"Ronald McDonald is an ambassador to McDonald's and he is an ambassador for good. Ronald McDonald is going nowhere."
- McDonald's CEO, Jim Skinner
I've blogged about this before (see March 29, 2010 post), but given recent events, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to defend my pal Ronald McDonald once more.
Yet again, obesity watchdog groups have targeted the beloved fast food icon, because they mistakenly believe that a clown is to blame for our country's childhood obesity problem. That's right ladies and gentlemen, the clown did it!
Dr. Andrew Weil and his other kookie allies who seem to believe that parents shouldn't be held accountable for what their children eat, have launched an aggressive campaign to oust the 43 year old smiling face of the burger franchise through lobbying and grass roots activism.
I'm glad that McDonald's is taking a very dismissive approach toward this misguided effort. For some reason these activists simply refuse to acknowledge the real problem: parents who allow their children to eat unhealthy food all day. And the federal government seems to be in their camp by clamping down on how companies market to children.
When did McDonald's become the authoritarian voice on what children eat? I'm a parent, and so far no one from McDonald's, Wendy's or Burger King (whose mascot should be targeted because that king is friggin' creepy) has knocked on my door demanding I shove burgers and fries down my son's throat. When I was a child, I couldn't wait to eat at McDonald's, but my parents were smart enough to allow me to enjoy fast food in moderation while encouraging an active lifestyle. I'm very unclear as to when that responsibility shifted from the parents to Ronald McDonald. I guess I'm just out of touch.
Seriously, child obesity is a growing problem. No one is denying that. However, advocates need to become more sensible and pragmatic by placing the blame where it belongs: squarely on the backs of ambivalent parents who simply refuse to hold themselves accountable. After all, it's always easier to blame big business. It's become such a popular sport. But targeting a clown mascot?
If this is just some sort of PR stunt to bring greater attention to the problem, then I think Dr. Weil and the clowns he surrounds himself with are doing their cause a disservice because this campaign risks damaging their credibility, which will ultimately hurt children even more.
The problem starts in the home. Maybe the activism should start there as well.
- McDonald's CEO, Jim Skinner
Yet again, obesity watchdog groups have targeted the beloved fast food icon, because they mistakenly believe that a clown is to blame for our country's childhood obesity problem. That's right ladies and gentlemen, the clown did it!
Dr. Andrew Weil and his other kookie allies who seem to believe that parents shouldn't be held accountable for what their children eat, have launched an aggressive campaign to oust the 43 year old smiling face of the burger franchise through lobbying and grass roots activism.
I'm glad that McDonald's is taking a very dismissive approach toward this misguided effort. For some reason these activists simply refuse to acknowledge the real problem: parents who allow their children to eat unhealthy food all day. And the federal government seems to be in their camp by clamping down on how companies market to children.
When did McDonald's become the authoritarian voice on what children eat? I'm a parent, and so far no one from McDonald's, Wendy's or Burger King (whose mascot should be targeted because that king is friggin' creepy) has knocked on my door demanding I shove burgers and fries down my son's throat. When I was a child, I couldn't wait to eat at McDonald's, but my parents were smart enough to allow me to enjoy fast food in moderation while encouraging an active lifestyle. I'm very unclear as to when that responsibility shifted from the parents to Ronald McDonald. I guess I'm just out of touch.
Seriously, child obesity is a growing problem. No one is denying that. However, advocates need to become more sensible and pragmatic by placing the blame where it belongs: squarely on the backs of ambivalent parents who simply refuse to hold themselves accountable. After all, it's always easier to blame big business. It's become such a popular sport. But targeting a clown mascot?
If this is just some sort of PR stunt to bring greater attention to the problem, then I think Dr. Weil and the clowns he surrounds himself with are doing their cause a disservice because this campaign risks damaging their credibility, which will ultimately hurt children even more.
The problem starts in the home. Maybe the activism should start there as well.
