Sesame Street under attack for airing McDonald's commercials

[Smy Guiley]

They have salads now. LOL! Baby steps.

Have you tried the fajitas? They taste like canned chicken vegetable soup wrapped in a steamed dishrag! MMM! Healthy!

 

[ssetta]

Believe it or not, for awhile, the main local sponsor of Sesame Street on Rhode Island PBS was Dunkin' Donuts. And they would run a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts coffee, the same one that's on network television. Wouldn't that be bad for kids? They shouldn't advertise that stuff during kids shows.

 

[Drtooth]

What really upsets me about reports like Naders is that it nit-picks on issues without providing any solutions. The whiners of the world never impress me. Form a plan, then I might jump on board.

I bet people don't really understand the irony or the hidden joke of all this... since Nader was on Sesame Street....

 

[Hays]

OK, but here's the obvious solution: These corporations are using tax-free dollars to run commercials for services the public obviously wants. By using commercials, the programs run the risk of altering their programming to "please the sponsor" (the whole idea behind public television is to avoid this; it's kind of like tenor in a university)

What if the government used the tax money they would be collecting from "tax-free" spots to fund PBS? My point is that, realistically, it's coming out of tax dollars anyway - just the back end. Write your congressman and tell him to get that money back and use it for PBS!

I absolutely don't want to lose these shows - but if we keep going down this path, how long is it before Cookie Monster will only eat "Chips Ahoy," and Oscar only use "Glad" trash bags? That's what companies like Sesame Workshop and others will face if there isn't more strings-free funding for public television.

PS. I think Nader's objection to the choice of sponsors is a little ridiculous, given the above obvious problem. Heck, my brief career was frequently funded by Phillip Morris.

 

[billyk]

Jeez, why don't they put a warning sign on the Mic D's doors -- under the "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service" sign.

"Warning : The food sold here is hazardous to your health."

Maybe that would get parents to listen.


(I'm being sarcastic - can't you tell?)

 

[frogboy4]

OK, but here's the obvious solution: These corporations are using tax-free dollars to run commercials for services the public obviously wants. By using commercials, the programs run the risk of altering their programming to "please the sponsor" (the whole idea behind public television is to avoid this; it's kind of like tenor in a university)

What if the government used the tax money they would be collecting from "tax-free" spots to fund PBS? My point is that, realistically, it's coming out of tax dollars anyway - just the back end. Write your congressman and tell him to get that money back and use it for PBS!

I absolutely don't want to lose these shows - but if we keep going down this path, how long is it before Cookie Monster will only eat "Chips Ahoy," and Oscar only use "Glad" trash bags? That's what companies like Sesame Workshop and others will face if there isn't more strings-free funding for public television.

PS. I think Nader's objection to the choice of sponsors is a little ridiculous, given the above obvious problem. Heck, my brief career was frequently funded by Phillip Morris.

I get your point, but that's taking it 20 steps further. I don't see Sesame ever having to do that. Very extreme example. Sesame would close shop or go to network before they did any of that. If McDs dropped out, another sponsor would quickly take its place. Reading Rainbow is another story.

 

[sherlockhemlock]

Did anyone see any of the "The Blues" series a couple of weeks ago on PBS? They all started with A VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL!!!!! Not a "hint" of sponsorship....not an "oops"....a commercial. I remember my jaw dropped open at how obvious it was. It was quite sad, really; the beginning of the end. They've been sneaking this stuff in a lot lately. Have you noticed that "ZOOM" still has some integrity? They have the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation (doesn't quite sound like they sell a whole lot of burgers!) and member sponsorship. No commercials.

I remember years ago that I used to think they were pushing it when the art supply store that sponsored Bob Ross' "Joy Of Painting" would run a quick ad for art supplies. That's pretty tame now, isn't it?

later
eric

The fact of the matter is, Public television has been airing adds for a long time. At one point it was short blurbs about this corperation or that medicine manufacturing company, but now, for years they have been airing almost full car commercials and the likes. I think it's good that people are finally starting to flap their wings about this stuff, but I also think it's silly to pick on Sesame Street, and not the PBS guidelines. Course, since goverment funding keeps getting cut over and over again for Public Television, what choice do they have? We're lucky that PBS is still running.

 

[Hays]

It doesn't have to be this way. We, as citizens, can get government funding for the arts back. We are the ones who get to say how our taxes are spent. I think a lot of people aren't supporting government funding for PBS because they haven't considered that tax-free advertising costs them tax dollars.

I don't think that PBS can continue with its sole support being private donations, especially not membership...and I do think that content will eventually be affected, though I was exaggerating to make the point.

 

[Censored]

Maybe it really IS only a matter of time before Hooper's store is converted into a McDonald's.

 

[Hays]

Maybe it really IS only a matter of time before Hooper's store is converted into a McDonald's.

It is true that Sesame Street seems much more aware of ratings than ever before. And I don't think it's an accident that more and more pop culture is appearing on the show...

I don't think that's all bad, but it does indicate an attempt to appeal to an audience with expendable income in addition to the target audience. (hopefully the teenagers tuning in to watch Destiny's child aren't parents watching with their kids)