Sesame Street under attack for airing McDonald's commercials

[Frazzle]

Although fast food is not exactly a healthy choice of a meal, Mc Donalds does support positive causes which is good. I think it is crucial for parents to encourage healthy eating habits in children, rather than blame the media for a typical junk food craving from a small child. Advertising can draw an audience to a product or service, but it is up to the discretion of the consumer to make the choices of what they eat or buy. It is up to the parent to have final say in those matters involving children. I can see eating fast food as an occasional treat, or for extremely busy times, but for a kid to ask for it every day & a parent to actually oblige is wrong. Everything is okay in moderation, therefore I don't think Mc Donalds should be placed under scrutiny for being a sponsor. Eating fast food isn't dangerous to one's health, if done in reasonable moderation. Parents need to take responsibility in providing guidance, rather than blaming outside sources. Good habits, values, & choices come from good, strong guidance.

 

[Censored]

Although fast food is not exactly a healthy choice of a meal, Mc Donalds does support positive causes which is good. I think it is crucial for parents to encourage healthy eating habits in children, rather than blame the media for a typical junk food craving from a small child. Advertising can draw an audience to a product or service, but it is up to the discretion of the consumer to make the choices of what they eat or buy. It is up to the parent to have final say in those matters involving children. I can see eating fast food as an occasional treat, or for extremely busy times, but for a kid to ask for it every day & a parent to actually oblige is wrong. Everything is okay in moderation, therefore I don't think Mc Donalds should be placed under scrutiny for being a sponsor. Eating fast food isn't dangerous to one's health, if done in reasonable moderation. Parents need to take responsibility in providing guidance, rather than blaming outside sources. Good habits, values, & choices come from good, strong guidance.

I don't think the problem is just McDonald's. I think it's the whole package of what Sesame Street has turned into and how different it is from its original essence.

 

[Hays]

Not that this would ever happen, but I think we'd all be bothered if Sesame Street were sponsored by Jack Daniels and had similar "ads" for their product (though a lot of PBS food shows are sponsored by wineries)

I agree that fast food isn't the problem, here - but I maintain that PBS cannot produce quality shows unless it gets support from sources that don't have an ulterior motive.

 

[manoftheSTREET]

Ralph Nader is protesting Mickey D's ads on the Street?

I guess this means we'll never hear his reindition of "People In Your Neighborhood" again.

Sincerely,

John "manoftheSTREET" Kilduff...

Points if you caught my reference.

 

[JLG]

This is something. When I was little, McDonald's was always one of the local sponsors of Sesame Street. We got 3 (4) PBS stations, and they all individualy had McDonald's as a local sponsor.

You got four PBS stations? Man! Where did you live?

 

[ISNorden]

Not everyone who wants to support public TV through an individual donation, is financially able to do so: for what it's worth, I live in a nursing home and literally get a dollar a day in spending money from the state. Considering that some "optional" care in this facility costs money, I'm unlikely to have enough left to give Sesame Workshop what they'd need to produce decent shows. The best I can do is encourage those who can afford to give...and, yes, sometimes buy from the corporations who fund Sesame Street. (I may not buy any of the child-related products since I'm not a parent; and I may not eat at McDonald's on a regular basis. But once in a while I'll order from them when the home has "carry-in lunch" days; adding a few cents to the donation fund is better than nothing.)

 

[Drtooth]

I will say one thing. At least they don't try to cover up an advertisement for their product with a "quick question" or "We thought you'd be curious to know." I mean, Ronald McDonald barely even appears. Maybe his arm or so. And the logo. That's about it. While I don't approve of this as much, at least it isn't as blatant as some of the others.

Beaches? it shows people having fun at a resort.

Remember Spagetti O's? They blatantly advertised their product "with as much calcium as a glass of milk."

On Arthur, there was an obvious ad for Instant Cinnimon Buns. And there was one for Juicy Juice and Alphabets. Both advertised their product clearly.

Then there was the one before Clifford by Lipton's instant soup mix that invited kids to "Use their Noodle," while bowls and spoons were subjects of a game.

Curious George starts off with 2 advertisements. One "cleverly disguised" as a Science fact for how Sunmaid Raisins are made. "We thought you'd be Curious to know." And the worst one? An actual advertisement for Amazon.com. Not even hidden. They advertise they now deliver Groceries. Yeah. Thanks.

Thanks be to the ever shrinking budget, and no one wanting a small protion of their taxes to government grants to PBS, when we're all too happy to use it to hire some politician's brain dead nephew, or give a foreign dignitary of a rich country a nice little caviar and wine dinner.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Well, it drives me crazy that McDonald's makes up these things that they encourage children to do when their all about selling hamburgers and playing Nintendo DS in their Wi-Fi hotspots restaurants. Because Playing video games while eating fattening food is really being active. Just wish they wouldn't pretend to do or be something their not.

 

[travellingpat]

I dont know i think he kind of had a point...although i think its fine sesame street is getting sponsers besides the money given to them by the country, it kinda of sends a mixed message....hey kids go outside and blay and then go eat a big mac....idk he has a point and he doesnt......its one of those things lol

 

[Drtooth]

Personally, as I said much eariler, the question shouldn't be that McDonalds and SS should come under fire for having a partnership, but that PBS should come under fire for having commercials in their "non-commercial" programming.

But I'm sure a three year old won't see a 30 second cryptic commercial and say "mommy, gimme a big Mac."

This is another one of those double edged swords. look at other children's programming. They have to limit the ammount (and soon delete it all together) of "junk food" ads during kids' programming. Seems like a good idea, doesn't it. But then of course, the hidden cost is that Children's programming is now virtually unprofitable to come up with. Cartoonists are losing jobs over this. (which is why I'm concerned).

Junk food ads can live in harmony with the health food PSA's. Parents need to learn to say NO and kids need to take responsibility for themselves too. No! You don't need to go to McD's and buy the biggest thing every single day after school. If so, it's your fault you're doing it.

BTW, is it just me, or does anyone else see less and less kids getting the kid's meal?