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Happy Meal Toys Have Now Been Banned In San Francisco

» 41 comments

In the saddest “toys hidden in food” news since Cracker Jacks stopped including anything other than lame stickers, San Francisco has become the first major city in the United States to ban Happy Meal toys. Yes, the children of that great city are going to have to take a bus to get that special Puss in Boots figurine from Shrek 19. This is the effect of a new law passed by the Board of Supervisors which will go into action this December.

From Reuters:

“The law, like an ordinance passed earlier this year in nearby Santa Clara County, would require that restaurant kids’ meals meet certain nutritional standards before they could be sold with toys.
Opponents of the law include the National Restaurant Association and McDonald’s Corp, which used its now wildly popular Happy Meal to pioneer the use of free toys to market directly to children.
‘We are extremely disappointed with today’s decision. It’s not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for,’ McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said in a statement.
‘Getting a toy with a kid’s meal is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald’s,’ Proud said.”

Well, this is just sad. Sure, childhood obesity is an epidemic, but Happy Meal toys are such an important part of a young child’s life. Not to mention the fact that the gender specific prizes make forcing heteronormative ideals on your children an absolute breeze! The most offensive thing about this law though is the idea of the government totally disrupting the marketplace. What child is going to want to go to McDonalds now? You just know that the big California organic vegan food bar chains are going to sign a deal with Disney and totally dominate the kiddie market.

A sad, sad day indeed.

(h/t Drudge Report)

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  • gar

    Now they give the kids a hand signed Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House picture.

  • Harry Flashman

    Californians deserve whatever they get after putting Moonbeam and Boxer back in. They’re so far gone they even elected a dead Democrat over a live Republican (true story – she died about a month before the election and her name was still on the ballot – good grief). Those people don’t NEED legalized marijuana.

    The People’s Republic of California is doomed.

  • Seeing 2012 From My Window

    I’m pretty sure when we talked about this possibility months ago, the libs said we were crazy to say it would happen. HM!

    The people of CA deserve what they are getting there, if they are too stupid to vote out the dems. And don’t bother giving me the “the gov is a Repub”, because he’s a RINO and there is a DEM legislature.

  • tatboy

    Thank Gawd… now were all safe. “What about the children” (in the most Simpson’s voice you can muster).

  • Thelonious Funk

    It’s thinking like this that has made San Francisco such a dirty, unhealthy, impoverished city, devoid of wealth, art, and culture.

  • robingee

    They didn’t “elect a dead woman” BTW, her name was on the ballot as the Democrat nominee; they elected a Democrat knowing that she would be replaced with someone else. Do you think they knew she was dead and said, “Yeah I want a dead woman in the Senate!”

    So Liberals are the ones that want a meal to meet certain nutritional requirements before including a toy? First of all, that doesn’t sound so bad, and second I’m a Liberal and I think personal choice is very important. If parents are the ones with the money, they control what the kid eats. You don’t have to buy them crap just because they want it. And I think the toy should be left in.

  • qpon

    I hate liberal principles, but have no problem with this whatsoever. This is the point of de-centralized government. Don’t like this law? Then move. Voting with your feet is the ORIGINAL American demonstration of patriotism … it’s when the feds start implementing these sort of nanny-state policies that my political Hulk side appears.

  • larry m

    sounds like poor harry is bitter he lives in some 3rd world state like arizona or any other one that starts and ends in an A

    BTW harry, i would vote for my neighbors cat over any republican…. and i hate cats!

  • larry m

    wow, it looks like all the conservatives could care less about childhood obesity from reading these comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Timsah/1113150152 Robert Timsah

    If I were McDonalds I’d simply shutdown all of my McDonalds within that county. And on every building put up a sign that explains why the buildings were closed, pointing them to the Board Of Superfailvisors with their phone number. It would send a message. Or, McDonalds could just simply continue selling as they are and not listen to the ordinance. Sounds illegal to me.

