Advertisments...Where Dreams Can Grow

If you were watching Heroes this past Monday you may have encountered the Hasbro Rose Cottage Commercial. If not you'll be surprised at the contents of it. In this version of the commercial they are appealing to mothers and they tell them that with this cottage their daughters will "...have a place where their dreams can grow." And "entertain her imagination."

Well apparently entertaining the imagination is doing laundry and little girl's dreams are to grow up and be housewives. I’m not even one of those people that think being a house wife is demining or anything. In fact I believe it’s a great sacrifice and an honorable job that I would do when the time comes, but it's not a decision advertisers should force upon young girls. These girls don't know that they have any other options when all they know how to do is decorate and do laundry. And the commercial that aired on T.V also had a small spot for the Hasbro Castle, a place where girls can wait for their prince charming. I didn't just make that up, the commercial said that...yeah.

What do you think? Am I taking this too far or is it insulting?

In Case You were Wondering...

The best thing to order:

BK- Whopper JR without Mayo and a Garden Salad- 360 calories and 12 g of fat
McDonalds- 6 piece chicken McNuggets and a Side Salad0 380 calories and 16 g of fat

p.s: did you know that 10 % of americans have logged time behind the counter at Mickey D's

BK Lounge

No Brian, I'm not talking to you.

So last year for easter my mom decided to get me a book called "eat this not that", apparantly it's extremely popular although I must admit my first tiem opening it was last night. It is a book that basiclly compares all the different fast food restaurants by their health calue and calories, it also gives suggestions on the smartest choice to make at each. The best way to state my thoughts is to simply present this information to you.

Mcdonalds Big Mac- 540 calories, 29 g fat
BK Whopper w/cheese-760 calories 47 g fat

Mcdonalds Filet-O-Fish- 380 calories 18 g fat, 640 mg sodium
BK BIG Fish Sandwhich- 520 calories 34 g fat , 980 mg sodium

Mcdonalds Quarter Pounder- 410 calories 19 g of fat
BK Triple Whopper- (this is not an exaggeration) 1,230 calories 82 G OF FAT!!!!

So...my point is, what the heck is up with the BK Lounge and why weren't they the center of the attention, at least comparativly to McDonalds?

McDonald Knowledge Surpasses Failing School System

In Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock tests children using pictures of famous people, such as George Washington, mixed in with a picture of Ronald McDonald. What was appalling was that these children could tell stories about McDonald, but knew little or nothing about the famous people. One child thought that Washington was the third or fourth and abolished slavery. Are the advertisements to blame for these children’s extensive knowledge or McDonald or are the schools to blame for the lack of knowledge about historical figures?
Children are not told to memorize facts about McDonald as they are about Washington. Children are not made to do project after project on McDonald, as they are Washington. Yet it is McDonald that sticks in these children’s brains. Perhaps the schools would do well to take a few notes on the advertising strategies of McDonald’s.

Misogynistic?

The women in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey are either uptight and prude or utterly loose, except one. The one nurse who works in Disturbed seemed to be an accurate representation of a woman. She was motherly toward and worried about the patients. She apologized for the sting when cleaning the wounds McMurphy and the Chief sustained during the fight against the black boys. This nurse was a kind, loving character. To fit the theme of misogyny that is supposedly apparent throughout the novel, would not this young nurse be described differently, probably grouping her into one of the two categories above? Have people judged this novel too quickly, deeming it misogynistic, without looking at the finer details?

Supersize Me

Supersize Me brings to light the issue of Americans eating too much fast food. Morgan Spurlock's extreme diet of only McDonald’s was dangerous, even with the advice and care he received from his chosen doctors. Spurlock becomes ill because of the abuse he inflicted upon his body. Some of the damage that he did will never be undone. It’s horrible, and unrealistic, to think that anyone would eat McDonald’s, or fast food in general, for every single meal of every day.
Americans do eat out more than ever, but not at what Spurlock sees as fast food places. Places such as Subway are working to create “fast food” that is healthy. McDonald’s has added healthier substitution items to its menu, including apple dippers, in addition to the many salad meals. Numerous companies have headed the warnings of this film and added or changed menu items. Obviously, the film was correct to point out that although most of the blame does lay with the consumer, some of the blame does lay with the company.
Personally, I believe the companies shouldn’t have to hold any of the blame. Capitalism is about getting a product to market and selling it. These fast food places have lived up to their expectation. On the other foot, nowadays companies have taken more community responsibility as a new way of advertising. McDonald’s started funding the Ronald McDonald House to show their community responsibility. But at the end of the day, McDonald’s is supporting charity because it looks good to customers.
It is the customer’s responsibility to hold their urge to buy McDonald’s in check- similar to the way a child must abandon to urge to eat glue.