Earlier this week on The Daily Show, Aasif Mandvi interviewed San Francisco City Supervisor (District 1 / Richmond) Eric Mar, who helped author a city-wide ban on McDonald’s Happy Meal type kids meals unless those meals, and others like it that are bundled with toys for kids, have nutritious offerings.
This segment was filmed in early December but just aired; I don’t think Mar came across very well, as he looked nervous and had some gaffs, along with being caught up in some self-defeating logic that The Daily Show is known for trapping their interviewees in. I’m not the only one who thought that either.
Personally, I think the ban goes too far: I mean, parents should be responsible for their kids but with obesity being such a HUGE problem in America, fast food chains should try to make a better effort in offering a variety of healthier options. Bundling the toys in Happy Meals of course is a bribe to kids to make them act up and induce guilt in their parents to buy them the Happy Meals. I’ve met Mar a few times and know he is well intentioned, but I think there are bigger problems that the Supervisors probably should be focused on–not on regulating the sale of Kids Meals, or more recently, cellphones.
