares if it took inspiration elsewhere? Most properties do. Who cares if further creators came on board? This is common practice. Who cares if you don't like it? It has no bearing on the points being made.
View on Reddit #79309235

Mysterious-Falcon221@reddit

>We do know that mattel recorded sales of $1,242 million That's not billions plural 1.2 billion over 55 years is about 22 million a year. And if stores shelves are any indication none of that was in recent years.
View on Reddit #79310523

Academic-Trifle8151@reddit

That was just for 2025. If you account for inflation then Masters of the universe made a billion within about 3 years of being launched. If you don't account for inflation it was around 5 years.
View on Reddit #79311608

Empigee@reddit

At least initially, probably yeah. When it first emerged in the early 80s, Masters of the Universe was BIG. Those toys and the cartoon were everywhere. It effectively became part of the broader culture, to the point that Tom Wolfe referenced the toy line as a metaphor for powerful Wall Street figures in The Bonfire of the Vanities.
View on Reddit #79305200

Academic-Trifle8151@reddit

At its peak in the mid 80s, Masters of the Universe was making approximately $400 million per year in toy sales; adjusted for inflation, that would equal about $1.18 billion per year today
View on Reddit #79309682

Sacramentardo@reddit

They had net sales of 5 billion last year. Gross margins of 50%. $100 million is 2% of that. $100 million may be conservative, and He-Man has been making them money for decades.
View on Reddit #79302921

Ok-Topic-6095@reddit

It would literally buy them so much goodwill ahead of their movie too
View on Reddit #79293388

Status_Jump_2496@reddit

Not to sound like a jerk, but lots of dementia patients are left suffering in the US that can’t afford proper care, my father being one of them. We tried to put him in a decent facility, it costs about $800 A DAY! He retired from the usps and they aren’t doing shit to help him either. These companies don’t care at all. So he sits at home with my poor mother who has to take all his physical and verbal abuse, not that he knows he’s being a jerk, he doesn’t even know who or where he is, and she can’t do much about it but try the dozens of meds the doctors prescribed him. It’s awful.
View on Reddit #79307968

RevolutionaryCar9927@reddit

Here's a local news article that contains a link to the GoFund Me. I ran into Mr. Sweet by chance, in the Lake Stevens Costco food court a couple years ago. He was incredibly nice, and spent about 15 minutes talking with a mom and her son about He-Man. He spoke with my brother-in-law and I for a few minutes after that. I'm greatful to have had the chance to thank him for all the joy he's given us. [Everett Herald](https://www.heraldnet.com/news/wife-of-he-man-co-creator-starts-gofundme-for-his-care/)
View on Reddit #79287108

AttilaTheFun818@reddit

Lake Stevens has a Costco now? I grew up there but haven’t been back since like 1999. I remember it being a tiny town that didn’t even have a stop light.
View on Reddit #79301596

RevolutionaryCar9927@reddit

They also added nightmarish traffic circles
View on Reddit #79305735

RevolutionaryCar9927@reddit

Yup, it opened 3 years ago or so. The town's grown as Seattle spreads.
View on Reddit #79305641

shnigybrendo@reddit

Grateful
View on Reddit #79295425

RevolutionaryCar9927@reddit

Indeed, thank you
View on Reddit #79295639

North_Hawk958@reddit

I swear if we end up with Medicare for All or whatever, I’ll short GoFundMe and get rich.
View on Reddit #79305428

Due-Cup1115@reddit

This is a better argument for assisted suicide than anything else. I feel bad for the children or young parents that are struggling a lot more than the elderly. I know ii's incredibly callous but a gofundme in this case just serves to make a skilled nursing facility richer. 
View on Reddit #79303441

Bobby0186@reddit

Yea ok and he literally created a cultural icon. He lived wealthy.
View on Reddit #79301381

djdiphenhydramine@reddit

We should all collectively go after Mattel and shame them for not doing jack shit to help this guy.
View on Reddit #79300037

Phil_Da_Thrill@reddit

Isn’t their a new movie coming out? $5000 was all they could shell out?
View on Reddit #79299753

heyitscory@reddit

And also, he deserves affordable medical care even if he didn't make a lot of money for a lot of people.
View on Reddit #79296475

whosaitaht@reddit

It’s a mess up, situations were people that have been successful in life but then got sick and bankrupt their family. Seems like a major fucking issue with the system
View on Reddit #79295826