  • kabmn00

    Give Pelosi this 0

  • felixw

    Who needs parents, when you have the SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS to make parenting decisions for them? Will they come to the house and change diapers too? Until then, they ought to butt out and let parents raise their kids without government imposing its social engineering schemes on families.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-Bourekas/1538058627 Phil Bourekas

    Women’s right to choose in California is limited; giving a toy with a cheeseburger is no longer a parental righ

  • TristramShandy

    Let’s see, in San Francisco: you can get a blow-job at Blowbuddies, you can get screwed at Chaps, you can get drunk on any street corner, you can purchase sex anywhere, you can urinate and delicate on the sidewalk (only if you’re homeless) and you can buy crack at the playground across from the elementary school in the Tenderloin, but you can’t get a toy in a Happy Meal. Nice going, Bevan Dufty!

  • Harry Flashman

    robingee said:

    “They didn’t “elect a dead woman” BTW, her name was on the ballot as the Democrat nominee; they elected a Democrat knowing that she would be replaced with someone else”

    First off, they DID elect a dead woman without ANY IDEA OF WHO WOULD REPLACE HER. That’s about as blindly liberal as you can get.

    Second, yeah, I do think they did it intentionally and that it is a barometer of just how far left California (or parts of it) really is. They just elected Moonbeam Brown for God’s sake. Explain that one.

  • Canadian

    Take a look at your kid. Ask yourself why he wants a ” happy meal” . Is your child being persuaded by the promise of a toy to eat what it comes with.
    A visit to MacDonalds once and a while is OK by me. Lots of kids, clean, possibility of a job in the future ( don’t laugh, I once applied. Didn’t get it but I would have if hired ). As far as I am concerned as long as you are not ” waddling” in and out and it is just a nice treat or occasion than I don’t think anyone has any right to interfere.

  • Seeing 2012 From My Window

    larry m says:
    sounds like poor harry is bitter he lives in some 3rd world state like arizona or any other one that starts and ends in an A

    BTW harry, i would vote for my neighbors cat over any republican…. and i hate cats!

    Well liberal thinking like that is why CA is bankrupt! Bring on the liberalism!

  • Seeing 2012 From My Window

    larry m says:
    wow, it looks like all the conservatives could care less about childhood obesity from reading these comments

    Oh we care, but we don’t need liberals like you telling us what we can and can’t eat in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!! If you want a gov’t to tell you what you can and can’t do every second of the day, why don’t you hop a plane to cuba or china, dimwit!

  • jooce81

    take it a step further and just ban McDonald’s entirely.. Americans are fat enough!

  • TristramShandy

    I’m sorry, I meant to that you can “defecate” on the streets of San Francisco (only if you’re homeless).

  • Cancon2

    It’s official! San Francisco officially SUCKS ASS!

  • Some_Dude

    Good news!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Obadiah-Robinson/644702028 Obadiah Robinson

    I think Jerry Brown was a good pick, lots better than CONAN THE BARBARIAN who ruined Californias economy.

  • tgk

    robingee said:
    So Liberals are the ones that want a meal to meet certain nutritional requirements before including a toy? First of all, that doesn’t sound so bad, and second I’m a Liberal

    um, okay……… Did you read that sentence again before you posted it?

  • Corvax

    Decisions like this are a microcosm of why the Democrats got beat so bad Tuesday. People want less government in their lives. This is something that parents need to take on, not the government.

  • tgk

    Well, why didn’t they just go one step further and make every kid have to do mandatory sessions on the playground equipment before they can eat any of that EVIL McDonald’s food!

    I believe when I use to buy happy meals for my children, they didn’t even finish all the food anyway. This is just crazy IMO.

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  • cjd ohio 1

    well just seen michael moore on tv, i guess they have a point lol

  • Thelonious Funk

    The government is not supposed to take action against fake threats like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It is only supposed to take actions against real threats that will kill 99% percent of us in our lifetime, like illegal immigration, homosexual marriage, and war against countries not linked to 9-11.

  • cjd ohio 1

    thelonious funk , i hope you dont believe the shit you just said, protect us from ourselves your kidding right

  • Seeing 2012 From My Window

    Wow, Funk, you are really dumb.

