Sharing

[mvhplank]

My response is that junk food, such as the stuff in the commercials in question, appeals to the least common denominator, those who buy cheap crap food, regularly .... [snip].

There was an interesting item on NPR's Morning Edition this morning

Obesity Often Linked to Income

Americans eat about 50 percent of their meals in restaurants and fast-food counters, a habit tied to the nation's obesity epidemic. Researchers say the less people can pay for food, the more calories they consume. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports in the first of a two-part series.

Find the audio link on this page: http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php ... 04&prgId=3

Basically, eating an Atkins-style diet, fresh fish, or any fresh fruit and vegetables, is much more expensive than eating at fast-food restaurants. One person interviewed said the typical Atkins diet was costed out at $25/day/person, while more modest budgets for food were likely to be $4/person/day--still much less than a non-Atkins fresh-foods diet. Buying foods that give you more calories for your dollar becomes something of a survival mechanism.

Jessie--I don't think "poor" necessarily equals "criminal."

M

[MarkB]

They eat at MacDonald's!

MickeyD's is the largest toy retailer in the world! Talk about movie tie-ins and advertising to children!

You would think by the ads that sharing is out and greed is in but advertising for the last few years has been all about "Get yours!" or "Get this," or "if you only had this thing or that thing," and it is directly shot at the individual, unless it is van commerical.

MarkB

[Wanderer]

Does anyone recall the concept of sharing? Apparently modern television advertising has decided that it is OK to be stingy and selfish if the product is good enough.

Elementary, my dear Watson.

If two kids share a toy, Fisher Price has only sold one toy.

[Bloomfield]

I dread the day we start relying on commercials to instill morality and ethics in our children.

[avanutria]

I thought that day already passed.

[vomitbunny]

I dread the day we start relying on commercials to instill morality and ethics in our children.

We let the government do that for years. What's the difference?

I remember seeing a report written by my dad when he was in elementary school about communism. Obvious it was in the McCarthy era. He waxed poetically about the joys of turning in parents, neighbors, and friends for being communist. This was about 5th or 6th grade work, when believing what you are told by any authority figure is pretty much normal.

[TomB]

[quote="mvhplank
There was an interesting item on NPR's Morning Edition this morning

Obesity Often Linked to Income

Americans eat about 50 percent of their meals in restaurants and fast-food counters, a habit tied to the nation's obesity epidemic. Researchers say the less people can pay for food, the more calories they consume. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports in the first of a two-part series.

Find the audio link on this page: http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php ... 04&prgId=3

Basically, eating an Atkins-style diet, fresh fish, or any fresh fruit and vegetables, is much more expensive than eating at fast-food restaurants. One person interviewed said the typical Atkins diet was costed out at $25/day/person, while more modest budgets for food were likely to be $4/person/day--still much less than a non-Atkins fresh-foods diet. Buying foods that give you more calories for your dollar becomes something of a survival mechanism.

Jessie--I don't think "poor" necessarily equals "criminal."

M[/quote]

Yes, that was an intersting topic. It's no surprise that poor people don't eat as much healthy food as those who have more $$, (and no, I'm not even talking about Mcd's and such). Just go into your nearest grocery store and take a hard look. Ground beef with low fat is much more expensive than the fatty stuff. Fresh foods higher than processed junk, etc. The list goes on and on. This is a big problem, (no pun intended).

All the Best, Tom

[carrie]

I like your signature, Tom.

Or, rather, I esteem your signature.

Carol, Work Procrastinator Extraordinaire

[SirNick]

Money + Mankind = Nothing Good

[TomB]

I like your signature, Tom.

Or, rather, I esteem your signature.

Carol, Work Procrastinator Extraordinaire

[Jerry Freeman]

My favorite children's toy is sidewalk chalk. Beats video games, electronic gadgets, etc. every way you can count:

Costs next to nothing.
Gets the kids outside.
Provides exercise (they make hopscotch and foursquare courts which they play endlessly).
Engages their creativity (beautiful multicolored stuff all over the driveway) as opposed to more passive stuff like TV/videos and electronic games.

