It's a sad day for Happy Meals in Santa Clara County

Originally posted by vkey08

Originally posted by pyrael
reply to post by vkey08

 

The sad truth is that since I live in the "Peoples Socialist Republic Of New York", I watch and worry about what the other socialist Republics are doing. NY and Cali have been in a contest to see who can out tax and spend, who has more "for the children" laws, and who has more welfare for a very long time. Apparently, Mass. are trying to take away our eastern division title.

I'm just tired of the "oh it's not MY fault my kid did this... it's the advertising. They did it!" mentality. It's the same with cigarettes. I quit smoking 10 1/2 months ago, but not because Obama and the state increased taxes on them, because I wanted to quit. The freaking state taxes were supposed to go to education, guess what? Our after school programs were cut anyway! They spent almost all the revenue on those stupid NY Quits advertisements that they probably paid out the wazoo for just to tick us off a bit more. This is basically the same thing. But just remember, if it flys in CA, NY will make TV and radio commercials warning people of the "danger" and offering a "helpline" and will add a tax on it ill people stop buying it.

I just moved from NY to elsewhere, as I was leaving, Westchester County was trying to make Tylenol (acetaminophen) illegal without a prescription because it is possible to get liver damage from too much of it. So I know just what you're talking about, and it sickens me. Luckily Westchester (unlike the rest of NY) just had a change of administrations, and the new County Executive isn't as "government intrusion into your life is good" as the last person in that office.

What gets me the most about what New York does, is unlike California, they actually legislate things as being totally illegal, rather than just trying to educate and warn, thereby in essence making it a crime to want to eat, or get sick.

Living in Upstate NY I find other than most of the College Students Pushing Liberal, Socialist, and Communist ideas at every point they can, that the majority of voters have started turning away from the BS of Nanny Statism. I hope it keeps snowballing. If enough people get together we can push out the bankster owned politicians, even if just in the upstate region. Personally, I've been in favor of making NYC their own city-state for years. I think both areas would do MUCH better. Most of the NYC influenced laws don't work for us, and our's don't work for theirs. Maybe we could get a ban on bans then

Oh, and looking at the county info, it's the home of Stanford. Hmmmm... 60's never ended ?

But seriously. If the county of Santa Clara REALLY wants to tick off thousands of rug rats, and the residents like the idea of Government becoming more "nanny" let them. I woulda fought it if I lived there.

But I have the same problem with the Wic Program here. They tell people how to raise their kids. Almost like the freaking borg from StarTrek TNG. "Resistance Is Futile".

[edit on 29-4-2010 by pyrael]

reply to post by vkey08


Grown adults should not be legislated out of everything, however, in the case of the happy meal children are being highly manipulated by the MD corp.

Its ever so easy to manipulate the psyche of a child.
I'm not sure i am even against the idea of the toy so much as , the toy COLLECTION.
so the child is not content with getting a one off treat with a one off toy, they want to collect the whole set.Hey and while your there every week,making sure to keep the collection complete for them why don't you, the parent grab a meal?Your there anyway, right?
The whole set up is to have the kids getting McDonald's once a week, a new week a new toy.
At the end of a month, that series is no longer available!And the kid has "missed out"
I am not sure if you remember the intense emotion of childhood, i can remember.
The first time i had McDonalds i was 5, but i had begged to go there for years, why?
The adds, the adds with the toys and the kids eating the burgers and having ever so much fun.It was not because i loved the delicious and nutritious food, i had never sampled it.It was because the MD corporation marketing machine had done it's job.Had i been the child of a less radical parent, i would have had my commercial whims caved in to.


Anyway, there are too many fat kids.A child does not have the capability to reason that they do not want to be a fat kid and therefore should not eat McDonald's.All this legislation does is reduce the appeal to children who are not adults and cannot make informed, objective decisions.

reply to post by mumma in pyjamas


I guess I'm lucky that my mother never let me watch commercial television. The TV was on PBS all day until the childrens's shows were over ( yeah at 3 and 4 I was watching the older kid shows too), Then it was Dr. Seuss Records and learning from the "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Knowledge" Encyclopedia set and learning writing, the alphabet etc.. (My mom was big on education) and when dad got home I had the choice of watching the news or playing outside.

So no, I guess I was lucky. Those "evil" advertisements never affected me. Not to mention, the first time (and only time) I ever saw Ronald, I kicked him and wanted to go home

But again, this is just more proof that parents are the ones who should be controlling this, not government.

