Nickelodeon, Kellogg Targets of Lawsuit

[Hot Rodimus]

WASHINGTON - Advocacy groups and parents are suing the Nickelodeon TV network and cereal maker Kellogg Co. in an effort to stop junk food marketing to kids.

The plaintiffs are citing a recent report documenting the influence of marketing on what children eat. Ads aimed at kids are mostly for high-calorie, low-nutrition food and drinks, according to the government-chartered Institute of Medicine.

Wakefield, Mass., mother Sherri Carlson said she tries her best to get her three kids to eat healthy foods.

"But then they turn on Nickelodeon and see all those enticing junk-food ads," Carlson said. "Adding insult to injury, we enter the grocery store and see our beloved Nick characters plastered on all those junky snacks and cereals."

Carlson and another plaintiff, Andrew Leong of Brookline, Mass., spoke at a news conference organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

They intend to sue Kellogg and Nickelodeon parent Viacom Inc. in state court in Massachusetts and served the required 30 days' notice on Wednesday.

"For over 30 years, public health advocates have urged companies to stop marketing junk food to children," said Susan Linn of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. "Even as rates of childhood obesity have soared, neither Viacom nor Kellogg has listened."

Both companies said they have enduring commitments to healthy lifestyles.

Nickelodeon spokesman Dan Martinsen said the kids' cable network has been a leader in helping kids and their families be more active and healthier and has pushed advertisers for more balance in their offerings.

Kellogg spokeswoman Jill Saletta said the company is proud of its contributions to healthy diets and will keep educating people about good nutrition and exercise.

A food industry-backed group defended the companies, saying the lawsuit assumes that parents can't turn off televisions, have no control over the food they buy and can't make their kids go outside to play.

"Going out on a limb here, perhaps her (Carlson's) kids want these foods not because of ads, but because they're children," said Dan Mindus, spokesman for the Center for Consumer Freedom.

The lawsuit seeks to stop the companies from marketing junk food when 15 percent or more of the audience is 8 years old or younger. It targets not only commercials but Web sites, toy giveaways, contests and other marketing aimed at that age group.

CSPI said it had analyzed food advertising on Nickelodeon and during Saturday-morning TV shows as well as in magazines and food packages. The majority of the food ads involving both companies were for nutrition-poor foods, CSPI said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060118/ap_on_he_me/fat_kids_lawsuit

[TSFC]

Incredible.

It couldn't be this: "YOU DON'T RAISE YOUR CHILD RIGHT" could it? Oh no, not at all.

If you raised the child with love and care and actually taught them to defend themselves, they'd stand up to the bullies (it's a proven fact that kids eat from stress caused by bullies) they'd have self respect, and they'd take care of themselves.

Start with you, let them be kids, and let the chips fall where they may. Suing Viacom and Kellogg to pay you for not doing your job and having an objectionable mind toward these types of food is ridiculous.

Get a friggin' clue lady. Your kids are screwed up and getting fat because of you. Hell they've got your Genes. Probably caught "Mommy Gene Infinity".

Don't want your kids getting fat? Don't want them eating that shit? TELL THEM NO. Be the adult, be the parent, stand up to your child and tell them "No. This is good for you, this isn't. Deal with it. Because I said so and that's final."

Completly uncalled for. Consider yourself warned. - Boardwise

[Omnibus Prime]

Y'know...they had all that shit 20+ years ago, too. And guess what? My parents never bought me any fucking Smurfs, Pac-Man, C-3POs, etc., cereal. Whining about it sure as hell didn't accomplish anything. And yet, somehow I turned out alright...and skinny to boot.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat some Frosted Flakes, have a cigarette, play GTA:SA and then not sue anybody.

:rolleyes:

[Ops_was_a_truck]

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat some Frosted Flakes, have a cigarette, play GTA:SA and then not sue anybody.


Amen. Couldn't have put it better myself.

[Scantron]

Wakefield, Mass., mother Sherri Carlson said she tries her best to get her three kids to eat healthy foods.

"But then they turn on Nickelodeon and see all those enticing junk-food ads," Carlson said. "Adding insult to injury, we enter the grocery store and see our beloved Nick characters plastered on all those junky snacks and cereals."

