Comments on: Sappy Law Bans Happy Meals

By: David Cathey

David Cathey — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:26:05 +0000

If all they were worried about was some Pavlovian response then they would’ve writtent he law to say a toy can only be included in a box of fruit. This was an attempt to regulate the way people feed their children. This is a law that says, “We recognize people are too weak or too dumb or both to make up their minds so we’re going to do it for them.

Sorry, that’s not progress.

I appreciate your concern and share it. But the answer is not in law, but in personal responsibility. Rather than worry about our neighbor, let’s be a better neighbor ourselves and be a lightning rod for change. If we leave it too legislators, we end up with dumb laws like this and the equally dumb Sharia and English-only laws we just passed in Oklahoma.

By: DougW

DougW — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:26:50 +0000

Facts anyone? The law _does not_ prohibit McD’s from putting a toy in a “happy meal.” What the law _does_ is prohibit _any_ company from giving away a toy with meals that have a calorie content greater than 600 calories. Six Hundred Calories! That is excessive even for an adult, let alone a small child. Giving a reward for eating fatty/salty food is reinforcing bad decisions.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:29:42 +0000

I think you’re spot on. Marketing is becoming the new insanity defense. It’s not my fault, marketing made me eat bad food and borrow more than I should have. I can’t blamed, marketing made me do it.

Marketing can’t take away you right to choose, but when people buy into that line of thinking, you’ve given your choice away.

By: Bob D

Bob D — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 01:52:42 +0000

This is one of those burns Jim Rome would be proud of. Well said, Dave. Bring the heat.

By: David Cathey

David Cathey — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:00:33 +0000

Marketing is clearly not the point as is made crystal by
Supervisor Mar’s quote.

As a father of an 11- and 13-year-old, I have way more children’s programming than I’d like to remember and, yes, the commercials are insipid — not just McDonald’s. I know that we have, as parents, the freedom to change channels or, more importantly, discuss the difference between truth and advertising.

Again, the convenience of not having to say “no” to a crying, begging child is not an unalienable right. Be strong and your kids will remember it. Be weak, and they’ll remember that, too.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

By: Nuvo Chef

Nuvo Chef — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:21:04 +0000

I think that the point you seem to miss is that this insipid device of marketing is designed solely to get the child into the store. Have you watched children’s programming? It is not about my decision to eat at home it is about the recognition that rewarding bad habits is the problem.

Freedom of choice is only that when you have one.

But then I am too weak to have a child and face the whining, crying, and pleading I see so many parents have to face when dealing with a child and a dining situation.

Nuvo Chef
@nuvochef