Ronald has us brainwashed apparently

By Jeff Bowman

There are people out there that think most of us are incapable of making the right choices for our children. They believe corporate advertising has brainwashed us and a well-known clown is the messenger.

Recently a group of protestors demanded that Ronald McDonald be retired because  “this clown is no friend to our children or their health,”

I will not argue that some fast food is indeed harmful to our bodies and if chosen to be consumed, should be done so in moderation. The key word is chosen. We make our own decisions about what we eat and how often.  My parents made the decisions years ago for me, and I too made decisions for my children.  That is a responsibility that we bear as parents.

And while fast food may be a bad for you,  Ronald McDonald is no Chucky.

I think about the characters that have endorsed products for decades, and I am surprised there are not similar protests. Afterall,   Elsie the Cow makes lactose intolerant people crave milk, Mr. Peanut, encourages those with peanut allergies to gobble down peanuts and Chuck E Cheese encourages children to disrupt mealtime, run around and have fun during dinner.

The presumption in this nonsense, of course, is that as parents somehow we are void of human responsibility and incapable of making the right choices for our children or ourselves.

It would be a sad day if McDonald’s decided to retire Ronald. I can’t imagine that happening.

As a brand icon Ronald has had a powerful impact through   Ronald McDonald House, where billions of dollars have gone to charities over the last 40 years. He puts smiles  on the faces of children both healthy and otherwise. Ronald, and McDonald’s, has consistently given back in positive ways.

Before  jumping on this bandwagon it is important to know all the facts and not just the ones a small group would have you believe.  Forced retirement to me is a human rights issue!

Perhaps these people should turn their focus to some other icon of advertising, who also has a huge impact on our decision-making.  Take your coats, it’s cold at the North Pole.