The commercials on the television, the advertisements placed on newspapers and the banners by big conglomerates have one thing in common: They are mostly geared towards children. Chapter 2 of the book Fast Food Nation, written by Eric Schlosser provides a history of two big American companies, McDonalds and Disney, and how their selfish desires led to marketing directed towards children. Schlosser’s central idea and usage of argumentative techniques along with bias define this chapter’s purpose as an educational work designed to reveal the antics of big money corporations. The central idea of this chapter is focused solely on the greed and selfishness of big corporations as they try to advance their business and gain profits while being …show more content…
Bias is the one reason why Schlosser is even able to write a whole book on this topic. Almost every subsection of the chapter uses a type of bias to falsely persuade the reader. In many quotations, Schlosser uses ellipsis to omit key words that don’t correspond to the central idea. Even on many statistics, like the one previously mentioned about McDonalds for the central idea, Schlosser only gives the reader general information from the whole memo such as “sales are decreasing” and later uses the ellipsis tactic to string together two separate parts to make the reader believe that other companies are doing better than McDonalds, and it needs to take action to increase profit. Further, near the conclusion of the entire chapter, Schlosser mentions peculiar actions by the administrator of District 11, John Bushey. He describes how Bushey takes action to increase Coca-Cola sales in the district by allowing children to drink Coca-Cola and other products in class. Schlosser, in the next paragraph, writes that Bushey quit the job and he works in another school now but fails to acknowledge the reason why he quit, or if it was even related to the aforementioned incident. He uses omission to make the audience think that the two events are correlated. Overall, the author’s non-opinionated stance and large amount of bias suggests to us that the author is exaggerating the entire situation by making a Happy Meal out of a french fry. The fact that the author didn’t include his opinion but rather included it in his biased information and omission shows us that the chapter leaves out a lot of positives of big corporations along with anything that would make the audience question any information in the chapter for its
Along with television came advertisements. Advertisements began targeting children and more junk food was being promoted than healthy food. Children with diabetes has become more common and childhood obesity has increased drastically. If we are so big on ending obesity, why is it we still see so many McDonald’s commercials or other fast food commercials? Patel goes on later to talk about the amount of time spent cooking and eating and how it has fallen dramatically.
Eric Schlosser, the author of “Kid Kustomers”, puts a spotlight on the marketing on children. He starts off by talking about the effect on present day marketing. Companies like phone, oil, and automobile are targeting the children the most. He argues that kid-based companies weren’t that bad in the past, but now there are tons of companies who only focus on children. He has provided a lot of studies that support his explanation on marketing strategies.
Eric Schlosser - Fat Food Nation Eric Schlosser begins "Global Realization" with a visit to Plauen, which he writes, "has been alternately punished, rewarded, devastated, and transformed by the great unifying system of the twentieth century... Plauen has been a battlefield for these competing ideologies, with their proudly displayed and archetypal symbols: the smokestack, the swastika, the hammer and sickle, the golden arches. " What are the "competeing ideologies" to which Schlosser refers? What do the "archetypal symbols" he mentions represent? Each person learns to develop their own distinct set of beliefs based on the fact that they have their own subjective reality.
For example, the “play place” of today's McDonald's is clearly targeted towards children. This is important because it shows us that in order for these gentlemen to get ahead, they were willing to exploit children, in order to obtain more business. Although vulnerable children are paying the price, this tactic proved to be a very effective method of achieving success, or driving up business, for Kroc and Disney. Ray Kroc assures us that his goal is to get ahead at the expense of others. In chapter 2, Kroc tells a reporter, “This is rat eat rat, dog eat dog.
In Eric Schlosser‘s essays, the author shows how the social media are targeting children by their ads and advertisements. He exposes the negative side of advertising especially when children are implicated. The author explores children’s cooperation with these companies whether consciously or unconsciously through their behavior and ways of convincing their parents to get them what they want. He mentions how these same parents by lack of spending enough time with kids pamper them and don’t refuse their desires. Schlosser gives more explanations by introducing several examples of these companies such as Disney, McDonald, clothes, oil, and phone companies, too without openly blaming neither of them.
