Marketing madness

I went to Toys R Us today to buy some new things for Theo for our big trip to Greece next month. All I wanted was some stickers, some coloring books, maybe some cars or trains or some other fun little things. Do you know how hard it is to find anything anymore that doesn't have some tie-in to a movie or TV show? Everything is Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, Speed Racer, Spiderman or whatever the summer blockbuster/hot educational show du jour happens to be. It's everywhere and it's really depressing. Even when I try to buy my kid a toothbrush it has to have some character on it. Has it always been this way? Was I just oblivious to it as a child because I was so absorbed in the marketing myself? Am I getting too worried about this stuff? I just don't want my child to be a commercial. Why do I have the feeling I am going to have to let that go?