Spurlock was in town promoting the documentary during the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival in April. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Spurlock’s work (Super Size Me, of course, and he also produced What Would Jesus Buy?), and there’s no doubt that a film about product placement was right up my alley, but what I ABSOLUTELY LOVED was that he tackled advertising and children.
PEM: I was pleasantly surprised to see that PWPTGMES addressed the issue of advertising to children, especially in-school advertising, like Channel One. I’ll ask you the same question that I get: What’s the harm? Kids see ads everywhere anyway. If advertising revenue helps educate kids, what’s the big deal?
Morgan Spurlock: I understand that schools and districts need money, but I believe it starts to set a precedent that you will never be able to end. Once they’re in, they’re in and once it starts, it will only lead to more pointed, larger-scale advertising. In my new film, a girl in a classroom (in response to being asked what she thinks about [Channel One] advertising being in her school) says that “Schools should teach you how to think, not what to think. And I believe advertising tells you what to think, and that doesn’t belong in a school environment.” I couldn’t agree more.
PEM: The students you interviewed about Channel One seemed pretty advertising literate, stating that they simply ignore or talk through the commercials while in class. Do you buy it? Are today’s teenagers unaffected by marketing directed at them?
MS: I think we are inundated with advertising and marketing on a daily basis, but the argument that “kids are literate” or that they’re “unaffected” by it doesn’t hold water to me. Everyone is affected by it, that’s why it exists. The question is, on what level and to what degree are they affected by it? I think schools are the one place where we should find a better way to bridge budget gaps than by opening the doors to advertisers.
PEM: Do you think corporations have a responsibility to limit advertising to children? Does our government?
MS: A corporation’s job is to make money, but if part of your consumer demographic is children, then I do believe you have an ethical responsibility to curb how you market to kids. Now, many folks will say ethical corporation is an oxymoron, and that’s where the government needs to intervene. It can’t solely be left up to the parents (another argument that I don’t 100% agree with) to police how their children are marketed to. Parents can provide them the tools to understand what the marketing means, but the government needs to outline the parameters within which that advertising can take place.
PEM: In 2008 you received the Fred Rogers Integrity Award from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Has what you’ve learned about advertising/marketing to kids while making your films informed how you now parent? How?
MS: I really try to limit the amount of TV my child watches by engaging him in what Susan Linn calls “creative play.” We have battles with knights and dragons and fly through space in our cardboard spaceships (we just moved so cardboard forts and spaceships abound!). The day he was watching cartoons and came running into the kitchen to tell me, “Daddy, I want that wrestler set I just saw on TV.”
“OK,” I said.
“But all the pieces are sold separately.” That was the day I turned the TV off.
Don’t you love him? I mean, really?
So I’m a tad star-struck. So shoot me.
During the Q and A at the Film Festival showing, a teacher thanked Spurlock for basically putting himself out there as a social experiment and said she uses his television series, 30 Days, in the classroom all the time.
I think what it comes down to is that I am so damned thrilled to see this being talked about on the giant screen in front of hundreds of thousands of people. It just may open up some eyes to the effects of advertising on kids.
And for that, I say, thank you, Mr. Spurlock.
PWPTGMES opened last Friday in Minneapolis and is playing at the Uptown Theatre.
Image: Morgan Spurlock (Director) and Joshua Wanatik (Stunt son), Jet Blue; photo by Daniel Marracino, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Ariah Fine, author of Clean Water for Elirose, north Minneapolis resident, father, and long-time PEM supporter, is seeking collaborators for “The Positive Princess.” The weekly YouTube video series will feature diary-like episodes with “The Positive Princess” who wears a tiara and dresses — though not all the time — and whose adventures counter the dominant princess messages girls hear.
Episode Ideas
– What makes a princess? Emphasizing attributes of being smart, powerful, adventurous, etc. Not about being pretty, wearing dresses, etc.
– Pink is not my favorite color! Girls can like any color. And so can boys.