Most of the devices used are intended to highlight the negativity and brutality imposed on both the consumers and workers involved in fast food industries. Schlosser begins the book by building up his credibility through his knowledge of several fast food chain’s humble beginnings in pursuit of the American dream. Schlosser then eases his way into the conniving manner in which fast food industries have infiltrated almost every American household and deceive their consumers. The use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, logos, repetition and parallel structures in Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal fulfill his intentions of relaying the demonizing message that fast food chains are unhealthy, stimulate unfit working conditions, and monopolize on the vulnerability of America’s young people and fast-paced
Kids can be taught that what’s on an ad isn’t necessarily what they need.” At the end, marketers must maintain an appropriate structure or strategy without using people in a bad way. If it’s possible for a child being obsessed with a toy and food box, then it’s possible for him to like a sweet fruit box with an interesting book or comics, magazines etc. if we can support or teach them. We must accept that healthy food, exercising, protecting environment, enjoying beautiful sides of life, even choosing the best music or watching the proper advertisement - they are the best solutions for a good future even though they may be hard for some people to adapt.
In Schlosser’s article, “Kid Kustomers” the main argument is that major ad agencies are focusing to much time advertising to children. He uses multiple topics and threads to portray the negative effects of marketing to children. Using the example of Fast Food industries partnering up with toy companies to appeal to the younger consumer and goes into the effects the children have on their parents as a consumer. Using the example of fast food Industries backs up his claim when marketing to children can be bad. Fast food companies are already unhealthy and when they paired up with big toy companies the influence on the child is even greater.
Jaras Khairat Epp 170 Margarida, Mary J Summary/response Kid Kustomers The growth in children’s advertising in U.S has increased exponentially since 1980s most of the companies such as Disney, McDonald started targeting younger customers exploiting their marketing consumption that by implementing nostalgic memories of childhood of a brand names will let them purchase their product. Studies shown in 1991 that America’s six year olds were more familiar with Joe Camel as to them cartoon character Mickey Mouse and by familiarizing product to kids their goals is to persuade their parents to purchase a their product by juvenile nagging tactics. James U. McNeal a marketing professor believes in traditional approach is to get children closer
Today McDonald’s has many more competitors such as; Carl’s Jr., Sonic, Chick-Fil-A and Burger King, which now provides kid’s meals with toys. Parents are infuriated by the fact that the free toy is making their children want the unhealthy food, yet they feel obligated to buy the meal to make their child happy. Though these children are still more interested in the popular the toy and will beg their parents to buy the meal from the fast food industry. Nevertheless many parents have stood up against the toys in their child’s meal. In Santa Clara, California there has been a banment of toys in children's meals.
This statement is so true because when my little brother sees toys or junk food on television he immediately begs my parents to buy either one for him. The majority of commercials during programs aimed at children are for unhealthy high-fat, high sugars or high-salt foods with little nutritional value. Not all parents are aware of how their children are exposed to marketing campaigns that influence their children. Some top food choices for kids attack kids by their appealing commercials. The commercials use bright colors, a funny icon cartoon character, older kids, and catchy phrases.
Over the past twenty years, the amount at which advertisers are advertising to children is astonishing. Advertising directed towards children has estimated at over 15 million annually that’s almost three times more than what it was 26 years ago! Toy companies, fast food places, and retail stores are very eager to target children-maybe even a little too eager. Advertisers are consciously targeting children. Most advertisers are targeting children because they're easier to get hooked on a product.
“What Kids Know: McDonalds, Toyota, Disney.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 12 Apr. 2010, abcnews.go.com/Business/kids-mcdonalds-toyota-disney/story?id=10333145. Accessed 2 March 2018. Story, Mary, and Simone French. “Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US.”
“Don’t Blame the Eater”, written by David Zinczenko, is a short article discussing how fast food is the main cause of childhood obesity. This article came about in relations to two kids filing a lawsuit against McDonalds for making them fat. He begins his piece by sympathizing with these individuals because he used to be like them. Zinczenko then informs the reader of his background and how he fell into the category of being dependent upon quick and easy meals. In an attempt to provide a valid argument, he debates on how kids raise themselves while their parents are at work and that the nutritional values are not labeled upon prepared foods.
Title: FAST FOOD POPULARITY A. Introduction: Nowadays, most people -especially kids and youngsters- prefer to eat fast food, such as McDonald, pizza, fried food, and etc. Why it has become so popular? It is tastes better than homemade food? B. General Statement: Fast food industry has grown dramatically and become so popular. According to the research, people spend more money on fast food than the education.