Cartoon commericals blamed for child obesity

[RZetlin]

If You Pitch It, They Will Eat (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=1&u=/nyt/20030803/ts_nyt/ifyoupitchittheywilleat)


TELEVISION, of course, remains the most powerful medium for selling to children. These days there is no shortage of advertising opportunities with the emergence of the Walt Disney Company's Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, which is owned by Viacom, and the Cartoon Network, a unit of AOL Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting.


Marketers know that children love animals and cartoon characters, and industry observers say they have used that knowledge not just to create new shows, but to produce a new generation of animated pitchmen.

Some critics say children often can't differentiate the programs from the commercials and that food companies and producers of children's shows have helped blur the line by creating characters that leap back and forth, from pitchman to program character.

SpongeBob SquarePants has his own show. But he also sells Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Popsicles, Kleenex, DVD's, skateboards, fruit snacks and dozens of other products.

In fact, a series of big marketing alliances has bound food companies and television show producers like never before. Disney, for instance, has teamed up with McDonald's on movies and product tie-ins. Disney and Kellogg collaborate on a line of cereals that includes Disney Chocolate Mud & Bugs. And Nickelodeon has struck marketing deals with the Quaker Oats Company and General Mills Inc.

"The programs have become advertising for the food, and the food has become advertising for the programs," says Professor Linn of Harvard.

During Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants" 30-minute cartoon last week, more than half the commercials were about food. The spots showed that children who consume "Go-gurt," the new yogurt-on-the-go, loved skateboards and danced on the walls.

A child who poured milk on his Post Honey Comb cereal was transformed into the raffish Honey Comb monster named the Craver. Children walked into walls after seeing other youngsters' tongues tattooed with Betty Crocker's Fruit Roll-Ups. And two others reveled in having so much sugar on their Kellogg's Cinammon Krunchers cereal that even the tidal wave of milk that washed over their treehouse couldn't wipe off the sugary flavor.

But do these commercials really resonate with children? Marketing experts say yes; the children do, too.

Nicky Greenberg, who is 6 and lives with her parents in Lower Manhattan, often spends her afternoons watching Nickelodeon. She can sing the theme song from "SpongeBob SquarePants," and she says her parents buy her Kellogg's Cinnamon Toast Crunch because she loves the commercials.

"On the commercial," she says, "there's a captain that goes on a submarine, and there's an octopus, and three kids. And then the girl says, `Just taste this pirate.' And the pirate says, `Ayyy, Yummy!' "


This reminds me of the recent Futurama episode "Bender Should Not Be Allowed On Television", where Bender blamed the parents for not turning off the television for their kids.

[The_NewCatwoman]

I've considered this a problem for about a year now, but I'm also glad this is getting attention in the newswroom.

As for kids' inability to differentiate between t.v. programs and commercials, I don't recall having that problem as a child, but I do suppose the onset of familiar cartoon characters being used to further product placement could promote such.

tNC

[Chris Wood]

What problem? This is just effective advertising. No harm done. Parents make grocery purchase decisions, not 3-year-olds.

[kiddiesunshine]

How can they make that connection when it's the parents who decide what their children eat? Why are we always looking for a scapegoat when the real problem is staring us in the face? Whatever. I won't go into all that.

[zimfan3000]

Some parents don't decide. They give in to their children. I was never influenced by cartoon characters simply because my parents talked to me. The aforementioned "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television" episode should be a must-watch for many people.

[Tienshin]

God forbid society place blame where it belongs. Advertising doesnt feed a steady diet of fast food to american children nor does it NOT encourage children to get outside and be active, or play a sport etc.

[purplehairedwonder]

I think I can understand where the points of the article are coming from, I mean lots of parents just give into their kids when they say "Mommy, I want this.." and they most likely would want something that they say on TV with their favorite characters, but still, in those instances, it isn't the cartoons fault that the parents are overfeeding their kids and not encouraging them to get out and play. *shrugs* Well, I can see where it comes from, but I don't think the point is valid.

[CookieS]

This is an old issue. Just how long has McDonalds been doing promotional items via the Happy Meal? Just how long have animated characters been getting their own cereals?
Some critics say children often can't differentiate the programs from the commercials and that food companies and producers of children's shows have helped blur the line by creating characters that leap back and forth, from pitchman to program character.
"Some critics"? Could this report be anymore vague? Some critics could also argue that because a food isn't good for you, it should be advertised.
It comes down to smart parenting in the end. A child raised on good food can be rewarded with a promo-candy or other item. This doesn't mean their whole diet should revolve around Spongbob endorsed products.
But do these commercials really resonate with children? Marketing experts say yes; the children do, too.
Friggin brilliant question. Who is the reporter here? Children's entertainment has been used as a marketing tool since the days of black and white cartoons!

