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Is It Wrong For MacDonalds To Advertise Happy Meals

The Neo Nerd

Well-Known Member
Is it wrong?

California mom sues McDonald's over Happy Meals - Yahoo!7

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A mother-of-two from California launched a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's, claiming the toys given out with Happy Meals unfairly lure kids into eating unhealthy food.


Monet Parham is spearheading the suit backed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), aimed at stopping the fast-food giant's use of toys in marketing aimed directly at small children.


The CSPI says such marketing illegally exploits children. Parham says the main reason her six-year-old daughter, Maya, asks to go to McDonald?s is to get toys based on Barbie, i-Carly, Shrek, or Strawberry Shortcake.


"I am concerned about the health of my children and feel that McDonald?s should be a very limited part of their diet and their childhood experience," said Parham, from Sacramento.

Personally i don't think so. They do have a point about the cognitive stage of children, but ultimately it is the parents who feed the kids Maccas.

Mind you i don't have kids so i'm not too sure.

But from my own personal experience when i was growing up we had maccas maybe once or twice a year and there was plenty of advertising.

And you know what, i don't remember ever being that upset that i couldn't have it.

What do you guys think?

-Q
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
Unless the kids they're talking about are teens who have the ability to dine on their own without mom or dad, no. Other than that, younger kids are at the mercy of the dictates of their parents, who should have the gumption to say "No" if they feel it's warranted. As for teens being seduced by advertisements for Happy Meals, I believe MacDonalds could survive without them: far too many pudgy teens in the world as it is, at least in the US of A.
 

kai

ragamuffin
I decide what my young kids eat. i think thats a general principle unless the kids rule the roost then its Happy meals all round followed by Ice cream and lashings of ginger beer.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Parents that have trouble with their children watching MacDonald's ads are troubled parents indeed.
 

dallas1125

Covert Operative
Free speech, they can advertise it. Really the parent should take the responsibility for what the kid eats rather than putting it on McDonalds.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
A mother-of-two from California launched a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's, claiming the toys given out with Happy Meals unfairly lure kids into eating unhealthy food.
*sigh*I wish I could call her up right now and yell "YOU ARE THE MOTHER NOW ******* ACT LIKE IT!" If you don't want your kid eating at McDonalds then DONT BUY IT!"
As for the toy, you can buy those separate from a happy meal for 99 cents I think.
I really get that the toy can program kids to want McDonalds on many levels, as a toy is a very good way to condition kids. But ultimately parents need to realize that they are the ones who are responsible for their own kids. They are the ones who have to buy the food for their kids to eat so they can choose healthier options but they don't which is of no fault of McDonalds. But when people complain about what their kids watch on TV, rather than blocking it, you probably can't expect them to do much parenting in other areas.
 

Nerthus

Wanderlust
"I am concerned about the health of my children and feel that McDonald?s should be a very limited part of their diet and their childhood experience," said Parham

Well, then she shouldn't limit McDonald's for her children -how can you sue McDonald's when they are not forcing her children to eat there?! They are not known to be a healthy food chain, they are simply advertising.

I know some places have banned Happy Meals having a toy because that encouraged children to eat there. That's crazy - it is the parents who decide where to eat and what reason is there for going to a place you feel is unhealthy. That is no excuse to sue them. If I don't want my children to eat there - simple I don't take them. I can boy them a toy if that is the problem, but it isn't. It is the parents fault for taking them there.
 

HonestJoe

Well-Known Member
There could even be an argument that the toys are a good thing since it can help build the image of a special treat rather than just a normal meal.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I don't know what's right or wrong. But I'd rather not have the gov't involved in food & advertising to that extent.
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
This is freaking CRAZY! I want to slap that woman upside the head and remind her who the parent is - and it's not the state.

Besides that, many fast food places now offer healthy alternatives like fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, that sort of thing. I think McDonalds does as well.

Of course, if you don't have enough gumption to simply drive PAST McDonalds without stopping when your kids demand it, I don't guess you'd have enough gumption to insist on apple slices instead of fries in their Happy Meal.

Give me three days with those kids. I could give them a dose or two of tough love.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
This is freaking CRAZY! I want to slap that woman upside the head and remind her who the parent is - and it's not the state.

Besides that, many fast food places now offer healthy alternatives like fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, that sort of thing. I think McDonalds does as well.

Of course, if you don't have enough gumption to simply drive PAST McDonalds without stopping when your kids demand it, I don't guess you'd have enough gumption to insist on apple slices instead of fries in their Happy Meal.
Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn....such intolerance. Some mothers would rather have the state involved in raising their kids.
It's so much easier, & of course, Uncle Sam knows best. (Wasn't that a TV show?) You must respect their desire to avoid
teaching & raising their own kids. You wild individualists.....always wanting choices & having your own way.
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
I know, I know - and I spanked my kids sometimes, and we put out cookies for Santa, and I made them go through confirmation and first communion, and I took them to air shows and made them sing the Star Spangled Banner, and I let them stay up till two am to watch meteor showers on a school night, and I let them eat Happy Meals sometimes, and made them sit still with me in church rather than aping off to "children's church" and I kept them out of school sometimes just so I could take them on a road trip, and I let them watch Henry V when they were in grade school in spite of the violence and Shakespearean script (and they loved it), and I freely mixed "pagan" stuff in with our Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas, and I told them that fairies drink out of acorn shells and that time travel could be possible.