She 'tries'? Sounds like she's not 'trying' hard enough. I mean, unless these kids have jobs and are buying their own food, she's the one who's actually purchasing the offending food items. Simple solution: Don't want your kids to eat junk food, then don't buy it. Nickelodeon and Kellogg's aren't forcing you to select these food products, run them through the cash register, transport them to your house and give them to your kids.

Basically, we've got three problems here:

(1) Some people are way, way too indulgent with their kids. Just because they want something doesn't mean they must have it.
(2) Lack of personal responsibility. No one's responsible for their own decisions any more, especially if there's an entity with deep pockets that can be dragged into a frivolous lawsuit.
(3) Lawyers. All they're after is the next big 'tobacco suit'; a set of cases that can go on virtually forever with massive amounts of legal fees.

[Dark Magnus]

"But if I don't buy Billy and Cindy what they want, they'll be mad at me and not love me and I'll be a terrible mother. I just can't live with that. The tv and cereal people are evil for making my kids want the unhealthy foods. Dear me, what am I ever going to do?"

[godsenddeath]

That's it. I'm suing that mother for failing society by not teaching her children self control.

And if anybody doesen't like it, I'm suing them too.

Plus I'm suing Tfw2005 becasue I've not gotten used to the grey color scheme yet.

I'm also suing one of the other boards for NOT using grey.

[Omnibus Prime]

(3) Lawyers. All they're after is the next big 'tobacco suit'; a set of cases that can go on virtually forever with massive amounts of legal fees.

A fact that anti-anti-smokers (for lack of a better term) warned fervently about in the mid-'90s, only to be dismissed as nicotine-addled nutjobs. It's never been about public health, the kids, Medicare costs, etc., it's about the fucking money. Google former Texas AG Dan Morales for a fun bedtime story about such things.

[Gryph]

Not to mention she's completely ignoring the fact that pretty much all childrens television now a days also has ads telling kids to eat healthy and exorcise. Most of which are actually made by said stations. I know for a fact Nicelodeon is heavilly into this stuff. Hell! They got an entire network devoted to sports and other activity based shows. No way in hell is she winning this one. At least against Nick.

[Weremole]

Not to mention she's completely ignoring the fact that pretty much all childrens television now a days also has ads telling kids to eat healthy and exorcise.

Typo much? 0_o

[zell583]

is it me or have modern parents just gone off the deep end?

[Arcee]

Incredible.

It couldn't be this: "YOU DON'T RAISE YOUR CHILD RIGHT" could it? Oh no, not at all.

If you raised the child with love and care and actually taught them to defend themselves, they'd stand up to the bullies (it's a proven fact that kids eat from stress caused by bullies) they'd have self respect, and they'd take care of themselves.

Start with you, let them be kids, and let the chips fall where they may. Suing Viacom and Kellogg to pay you for not doing your job and having an objectionable mind toward these types of food is ridiculous.

Get a friggin' clue lady. Your kids are screwed up and getting fat because of you. Hell they've got your Genes. Probably caught "Mommy Gene Infinity".

Don't want your kids getting fat? Don't want them eating that shit? TELL THEM NO. Be the adult, be the parent, stand up to your child and tell them "No. This is good for you, this isn't. Deal with it. Because I said so and that's final."

Completly uncalled for. Consider yourself warned. - Boardwise

Quoted for truth. I'm sick and tired seeing parents that don't seem to know how to raise kids and let the kid scream and whine constantly, only to end up giving them what they want but not what they need. Feed kids healthy and don't give them junk pure and simple. They don't have the money to get it themselves until they are older so quit blaming everyone else but yourselves.

[TSFC]

Problem is, you have to give them a little bit of junk every now and then. If you don't, they'll just eat nothing but when they can once they're older and pay for it themselves.

I watched many a classmate pull that shit.

[Chaos Muffin]

Nickelodeon Fat-Free. Ok!
Why don't they just pour sweet and Low into their eyes.

If Nick just showed spinach and cabbage commercials, kids would probably be repelled and go "WTF"
"F this bullsh!t, I want some mothefu**ing chocolate milk! "

[TSFC]

And let the whole thing be filmed for the internet's laugh. :D

[tikgnat]

My solution to this is simple. Buy your kids healthy foods from supermarkets. If they kick up a stink, wail a lot and generally act like brats, beat them!

Simple solutions for simple minds! Wait... what?