Originally posted by mumma in pyjamas
reply to post by vkey08

 

Grown adults should not be legislated out of everything, however, in the case of the happy meal children are being highly manipulated by the MD corp.

Its ever so easy to manipulate the psyche of a child.
I'm not sure i am even against the idea of the toy so much as , the toy COLLECTION.
so the child is not content with getting a one off treat with a one off toy, they want to collect the whole set.Hey and while your there every week,making sure to keep the collection complete for them why don't you, the parent grab a meal?Your there anyway, right?
The whole set up is to have the kids getting McDonald's once a week, a new week a new toy.
At the end of a month, that series is no longer available!And the kid has "missed out"
I am not sure if you remember the intense emotion of childhood, i can remember.
The first time i had McDonalds i was 5, but i had begged to go there for years, why?
The adds, the adds with the toys and the kids eating the burgers and having ever so much fun.It was not because i loved the delicious and nutritious food, i had never sampled it.It was because the MD corporation marketing machine had done it's job.Had i been the child of a less radical parent, i would have had my commercial whims caved in to.


Anyway, there are too many fat kids.A child does not have the capability to reason that they do not want to be a fat kid and therefore should not eat McDonald's.All this legislation does is reduce the appeal to children who are not adults and cannot make informed, objective decisions.

Of course kids are manipulated by McD's. So are adults. Any company that markets is using manipulation.

Your elected officials do it when they campaign, and when they discuss their job performance.

The problem isn't McD's. A kid eating a happy meal one time a week is not going to be fat or suffer anything for it. It is the mind manipulation. That is what people are complaining about (including myself).

No, children don't normally have such reasoning skills. But that isn't the problem here. Like i said, eating McD's once a week isn't going to make anyone obese. That is due to a lifestyle choice that McD's is being demonized for. Don't blame them, or only them.

I will make a deal with anyone in this forum: remove McD's from the average obese persons life. But that is the only change that can be made. Then check back on them at any time in the future. See if they magically shed a bunch of weight and miraculously managed to recover from high blood pressure or somthing stupid like that. Make sure you document it and have proof of your method and results. If you can be successful, i will eat my own right foot. While it is still attached and without salt.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


That's great!! A classic!!

I have an Aunt who has an eating disorder. A doctor told her to stop eating McD's, she started eating at BK!! He told her cut out fast food, she ordered Pizza. He said Bring a salad to work, she brought a salad with a pound of Fried chicken strips, and smothered in Ranch Dressing.

Oh did I mention she always get's the Diet Soda?

I 100% agree with you. McD's isn't the root of the problem. They really just go along with the proven marketing tricks. That's business. Long before McD's existed companies were using all sorts of trick in marketing, even before TV when people listened to Radio shows. Ever notice they were all sponsored by some corporation? like Ovaltine?\

Great post!

I'm sure it's been said here already, but 5 year old children do not drive themselves to McDonald's and order a freakin' happy meal.

The parent is responsible for what the child eats. Hell, kids will eat anything that tastes good. It's just as easy to make the family spaghetti than drive to the local fast food joint and it's better for everyone. Seriously, stop being a lazy parent and think of what you are feeding your children.



[edit on 29-4-2010 by Tartarspoon]

reply to post by pyrael


We didn't even have a TV until i was 8 years old.Then we got a tiny black and white TV that i was hardly allowed to watch.
Yes my mother was big on education also, it did not mean i was contained in a bubble, oblivious to the events unfolding around me in the world outside my own home.
I was exposed to life outside my home through family, friends, my one day a week at pre school and generally, being outside the home.

As a child i was very aware of life outside my own experience, we did after all have friends, after all we did live in a city . . . . .

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan



The problem isn't McD's. A kid eating a happy meal one time a week is not going to be fat or suffer anything for it. It is the mind manipulation. That is what people are complaining about (including myself).


That is the main theme of my post! The mind manipulation that children are subjected to, the ease in which the corporations can get into the psyche of a child, I am am not sure if you are attempting to agree or disagree with me, that is unclear.The fact that there are too many fat kids is more of an after thought which has two lines dedicated to it at the end of my rant opposed to media manipulation of children.Adults are all aware of the tactics employed by big corporations, they can choose to reason this.A very young child cannot.
Mummy can tell 4 year old Billy that he should not pay attention to adds but the truth is they hire entire teams of experts including marketing psychologists to infiltrate the mind of kids.
What defenses does the average parent, in an urban setting have against a several pronged assault from what is essentially brainwashing?