  • fangkai77

    welcome to :
    ====== http://dressgoods.us / ======
    This is a shopping paradise

  • rshaw

    This sudden obesity kick the democrats are on is for 1 purpose. And 1 purpose only .. to lay the groundwork for a future tax on foods they deem ‘bad’ for you. The public unions that have a firm grip on the democratic party are salivating at the chance to bring in fast food tax dollars. The unions that are behind this agenda are the ones that need to be put on a tax dollar diet.

  • Nahu Tuk

    gar said:
    Now they give the kids a hand signed Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House picture.

    And that makes ‘em barf up the food they just ate, and therefore the fat grams and calories are of no consequence.

    Welcome to Sunny Kalifornia–The Nanny State

  • Nahu Tuk

    larry m said:
    wow, it looks like all the conservatives could care less about childhood obesity from reading these comments

    As a conservative–though I can only speak for myself–what I’m “saying” is I don’t want a Nanny government telling me what I can or cannot do, for so long as it breaks no laws. Of course, I am concerned about obesity amongst our young kids but my impression is that much of it is caused by their sitting in front of a video screen instead of getting outdoors for some exercise. Also, I’m saying that the government must not take the responsibility of raising children–that is what parents are “supposed” to do.

  • Sidhekitten

    jooce81 said:
    take it a step further and just ban McDonald’s entirely.. Americans are fat enough!

    Did you actually mean this? Are you really going to argue that McDonalds should be brought up on criminal charges, that their employees should be fired and that their executives should be lined up against a wall and suddenly develop lead poisoning? Well, since we are going all totalitarian, let us take take it another step to the left, all diet drinks that contain Aspartame should also be banned since the molecules break down to wood alcohol in your stomach. Let’s not stop there, all television, microwaves, cell phones and computers should be banned based on their EM output. Microwaves kill the nutrients in your food, so kill the bastards who came up with it. And, while we are at it, anyone name Larry should be forced to change their name or driven from this country because somewhere, some-when a Larry killed someone for their race, religion or creed.

    For the love of (fill in your god of choice or no god) think this through please.

  • CAconservative

    This is no OMG-moment. This is part and parcel of the air-heads running SF. These clowns have made SF an sanctuary City where illegal alien killers, rapists, robbers, and child molesters are protected from ICE. If ever there was a Sodom and Gomorrah, San Francisco is it!!

  • Nahu Tuk

    CAconservative said:
    This is no OMG-moment. This is part and parcel of the air-heads running SF. These clowns have made SF an sanctuary City where illegal alien killers, rapists, robbers, and child molesters are protected from ICE. If ever there was a Sodom and Gomorrah, San Francisco is it!!

    Many have been saying that for years.

  • CLTstraightguy

    Cancon2 said:
    It’s official! San Francisco officially SUCKS ASS!

    That is nasty but it’s not the only thing that is going on with Ass in that City of Nutbars.

  • alex.szatkowski

    oh come on. With Obesity such a problem, how is anyone complaining. Parents also get to save money, since kids wont beg for meals just for a toy. And what is this about Happy meals being an important part of growing up? Its just pathetic. If the meals are that important, then McDonalds should just make healthier food

    I, for one, Will applaud San Francisco for helping to prevent Childhood Obesity

  • alex.szatkowski

    Nahu Tuk said:
    As a conservative–though I can only speak for myself–what I’m “saying” is I don’t want a Nanny government telling me what I can or cannot do, for so long as it breaks no laws. Of course, I am concerned about obesity amongst our young kids but my impression is that much of it is caused by their sitting in front of a video screen instead of getting outdoors for some exercise. Also, I’m saying that the government must not take the responsibility of raising children–that is what parents are “supposed” to do.

    You can still buy the same meal for your kid, just it cant be marketed with toys to the kid. Kinda like how you cant market cigs to kids anymore. It actually gives you MORE choice because your kids wont be brainwashed into wanting a meal just so they can get some shitty toy

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