New York City Considers Fast-Food Toy Ban, Cites Happy Fat Kids
Gather round, children, and listen to a tale of the evil New York City Council attempting to take your Happy Meal toys away. Yahoo reports that the dastardly City Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie, who comes from a magical place called "District 27," has introduced a bill that aims to ban fast-food toys and, as he says, will "empower parents by making it harder for the fast food industry to target children with predatory marketing techniques." What can you do to save your fun toys from being banished to the land of restricted personal freedoms? Nothing, you're just a kid.
Ladies and gentlemen, a photo of the world's only Filet-O-Fish Happy Meal.
The bill is inspired by a San Francisco law that will ban all fast-food toys starting December 1st. Companies like McDonald's are understandably upset, and Mason Smoot, vice president and general manager for their New York region, released a statement saying, "On average, kids eat at McDonald's about three times a month; that means about 87 other meals are eaten at home, school or elsewhere. That adds up to a discussion larger than toys."
We know that childhood obesity is no laughing matter (unless you're one of the popular kids on the playground, in which case childhood obesity is likely the biggest laughing matter), but we're with Mr. Smoot. If there weren't fast-food toys growing up, we'd never have Muppet Baby racers, mini Tonka Trucks or Halloween McNuggets. We also might not have type two diabetes and congenital heart disease, but that's besides the point.
New York City to consider banning fast-food toys [Yahoo]
[ngreene@villagevoice.com / @nickgreene]
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