PC Happy Meals

It's time for another "I knew we are living in the age of mindless political correctness" moment. It was bad enough when the PC police made "Merry Christmas" a greeting of intolerance, but now they have infiltrated the innocent world of children. Yep! PC pressure has convinced McDonald's Inc., the inventor of those non nutritious but good for the kid sprit Happy Meals that small children need to have physical fitness gadgets rather than toys in their Happy Meals. Instead of a plastic figurine, book or plush toy, McDonald's is giving away activity trackers with Happy Meals in the United States and Canada for what the company says is a limited time.

The good news is that give away has been pulled, at least temporarily, after the kiddies seemed to be suffering from skin irritations after wearing the devices. Let's hope the limit is short and the pull permanent. If we are lucky the novelty of convincing babies that they should track their fitness movements will be a short one. After all, PC reasoning is not based on logic. It is feel good nonsense that usually has a short shelf life. But for now McDonald's says that its “step-it” trackers are part of a promotional campaign aimed at getting kids moving again. So they are giving away the fitness trackers in six  kid friendly colors that will count junior's steps and blink according to how quickly or slowly the child is wearing the device is moving. Just like air head mom and dad wear when they want to be lean, mean, planet saving machines!

Wait a minute! Isn't McDonald's filing those same kids with fatty junk food? I wonder what a fitness tracker and fast-food have in common? Oh, yes. I know. Given mom and dad are already PC brainwashed and ready to enroll their urchins into the same kind of stupid behavior as mom and dad, it might expand Mc Donald's profit waist line. Also,  the step-it tracker is good PR for McDonald's to show the critics who say their business is pushing junk food to kids, that McDonald's actually wants the little ones to be healthy heathens. Good marketing equals more profit.

This is not the first time Mickey D has seen the PC handwriting on the wall. In 2011, McDonald’s began offering the choice between fruit or Go-Gurt with Happy Meals after years of pressure from consumer groups and food activists to increase the availability of fruits and vegetable "options" on their menu. Most kids did the normal thing when allowed to choose. They said no to healthy and yes to better tasting french fries and greasy burgers. Ah, my faith in humanity was reassured by those kids making the logical rather than PC choice. maybe we have not yet brainwashed kids out of being kids rather than Mini idiotic PC consumers.

I think a better approach to kid fitness today is not to take away the soul enriching burger, fries and coke or to try to make kids fitness nuts. Rather it is to remember that the age old logic that physical activity is what is most important for fitness to everyone, of all ages.  Making playing outside rather than typing on a computer or cell phone inside hour after hour, is far better than trendy step-it trackers that kids will tire of in a matter of days. parents might try restricting electronic media time for their kids and insisting that junior runs and plays out side several hours a day. Why, it might be a great idea to have the little ones walk or ride a bike to Mc Donald's once in awhile to order a non PC  burger, fries shake and apple pie lunch.