Stephen Colbert interviewed Susan Pagan, a mother offended by McDonalds’ sponsorship of her daughter’s elementary school report card, for his segment “People Destroying America.”
Stephen, we know you love Consumerist. It’s ok, you can admit it. That bit at the end with the Superman eye-lasers burning the McDonald’s sign, it sure does bear a flattering resemblance to our description of health advocates as “setting their outrage phasers on kill.” We don’t mind, really. We even appreciate the plug for small claims court. That’s good advice of ours. Keep reading, Stephen. We’ll keep watching.
The Colbert Report [Comedy Central]
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my kids had the Book It program and now my grandson has it. Honestly pizza is not that bad for you. When I got layed off my job, I volunteered to listen to kids read at my childrens school. The kids I got could barely read, and they were in 3rd grade! The incentive of a free pizza was sometimes the only incentive they had. I have always read to my kids, but sadly a lot of parents don’t. My kids were thrilled when they got to buy their own pizza with the certificate. We were very poor, and that was the only way we could afford to go out to eat. It was a real treat for them.
One of the little boys I listened to could barely read the word THE.. After a few weeks he was doing better because I kept telling him how well he was doing. Sadly, I was probably the only one who ever told him that.
My grandson & I have a weekly date at McDonalds. He gets the 4 piece nuggets Happy Meal, with apple dippers and milk. Honestly don’t see that as a horrible meal, definitely not something for everyday, but once a week, it’s not that bad.
I say keep the incentives, it may be the only “treat” these kids ever get, especially if they come from lower income families.
@AlisonAshleigh:
I’m not about telling other parents how to motivate their children. And I’m not saying some kids don’t need encouragement. I’m saying that mine doesn’t, and I should have the opportunity to opt out – but I DON’T. It’s a required program. You refer to a few kids who might want to participate. But it’s not about that – it’s that it’s required corporate brain-washing of my 5-year-old.
@TheUncleBob:
I didn’t say it was my biggest problem. But in my opinion, advertising to my child, it’s a really big one. Did you all not get the the Colbert thing was tongue-in-cheek and that he is on Pagan’s side in this?
@AlisonAshleigh: well said…my incentive to read in first grade, was I’d go into the house and get a graham cracker for every chapter I read. My parents weren’t very good at encouraging us to do anything, so we took care of it ourselves. Fortunately it made me do better with my kids. My grandson will bring me a stack of books and sit still and listen to them all. Feels good to see him enjoying reading (he’s 5) His school has the Book It program but they also have a picture of an ice cream cone in the class, and for every 10 books they get a “scoop” of ice cream added to their cone, and a sticker for every book. I would venture to say he has the most scoops on his ice cream cone.
I loved the Book it! program when I was a kid. It was a reason to go out to dinner one friday a month. It was a treat for my sister and I, as well as a cheap time out for both my parents. I would never trade the time at Pizza Hut for anything in the world, the memories I have of dinner with my family are priceless.
@AlisonAshleigh: As a non-meat eater, you are excused from any discussion of what is a good piece of meat (assuming what is in a McCrap burger is actually meat. Lemme explain, so you don’t think I’m being a foodist.
1- You say you don’t like the taste of meat.
2- You then say, “I would much rather have a mcdonalds cheeseburger over anything from a so-called “gourmet” burger place”
Doesn’t that prove that, McDonalds is the burger joint for people who DON’T LIKE MEAT? And if you don’t like MEAT, why eat a burger anyway? Christ. I will never understand some people
Fact: If you like meat, you probably prefer a big beefy burger. You like the taste of meat. You like the juices. You don’t like to eat hockey pucks. You KNOW the difference.
McDonald’s should really just scale down and sell fries and coke. That’s what they’re best at. Trade theory suggests they should leave the burger, fish, chicken and everything else making to someone better equipped.
Yeah for trade theory.
Boo for people who claim McDonald’s makes a burger superior to anything not made by McDonald’s.
@Sherryness: I don’t think Colbert is really on anyone’s side in this – he’s all about the funny. If anything, he’s pointing out how absurd both sides of this debate are.
Anywhoo, I fail to see how advertising to a child should be anywhere in the top ten list of issues with your local public school – and I don’t even know what your “local” public school is.
Anywhoo, I was about to go on a rant about how advertising is everywhere etc., etc… but how you choose to raise your child is up to you.
@Sherryness: You can opt out. It’s called not letting your kid redeem the coupon. Or do you shield your kid from all forms of corporate advertising? That must be difficult…
@Eric1285:
That’s not opting out. “Opting out” is exercising your option not to participate. I don’t have that option – that’s my problem. Well, that’s one of the biggest problems. There are so many problems with this program I could probably write a couple thousand words about it.