– Disney Princesses are boring. They just sit around in dresses and make-up they don’t do anything. How boring! Do they ever climb a mountain? Play a sport? Build something?
– Boys? Being a princess is not about waiting or chasing a prince. Princess have better things to do then sit around waiting for a boy. We’ve got adventures to pursue, boys can wait.
Additional Feature Ideas
– Ask a Princess – Girls can write in questions to be answered by the princess
– Princess Power – Video of girls/women doing awesome things and receiving a Princess Power sticker from the Princess or one of her fans/viewers (user submitted videos)
– Book recommendations – Highlighting positive children’s books with strong female characters.
Interested? Want to know more? Let me know in the comments. Ariah is specifically recruiting:
– Princess – Strong acting abilities, ability to improv well, solid understanding of the theme/message of the series.
– Script Writers – Experience writing for a young audience (children age 3-7), understanding of the ‘princess culture’ and ability to write positive counter-messages.
– Video Editor – Quick turn around. Likely will be editing footage shot from a webcam as well as user submitted materials. Experience with creative animation/transitions a plus.
Parents shouldn’t look to the labels on the front of food package for guidance on picking the healthiest products for their kids. Claiming Health: Front-of-Package Labeling of Children’s Food looked at packages with front of package labeling–symbols that identify healthier products–and found that 84% of products studied didn’t meet basic nutritional standards.
Consider parents who are in a rush at the grocery store — can we really blame them for choosing a product that their kids clamor for and is good for them to boot?
It’s not the first time front-of-packaging labels and health claims have come under fire. Meant to inform consumers, most nutritional marketing does just the opposite. There’s a slew of competing symbols, labels and check marks that have been developed by food manufacturers to sell their goods, without little to no oversight.
Babysitter Approved: A Minneapolis firm, Haberman, is asking consumers to identify marketing campaigns “that truly ADD value to our world.” ADD or DELETE also asks companies and agencies to take a look at what they’re producing:
We think the advertising and communications industry needs to redirect some of its creative firepower towards creating positive change instead of more distasteful or wasteful advertisements. Take the 5% challenge – devote some of your business time, marketing expertise and resources to ADDing.
The campaign’s focus on Super Bowl advertising reminds me of this slide — now slightly outdated — I’ve used in parent education presentations showing the yearly increases in public education spending, Super Bowl ad revenue, and the amount spent marketing to children:
Enough with the gift guides. If you’re looking for a gift — eco-friendly, BPA-free, safe, local, gender neutral, fair-trade, all-natural or small-enough-to-fit-your-budget — the internets are full of guides to help you. You don’t need another from me.
What you may need is some inspiration. Perhaps I’m projecting. But check out:
Have your own inspiration? Please share in the comments.
Bonus! Three Babysitter Approved gift suggestions:
A book: Actions Speak Loudest delves into the heart of thirty-two issues, ranging from childhood obesity to climate change, that are critical to the well-being of the next generation. All proceeds go back into the causes and organizations in the book.
The longer I do this advocacy thing the more I realize how many other people are running terrific campaigns with the same goals as ours: Helping create healthy children and families. The internet and social media helps us all to share and disseminate information. I am so proud to be a part of this community!
TRUCE 2008-2009 Toys, Play & Young Children Action Guide
A must-read before shopping. “This guide is intended to help adults promote children’s creative and constructive play by making informed choices about toys, and by working with others at home, school, and in the community to promote positive play and toys.”
Cool Mom Picks 2008 Holiday Gift Guide
Advertorial free. Thoughtful, high quality gifts — many supporting smaller companies, indie designers, and moms working from home. For toys, see the Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide (”. . . we hope that you’re willing to invest in better quality toys, even if that means having fewer of them. How many rattles does one kid need anyway?”)
Guide to Safer Children’s Products
From Healthy Legacy, this guide helps you avoid purchasing products with harmful synthetic chemicals commonly used in children’s products. With handy take-along wallet card.