[Drake]

That crackfiend Toucan Sam is the reason I'm overweight. It's all clear now. :rolleyes:

[BigPrime3000]

:lol:lol:lol

I know I'm not the only one who thinks it's hilarious that Viacom gets in trouble on both ends of the spectrum. First Stern and now Nickelodeon.

[Cruellock]

So the ads are somehow forcing her to go out and buy cereal and give it to her kids ? I guess I would sue too if they were excerising some kind of mind control on me.

TONY !!! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME ?!!!

Didn't they just make some kind of new "super healthy" cereal ? It's called Tony's Turbos or something.

[aksmth]

Wow... My parents parented me. I wanted Sugar Coated Frosted Sugar Bombs, but they said no. So I didn't get my Sugar Coated Frosted Sugar Bombs. End of story.

I hope when the time comes and I have children, that I'll have a spine and the ability to tell them no.

[TheIncredibleHulk]

Its Nickelodeon's fault I'm fat :lol

[Omnibus Prime]

So the ads are somehow forcing her to go out and buy cereal and give it to her kids ? I guess I would sue too if they were excerising some kind of mind control on me.

TONY !!! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME ?!!!

Didn't they just make some kind of new "super healthy" cereal ? It's called Tony's Turbos or something.

I dunno about all that, but I'm fucking A addicted to Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers, man. Unfortunately, since I never saw any commercials for them, I don't know who to sue if I start getting fat...because it obviously wouldn't be my fault, what with the buying them two boxes at a time and snarfing down 2-3 bowls in a sitting. :confused2

[TSFC]

Speaking of non parenting: I was at the Post Office today and this woman and her child forced their way into the main office at the very last moment. (I.E. it closes at 12:00 PM on the dot, she was in at 12:05) Her kid holds the friggin' door open and leaves the office part wide open for all to come in, when they specifically said to keep it closed.

1.) It kept heat in the main office area (other areas are cut off by thick curtains of plastic behind the counter, plus the door of course.) 2.) They were closed, and more people thought "Gee! This is great, I'll go right in!"

You can tell this kid is super bored, and that his mother is a super bitch. Not the strict bitch type but the "Oh my Gawd. He's going to make me have to actually do something other than yell" type.

So he's banging the door against a really full garbage can and pieces of litter are starting to spill out onto the floor. (mind you, a country bumpkin just spit a huge wad of chew, and now it's on the floor.)

So the mother says "Please stop." The noise ends for literally a minute.
Again, banging. The mother says "Please will you stop? For me? Just please. Stop." 30 seconds of harmony. (by this point, all 10 of us are just ready to foam at the mouth and rip her throat out with our teeth.)
Of course he starts again and she says "Why won't you ever do what I ask? Seriously."

I couldn't take it anymore and said "Why? WHY?! BECAUSE YOU ASK! YOU DON'T TELL! You're the adult. You're the mother. You're the parent. You don't ask, you friggin' demand it. No ifs, ands, or buts. He's the child, he's the kid, he's the one to follow your demands and orders."

She stared at me blankly, and the people around me smiled. She then said "Are you a parent? I doubt it. If you knew how hard it was to be a parent, you wouldn't talk like that. Plus my son can never say I've never been a cool mom." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COOL?! PARENTS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE COOL! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)

I said "Be his mother. Not his friend. He won't go to prison and learn Apathy if you be his mother, and not COOL."

An old woman in front of me clapped and said "Son, you're young enough to be my grandson, but more mature than a woman twice your age. Oh wait, she just looks that old."

I said "Well she's had them long nights. You know, being cool and all."

Looked at us both and said "Fuck you." The guy behind the counter told her to leave, and she just looked at us both like "I could set you ablaze this very second. Die." I then chimed in with "No. That's what got you in this mess in the first place."

The old lady laughed and laughed.

Now normally I wouldn't have done that, but her constant "Um. Uh. Hmm." and sighing louder and louder because we couldn't move the friggin' line so she could get behind us to grab an envelope. Literally bumped into me a few times and never once said "Excuse me". I snapped.

Others snap with violence, I snap with words. Words can hurt deeper than the hardest punch. Works for me.

[tikgnat]

That is funny, but the problem is, two friends have a (now 2 1/2 year old) daughter, and it IS difficult to tell her to do something, as opposed to asking her to do something.

But, once you realise what you're doing, you can change tack and tell her what to do. I still stand by my advice. Beat them. Builds character.