I will just say it's not just MD, obviously, its the systematic mind manipulation of children by corporations.
I ask anyone oppossed to this legislation, were you oppossed to the banning of the advertising of cigerettes to children?
Was that an assault on liberty, an insult to parents who have the choice to control the content a child is exposed to?
After all, one ciggy a week won't kill a kid, right?


A parent can influence what a child's desires to but if they are exposed to the broader community, life outside the home than parents are helpless to have full control over the child's ability to be manipulated by corporate advertising.

In fact as a strong willed, independent child the fact that my mother objected to things i wanted made me more determined to attain them.
Kids who simply conform to their parents every regulation may be shielded more from the marketing machine, but what about kids who question the authority of their parents like i did?

I would say corporate advertising KNOW this and so have managed to corner most kids, the ones who are allowed to have whatever they asked for, and the ones who are denied them.Here they have managed to manipulate almost 100% of kids.....

Well, McDonald's is effective at advertising. That's what you do when you are in business. You do things to get people in the door, that's how you stay in business. If it were my business, sure I would do things to give you a reason to come into the door. I don't know that McDonald's is out to hurt people really, but they are out to make a profit.

A lot of restaurants do things for kids. Crayons and coloring stuff for Cracker Barrel. Kids eat free at.... Stuff like that.

If it were my restaurant though, the food would be honest to god food. I don't think I would want to run it any other way. If I could use that fact as my way to get people in the door, then I would. And I would charge a fair price for it. When you leave my joint, you would know you had a high quality meal.

[edit on 30-4-2010 by cybertroy]

reply to post by mumma in pyjamas



They have managed to control enough kids for long enough that America now has a corporate culture. People no longer decide what they want or what they like. They are told.

And those who refuse to be told are shunned as weird, quirky, eccentric, odd, etc.

Corporations know that sex is an easy sell. So now we have shows glorifying such behavior.

McD's is just an example of the bigger picture. But i can't go without the occasional Big Mac and fries.

Edit to add to the group at large: given how many people think McD's is the most disgusting thing ever, i am surprised that they turn such massive profits. Methinks that some here are being less than honest for the sake of histrionics.

[edit on 30-4-2010 by bigfatfurrytexan]

What's with all the hyperbole and misconceptions in this thread?

The meals aren't being "banned", and parents are still welcome to choose to feed their kids that crap; so no consumer "freedoms" are being trampled here.

The only thing that might change, in these municipalities, is that their kids' meals may get a bit healthier (not likely), or that the kids' meals won't come with a plastic, made in china, p.o.s. "toy" that the child will likely break or forget about in a day or two.

This is no different than ol' "Joe Cool" going the way of the dodo, from RJ Reynolds tobacco advertisements, and Camel cigarettes are certainly still available.

[edit on 4/30/10 by redmage]

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


And those who refuse to be told are shunned as weird, quirky, eccentric, odd, etc.

Agreed, exactly.The kids of these people are hyper aware of the fact that their weird, crazy parent just aren't 'normal'.They feel marginalised and out of step with society's excepted culture and often, more susceptible to media manipulation in their quest to feel they fit in.
I will attempt with my kids to strike a balance.Well aware that Bans on certain things may enhance their vulnerability to be media manipulated i will have to moderate their participation in just for example, Md's.I will not place a blanket ban on such things but will often say no, but rarely say never.

The law isn't stopping kids from eating at Mcdonalds. The law is preventing advertisement aimed at children through toys as a reward for going to mcdoanlds. When children see this on TV, most will want to go to Mcdonalds so they can get a new toy with their happy meal.

Now yes, a good parent should refuse to let their children eat such unhealthy food. However, not all parents are perfect, and may give in to a child constantly whining for Mcdonalds. Some parents also don't think twice about the healthiness. This law isn't stopping the parents from making the decision to let them get Mcdoanalds or not, it is preventing the children from falling victim to the marketing schemes of Mcdonalds.

Yes, the parent should make sure their kids eat healthy, but it doesn't help when the kids are targetetted with Happy Meals, toys for boys and girls, playgrounds in the restaurants, Ronald Mcdonald. Maybe it's just me, but i remember many times as a child wanting to go to Mcdonalds solely for the purpose of getting the toy I saw they just came out with on the commercial. I was actually talking about this the other day, saying how it should be illegal to target kids so heavily like that.

I stand by this law, if you wanna take your kids to Mcdonalds once in a while thats fine, but we dont need our kids being targetted like this.

[edit on 30-4-2010 by Good Intentions]