Happy Meal Toys Banned in San Francisco

[Darth Caesar]

America prides itself on freedom of choice if I recall.

Therefore, the government can get the hell out of my diet. The most it should do is let me know what I am eating so I can make an educated choice. I don't need them making the choice for me.

Whoo... *fist pump*

Tell me the calories, nutritional value, etc. But don't dare tell me I can't eat it if I don't want to.

Also, I'm not sure what the effects of prohibition on fast food and sweets - staples in every day life - would be. Probably negligible; you'd just criminalise another industry and give more power to mobsters.

Yep, just like prohibition.

 

[MobBoss]

Offering a toy with a kids meal is 'creepy and predatory'?

lol wut?

 

[Darth Caesar]

Parents are still going to be lazy, and still buy their children happy meals all the time because A: they don't feel like cooking a proper meal, and B: they want to get their child to stop screaming "I want chicken nuggets!" from the back of the car and don't know how to stop them without giving in to their demands.
Childhood obesity is a result of bad parenting, not the evil McDonald's corporation.

:agree

But I like your reasoning. Obviously we should ban bright attractive colors from products because they attract an adults attention irrespective of the products quality. All boxes are required to be flat grey. Fancy letters? Nope, that might make them attractive to a customer without actually informing as to quality. Black block letters for everything. You say your Vegimite is delicious? According to who? All adjectives are to be banned from labeling.

This is the EXACT logic behind this current ban.

 

[Moonbat]

This is just ridiculous. What is it with the anti-liberal social conservatives trying to control people's lives? Why can't these social conservatives accept liberalism? Why do these anti-liberals hate freedom so much? I don't get it.

 

[GhostWriter16]

This is just ridiculous. What is it with the anti-liberal social conservatives trying to control people's lives? Why can't these social conservatives accept liberalism? Why do these anti-liberals hate freedom so much? I don't get it.

This, I'm afraid, was the US liberals.

Or at least, the closest thing to it.

What you are talking about, classical liberalism, is not the same thing as modern liberalism (Which isn't pro-liberty at all.)

Social Conservatives try to enforce morality, social liberals try to enforce their safety standard, and it gets crappy.

The radical anarchists on here are, frankly, closer to getting what the social structure should look like than anyone else. Government tries to control people's lives, so its a necessary evil at best (And probably at worst as well.)

 

[Darth Caesar]

This, I'm afraid, was the US liberals.

Or at least, the closest thing to it.

What you are talking about, classical liberalism, is not the same thing as modern liberalism (Which isn't pro-liberty at all.)

Social Conservatives try to enforce morality, social liberals try to enforce their safety standard, and it gets crappy.

The radical anarchists on here are, frankly, closer to getting what the social structure should look like than anyone else. Government tries to control people's lives, so its a necessary evil at best (And probably at worst as well.)

I thought you told me you would stay away from Off Topic until further notice.

Moderator Action: Trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

The best part? It's free! We can all walk out the door and walk a mile anytime we wish. It costs nothing but the financial and health benefits are enormous if done consistently. You live longer and will spend less on obesity-related illness.

Eh. not everyone can do this. I have a bad knee and recently found out I also have a bad hip. It seriously hurts to walk and I cant really do more than a few blocks before having extreme pain.

 

[Darth Caesar]

Replace the toy with a coupon for a free 15 minutes at the nearest gym. At the gym, give away toys for kids who spend 15 minutes working out.

That's the American way innit? You want something, you goshdarnit work for it Sonny Jim!

Win-win-win.

That's not a half bad idea.

 

[Aegis]

Eh. not everyone can do this. I have a bad knee and recently found out I also have a bad hip. It seriously hurts to walk and I cant really do more than a few blocks before having extreme pain.

If those issues are caused by being overweight, then that's a circular problem. If it's an actual injury, go get it fixed. Experiencing "extreme pain" just by walking a few short blocks is not normal and you should have a doctor investigate it.

Swimming is one of the best non-impact exercises one can do.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

If those issues are caused by being overweight, then that's a circular problem. If it's an actual injury, go get it fixed. Experiencing "extreme pain" just by walking a few short blocks is not normal and you should have a doctor investigate it.

Swimming is one of the best non-impact exercises one can do.

Actually, it isnt. according to the BMI Im overweight but I have extremely heavy bones so technically Im not says the doctor.

