The Cartoon Network and the PTA: Curious Bedfellows
I was curious. Why would a children's network, which makes its money by creating programming that keeps kids glued to the TV and is filled with ads exhorting viewers to eat all kinds of sugary, nutritionally deficient treats, launch a campaign that tells kids to do the opposite?
So I put in a call to Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of marketing at the Cartoon Network. "There is much more pressure around childhood obesity these days. There is a lot of awareness. We wanted to be responsible. We didn't jump into this. We tried to really think about how we could make an impact," he says, noting that the Cartoon Network formed an advisory board which includes representatives from the National PTA. "We're trying to be responsible. We're not saying, 'Don't watch TV.' It's all about striking the right balance."
Seems to me that this is part of a larger trend. In the midst of record oil prices (and profits), one of the oil companies, BP, is preaching energy conservation and alternative sources of energy; and wasn't Philip Morris doing public service campaigns against smoking? And has't Ronald McDonald also been urging kids to exercise?
So are these do-good campaigns really just a cynical attempt to clean up their image? And should we care?
After all, if the Cartoon Network's "Get Animated" public service announcements actually inspires some kids to exercise and eat fruits and veggies, isn't that a good thing? And if this latest effort actually convinces some school districts not to cut back or eliminate recess (as many are now doing, as the demands of preparing for standardized tests have kicked in), should we, as parents, support it?
Stumble It!
posted by pam at 10:01 AM
1 Comments:
I agree! It is crazy how these days McDonald's is trying to sell itself as healthy. Makes me just shake my head... I don't think we should support any of it.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful blog.
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