And not using the coupon doesn’t take away the “doggie treat” effect that this program has on kids. I suppose it gives me the opportunity to teach him about standing up for what you believe and not taking everything that’s handed to you just because it’s free.
But I suppose another point is that it SHOULD be a non-issue. Fast food joints should not be targeting my kid while he is at school. It should be kind of a safe haven from garbage like that.
@Sherryness: Your first wrong move is to assume that a government school is a “safe haven”.
Shifting sideways off of fast food for a second…
Did you ever notice that we never have a choice of those memories that will stick in our memories forever?
More than 50 years ago (early Jr.High, 50′s), we had to add to a list of books we’d read. I’d just read a book by Earnest K. Gann, “The High and the Mighty”.
Teach felt compelled to ask me “Did you really read that book or just see the movie?”.
I can’t recall what my response was, but I’m sure it would be different today!
BTW, God bless my older sister for teaching me to read before I even entered kindergarten. The gift that keeps on giving
Dan.
@TheUncleBob:
I couldn’t agree with you more on that point – as I have learned this last year. He is only 5, so this is my first year navigating educational highways and byways. I’m pretty sure we will be doing something vastly different come September 2008.
@Sherryness: Sure, I can understand that you don’t want companies targeting your kids at school. I hope you realize though that this takes money out of the school system, resulting in an even poorer education for your child.
I think you’re fundamentally wrong in sending your child to public school as it counteracts your attempts to better your child’s life.
My point is that public schools need all the help and money they can get. If McDonalds wants to give the school system $500k a year to print coupons on report cards, I’m all for it. Besides, the only kids who are going to die from eating too much McDonalds are the dumb ones, and nobody’s going to miss them anyways.
It takes a lot more than a free Happy Meal or free pizza to lead to diabetes or obesity.
@Eric1285:
My son is learning disabled and I would miss him very much if he were gone.
@TheUncleBob: Notice your point. It’s a public school. Private corporations should not be allowed to create mandatory incentive programs. I’m totally behind Sherryness on this one.
@Hawk07: Sure it does…but it also takes a whole lot more than a single SUV to lead to global warming. It’s not the whole problem, but it’s part of the problem – not part of the solution.
@youbastid: You are correct – the private corporation (that probably pays taxes into her child’s education) should not be allowed to create mandatory incentive programs.
But should the “teacher” who’s in charge be allowed to? If the teacher isn’t in charge, who is?
@TheUncleBob: Teachers have very little power, and no, they shouldn’t be allowed to either.
Way back when I was in elementary school, my 2nd grade class had a reading rewards program. In addition to the mandatory reading, every additional book we read and wrote a short report on earned a scoop of ice cream on the last day of school. Read 10 books, get 10 scoops. That’s still OK by me, as you weren’t required to do it, and it wasn’t sponsored.
@Sherryness: Sorry about that, no harm meant. I’ll just stop here and say that I think public schools are a disaster, but I’m all for improving them in away possible. That includes advertising deals.
You really don’t want to hear my brand of social theory, so I’ll spare the both of us and call it a night.
@Eric1285: You mean like becoming an enthusiastic member of the board of trustees, and pushing to get the school the proper funding it needs even if it involves a tax increase? There is a more critical problem when you allow private enterprise to fund public schools. Public school eventually become reliant upon those private enterprises. So what happens is school officials eventually have to start asking questions of teachers who may be touching on subjects that reflect negatively on their sponsors. McDonald’s probably wouldn’t want High School kids reading Generation-X and learning the not so flattering definition of McJob or the many other dis-corporate messages in the book.
Back in High School (bear in mind, this was only two years ago), they’d give us a free value meal for As, and an All American meal for Bs. They even advertised this with little flyers in the hallways. I personally had no issues with this, its free! I always enjoyed going and getting a big mac for free for something I was gonna do anyway. It was great! Provides rewards for students that need a little incentive. And besides, McD’s once every six weeks wont lead to morbid obesity or anything.
Back when ever I was in 4th grade I remember my pizza hut giving free personal pan pizzas if you got 4 or more As. Plus Chuck E Cheese (showbiz at that time) would give you free tokens for As. Back then those were the only reasons I tried to get them.
@Televiper: School’s don’t need tax increases or more funding – they need to make better use of what they have. Private schools commonly do a much better job educating children, while spending less per child than public schools. Get rid of the teacher’s unions, then we can talk about reforming public schools. As long as they’re there, they’re simply going to look out for the teacher’s and no one else.
@youbastid: So… if the teachers or administrators aren’t allowed to determine mandatory programs, who is?
