Handing the keyboard today over to SawHole, who has a supreme rant up her sleeve on the issue of celebrity endorsements.
Once upon a time, in a far away land, I worked at a publication called Absolutely No Choice.
While at the publication, I quickly befriended Miss Chocolate Brownie, who not only did killer baked goods that she shared with the embattled policy team, she also made food companies quake at their knees. One word from Brownie and Mums will not touch your products.
Quite amusing really because Chocolate Brownie is a size 8 Audrey Hepburn look-a-like. Normally I would hate her, but she is too fun and she also saved me from serial killers in Adelaide. The reason why I mention this is some years ago Chocolate Brownie led a campaign against sport stars endorsing dubious children's snack foods. One of them had Kieren Perkins as its public face.
At the time, I recall Kieren was quite critical of Chocolate Brownie in the media. The smug, sanctimonious one took great umbrage at Chocolate Brownie's suggestion that the products he was endorsing were not appropriate snacks for kids.
The amusing thing is that less than a week after the stoush, Chocolate Brownie found herself on the same flight as Thou Great Tadpole and she knew who he was but he had no idea that his enemy was seated just behind him.
Anyway Kieren is on the same bandwagon again. This time he is being harassed by the Cancer Council (I have always found them to be very reasonable on Daffodil Day), whose survey found parents were more than twice as likely to choose an unhealthy product over a healthy one when it was endorsed by a sports celebrity.
"These sorts of messages are influencing people or helping enable them to absolve themselves from the responsibility around understanding their kids' nutrition and their own nutrition and the best way to manage it," he said. "So while it's one thing to suggest the athletes are influencing people unduly, I just wonder at what point do parents want to stand up and take responsibility for their roles in doing the best things for their children?"
My question is at what point do athletes take responsibilities for their own post-sport careers and do something other than plugging shit? Or at least if they plan to plug stuff, research it and be prepared for the back lash.
While at the publication, I quickly befriended Miss Chocolate Brownie, who not only did killer baked goods that she shared with the embattled policy team, she also made food companies quake at their knees. One word from Brownie and Mums will not touch your products.
Quite amusing really because Chocolate Brownie is a size 8 Audrey Hepburn look-a-like. Normally I would hate her, but she is too fun and she also saved me from serial killers in Adelaide. The reason why I mention this is some years ago Chocolate Brownie led a campaign against sport stars endorsing dubious children's snack foods. One of them had Kieren Perkins as its public face.
At the time, I recall Kieren was quite critical of Chocolate Brownie in the media. The smug, sanctimonious one took great umbrage at Chocolate Brownie's suggestion that the products he was endorsing were not appropriate snacks for kids.
The amusing thing is that less than a week after the stoush, Chocolate Brownie found herself on the same flight as Thou Great Tadpole and she knew who he was but he had no idea that his enemy was seated just behind him.
Anyway Kieren is on the same bandwagon again. This time he is being harassed by the Cancer Council (I have always found them to be very reasonable on Daffodil Day), whose survey found parents were more than twice as likely to choose an unhealthy product over a healthy one when it was endorsed by a sports celebrity.
"These sorts of messages are influencing people or helping enable them to absolve themselves from the responsibility around understanding their kids' nutrition and their own nutrition and the best way to manage it," he said. "So while it's one thing to suggest the athletes are influencing people unduly, I just wonder at what point do parents want to stand up and take responsibility for their roles in doing the best things for their children?"
My question is at what point do athletes take responsibilities for their own post-sport careers and do something other than plugging shit? Or at least if they plan to plug stuff, research it and be prepared for the back lash.
Or as nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said: "It is time sports people took their responsibilities more seriously and stopped looking at endorsement as a money-making exercise."
Besides Kieren if you are going to bash parents, SawHole will bash you. So get your arse off to TAFE, study IT and do something useful instead of take, take, take.We parents know all about pester power and we are not buying your self-responsibility line. It is the same one Big Tobacco used 30 years ago.
Over and out.
SawHole
Thank you for you rant today SawHole. And well done on no swear words!
I suppose the question is, are you influenced by celebrity endorsements when it comes to kid's snacks? Does Warnie want to make you bust into a burger? What ever happened to Stephanie Rice?