The premise in which the article is written is more disturbing than the topic is covers. We don't need to be slaves to our children's desires just because they would be disappointed. If its not good for the child, then you don't blindly accept it. Its written as if parents are at the entire mercy of the media. Parents, is this true? If your child direced character endorsed products, would you feel utterly compelled to buy them, and THEN blame the companies for creating the products? Please tell me where you place your blame, because there are only so many fruit snacks someone can pork down until they have to look at themselves and justify their own actions.

[Jedigreedo]

I remember this commercial years ago on Fox, before there were so many food commercials. But it wasn't an advertisement for product, it was like anti-smoking stuff. Anyways it was a bunch of kids that start partying with something called Gopher snacks and they eat tons of them with more chocolate stuff added, then at the end they're all laying around to sick to do anything. It's kinda sad to see that commercials are actually now being much like the partying part of that ad, to actually have it advertise the product.

True, it does boil down to the parents' decision, but too many of them are imcompetent beings who shouldn't of breeded in the first place. So they're just lookin for a quick fix on what'll shut their kids up.

Overall, I think it'd be best to show it how terrible parents have gotten as well as commercialism instead of blaming it on kids who don't understand.

[Lucky Bob]

To paraphrase Maxie Zeus, many kids pour cappuchino on their Cocoa Puffs every morning. Many parents [i]do see stuff with a cartoon character on the box, pick it up, and say, "Meh, why not?" But who's really at fault? Clearly the parent who's too lazy to care. If there is a law against cartoon characters "endorsing" products, I certainly haven't seen it.

I lived back in a simpler time, the early '90s. *sound of false teeth being ejected* Back then, every Saturday morning meant more and more commercials advertising food and toys to the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" crowd. Did it affect my eating habits? Not in the slightest. I had a mother who put her foot down. If she didn't like how a certain cereal looked, healthwise, she simply didn't buy it! :eek:

I notice a disturbing trend. Nobody is responsible for anything anymore. All individual wrongs are the fault of society, which is the fault of conditions, which are the fault of society. It's stuff like this that wins lawsuits, and makes me pay more for my Raisin Bran.

[RKillian]

Amen. I'd be so happy if my foes in government stopped legislating away my freedom just to protect the idiots from themselves. Enough is enough already.

[auto]

I don't think yogurt made kids fat in the first place:p

[Chris Wood]

I notice a disturbing trend. Nobody is responsible for anything anymore. All individual wrongs are the fault of society, which is the fault of conditions, which are the fault of society. It's stuff like this that wins lawsuits, and makes me pay more for my Raisin Bran.

Hear hear. Lazy parents are a much greater danger to our youth than Coco Puff commercials.

[electricsheep]

God forbid society place blame where it belongs. Advertising doesnt feed a steady diet of fast food to american children nor does it NOT encourage children to get outside and be active, or play a sport etc.

You're right. People are afraid and need to find a scapegoat. After all, what parent wants to be blamed for their morbidly obese 10 year old?

These types of problems should be addressed from within the family rather than finding all types of excuses, other than the right one, for why their child is obese, violent, etc...

[Boy Wonder]

Hear hear. Lazy parents are a much greater danger to our youth than Coco Puff commercials.

Yeah, those and vending machines at school.

[Daniel P]

I can think of two things to say about this: CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH is not a Kelloggs' product; Yesterday I saw an advertisement for Scooby Doo's Cheddar Cheese Crackers. The tagline said "Buy 'Em Instead of Goldfish(R)!" So I went to the store, and bought three bags of Goldfish -- they were on sale, enough Goldfish to last me a week. Licenced cartoon characters don't affect my food purchases.

[Zechs]

Ye gods what a load of tripe. If my parents didn't want me to have it I didn't get it on matter how much I cried. If I cried to much they'd give me a spanking and I would get over what ever it was after a while. Parents of today are looking for a quick fix once they find it it often times can create problems. Instead of stepping up to the plate the parents who give into their kids balme everyone but themselves and the brat they made throught their bad choices. IMO these people should shut up and start to do some real parenting instead of leaving it up to the media and their kid.

[kiddiesunshine]

Hear hear. Lazy parents are a much greater danger to our youth than Coco Puff commercials.AMEN, BROTHER!!!

[cross blues]

What problem? This is just effective advertising. No harm done. Parents make grocery purchase decisions, not 3-year-olds.


First it was "obesity is genetic" and now tv ads are being blamed. This is ridiculous. The only person to blame is the fat person himself/herself. If young children are fat, then their parents are to blame. People are fat because they either choose to be lazy or choose to eat too much. It's as simple as that.

[kiddiesunshine]

All this talking about food is making me hungry!

[Lucky Bob]

All this talking about food is making me hungry!

DON'T SUE US!!!! :D

[TServo2049]

This is all just another example of the American way of thinking: Never take responsibility for your own actions, and always blame all your problems on someone or something else.

(Note: This is not to say all Americans do this; I'm American, and I'm not like this...it's just that I've heard so many examples of scapegoating in this country that I've begun referring this as the American way of thinking...)

[Squall]

Why? Have kids been caught eating commercials? :p