@TheUncleBob: Administrators are. Teachers, not so much. If it was a teacher that decided this was mandatory I would imagine the administration not being too thrilled. I don’t really have a problem with McDonald’s or Pizza Hut giving away food for good grades. I just don’t think it should be advertised in or on school property, and participation certainly shouldn’t be required.
i actually used to go to that school – Red Bug Elementary in Orlando – way back in the day. apparently i missed out on the hot mcdonalds goodness.
Did anyone else notice that he never swallowed the burger?
@Eric1285:
No worries.
@Melewen: I’m with you. I used my report cards to get food there occasionally (not fat, either). But I don’t like commercial advertising within schools and on actual SCHOOL documents. That’s too much. It also puts a lot more pressure on the parents to actually take the kid.
What always gets me is how does Colbert get these people to actually go on camera? At this point, I find it very hard to believe anyone has no idea of how he’ll spin the story.
Up until the end, I wasn’t sure but it does seem Mrs. Pagan is in on the joke somewhat so more power to her for having a sense of humor about something she does care about.
@youbastid: When it comes to making deals with outside corporations, I’d almost bet the administration was involved with the process.
Anywhoo, participation in the Book-It Program itself may or may not be “mandatory”, but what’s to say the “read with your parents” thing isn’t the actual homework assignment – I’m sure the teacher wouldn’t force the Pizza Hut coupon on the kid if he/she didn’t want it.
@MrsMicah: If the most pressured decision a parent ever has to make is not to take their kid to McDonald’s, then that parent is pretty darn lucky.
Oh wow, a lot of people take this issue pretty seriously.
I bet in a lot of these cases, McDonald’s wouldn’t have the opportunity to advertise on kids report cards if the school districts were properly funded. I wonder how seriously those people who are complaining about schools reaching out for alternative funding take funding their own schools?
@humphrmi: Education is of supreme importance. I think we all agree on that, which is why we are all so passionate about this topic.
When I come to power, everyone will receive a first class education. I love this country too much to see it fall behind in my lifetime.
@Eric1285: That’s very commendable, but can I humbly suggest that you don’t have to “come to power” to ensure that everyone (at least in your own school district) receives a first class education?
You’ve maybe done all this already, and I’m by no means saying you aren’t, but here’s the power you already wield:
1. When your school district comes to you, a voter, to ask for a levy increase – that instead of knee-jerk reacting “NO! Don’t raise MY property taxes!” you consider their actual need, and that the investment that a higher levy makes into the value of your homes if your school districts are first class?
2. Write to your governor, and state legislators, and tell them that education is so important to you that you will be basing your voting decisions in the next election on how well they do at securing better funding for your schools. Then tell every neighbor to do so also. And ask them to tell all their neighbors.
3. Write to your president, US senator, and US congresspeople saying basically the same thing about federal funding of your schools.
Again, I’m not saying you aren’t already, but I’ve found these activities to be very effective in my school district. And I hate to say it, but especially item number 1.
My only reward for reading books in elementary school was the disdain of my classmates and the dislike of my communist teachers for the thumb that stuck out. Ah, fun times, fun times.
I wouldn’t want my child growing up feeling entitled to physical rewards for something as necessary to his/her humanity as education. Or connecting something personal and beautiful as literature with kitschy corporate Americana.
@humphrmi: Great advice. I actually don’t do that much on the political side because I feel like trying to act on it now is a waste of my time. I don’t have the power to do what I want to do, although I do recognize that what I do now can make a difference. It’s just not a big enough impact for me to really put my effort into it.
I’m actually working on a project for a new middle school in detroit. It’s a charter school that’s math and science focused. Very exciting stuff. The school is big into technology and new learning methods, which I love.
I figure that when I get out of school and start really making my mark on the world, I’ll be in a better position to influence people. Nothing motivates politicians more than the promise of a large campaign donation.
I’m actually going to be in the education industry for the next several years. Unfortunately, I’ll be operating mostly overseas, but my work will benefit students in the states by bringing top notch international students into the best colleges. One of my pet peeves here at the University of Michigan is the large numbers of incompetent students in my classes. It’s so bad that for the most part, I don’t go to classes anymore. It’s just not worth it to go to a 1.5 hour lecture when 30-45 minutes of that lecture are spent addressing a problem that I solved within 2 minutes of it being put on the board. I mean, the other day in one of my classes (a 300 level engineering course) we learned about paragraphs and sentence structures. We were then given strips of paper with sentences on them and asked to use glue-sticks to glue them in the right order. Now, pardon me if I’m mistaken, but I believe I did the same thing in 2nd grade. Why am I paying $30k a year for this? The most outrageous part was that other students in the class were getting these things wrong!
Anyways, I’ve ranted long enough. Change will come, and you can bet I’ll be a part of it.
@Sherryness:
Yes, you do have to explain why you’re throwing the coupon away. You’re a damn parent, so -parent-. Christ, I’m in my mid-20s and I could do a better job knowing what to do with a kid.