They absolutely love it and so do I.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[caniadafallon]

It's no surprise that poor people don't eat as much healthy food as those who have more $$, (and no, I'm not even talking about Mcd's and such). Just go into your nearest grocery store and take a hard look. Ground beef with low fat is much more expensive than the fatty stuff. Fresh foods higher than processed junk, etc. The list goes on and on. This is a big problem, (no pun intended).

I do agree with you somewhat, Tom. However, it is possible to eat healthily without spending an outrageous amount of money. Here in the states, health food stores have bulk bins, where one can buy whole grains, and other similar items, for much less than packaged goods at regular grocery stores. And in the grocery stores, if you shop around the outside perimeter of the store, you get the healthier foods and end up not spending as much. The more costly, unhealthy foods tend to be kept in the center aisles. Of course, buying organic changes things...that's unfortunately expensive no matter where you go to do your shopping.

I wonder if it's like this in other countries? Do you have to pay a lot more for organic and healthier foods? Some of my friends who have gone to other countries, Italy in particular, have told me that shopping seemed to be done on a daily basis, getting fresh food for the day. People, at least those that my friends stayed with, didn't buy a lot of pre-packaged goods to keep around on the shelf, or large quantities of foods to keep in the refrigerator. Or small icebox, as the case may be. Is this how it is elswhere in the world? It seems it would have the potential of being much less wasteful (provided you could walk or bike to the store on a daily basis).

As to the advertising thing that started the thread, it is very sad to see how advertising is geared towards furthering the "it's all mine" and "those with the most toys win" mentality. It has gotten worse over the years.


Best,
Adara

[emmline]

I agree with Jerry and the sidewalk chalk. My kids have mainly passed that time in their lives (though I think anyone can get into sidewalk art.)

I doubt if the McD's ads are substantially ruder than many other commercials. Mass media often promotes rude behavior--part of the reason we parents need to monitor its usage.

The NPR report connecting income and diet style gives statistical support to a phenomenon that anyone can recognize just by looking.
I buy a lot of organic and natural foods, and almost no meat, and I spend a ton. I am repelled by most of the stuff displayed on endcap promotions at regular grocery stores. I am a food snob, but I think with good intentions. It costs though.

I think Jessie was just giving voice to a prejudice which has certain elements of truth in it. However, many fine people eat at McD's on a too regular basis, and middle-class white chicks can, in some cases, behave as part of the lowest common denominator.
(Had my 25th HS reunion last weekend...some chicks were doing drugs in the country club ladies room. What, I wonder, was up with that? Didn't they outgrow the bad girl smokin' in the girls' room thing a while back?)

[JessieK]

Jessie--I don't think "poor" necessarily equals "criminal."

Neither do I, but I was illustrating why the commercials in question show people resorting to violence to protect their chicken, or lies to protect their Cheeze-its (or whatever it was, I have seen the commercial). What about rap music? That used to be in the McDonald's commercials, and it was the same reason...appealing to their biggest demographic. I don't think anyone can honestly say that there isn't a correlation between rap music and crime.

No, my tongue was not in my cheek. I am serious. I, too, have serious opinions about the state of the world. I don't think I missed the point at all. Go ahead and disagree. It's your right.

[MarkB]

Advertisers have divided and conquered us. Commericals seen in one part of the country do not necessarilly appear in another part.

It's interesting living here in Windsor, Ontario, Canada with Detroit a mile away across the river and compare commericals run on ten or so Detroit TV channels and the ones that run on the four Windsor area channels. Same company totally different marketing approach.

Forget outside/aolien terrorists, in advertising we are all targets! On a clobal scale.

Mother Nature might abhor a vacuum, but not as much as a advertising.

And yes Jessie you are right, corporations do intentionally target groups or individuals...divide and conquer and don't let them(us) know which way they are coming from.

MarkB