Is advertising to children wrong?

Bloke in Canada is suing McD's saying that Happy Meals are advertising devices (which they quite clearly are).

Is it wrong to advertise to kids, or is he just trying to take the fun out of Happy Meals?

I am just going to say, "Yes, Yes It is!"
But it probably isn't illegal.

So probably more than once every two weeks. Everyone lies about how much they go to McDonald’s

He sounds like a weak father who has trouble saying no to his children, Heaven forbid we expect parents to actually parent. No one is forcing him to go to McDonald’s except his kids apparently

How much is a Happy Meal in Canuckistan? I'm thinking not more than three or four dollars if the UK price is anything to go by. So lets say three kids at four dollars a trip, with a minimum 200 dollars, so probably 15 to 20 trips at least. So he's so horrified by the advertising that he's repeatedly helping the company promoting the advertisements.

He could do what my aunt did in the 1990s and just cut the cord entirely. She didn't want the kids getting indoctrinated by ads, so she took a radical step rather than blame the advertisers.

Nowadays, Netflix and ad-free Hulu exists so you can let your brats watch their cartoons AND have no toy ads!

What a lazy fuck this guy is

As someone who grew up in the 80's, and was brainwashed into buying mountains of plastic, and eating a couple dumptrucks worth of sugar....yeah.
It's even a fucking question?

Advertising to anyone is probably wrong, once the science is refined to the point of near brainwashing.

The advertising industry needs to be drastically curtailed, and this ought to be a major part of that.

Yes. It indoctrinates children into a consumer culture, one where pretty shinies can fix anything, as long as you have money, and if you don't? Work harder.

how about I sue him for taking his kids into a fast-food restaurant to begin with? Problem solved!

So, he eats there. And he buys Happy Meals for his kids. What exactly is his problem? That he doesn't want other people to have choices because he's not good at parenting?

Don't want to buy your kids a Happy Meal? Buy 'em a regular hamburger or somesuch. Or don't fucking go there. Problem solved.

Advertising in general is a shameful, rotten business. Most of it is ineffectual at best, borderline criminal at worst. It's a symptom of our capitalistic society - we must be constantly encouraged to buy crap we don't need "for the economy." But since what, the 1950s or so? It's gotten totally out of hand. Maybe it's a consequence of getting older, but I find myself repulsed by the naked consumerism embodied in most advertising.

Kids don't have any purchasing power, so what does it matter? It's Mom and Dad who make the buying choices, and it's their responsibility to moderate desire vs expense and health.

I dunno. I buy things because I want them. And no amount of advertising will make me want something if I don't. Now, advertising may interest me in some product or service I was unaware of, but that's a good thing.

There is so much variety in our economy, so many choices, that if we're interested in exploring them, we have to find out about them somehow. Am I really going to read Consumer Reports to pick out a jar of Alfredo sauce or visit a dozen car lots to find out which car I'd like?

This is how advertising "works" on me. It makes me aware that a given product exists. Unless that product is a one-off, it does not influence which version of the product I buy. For instance, I like Bounty paper towels and Skippy peanut butter, and no amount of advertising is going to make me buy Brawny paper towels or Jif peanut butter.

You would if you were awesome.
Apparently, awesomeness isn't something that concerns you.
I'll weep for you.

about $4-5

I was allowed to go to McDonalds maybe once a month. I think they had the California Raisins. Other than that, I never cared for the happy meal toys, I just wanted the McNuggets.

What day is this week's trip?

here's the thing... any McD's I've been in here offers the toys for sale (for about a buck) without buying the meal.
they rarely have all in stock, but generally have several...
the claim he has to go on the regular to feed the kids' collecting is bullshit.

You must have gone to the Derek Zoolander Center for Kid Who Can’t Read Good.

That's exactly what they want you to think, idiot.

Paladin doesn't seem to understand he wouldn't know about the product unless it had been advertised to him.

A friend of mine told me about this great movie he saw. It sounded pretty good, so I went to see it, too. Now I'm worried that my friend has the power to make me go to the movies against my will. After all, I'd have never known about it if he hadn't told me.

No, that's just silly. I get information and make my own decisions like a rational, autonomous person. But that's just me. If all the rest of y'all are helpless before the power of advertising, you have my sympathies. Must be weird to be unable to balance your own desires, needs, and means when confronted with a really cool ad, and to be compelled to go spend, spend, spend, even for things you don't actually want.

This is stupid. If he lacks the fortitude to say no to his kids then that's his problem. It's not the government's job to make his choices for him.

Good analogy. I manage to avoid most movies despite all the millions spent advertising. I somehow avoid drinking too much beer despite all their hot chicks on T.V advertising it. It's amazing how many pathetically weak people these days expect the government to make their decisions for them.

Well as far as specifically McDonalds advertising is concerned we have one name to consider as the instigator. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of................wait for it.............drumroll please.........hold on to your hats.........BARRY MANILOW!

Yes indeed - remember this little ditty? Hum along if you wish: "you deserve a break today, so get up and get away to McDonalds....we do it all for you!"
So did Mr. Manilow write a harmless advertising jingle, or a death chant to our overweight salt & grease infested children?
I hope you slip into Satan's deep fryer Mr. Manilow - now we know why you never produced any kids! You knew the living hell future generations would have to endure so you could jump-start your performing career.

That said Burger King "hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us......" pales in comparison.

Nah, even I laughed. I mean, that was perfect, and I'm not even a fan of the high school kid thing.

Seriously, though, the McNuggets were good. Emphasis on were, because they haven't tasted right for years.

I only eat there to indulge my wife when we are in a hurry. To take the sting out of it somewhat all I orders is a dollar menu cheeseburger (the smallest one they sell) and a diet soda, no French fries. I don't order a quarter pounder "meal" or anything like that. If you get the meal and don't get the diet version of the soda, it's about 1/2 your total calories for a 24 hour period in one sitting. HOLY SHIT doing that a few times a week you are almost guaranteed to start packing on the fat. And to that I say too fucking bad - they are adults - give them enough rope to hang themselves. I do feel sorry for their kids because often it's hard to break away from the "eat till you burst" pattern when they are old enough to make their own food & fitness choices.