Consumer group threatens lawsuit over McDonald's Happy Meal toys

[MatthewB.]

Chu Gai, I'm as ancient as you and recall many a playground day where Dodgeball was a required game at recess, and during the day of the week that you were forced to run in PE, the butch lesbian teacher sure didn't give a shyt if you had a wussy "ailment" like "Asthma" it was all in yer panzy head and you better pick up the pace or she'd run you over in her golf cart.

Oh yeah during the summer we went outside, played kickball in the street, flashlight tag at night (or kick the can) but we sure as heck didn't stay indoors, I mean why, the TV only got five channels, cell phones were dreams thought of in Star Trek (with Kirk) we had walkie talkies with a range of 20 feet run on 9 volt batteries and your parents would kick you out of the house and tell you to just be back before dinner (they didn't care where you went, just as long as you didn't break a leg and if you did, it taught you a damn good lesson didn't it. )

Snacks were an apple and if you didnt like it, you could starve. You got in trouble with horseplay, the coach would tell you to take a lap, and if you were real bad, the principle would beat you with a wooden paddle (with holes for stopping wind reduction) and then you'd get home with a sore butt and the old man would tan your hide again for getting into trouble in the first place. Forget swearing, who wants to taste a soap bar.

The punishment made you realize that the adults are in charge and you better do what they say and no matter what you thought you better do it and enjoy doing it. PE class was required not optional and you pretty much had to show up with a cast on and maybe, just maybe the teacher would give you a little leway but that was dependant on the cast location. On your leg do pull ups, on your arm, you can run.

We lived without computers, cell phones, 1,000 channels, and if you wanted to see a movie, you saved your allowence or had a buddy pay and he snuck you and ten of your freinds in the back door.

Kids today have no idea how good they have it (sigh I sound just like my old man) now if you'll excuse me I have to remember walking five miles to school, uphill both ways with no shoes in the snow.

 

[MatthewB.]

By the way, two happy meals that look good to me.

and a classic.

 

[Chu Gai]

We didn't have any paddling going on that I can remember. More terrifying was the thought your parents would get a phone call. But yeah, we definitely spent time outdoors and even when I became of driving age, the bike was still a mode of transportation. I forgot about there only being a few channels back then and even if I wanted to watch something, my grandmother had first dibs and you didn't disrespect your grandmother.

I don't see how that consumer group could ever get a lawsuit like that to stick so I figure it's mostly a publicity thing to drum up awareness. When my sons were younger, I'd occasionally do the happy meal thing but it wasn't often. Meals were mostly at home and while they knew video games, they also knew outdoor activities. I can remember during the summer months, they'd play this thing called man-hunt at night. It was something similar to hide and seek except you could hide anywhere in the neighborhood (around 60 houses each sitting on an acre or so) and groups would search people out.

But, if fast food joints are sending the wrong message, was the wrong message sent during the selection of the Surgeon General?

 

[majorloser]

Funny thing is they actually offer more healthy choices for the Happy Meals now, apples and low-fat milk compared the to french fries and soda.

Hey, it's just a sales gimmick to bring the parents to McD's and most likely they will buy food for themselves. The real profit is in the expensive food items adults buy, not the Happy Meal.

Americans (like me) are mostly fat, dumb and lazy. They are also lousy parents who will always take the easy way out. How many parents can honestly say they make three homemade healthy meals for their children everyday. Most likey they don't either make the time or have the time to prepare a proper home cooked meal, not frozen or out of a can.

 

[lsiberian]

When I was a kid we played video games and still played sports often times with our Dad. It's amazing how you don't get fat when you start working out.

Try playing BBall with the kids for 3 hours and see if they still have a fat problem.

 

[Chu Gai]

Absolutely Isiberian. And even if you sprained your ankle, got cuts and scrapes, you still played.

 

[lsiberian]

Chu Gai, I'm as ancient as you and recall many a playground day where Dodgeball was a required game at recess, and during the day of the week that you were forced to run in PE, the butch lesbian teacher sure didn't give a shyt if you had a wussy "ailment" like "Asthma" it was all in yer panzy head and you better pick up the pace or she'd run you over in her golf cart.

Oh yeah during the summer we went outside, played kickball in the street, flashlight tag at night (or kick the can) but we sure as heck didn't stay indoors, I mean why, the TV only got five channels, cell phones were dreams thought of in Star Trek (with Kirk) we had walkie talkies with a range of 20 feet run on 9 volt batteries and your parents would kick you out of the house and tell you to just be back before dinner (they didn't care where you went, just as long as you didn't break a leg and if you did, it taught you a damn good lesson didn't it. )

Snacks were an apple and if you didnt like it, you could starve. You got in trouble with horseplay, the coach would tell you to take a lap, and if you were real bad, the principle would beat you with a wooden paddle (with holes for stopping wind reduction) and then you'd get home with a sore butt and the old man would tan your hide again for getting into trouble in the first place. Forget swearing, who wants to taste a soap bar.

The punishment made you realize that the adults are in charge and you better do what they say and no matter what you thought you better do it and enjoy doing it. PE class was required not optional and you pretty much had to show up with a cast on and maybe, just maybe the teacher would give you a little leway but that was dependant on the cast location. On your leg do pull ups, on your arm, you can run.

We lived without computers, cell phones, 1,000 channels, and if you wanted to see a movie, you saved your allowence or had a buddy pay and he snuck you and ten of your freinds in the back door.

Kids today have no idea how good they have it (sigh I sound just like my old man) now if you'll excuse me I have to remember walking five miles to school, uphill both ways with no shoes in the snow.

I think kids have it worse today. Nearly everyone in my high school drank and did drugs. If you didn't do that then you played video games excessively. Now there is far less social interaction between parents and kids. I remember sitting down and having a feast every night with my parents even if it was spam, spinach, and Mac-n-Cheese. But my family was unusual and most kids didn't have sit down dinners.

Cell phones and the Internet all rose during my high school years. I wonder if the world was a better place before.

I did walk to school, but I never went 5 miles because I stopped and asked for directions. I also learned to bum rides from my friends parents.