http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xi6qom_controversial-billboards-aimed-at-overweight-kids_news
After viewing the news clip, what are your initial reactions about the billboards? Who do you believe the billboard is trying to reach out to? Is this billboard positively or negatively influencing our society? Will this ad actually benefit the obesity rate in America? Is this a credible source?
- Group 3
After viewing this news clip, I did not have an initial side that I navigated more toward. At the beginning of the clip, I did not see an issue with the billboards. In today’s society we often ignore or refuse to acknowledge the reality of serious and upsetting topics. So, for this reason I was in favor of the billboards because at times our society is in need of a “slap in the face,” so to speak. I believe these billboards are aimed towards parents because the saying advertised is, “Are we feeding our kids to death?” This slogan appeals to parents who have children and older generations that are concerned about the youth of society. I think that parents want to please their children, and want their children’s approval and affection. For these reasons, when children ask for McDonald's or other fast food/unhealthy food, parents are very easily persuaded to give it to them. Also, in such a fast paced society, where everything is expected immediately, it is often the easier choice for parents to grab these quick foods for their children after a long day at work, or between soccer and dance practice. However, when the comment in the video was made about other children using the billboards as a way of targeting and bullying other children I was then persuaded a little in the direction that there was an issue with the billboards. I believe the billboards can have both positive and negative influences on our society. If the parents see the obvious physical depiction of obesity they may be more apt to limit the children’s intake of unhealthy foods. However, kids at a young age are easily influenced and the presence of the billboards could lead to bullying, which could then push kids on the verge of obesity to the opposite end, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, which are just a serious as obesity. I believe this ad has the potential to encourage society to eat right so they will not be considered obese but in turn could also lead to other eating disorders such as anorexia as mentioned before. I do find the source to be credible because it uses personal interviews to provide support for both sides of the argument; whether or not the billboards are a positive way to end obesity.
ReplyDeleteI fully support this kind of message that is being sent to people. America is becoming so super sized nowadays and people aren't as concerned as they should be with the way they're raising our next generations. I don't agree with any group telling children that being obese is okay, because that is not helping them or motivating them to get healthier, it's just giving them the idea that it's okay to live an unhealthy lifestyle. I'm not trying to sound like I support the celebrities and supermodels that make it seem like you can only be accepted if you are stick thin. No. I only want the children of our now obese American society to understand that their abilities and talents could be so much more utilized if they lived healthier lifestyles. Not only are they open to more possibilities, like playing a sport without having to struggle for air or energy, but even their life span could be lengthened a they could be at a lower risk for health problems when they grow older.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this advertisement was aimed at the parents of obese children, or just adults in general. I think this because the sign said, "are we..." talking toward the adults like it's in their power to control how their child is eating. I really don't see anything wrong with this kind of billboard. America today seems to be ignoring and even justifying the fact that we are raising our children to become larger, making it seem okay. Honestly though, raising our next generations to be overweight and unhealthy, is NOT okay, and I think this billboard does a good job of finally getting people's attention on the subject. On of the people interviewed by the news reporter said that this kind of advertising, showing the kid shoving food in his mouth, doesn't make the kids want to stop eating, it makes them want to eat more. I don't quite agree with that either. I think that picture is too be taken as being disgusting. Watching somebody else gorge themselves with food is not at all attractive, and I don't see how that could give anybody an appetite. Therefore, I think it's pretty effective, because the picture is supposed to turn people off to that kind of behavior. I think the shock value of this billboard is the key to it's success in changing America's feelings about obesity. Another person that was interviewed in the video commented on how it was inappropriate to have something like that shown to the public. Maybe this is the extent to which we have come. It may be shocking or unpleasant to see and be accused of such things in such a blunt and perhaps disgusting way, but maybe this is what it takes to get people's attention about the subject. We need to make people aware of our societies problems.
I also am in favor of this billboard. While obesity may be a sensitive topic for many people these days, it is also an important topic to address. I believe this billboard is mainly reaching out to parents because it depicts a young boy, eating unhealthy food. Therefore, the creators of this advertisement are using pathos to appeal to the parents' emotions by acknowledging the fact that parents always want what is best for their child and asking the question, "Do you want this for your child?" I think this billboard will help society for the better. Although the point that this billboard might subject obese kids to more bullying is a valid point, I do not think that it is likely. I think that this billboard will actually positively effect the society by decreasing the obesity rate. I think this because the advertisement displays the eye-opening and shocking truth that if our country continues to eat fast food, we will become unhealthy and obese. This advertisement promotes change to our lifestyles and advocates for better food choices.