And they all turned out great. In spite of public schools, which was about as much "state influence" as we could stomach. In fact, I basically had to debrief them at the end of each school day!
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I know, I know - and I spanked my kids sometimes, and we put out cookies for Santa, and I made them go through confirmation and first communion, and I took them to air shows and made them sing the Star Spangled Banner, and I let them stay up till two am to watch meteor showers on a school night, and I let them eat Happy Meals sometimes, and made them sit still with me in church rather than aping off to "children's church" and I kept them out of school sometimes just so I could take them on a road trip, and I let them watch Henry V when they were in grade school in spite of the violence and Shakespearean script (and they loved it), and I freely mixed "pagan" stuff in with our Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas, and I told them that fairies drink out of acorn shells and that time travel could be possible.

And they all turned out great. In spite of public schools, which was about as much "state influence" as we could stomach. In fact, I basically had to debrief them at the end of each school day!
But think how much better your kids would be if the government helped you more along the way....providing guidance, selecting their food,
forcibly volunteering them for socially responsible service, reciting pledges/oaths, getting the unvarnished/unbiased truth from NPR.
I just might need to report your warped & inadequate sense of duty with my new iphone Patriot App. (Computerized snitching is in now.)
 
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silvermoon383

Well-Known Member
I know TVs don't have dial anymore, but I do recall seeing buttons marked "Power On/Off", "Channel Up/Down", "Volume Up/Down", and "Mute". Heck, they're even on the remote. Does this woman have some sort of disability that prevents her from pressing them?

(Bonus points to anyone who know's who I'm paraphrasing :))
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
I have two kids 10 and 5. No I generally do not feed them McDonalds or Burger King and because of this I have to deal with tears and tantrums.

Have you ever noticed that the toys are always linked to what is currently Hot. They are not old generic toys but specific toys aimed at youth always linked with a major ad campaign on all the Kids TV networks.

Can anyone give a good reason for why they add them to the kids meals?

These are major corporations that use all sorts of tricks to get your money. Toys in kids meals is very effective because most parents don't see the harm and want to keep there kids happy.

It's pretty much the same thing cigarette companies did. I am sure they have done plenty of studies on which toys attract kids the best, how many different ones to have to make them want to collect them and how long to keep them. It will eventually all come out.

No corporation does anything out of the goodness of there hearts. McDonalds and Buger King know they make billions of dollars because of these toys and are going to fight it with millions of dollars.
 

The Neo Nerd

Well-Known Member
This bit here is what shat me off the most

"But as other busy, working moms and dads know, we have to say 'no' to our young children so many times, and McDonald?s makes that so much harder to do.

You know what, when i was a kid and we kept whining for something which we were already told we couldn't have we got punished.

What is wrong with these parents.

-Q
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
This bit here is what shat me off the most



You know what, when i was a kid and we kept whining for something which we were already told we couldn't have we got punished.

What is wrong with these parents.

-Q

Its still annoying as (He double hockey sticks) to have a 5 year old whine in the back of the car everytime you pass McDonalds. I know my dad would pull the car over and give us a reason to cry. I would get arrested if I did that.

Its the modern times, your not allowed to hit your kids or yell at them you have to discuss everything with them but they can still whine, throw tantrums, yell at you, tell you they hate you. What happens is you cave from time to time.

The only reason there doing this is because of a crappy stupid toy that they advertise to the child. I can still take my anger out on Business's.
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
Its still annoying as (He double hockey sticks) to have a 5 year old whine in the back of the car everytime you pass McDonalds. I know my dad would pull the car over and give us a reason to cry. I would get arrested if I did that.

Its the modern times, your not allowed to hit your kids or yell at them you have to discuss everything with them but they can still whine, throw tantrums, yell at you, tell you they hate you. What happens is you cave from time to time.

The only reason there doing this is because of a crappy stupid toy that they advertise to the child. I can still take my anger out on Business's.

Even if you're the type of parent who allows your kids to be in charge, you can still purchase the toy without purchasing the food.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Even if you're the type of parent who allows your kids to be in charge, you can still purchase the toy without purchasing the food.

And because its a free country I can take out my anger at a giant corporation making billions of dollars with no repercussions execpt a few people without children that want to call me a bad parent.


Interestingly. Happy meal 3.49 but the toy is 1.50. Wouldn't it be better for McDonalds to help parents and sell the happy meal for 1.99 and keep the toy. MY bet the cost of the toy is mostly covered by the Movies/TV advertising department and it doesn't cost $1.50 but they jack up the price so parents don't even consider buying the toy.
 
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