Bacch@reddit

Gotta love our healthcare system, where even people who are moderately famous need financial help to afford life-saving treatments (James VanDerBeek being the other recent example). He'd probably be better off collecting enough money to temporarily move to somewhere in Europe to get treated, it would almost certainly be cheaper.
View on Reddit #79294930

DeathOfASuperNovuh@reddit

A meme coin donated more than Mattel. That’s sad
View on Reddit #79294842

Jonas_VentureJr@reddit

Make that bit$h Barbie pay for it .
View on Reddit #79294506

Primarycolors1@reddit

Well I will no longer be going to see the new movie. Dear lord, Matel is really bad at business.
View on Reddit #79294247

ASCENDKIDS@reddit

Is he not getting kickbacks from the new movie? He definitely should
View on Reddit #79294218

thinnerzimmer87@reddit

We will all die in crippling debt. Doesn't matter who you are.
View on Reddit #79293743

LeftSmile806@reddit

They most certainly Have The Power to do so, and I will boycott the film if they do not. 
View on Reddit #79293238

Friendly-Contact-433@reddit

Good thing he doesn't realize what they're about to do to his work with the abomination of a movie 
View on Reddit #79292272

AntiRepresentation@reddit

Mattel owns the license. They owe this guy nothing. Welcome to capitalism.
View on Reddit #79292123

Broken-Sarcasm-Meter@reddit

For real cant afford or like James Van Der Beek "can't afford"?
View on Reddit #79291280

jbrc89@reddit

Bong!
View on Reddit #79291221

americanadvocate702@reddit

Clearly Mattel ripped him off smh
View on Reddit #79291178

anyb0dyme@reddit

Universal healthcare in the US NOW. No one should go broke from illness.
View on Reddit #79291162

sgrams04@reddit

Wouldn’t he be getting royalty payments from the upcoming movie?
View on Reddit #79285563

Necessary-Duty-7952@reddit

Many creations for larger companies are done on a work-for-hire basis, even if you're the creator.
View on Reddit #79287666

xtlhogciao@reddit

He worked in the design department at Mattel, so I’m assuming he/none of the employees owned (any part) of their creations/ideas. If he was freelance and pitched/sold the idea to Mattel, that’d be another story. This still sucks, though.
View on Reddit #79288638

Necessary-Duty-7952@reddit

Yeah, I know some OG comic writers who created incredible characters and iconic storylines and get almost nothing for it in return.
View on Reddit #79288715

xtlhogciao@reddit

Yeah, iirc, that’s a, or *the*, primary reason the Marvel guys left and created Image comics. I can understand both sides. I’d be pissed if I were in the employees’ shoes if I’d come up with a million/billion dollar idea and didn’t see any royalties, but on the other hand, this is pretty standard practice with all large businesses - e.g. its not like the food scientists under contract with Kellogs or Hersheys who come up with a product, actually own it.
View on Reddit #79290138

Necessary-Duty-7952@reddit

Yeah, it doesn't have to be so black and white. Companies front the money and want the IP in return. But those companies should be doing a lot more for the employees, especially the ones that make them millions/billions.
View on Reddit #79290223

xtlhogciao@reddit

Oh, I understand. I’m just stating the way it works. Not the way it *should* be. At the very least, Mattel can pay for the entirety of the guy’s medical bills…instead of what’s, to them, literally the equivalent my giving my loose change to someone on the street.
View on Reddit #79290789

Pure_Purple_5220@reddit

The physical IP (toys) is Mattel's, but entertainment IP (movies, TV) are Universal's.
View on Reddit #79289551

1_art_please@reddit

Lol
View on Reddit #79288624

IkeBurner99@reddit

No. He worked as a designer for Mattel when he created He-Man. In other words, as happens to all of us, anything he created while employed was property of and benefit to Mattel. He also had cancer about ten years ago and was never wealthy.
View on Reddit #79288010

KnackRascal@reddit

Seems to be close to a 100% chance that he either sold the rights to mattel or never had them
View on Reddit #79287923

