A McDonald’s television ad that offers a free plastic pony with children’s meals has been panned by parents as the most manipulative commercial on television.
“Parents are clearly telling the company that trying to influence kids to nag their parents into giving them unhealthy food is totally unacceptable,” said Kathy Chapman, nutritionist with the Cancer Council NSW, which supports the awards.
Pestered parents pan McDonald’s pony – National – theage.com.au
Maybe I missed something… well not maybe but surely I’ve missed something, I mean when did parents get to be kids and cry “That’s not fair”?
When I was a kid, if any of us four kids nagged our parents for anything we were told NO, the more we nagged the louder the “No” came until it was loud enough for us to hear from our bedroom, which is exactly where persistent nagging got us.
These days it seems lazy parents give in and then blame advertisers for what they (the parents) do for/to their children… the violent computer games (that they pay for), the bad rap music (that they pay for and buy stereos and iPods to play on so they don’t have to hear it), the junk food of all kinds (that they buy). When will parents finally take responsibility for their kids, like my parents did?
These days you’ll find more parents willing to take the kids to the playland at McDonalds than are willing to go each weekend to a sports oval for soccer, football, cricket or other. It’s an easy out for them and geez I’m sick of hearing them complain.
When I was young, I didn’t know a single kid with ADHD (sure maybe there were, but I didn’t know of them) nor do I know anyone as an adult now who was ADHD/ADD as a child. And while I’m certainly no Dr, I gotta wonder if anyone stops to look at the parents of these kids and see what they are doing that may influence the childs behaviour?
These days kids are brought up by TV and as TV is their main authority figure it is the voice from which they take their lead. That’s why they want everything they see and that’s why they nag when they don’t get it, because you, parents, are not the alpha in their lives they don’t listen to you, you must listen to them.
I’m amazed by the number of cars I pass on the roads where the kids are in the back seats with DVD players mounted in the head rest in front of them, headphones on their heads. Of where the kid sits in the passenger seat with his/her iPod headphones in their ears… aren’t you talking to your children ever?
I see a time when the family unit will be no more, it’s a sad time… but it’s coming.
I agree totally! Too many people spend too much time shirking responsibility for their own actions. Grrr!
Go for government, you’ll get my vote!