Not. That. Difficult. Just mark off the X’s, and if you really hate the Big Bad Corporate Entity that much, reward the kid with something different.
@Eric1285: Lord, that’s sad. I remember taking Engineering in college, it wasn’t like that. It’s gotten pretty bad.
@humphrmi: No kidding. This is the University of Michigan we’re talking about. It’s one of the most highly regarded engineering schools in the country.
Granted, the class I was talking about was a required writing class for engineers. I guess they realized that most engineers can’t write. At all. Still, if the public school system hadn’t failed this kids so badly, they wouldn’t need to brush up on their writing skills in college, and I wouldn’t have to suffer through the class with them.
@TheUncleBob: Just to address a couple of your observations above:
One of the reasons private schools do well in comparison to public schools is because they often don’t, or won’t, deal with problem students. If a private school has a problem, they have the option of simply throwing them out. They also have the opportunity to screen students prior to enrolling them. If a child has a history of social problems or learning disability, they can be turned away before they ever enter a class room. Public schools do not have this option, at all. They must take every student, regardless of personality, social or learning problems. They are required to evaluate these students on the same level and tests that the straight A students are evaluated. And if they do not show progress from year to year for 90% of all students in all categories of social, disabilities and ethnic backgrounds they stand to lose their funding and accreditation from the State. Many private schools do not even have handicap accessible restrooms, much less the teachers needed to educate such students.
Do you know any public school teachers? Are you familiar with what your local public school system is required to deal with on a daily basis? Do you know the hours put in by teachers to make sure that ALL their students are learning? Sure there are bad teachers. There are also bad police officers, firemen, senators and even the occasional president. I doubt that we would hear you calling for the abolition of police or fire fighters unions or congress. Teachers are some of the hardest working least appreciated people in this country. Look into both sides of what you are suggesting before calling for the reform of the public school system. You might be amazed at the tremendous bargain that most Americans have in their neighborhood schools. If you are looking for someone to blame for failing public schools and students, in many cases look at the parents. There is a rock that no one wants to turn over.
If the public school system were to be “reformed”, as many folks define it, you would quickly find that private schools, or voucher schools is the popular term for today, would be overwhelmed with what public schools handle routinely.
I think I better stop now. I have probably opened myself up to some caustic rebuttals, but that’s cool. Education and schools are an emotional subject for me and I have high regard for our school system and what they provide for so many of us. Problems, sure. But on the whole, I think they do amazing work most of the time.
Oh yeah. I am not a teacher. Just a parent.
I don’t really see a problem in them giving free food to student that do well. I loved that when I was a kid, and the Pizza Hut’s Book It!(not sure of the name) program was offered. If you read a certain amount of books, you could get a free personal pan pizza. I LOVED those pan pizzas and I still do(although Pizza Hut doesn’t make them as good anymore). I felt proud that I could get my own food instead of my parents buying it and the nearest Pizza hut to me was around 10 minutes away, so I didn’t get to have it all the time. Parents need to show their kids that all foods, even McDonald’s are good in moderation. I still remember how happy I was eating those pan pizzas because I was an avid reader, I got them as often as possible. And I’m not overweight to this day, actually I’m kinda under haha! My mother always taught me “everything in moderation”. McDonald’s is a sometime treat, like when you do well in school or for your birthday or something. Not for several times a week or everyday.
After reading the above comments, ITA @ TIMSGM1480!! I wasn’t a poor kid and never wanted for food, but I did feel proud to know that I could “buy” my own food. And there are kids out there that are poor and hungry and would love to be like other kids and eat the same snacks they’re eating. Don’t ya’ll remember what it was like to be a kid? And it does motivate kids to read(Book It program). It just frustrates me that other parents did not raise their children as I was raised– there aren’t “bad” foods. You eat everything. In moderation. Don’t ban fast foods or demonize them; children will just want them more. And as for advertising to children, everything in a child’s life is about advertising. Sorry to you people out there who think it’s not, you’re living in a fairy-tale world. There isn’t anything wrong with enticing kids with a free cheeseburger or something if they get a good grade. There are kids that just won’t try no matter what unless they have an incentive. Wake up people. Worry about the important things, not about if McDonald’s wants to advertise in report cards. Parents should have instilled enough values and ideas about healthy eating in their children to not have to worry about an occasional free burger and fries.
Lmao, I live in Seminole county, and my little sister goes to Red Bug Elementary! This is friggin’ hilarious. I’ma see if I can find that Pagan.
Hey guess what. If our government wanted to spend more money on supporting these schools (I graduated from some lovely public schools myself) they probably wouldn’t need these so called partnerships. However, the sad reality of it is these schools are underfunded and overstuffed with students.