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Should cereal companies be forced to stop advertising to children?

Should cereal mascots be banned?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • No

    Votes: 28 84.8%
  • It depends

    Votes: 4 12.1%

  • Total voters
    33

SPC

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2011
Messages
215
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Location
Missouri
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Very Conservative
I heard about this one recently. It seems Obama wants to do away with Toucan Sam, Tony The Tiger, Snap, Crackle and Pop, and the other mascots who attract children to certain cereals because he claims they are making our children fat. :lamo
 
I'm still pissed because they banned mascots for cigarettes. I miss Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man
 
I did a side by side comparison of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios and Cap'n Crunch w/Crunchberries yesterday. All things being equal (serving size, type and amount of milk used) the calories were the same. The fat content in the Cap'n Crunch was lower, but the sugar content was higher. I also compared to shredded wheat (unfrosted, blech) and saw that SW had a higher sodium level than the Cap'n Crunch, but less sugar and less fat.

The differences aren't much (1.5 g fat CC vs. 2 g fat in cheerios, for example).

That said, I really don't see a reason to change marketing. Even so called "healthy" or "adult" cereals aren't much better for you. Marketing neither type of cereal to children would just diminish cereal sales over time, I'd guess.
 
I heard about this one recently. It seems Obama wants to do away with Toucan Sam, Tony The Tiger, Snap, Crackle and Pop, and the other mascots who attract children to certain cereals because he claims they are making our children fat. :lamo

No source? Not true.
 
I heard about it on the radio (No, not Rush Limbaugh) and it can be verified by doing a Google search.

Then get a credible link, and post it here.
 
Then get a credible link, and post it here.

Even if he's wrong about Obama, there have been research studies that conclude that children pick cereals based on recognizable, popular characters. So on that premise alone, should we ban characters on cereal all together, or use that knowledge to sell "healthier" cereals?

Link Sound Medicine: How Kids Choose Cereal
 
Even if he's wrong about Obama, there have been research studies that conclude that children pick cereals based on recognizable, popular characters. So on that premise alone, should we ban characters on cereal all together, or use that knowledge to sell "healthier" cereals?

Link Sound Medicine: How Kids Choose Cereal

No, parents shouldn't let their kids pick out the cereal in the first place.
 
Even if he's wrong about Obama, there have been research studies that conclude that children pick cereals based on recognizable, popular characters. So on that premise alone, should we ban characters on cereal all together, or use that knowledge to sell "healthier" cereals?

Link Sound Medicine: How Kids Choose Cereal

Well, because I can't pass up an opportunity, I think we should be educating our kids on how stuff is sold to them. Both products and ideas. Not easy to do with the really little kids, but theoretically doable and I believe it would be healthy for our society as a whole if the effectiveness of these methods was reduced through early education.
 
No. The parents should decide what cereals they will allow their children to eat, regardless of whose picture is on the front of the box. It's called parenting and we don't need the government to do it for us.
 
I heard about this one recently. It seems Obama wants to do away with Toucan Sam, Tony The Tiger, Snap, Crackle and Pop, and the other mascots who attract children to certain cereals because he claims they are making our children fat. :lamo

Well...the reasoning makes sense to me. If we're going to ban Joe Camel for advertising cigarettes to kids, I don't see how this is fundamentally different. The only question would be whether unhealthy cereals are as bad for you as cigarettes. I don't claim to know the definitive answer on this, but I do think that obesity is probably at least as big of a health problem as smoking in this country.

So I'm not going to reflexively oppose this.
 
Whats the big deal? Der Oneder has been shown with mulitple photo ops chowing down on burgers and fries...why should kids cerals be targeted when he is promoting that?
 
Whats the big deal? Der Oneder has been shown with mulitple photo ops chowing down on burgers and fries...why should kids cerals be targeted when he is promoting that?

He is "promoting" it? Did he dress up as Ronald McDonald and do a commercial?
 
He is "promoting" it? Did he dress up as Ronald McDonald and do a commercial?

Clowns chowing on burgers for photo ops. Yes. Yes he did.
 
Clowns chowing on burgers for photo ops. Yes. Yes he did.

So anyone who has ever eaten a burger is unqualified to have an opinion on whether or not they should be marketed to kids? Should tobacco/alcohol companies be allowed to market their products to kids? If you answer anything other than "yes," I presume you have never smoked tobacco or drunk alcohol in your entire life, right?
 
So anyone who has ever eaten a burger is unqualified to have an opinion on whether or not they are healthy? Should tobacco/alcohol companies be allowed to market their products to kids? If you answer anything other than "yes," I presume you have never smoked tobacco or drunk alcohol in your entire life, right?

