Today I was fortunate enough to see Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark side of all The American-American Meal, discuss the rhetoric behind America’s fast food giants about the hidden marketing tactics towards small children and how that has resulted in a nation that is addicted to the cheap and tasty fast food.
An interesting point that Schlosser discussed was how these fast food giants target children as early as nice months old using Walt Disney’s tactics of using adorable cartoon characters that would appeal to small children. McDonalds did not figure this out by themselves. There was one point in McDonald's history where they thought they should dispose of the arch to save money. But instead of making a hasty move, they hired scientist to do some research to see if the arch attracts young children and retains their loyalty though out their lives.
The conclusion of the study stated that the McDonald’s golden arch is the “mother’s breast of McDonalds” and that more importantly, small children are attracted to the arch at a very young age, and that many of the children do retain brand loyalty thought out their lives. The same principles that attract children to the arch can also be applied to cute characters. So McDonalds corporation created Ronald McDonald, a red headed clown who is geared towards making children laugh, and a whole wide range set of cartoon characters that all love to eat hamburgers. The basic theory behind this is that if one sees a peer doing something and enjoying it, that they will also feel compelled to do it to fit in that group. McDonald’s tactics to target young children have caused a whole generation of children heart diseases, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and especially diabetes.
McDonald’s toxic discourse has truly created an unprecedented amount of unhealthy food in the United States, and people who are suffering from multiple diseases at very young ages. Congress has been really lax about coercing McDonald’s to change their marketing tactics towards children. Michelle Obama has attempted to fight the major conglomerate, but has made little success. The largest voice out there right now who is targeting McDonald’s and demanding them to change their tactics is Eric Schlosser. He has created a wave of lawyers, consumers and even congressmen who are determined to change the way McDonald’s markets. But the question remains, is that enough to take on a multi billion dollar company?
Unfortunately, the big bucks McDonald’s pay lobbyist to shut up congressmen has made the chances of congress actually passing any laws that will prevent their money hungry marketing practices are very low. What must be done is that normal people, like you and I, must create grassroots organizations to fight against the way McDonald’s targets children. We need butchers, lawyers, college students, professors, doctors, nutritionist, and anyone who wants to see our children live healthy lives to join together under the cause. These grassroots organizations don’t simply have to be towards McDonald’s marketing strategies, but towards a whole range of issues such as the unsafe and unsanitary production of food, and the a way to make the food more healthy. The painful truth is that as long as McDonald’s isn’t pressured to change their ways, they won’t change. They are making money. It will take millions of concerned and organized individuals to challenge McDonald’s to make our country healthier, and to prevent our children from being targeted.
While the effects of excessive fast food intake is more than evident all over the country today, I can't bring myself to support legislative action. I feel that restriction of marketing strategies would be an affront to our capitalist ways.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that to change it will require the efforts of any and all that are concerned about the issue, but in the form of a cultural shift. Parents play the most important role with the opportunity to instill healthy habits in their children at an early age. Great ways to do this could be tending a small garden and encouraging having meals as a family.
I on the other hand do agree with you, no offense intended towards Randy. I feel as if legislative action is the only way strides will be made that are large enough to really do any good.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that encouraging home meals is a great way to do this. Although, as I'm sure you do as well, I understand how difficult this can be to organize. A possible way of creating a small garden in communities that do not have the room for one is to possibly start a communal garden for parts of the neighborhood. I understand this is idealistic and quite egalitarian to suggest but I still think that given the correct setup, it could work.
Yeah, I like how you branched off by covering how these companies target young children. They're trained to do so. I remember in the movie, Super Size Me, there was a similar part where Morgan showed a group of kids random pictures: some historical, famous, fast food-related, etc. -- most of these kids could name the fast food mascots where when they were showed Wendy (the Wendy's girl), they knew immediately. Although this movie is older now, it became apparent that not only were we becoming overweight in regard to our food intake, but it seemed as though we were becoming more clueless. I'm extremely curious where the line will be drawn where diet and health are considered. Does it have to come to a point where some so drastic happens that there will be change?
ReplyDeleteBaron, you made some good points about the way effective changes can be implemented. I think that there does need to be a large movement within communities to change the way we think about and relate to food, and as those changes become common practice they will start to spread and more people will begin to see the benefit in eating locally, and in eating food that can be traced to its source.
ReplyDeleteLegislative action will also be a part of this change, but no one in government is going to make much of an effort to lobby for reforms until people like us make it impossible for them not to.
It is encouraging to live in a community where people really do care about the food they eat and where there are businesses like Casaa Nueva, The Village Bakery, Fluff bakery, Della Zona,etc who use organic local ingredients for their food, not just because it is much tastier but because it supports a particular food philosophy. The longer I live here the more I realize that Athens has a really great community of farmers and activists who care about food, and I have a sneaking suspicion that these ideologies can be found in other places, and that the sense of community surrounding food and food production is getting larger rather than smaller.