Im afraid of water.

 

[Aegis]

Actually, it isnt.

'It' being, what?

according to the BMI Im overweight but I have extremely heavy bones so technically Im not says the doctor.

BMI is not an accurate indicator because it does not take into account the percentage of body fat.

Having denser bones does mean that you should be less susceptible to fractures, osteoporosis, etc. so at least you have that going for you.

Im afraid of water.

Are you more afraid of water than you are of being practically being crippled for life?

 

[El_Machinae]

I'm against it. Telling a company that they can't sell a food+toy package is ludicrous. That's like saying, "Hey, don't advertise - it makes people want stuff."

Well, I guess my distinction is that there's advertising towards children and there's advertising towards adults. In general, outside of lying, I tend to not really care about advertising to adults: this is even true when the advertising targets well-known psychological foibles.

What McDonalds is doing is targeting the children. McDonalds is not on my team. They don't want what best for me. They just want my money. And they're willing to do whatever is legal to get my kids to want their product. Their goal is to trick my kid into convincing me.

 

[GhostWriter16]

What McDonalds is doing is targeting the children. McDonalds is not on my team. They don't want what best for me. They just want my money. And they're willing to do whatever is legal to get my kids to want their product.

And that's perfectly fine, as a personal decision. Not as something that has the force of law behind it.

Also, the toy doesn't make the meal any more harmful anyway. Also, they could easily reduce the meal's price by a penny and charge a penny for the toy if they wanted (That's certainly what they should do...)

 

[Aegis]

No, children don't order anything. PARENTS order happy meals. Children want all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons, it is no harder to say no to their happy meal than it is to playing under the kitchen sink.

Children don't incessantly nag, complain and scream hissy-fits about wanting to play under the kitchen sink, but they will over food or toys. It's easy to sit there and be a hard-assed, arm-chair parent, but when you're running around on only a few hours of intermittent sleep and it's a constant 24/7 barrage of some of the most annoying behavior in the world, relenting and going with the path of least resistance is sometimes the only way to keep your sanity in check.

The key is to never introduce it to them in the first place.

But I like your reasoning. Obviously we should ban bright attractive colors from products because they attract an adults attention irrespective of the products quality. All boxes are required to be flat grey. Fancy letters? Nope, that might make them attractive to a customer without actually informing as to quality. Black block letters for everything. You say your Vegimite is delicious? According to who? All adjectives are to be banned from labeling.

This is the EXACT logic behind this current ban.

No, it's the EXACT logic behind banning cartoon characters from a cigarette brand's advertising.

 

[Ajidica]

This is just ridiculous. What is it with the anti-liberal social conservatives trying to control people's lives? Why can't these social conservatives accept liberalism? Why do these anti-liberals hate freedom so much? I don't get it.

Just to point out, I am opposed to this. If you want to let your kid turn into a disgusting lard bucket condemning him to suffering and health problems down the road, be my guest.
However, attaching sin taxes to it to pay for the additional health care is fine by me.

 

[MobBoss]

This is just ridiculous. What is it with the anti-liberal social conservatives trying to control people's lives? Why can't these social conservatives accept liberalism? Why do these anti-liberals hate freedom so much? I don't get it.

Its San Francisco. Thats not exactly a bastion of conservative thought now is it?

I'm afraid that Dom is right on this one.

 

[GenMarshall]

Sometimes there is too much liberalism

Sometimes there is too much conservatism

There NEEDS to be a happy medium.

 

[Bugfatty300]

What kind of idiot kid even wants those cheap dumb toys?

I remember that I used to think they were stupid and boring.

 

[MobBoss]

What kind of idiot kid even wants those cheap dumb toys?

I remember that I used to think they were stupid and boring.

I actually have a friend who collected them as an adult. Why? Apparently collectors will pay huge amounts of cash for complete sets of those 'cheap dumb toys'.

Secondly, why would a kid be an idiot for wanting a toy in their happy meal? Even if you think it was 'cheap or dumb'?

You see, kids have an imagination. Even a cheap and dumb toy like that can bring them some happiness. Whats wrong with that?

 

[GenMarshall]

You see, kids have an imagination. Even a cheap and dumb toy like that can bring them some happiness. Whats wrong with that?

"Imagination is intelligence having fun!" (Yes It's a direct quote from our favorite moderator!)