ReplyDeleteI am in favor of the main idea of this billboard, but am not in favor of this billboard itself. I think that they should just be advertising healthier lifestyles in general, not showing a larger boy eating some food. This can be seen by other kids and immediately make them feel bad about themselves. As megan mentioned above, that could lead to children going to the opposite yet just as serious side of eating. I also want to focus on something else mentioned in the clip. The man being interviewed, Tillery, mentioned how he wanted to make the message get across that kids are eating bad foods and not getting any excercise. Well where on the billboard does it say anything about excercise? All I personally see is a child eating some food. To me there is nothing more to it. But then the words on the billboard are attacking this boy, making him feel different for being a little larger than the rest. This advertisement is meant to make young children feel vulnerable and make parents think that they have made a mistake in the way they have raised thier children.
ReplyDeleteI think that the billboard is a step in the right direction in the fight against obesity. It is a serious problem that our nation is incredibly overweight. Being overweight is not healthy at all. The news segment spoke of an association that promoted the acceptance of overweight people called NAAFA. Although I'm sure this group has the best of intentions, in that they do not want overweight people to be discriminated against and picked on, I think that they need to realize that obesity is a problem and it is something that can be changed. It is not similar to discriminating against race or sex, both of which are things that people cannot help because they are born that way. Being overweight is, in the end, a choice. You can diet and exercise to lose weight and be healthy, which will make you feel better, both physically and mentally. So, while NAAFA is making a good decision to fight against the discrimination of overweight people, they need to promote living a healthier lifestyle as well. Closing the Health Gap is promoting this healthier lifestyle by creating this billboard. I think this billboard is aimed at the parents of overweight children because they are the ones buying the groceries and making meals or getting their children fast food. By showing a child eating so much, it is telling parents, “Do I really want my child to eat like that?” This is advertisement is attempting to shock parents into realizing they need to make changes in their children’s lifestyles. Alerting the parents that they need to change their child's diet is the first step towards making our nation healthier as a whole. I also think that Closing the Health Gap needs to make an advertisement directed towards children that are overweight. When looking at the billboard, it appears as though the child is enjoying his huge meal. There seems to be no regret that he is eating so much food, but rather that he is just satisfying his crave for food. An advertisement directed at overweight children needs to show that being overweight is not a happy lifestyle, nor is it a healthy one. The next step, in my opinion, is to make a new advertisement that will make children realize how unhealthy and unhappy obesity truly is. In the end, I don't think this advertisement will have much effect in the fight against obesity in America. From what the news segment says, there were only about 20 of those billboards in Cincinnati. This may have had a positive effect in Cincinnati, but looking at the country as a whole, this advertisement was only a small step forward in the fight against obesity as it was a localized campaign, not a nationwide advertisement.
ReplyDelete-Adam
I personally have no problem with this billboard and agree with what it's trying to promote. I think often times while using logos should be the most effective persuasive technique because it's based on reliable fact, actually relying on the fear factor or the emotion element actually receives a larger response. Basically giving a statistic that kids in our society are becoming obese is one thing and seeing a picture of an obese child shoving fried grease into his mouth is certainly another. I would hope that this will positively effect our society so people can come to terms with what is really happening to our children these days. It really isn't about being fat or trying to allow fat people to be accepted (who said they aren't, anyway?) it's about being healthy and our nation as a whole isn't healthy, but we can start changing that by influencing our kids to make better choices and living healthier lives. Hopefully this advertisement will make an even larger positive impact when this information gets spread out from the Cincinnati metropolis.
ReplyDeleteI think that the organization is on the right path and is really trying to help the kids in the U.S. The billboard is actually a great idea because every American can relate to the picture because they either know or have seen someone who looks like the boy on the billboard. This is an emotional appeal that really causes people to think about what they are feeding their kids. Once a parent has seen that billboard, the next time they go to feed their kids something unhealthy that picture will appear in their heads again and they will think twice about whether or not to feed their kids unhealthy foods. Although this billboard does a good job of connecting with the parents, it does target kids for bullying. Showing a picture of an obese child urges kids to make fun of the overweight kids they know because a billboard is saying that if a child looks like that it is bad and and the child is not healthy. This billboard is both positively and negatively influencing our society. In my opinion, I think it is probably doing more harm though. The company has the right idea and is on the right path, but I think that most parents just shrug off the picture on that billboard, whereas the children who see it will make fun of any kid who reminds them of the one on the billboard. I do think this source is credible because of the interviews that the news crew provided.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing this news clip, I did not initially gravitate towards a particular side of the argument. I believe the billboard is trying to reach out to parents since the billboard says, “Are we feeding our kids to death?” I think the billboard is both positively and negatively influencing our society. The billboard influences society positively because the purpose of this ad is to lower the obesity rate of kids in America. The ad does this in a partially negative way though because of the child they chose to place on the ad stuffing his face. This may lead to teasing of obese kids or obese kids feeling like they are bad people. I believe this ad does have the ability to benefit the obesity rate in America because it may influence parents to better pay attention to what their children are doing along with eating. But it may also cause obese kids to eat more because the ad may make them feel worse about themselves.