You are absolutely right, people should think for themselves, but sadly children are often easily manipulated, and like swilly said, parents have a hard time competing with advertising. No amount of proper parenting can be immune to the multi billion dollar marketing machine that these corporations push on us.

Did you know that the average 6 year old in the USA, recognizes Joe Camel of Camel Cigarettes just as much as they recognize Mickey Mouse? (Source, found in the quiz)

It seems like being tuned in, is being tuned out mentally these days, and having decisions made for you by corporate brainwashing.


Karim

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a baby seal walks into a club....

quote:

"We've got to get back to those old-fashioned principles of personal responsibility, of common sense, and get away from this new culture where everybody plays the victim and blames other people for their problems."

right on...

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quote:

Originally posted by RobbyG. You should see the movie "Super Size Me"...It will get you off junk food forever...ESPECIALLY Mcdonalds

Unless you have some common sense and maybe... you know... excersize and uh... NOT eat it 3 times a day

Give me a break. Now its advertising's fault?

As an adult i can make my own choices. I dont care what TV tells me is cool, i can make my own decisions. JUst because tv says reality shows are cool doesnt mean i watch them. When i see an ad for depends i dont just go out and buy them because i saw them on tv. I would buy them if i needed or wanted them.

Oh and as for kids. There is one simple solution to marketing to children. PARENTAL GUIDANCE. You know, not giving into little johnny's every little whim? I know it's old fashioned but it seems to work well.

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quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill

‎"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill

quote:

Originally posted by karim parents have a hard time competing with advertising.

What the fuck are you on, bro? It doesn't matter how many McDonald's ads a 6-year-old sees or how much he cries for it, his parents don't have to take him there!

How can you even refer to it as "competing" with advertising? There is absolutely no connection between parenting and advertising. There is no competition. If you are a parent and cannot stand up to your kid who whines for something they saw on TV, then you've got no business having kids!

The real problem isn't that parents have a hard time competing, it's that they're idiots and don't see any problem with taking their kids to McDonald's 3 times a week and getting them hooked on the shit.

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Mcdonalds was always treated as a special treat for us. Very rare that we went there even though my brother and i always wanted to.

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quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill

‎"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill

Lets ban fast-food!

I ate 3 hamburgers last night and an extra large fry, then I had a hot fudge sundae and 3 apple pies... also, a diet coke. Then I got a stomache ache... B4NZ0|2 7h47 $hI7!!!1

You guys are all pointing out your own personal abilities to control your own decisions independant of advertising. Note that there are very different people out there, some, if no most, very easily manipulated. You can think for yourself, great, but your one example does NOT reflect on the population. Advertising is big business cause it WORKS.

Also, as for parental guidance, many parents try to teach their children the value of money by providing them with an allowance and a little bit of freedom to go out in the neighbourhood. I had it, and virtually every kid I knew had it. We used to find it odd when a kid wasn't allowed to come out with us for an afternoon bike ride. Personally, I used to save my money to buy nintendo games, but I know alot of kids that used to ride their bike down to the local McDonalds to burn their pocket cash. A sad way to learn about commerce.

The bottom line is, without the type of advertising that McDonalds uses, there would prolly be a huge difference in the amount of people getting obese off of their food. Advertising is not to blame 100%, but it does make the situation worse, and the methods they use go a little too far.


Karim

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a baby seal walks into a club....

ok so if they buy mcdonalds with that bit of money than thats their treat. The way to control this is a) keep an eye on your children and b) dont give them a big allowance.

Bottom line, retailers offer a service and advertisers present it to the public. If you are too weak to use your own judgement than thats your own damned fault, not the retailers'. Its called TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS. It's also called PARENTING.

The world's ills are not ALWAYS someone else's fault.


PS: what methods does mcdonalds use that go a little too far? Are you saying that "ronald mcdonald made you do it"?

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quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill

‎"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill

Lets take the latest McDonalds ad for example. A parody on political activism by showing a guy with a huge sign hanging off of him. To deliver a message, to make the world aware that he loves his sandwhich. The guy appears to be an average guy, but this sandwhich drove him nuts because it's "that good". Oh, and the best part is, he's not alone! Toying on the human desire for acceptance. It's full of subliminal messages like all ads these days, and it's got that uplifting soundtrack giving a sense of achievement, when no achievements are to be made. And then finally, the Buda Bap Baa baaa, I'm loving it, so catchy its a brainworm. Pretty dumb and trivial I know, but for many people, that puts them over the edge to go buy it.

Another form of advertising that really caught my attention was Little Ceasers pizza. No longer do they put their money into TV ads, but they employ people to stand out on the streets with a sign that says "hot and ready! Medium Pepperoni Pizza $5". A living billboard. People drive by noticing this because they genuinely have pity for the board holder, but in the process, they remember what the sign says. In turn, the consumer thinks about pizza, and then it triggers the craving and desire for pizza where the consumer prolly would've driven by and ate at home.

Now of course to act on the McDonalds or Little Ceasars marketing tactics and go out to buy their food IS infact a consumers decision, but food addiction is all too common, and these ads play on human desires for their products. The effort that these companies make to get the word out pollutes our public space with logos and billboards and makes our entire lives one big commercial. People should be able to make their own decisions, I just feel advertising shouldn't be the driving factor to make decisions for the weak minded. A genuine desire for a product unaided by psychological advertising tactics should be what gets people to buy them.

I find people who buy into advertising too much to be handicapped, and when I point a finger at advertising, it's looking out for the mentally weak. Of course, the handicapped should be rehabilitated into knowing better, but sadly, that's only half the battle.


Karim

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a baby seal walks into a club....

hahahahahahahahha

all i can do is laugh at the above comments.

People holding signs drive people into little ceaser's because they feel sorry for them? HAHAHAHAHAHHAH

Oh man.... dude you have too much time on your hands.

Let me let you in on a little secret. I stand outside of our quiznos all the time holding up a sign that says MMMM TOASTY. Is it to make people feel sorry for me? NOPE. Its to get around the archaic sign bylaws that people like you have placed on people like me. Its to get the store noticed by people who might be hungry and may want to stop in for some food. People who otherwise probably wouldnt even see our store. Oh and if they feel sorry for me they shouldnt because im making money (good money at that).


Oh yeah and as for the commercials. A bunch of guys walking with placards is subliminal advertising? LOL If thats subliminal than people aren't very wide awake.

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quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill

‎"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill

quote:

Originally posted by Jayx1 Mcdonalds was always treated as a special treat for us. Very rare that we went there even though my brother and i always wanted to.

Same here...My parents only took us there once in a while otherwise my mom made us dinner.

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"Kiss them for me...for I may be delayed."