Burgers and fries are 'healthy'? Should Obama be allowed to pose for photo ops with junk foods? That will continue to encourage his followers to eat junk food. Seems to me that if you are making the argument that we shouldnt target cereal to children because of the health consequences then the LAST thing you need is Obama advertising junk food to the people MOST prone to be overweight in our society. As for the marketing of alcohol to kids connection...thats just goofy.

But...

Yes...I started smoking AND drinking VERY early in my childhood. It had everything to do with my environment and NOTHING to do with advertising.
 
Burgers and fries are 'healthy'? Should Obama be allowed to pose for photo ops with junk foods? That will continue to encourage his followers to eat junk food. Seems to me that if you are making the argument that we shouldnt target cereal to children because of the health consequences then the LAST thing you need is Obama advertising junk food to the people MOST prone to be overweight in our society.

Banning individuals from inadvertently "advertising" something by consuming it themselves, is very different from a corporate marketing campaign specifically targeting children. That's a whole different can of worms.

As for the marketing of alcohol to kids connection...thats just goofy.

Why? Unhealthy cereals and alcohol are both bad for you, so there's no fundamental difference between the two. It's just a question of whether the health consequences are as severe (and I don't know if they are).

Yes...I started smoking AND drinking VERY early in my childhood. It had everything to do with my environment and NOTHING to do with advertising.

But that's the point, if you have consumed tobacco/alcohol before then by your own logic you are unqualified to suggest that advertising them to kids should be banned. Seems like you're holding Obama to a near-impossible standard. I mean, does he have to go vegan in order to want to fight obesity?
 
Banning individuals from inadvertently "advertising" something by consuming it themselves, is very different from a corporate marketing campaign specifically targeting children. That's a whole different can of worms.



Why? Unhealthy cereals and alcohol are both bad for you, so there's no fundamental difference between the two. It's just a question of whether the health consequences are as severe (and I don't know if they are).



But that's the point, if you have consumed tobacco/alcohol before then by your own logic you are unqualified to suggest that advertising them to kids should be banned. Seems like you're holding Obama to a near-impossible standard. I mean, does he have to go vegan in order to want to fight obesity?

Dood...you are presenting some of the most foolish arguments I have seen on this board. SO...if an adult at one time consumed Capn Crunch they are unqualified to suggest advertising them should be banned?

The OP suggests that those cereals should NOT be allowed to advertise to children because they are unhealthy. Obama has had several photo ops eating junk food. Equally unhealthy behaviors, especially considering the number of his mindless followers that are prone to obesity.
 
Dood...you are presenting some of the most foolish arguments I have seen on this board. SO...if an adult at one time consumed Capn Crunch they are unqualified to suggest advertising them should be banned?

You tell me. YOU are the one who suggested that Obama eating unhealthy foods disqualifies him from wanting to prevent it from being advertised to kids...not me.

The OP suggests that those cereals should NOT be allowed to advertise to children because they are unhealthy. Obama has had several photo ops eating junk food. Equally unhealthy behaviors, especially considering the number of his mindless followers that are prone to obesity.

You've drank alcohol, and yet you implied that advertising it to kids shouldn't be allowed. So you don't live up to your own standard.
 
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You tell me. YOU are the one who suggested that Obama eating unhealthy foods disqualifies him from wanting to prevent it from being advertised to kids...not me.

You've drank alcohol, and yet you implied that advertising it to kids shouldn't be allowed. So you don't live up to your own standard.

Wow. Just...wow...

If you arent already 3/4s into a pint, then you might as well get into it. It cant hurt.
 
Still no link from verifying the OP, not surprised.
 
Cmon, cereal mascots have nothing to do with obesity...tony the tiger was there before I was a kid...and my generation wasnt overly obese....this is very simple...this is whats making kids OBESE..

Worthless Parents...not just poor parents, but rich parents that are clueless what their kids are doing
Playing Wow and Xbox instead of playing hide and go seek and Ringalario
Cell phones and texting instead of walking to each others houses....or "meeting up somewhere" to talk...

SOCIETY is making kids fat ass's....not Mickie Ds or Tony the tiger
 
Kandahar said:
You tell me. YOU are the one who suggested that Obama eating unhealthy foods disqualifies him from wanting to prevent it from being advertised to kids...not me.

I think he's referring to the fact that Obama, the man who never met a camera he didn't like, often would practically pose with a cooked dead cow between some bread and smile to the world.

It's quite comparable to Al Gore running around everywhere urging everyone else not to waste fossil fuels...in his private jet. I doubt you have a problem with that either, though.
 
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