DJWGibson@reddit

Maybe. But it depends on his contract. If it was just work-for-hire and just him doing his job, there might not be royalties like in the movie or recording industry. Like how an architect doesn't get paid again if a building they designed sells. Or even how a painter or sculptor doesn't get a royalty every time one of their pieces is resold.
View on Reddit #79287875

Siphoneder@reddit

Depends on what his contract was. Many content creators got raw deals back in the day like Jack Kirby and others.
View on Reddit #79285697

sgrams04@reddit

That’s true. He could be getting shafted and receive next to nothing. 
View on Reddit #79287359

FigureFourWoo@reddit

It would be a drop in the bucket for Mattel to step in. They're making millions off this franchise. Hell, I'm responsible for a chunk of that. My He-Man room is full of figures I've purchased from the current line, and I'm sure I'll buy a lot more after the movie comes out.
View on Reddit #79290743

DJWGibson@reddit

I always have mixed feelings about the idea of companies having to take care of creators like this. Which comes up a lot in comic book circles as the icons of that industry are up there in age. As much as I think he deserves health care, it's weird to expect a company to give lifetime healthcare to employees who left the company thirty years prior. Yeah, he created something that made them a bunch of money. But he was also part of a team. And while the toys were a hit, the cartoon also did a lot of the heavy lifting.
View on Reddit #79287163

Brilliant-Jaguar-784@reddit

This is a perfectly measured take. But people on reddit dot com just gotta hate.
View on Reddit #79290562

x_Jimi_x@reddit

Can’t go 2 days without seeing a similar incident online or in person. A shame most living in a so called “first world” country can’t have healthcare without being more wealthy than 90%+ than the rest of the citizens.
View on Reddit #79290310

Dont__Grumpy__Stop@reddit

This bullshit will continue as long as we allow it to.
View on Reddit #79289979

GenX_Leo@reddit

Mettle should be helping, hell there's a new movie coming out... unfortunately filmation was defunct back in the 80s
View on Reddit #79289473

Adrasteia-One@reddit

Corporate greed really knows no bounds. This is really sad to hear.
View on Reddit #79289419

itsjustmejttp123@reddit

Oh this makes me so angry! Fuck the entire entertainment industry! You have all these creators and actors that are literally withering away and dying with no fucking money to help them. Yet the people who exploited them in the beginning are still making handover fist fucking money. Uggg it’s infuriating.
View on Reddit #79289378

BossDjGamer@reddit

Booty Shorts!
View on Reddit #79289186

dreadpiratemyk@reddit

Bill Finger knows his pain.
View on Reddit #79288968

Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit

😭😞😔
View on Reddit #79288917

MorrighanAnCailleach@reddit

A uniquely American take. SMH
View on Reddit #79288781

1_art_please@reddit

Creative empires are built on artists that get paid a one time wage and never again. Creative work is seen as being totally free for everyone to enjoy. Tale as old as time. The people that discover it, trade in it, license it, sell it and profit on it will be the ones to reap the rewards. I work in a creative field - the owner of the business is salivating at the opportunity to discard me in the advent of Ai and hasn't figured out how to yet and it pisses him off (after all I should be free). He was able to move the rest of the business to a third world country, except myself and sales.The sales guy makes 250k a year because he has family friends that gave him connections to sell to large conglomerates. All he does is say, ' im going for lunch with Bob next week, make me stuff'. He would have a line up out the door for my job when I leave, in about 1 day. People get very angry when they dont get what society indicates everyone should get for free. Music, movies, writing/journalism, content, child care, sick/elderly care. I do it too. We all do.
View on Reddit #79288480

tboy160@reddit

Only in Murica
View on Reddit #79288290

arcxjo@reddit

This Mattel? https://preview.redd.it/7dq7pgk59olg1.png?width=1913&format=png&auto=webp&s=cad07baba6f3c6ffaab8b7a25d63be649e148a0b Why would they ever care about this guy? What has he done for them lately?
View on Reddit #79288055

5th_Meal@reddit

Wow, maybe the son of a billionaire Travis Knight who directed the upcoming movie could help him out? Whaddya think, chilly T?
View on Reddit #79287951

catsoncrack420@reddit

America.
View on Reddit #79287681

ResurgentClusterfuck@reddit

Fuck. Yeah. 😢
View on Reddit #79287830

Pin1888@reddit

If anyone deserves a GFM then it is this man. Memories
View on Reddit #79287656