Is it acceptable for "Macdonalds" to be promoted in DS's reading scheme book?

[knickersinatwist]

DS (6) asked to go to McDonalds the other day. For whatever reason he hasn't been, so when I asked why he asked he said "Its in my school book. It says they do the biggest hot dogs, and I like hot dogs".

Indeed, the story in his book goes that a child is sick in bed and her brother is off having a right-old time swimming and going to Macdonalds. (Note the Mac, rather than the Mc ).

I've got a bee in my bonnet about it. I don't think its acceptable for a fast-food chain to be named in a school book. Its not a story book, its a reading scheme phoenics book. They could have easily invented a name to get the point across.

So my issues are product placement, advertising a real fast-food chain, promoting fast-food as a treat, and advertising McDs in this way. I really don't think its appropriate and I've told the school that. I've also written to the publishers, over a month ago, but they haven't replied or even acknowledged my letter.

I'd really like to know what you think, without this turning into the old McDonalds debate!

But with the Government raising awareness about Childhood Obesity, Which? kids food campaigns, and all the rest of it, surely this goes against all that?

I have less of an issue with it if it were in a regular story book, but this is a book they have to read.

Is McD's so ingrained in our culture we just sit back and accept it?

I don't think it would be any better than Burger King or KFC. They could have used 'Pizza Place' or 'Hot Dog Heaven' and still got the point across.

But by your argument you'd have to still complain if it was Pizza Heaven or Hot Dog Shack because your concern is about healthy eating.

Because right here in your reading book from school is a child eating a hot dog!

I don't quite see what you, and others on the thread, are upset about. I'm not being difficult. I really don't.

There's an ORT book about horses getting drunk I remember. That is not pertinent, it just occurred to me.

The healthy eating thing is just a part of it - I'm not sure it is appropriate to be encouraging fast food in school books - but its the placement of a fast-food chain to such a young audience.

It could be Tesco/Sainsburys, it could be SMA on Eastenders IYSWIM.

Why not just call it McDonalds and not try to weakly disguise it if its OK?

I don't think you are being difficult, BTW, and I really appreciate your views. I've asked some RL people about it, many of them just don't see the problem either.

But you see that is the rub of these things isn't it?

Because a child in a book goes to a fast food restaurant, does it necessarily follow that all children who have read the book are going to want to go too?

I say not. Though I did spend years of my life banging on the backs of wardrobes. But in this rather unimaginative case, I don't see why it should influence their young minds really, I think it might represent their lives, and that should be okay.

It's different to the endless selling of Coco Pops on adverts with their straws and mix and match. IMO.

When I first went to work in my previous school the Reception teacher made her home corner into a McDonalds.

LOL. I bet that Reception teacher had the most savvy group of change counters in all time. I agree, the greengrocers is a more usual and desirable home corner . . .