McDonald's Capturing the Hearts, Minds, and Adoration of Our Youth



I spotted this ironic scene about a year ago on Interstate 90 near the Washington-Idaho border. As I quickly took the exit ramp to get a closer look, I noticed in reality the McDonalds was next door and it wasn't a McDonalds chapel. Hey, one never knows. It was Idaho. Still the bit of irony is McDonalds has created an almost religious following. I wonder how many kids are bribed with happy meals if they attend church with their parents. I'm sure most people have seen "Supersize Me" by now, but one of the many frightening scenes was when the children couldn't identify Jesus, but recognized Ronald McDonald immediately. Why not? Children are subjected to hours of television advertisements weekly. Ronald McDonald is a fun, goofy clown peddling fast food and plastic toys from China. What's not to adore?

However, McDonald's has tried to make Ronald a bit more credible. They have created a fitness program with Ronald McDonald. After all of those sodas, I guess Ronald couldn't help but get moving. My favourite selection is: "Fruit and vegetables look good on my plate — and on me!"

I believe it's the advertising and marketing by corporations that are hurting our children more than the food. It's through the advertisements and marketing that creates an almost addictive nature to the products. The catchy jingle, the iconic figure, the playroom, the cheap toys-these are what keep kids coming back. Limiting children's exposure to media and advertising will almost entirely eliminate their desire to go to McDonald's. I mean really, the food sucks.