Comments Did I miss the news that San Francisco has seceded from the United States of America and it’s guarantees of FREEDOM? Talk about Big Brother taking over!

I think it’s worth pointing out that (in this case, at least) the government isn’t mandating what sort of food restaurants can serve, they’re just saying that they can’t give out toys as a way to bribe kids and their families to come to the restaurant. And to be blunt, if McDonalds’ food actually tasted good, kids would want to eat it even without the toys. If the only way you can get kids to eat your food is to give them a toy for doing it, I’m willing to bet you already know your food’s not good.

Cigarette companies aren’t allowed to advertise on television and aren’t supposed to market to children. This isn’t that different. Fast food is also unhealthy, dangerous, and addictive.

It’s just silly. Who takes their kids to McDonald’s JUST for the toy? This doesn’t make any sense to me.
I’ve never met a kid who would turn down chicken nuggets and fries. I don’t think they only eat for the toy.
It’s not going to accomplish anything.

“[I]t’s the need for ubiquity that drives these deals, said Jeffrey Godsick, Fox’s evp marketing. “We want to hit all the lifestyle points for consumers,” Godsick said. “Partners get us into places that are nonpurchasable (as media buys). McDonald’s has access to tens of millions of people on a daily basis—that helps us penetrate the culture.”
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/retail-restaurants/e3iedade07084ff115914905ab877098ad1
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What if they can’t hit all our lifestyle points and achieve ubiquitous penetration of our culture in the run up to a release??? Oh noes!

I sure hope this doesn’t start a trend! I never really eat fast food because I don’t like how unhealthy it is. However, just like eating ice cream or doughnuts, I think it’s great to have a treat every now and then. My son is only 5 months old, but I don’t plan on acting like McDonald’s is poison – I want him to see that it’s a treat to enjoy every now and then (and thus will not see it as a “forbidden fruit”). The toy isn’t going to make me take him there any more or less. Shame on the government for overstepping their boundaries!

I don’t know why it’s so hard for McDonalds to have a healthy meal for kids. Why don’t they put the side-salad, {a rather generous meat-free salad on the dollar menu} apple slices and a juice or milk in the standard red and yellow box and brand it the ‘New Happy Meal’ or something like that? It certainly wouldn’t hurt their bottom line if the kid really only wants the toy, and the people who have an issue with the poor quality of food could shut up too.

This law isn’t going to stop McDonalds selling crap anyway.

@Laure, that’s hilarious. He’s fine with his daughter eating Happy Meals, apparently, he just doesn’t want to look at Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie figurines on his daughter’s shelf reminding him of her poor diet.

Also, I really disagree that this is anything like restricting tobacco companies from advertising to minors. First of all, fast food is not addictive in the same way that tobacco is. You don’t go through withdrawal, with irritability, headaches, shaking hands, etc. from stopping the Happy Meal habit. Just because food tastes good and kids want to eat it (really we hope most food is like that!) doesn’t make it addictive; addiction is a specific physical reaction. Second, children cannot legally purchase or smoke cigarettes and parents may not legally give them to children. So, advertising cigarettes to children is outright encouraging people to break the law and of course government should stop that. This is the government plainly imposing its will on an interaction between a consumer and a merchant, for no clear reason. No one’s rights are violated by McDonalds bundling a toy with a Happy Meal, and public health is not significantly harmed by it, so the government should leave it the hell alone.