Buy Walking VideosDisney Branded Produce: Good or Evil?
This article from Rudd Sound Bites takes a fascinating look at Disney’s efforts to brand themselves with celery, bananas and blueberries.
It’s hard enough to find unbranded versions of almost any child-related items (diapers, bottles, clothing, toys, just to name a few), but come on, cartoon-stamped eggs? Really? Do we need to turn fruits and vegetables into another “But I want the Mickey Mouse ones!†battleground? And do we really want kids to learn that you buy, eat or enjoy food because of a cartoon character’s ‘endorsement’? Whatever happened to food itself and to the pleasure of eating?
Unfortunately, Camille Lizarribar has completely forgotten what it was like to be a kid. COMPLETELY.
I, however, vividly remember being a kid. Observe this Bozo the Clown fork. It was part of a set of spoon and fork that I loved as a child. Even looking at that fork right now makes me feel happy and special. When I was a kid, my cereal tasted BETTER when I ate it with my Bozo the Clown spoon. I remember refusing to eat one morning because the Bozo the Clown spoon wasn’t clean. The vision of my frustrated mother hurriedly washing my spoon just so that I would eat my breakfast is burned into my mind. I think I was three or four years old because I wasn’t even in school yet.
I wasn’t the only kid with this obsession. My sister Stacey felt the exact same way. I’m the LUCKY one because I got the Bozo the Clown fork (the spoon was long ago lost or demolished). My sister was a full five years younger than me and never lived east of the Rocky Mountains. She had never even SEEN an episode of Bozo the Clown, yet she loved that spoon as much as I did.
Really, Camille? Do you not remember feeling like that when you were a kid? There MUST have been something that made you feel like that.
If plastering Hannah Montana’s face on bananas and strawberries urges children to eat healthy food, then I’m all for it!
Previous: Food and Poison
Next: Put Some Love In Your Food
June 25th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I have to say I agree with Camille. There’s plenty enough endorsement going on, putting it on fruits and veggies is just creating another battle ground. Not all of us can afford the “branded” products. Yeah, I remember the stuff I just had to have as a kid, that I loved more than anything. But this is from the perspective as a parent now, I didn’t NEED that stuff. And your spoon and fork set (which was a cute story) isn’t in the same category as blueberries that will probably cost a full $1 more just because the rat is on them.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Angela, I’m with you and Camille. Kids are already going to wanted branded clothes, branded shoes, video games. Why give kids another reason to make parents feel pressured to buy “branded food” – which by the way is a necessity! Sorry, Laura…you’re way off on this one. Especially in this economy where food is something we can’t do without unlike trinkets, toys, etc.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I don’t care what character goes on whatever, if my kids want fruits/veggies/whatever, I’m going to get what gives me the best deal for my buck. Stop blaming advertisers and everyone else for pushing characters on today’s youth. If parents would stop giving in and letting the little ones run the checkbook this wouldn’t matter!
June 25th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Iamamom – you are right. Kids can’t possibly get everything they want. And my son doesn’t. He’s even really good when I say that we don’t need something and to put it back. Doesn’t mean they don’t beg and it really doesn’t mean that you don’t feel at least a little twinge of guilt every time you have to say no. Be nice to not add to that, that’s all I’m saying. That and it would cost more.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I don’t feel any guilt when I have to say no. I explain to my kids about money and that there are needs and wants, and right now the only thing we can afford is NEEDS.