Meanwhile…

I’m with Mr. Metzger on this one. Obviously, there should be regulation for it to some degree before it’s allowed, but in general, I think you’re underestimating schoolkids. They see advertising everywhere they go, not just on TV. By and large, I think they’re desensitized to it, and let’s be honest, public schools could really use the money. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.

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Here’s a crazy idea: why don’t we raise corporate taxes a bit, then use that money to fund the schools.

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Like if you think this idea has any merit then you’re kind of, you know, openly conceding that schools need more money than they currently have. And you’re also admitting that students will be influenced by this advertising, because you’re implicitly arguing that corporations will spend a meaningful amount of money in order to place these ads in schools, which they wouldn’t do if they weren’t effective.

So pretty obviously what you should be arguing for is increasing taxes, and then, giving that money to schools. I mean I’m sure you have various arguments against that, but since all of those arguments are actually just “taxes hurt my feelings really, really hard” then maybe you should just, you know, get over that, and do what’s right for students.

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How about advertisments for duelling in schools? …nah, that’s probably worse.

Seriously, though, regarding “kids are desensitized”… there’s a big difference between “some shmuck on TV wants me to buy X” and “the authority which controls my life when my parents are at work is brought to me by X”.

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@Christopher: “Sacrifice” kids? Sacrifice them to who, McDonalds? Good lord, the rhetoric. They’re already being “sacrificed” (with advertising) to that Coke vending machine on campus, and to whatever cheap food supplier is offering them a choice between hamburgers and pizza for lunch. This is a lot less harmful than either of those things.

Corporations will put advertising wherever the eyes are, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the advertising is effective. If you saw “McDonald’s” on your gym’s parquet floor every day, after a while your eyes would just gloss over it. There’s advertising all over the subway I take to work. I couldn’t tell you what any of it was about.

@UnstoppableGravy: I don’t think there is much difference. Having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day with the words “under God” didn’t make me any more religious (or any more patriotic, for that matter). Inevitably, it was just words I had to say while I checked out the cute girl in the third row.

@ThatGuy: Schools don’t have that minimum of equity NOW. Ideally, yes, we could only embrace solutions that work for everyone equally across the board, but we don’t live in an ideal world. If you want to call that view “sociopathic,” fine, but it’s the one we’re stuck with.

This doesn’t mean I’m against higher taxes, but for schools to find alternative methods of raising money. No, not all schools will be able to do it equally, and yes, that sucks. But if the corporate sector picks up some of the load at the cost of their logo in the hallways or gym? I’m all for it. Maybe more government funds can be directed at the schools that aren’t receiving that funding. I just don’t see any reason to reject it out of hand because we believe our kids will be brainwashed to eat Big Macs.

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