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can see, this billboard's premise is strong, but the image is unnecessary. I believe there is a strong possibility they did do this to get word out about not only the message but also their organization. What excellent luck that their organization is broadcast into the homes of families across the state through TV and potentially the world (through the internet). A coincidence? Unlikely. The words are powerful, but the image of an overweight child stuffing his face is simply inviting bullying. The text invokes the idea of death with over-eating of food, a strong example of pathos. But, they present an even stronger case in the image. I believe the image's implied nature of "this could happen to your child" is terrible to do at the expense of a single child. A billboard saying "Let's Stop Overfeeding Our Kids" or anything similar to this would be a more clear, cost-effective, less polarizing and more direct. For that reason, I believe the image was put there intentionally to stir the pot. This stirring could potentially be good however. A parent might connect with the image and words on a very personal level, i.e. "I just fed my obese son hamburgers last night. Maybe I'll reconsider next time." But the creators were ignorant to how, for example, a 13-year old would act. This is pure ammunition when put in the hands of the wrong children. In this case, I believe the bad outweighs the good. The credibility of the authors is good, because of the fair examination of both sides of the issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree with saying that this advertisement is a step in the right direction. It is becoming more and more obvious that obesity is a growing problem and awareness needs to be raised. While I don’t think this particular billboard is the solution to the problem, due to the fact that there are negative effects, I still think this advertisement does a good job raising awareness of the problem of obesity. I personally don’t see anything wrong with this advertisement but I defiantly understand the concerns that are being raised. If there are kids being harassed because of this poster, I don’t think it would need to be taken down, but a different marketing strategy should be used in the future. Any type of advertisement must make some sort of bold statement to grab our attention these days, and I believe that is just what this billboard is attempting to do. There are so many advertisements out in the world today, to be affective a marketing team must make a statement and run the risk of being controversial. This ad is directed towards parents and people that are guardians of children; this is helping raise awareness to the parents who might be unintentionally neglecting their child’s eating habits. I believe this is a credible source because it gives both sides of the argument. Overall I think these advertisements will help in the fight against obesity by raising awareness.
ReplyDeleteI would say the board was aimed not just at parents but also at kids. Initially, I was definitely more on the side of the organisation for putting the board up and making an to help stop childhood obesity. However, I did agree when one of the critics talked about how the image would encourage to make fun of and bully overweight kids. The organisation went for a pathos appeal. They seemed to want to scare parents into action. But maybe it would have been better if they had gone with something more of a logos appeal. That way their message would have been seen as less controversial. Their effort should be commended, though, because their cause is noble. But they definitely need to better plan and consider the message they're putting out there and how it's going to be perceived. However, they should also realize that no matter what they put out there, there will always be critics and people who don't appreciate their efforts.
ReplyDeleteI am in support of this billboard because national obesity is a huge problem in this country, after all there is a reason why European countries mock the United States for our obesity. I believe that this billboard was aimed for the parents who are far too lenient with their children and with what they eat. Many parents choose unhealthy foods for their children because it is easier not to cook or because it is easier to make a child behave when offering the unhealthy food that they desire. For the people who do not approve of this billboard, I think that this is not harmful to anyone and there so many programs out there trying to eliminate obesity, especially childhood obesity, though it still exists. This billboard could be what turns the parents away from a fast food restaurant when they pass this billboard on the roads. This sign seems aimed to definitely scare the parents/children to maintain healthier lives though I do not think that this is necessarily a bad thing. This sign is just a minor attempt to change the minds of the parents who do not pay attention to the future health problems that their children will experience unless the parents do something about it.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about the billboard. I think the intentions are good, raising awareness about childhood obesity, but the delivery could have been handled better. I personally feel really bad for the kid on the billboard. I think that the group paying for the billboard is trying to attract a very wide audience which is why they used billboards because they are seen by thousands of people every day. I think they are using a controversial image and to get people talking about the issue they are trying to address. Whether or not people agree or disagree with the billboard, they are talking about it. I do not think the billboards will have a very large effect on society or the obesity rate. Maybe it will cause some parents or children to think more about what they eat, but not enough to make a huge impact. It is hard to tell if the group behind the billboard is credible or not but they do provide their name and contact information which implies that they are willing to provide more information.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good bilboard to have displayed. Childhood obesity is an important topic that needs to be addressed. I think there cuold have been better ways to do this bilboard. Like Anne, I also feel bad for the kid who has to be on the bilboard, but at the same time having a real obese child on this bilboard shows people how real this issue is. specifically parents. I think parents may not realize that they are doing this to their children, but if they see this image then look back to their child and realize that their child is obese. I think this is a positive image for society to have thrown at them so they reaize the issues of obesity. It may even get the parents to look at themsleves and make a change in their eating habbits. It may not be enough to actually change the rate but if it changes even 1 parents thoughts thats at least one child who will be fighting obesity and making a healthy change in their life. It doesn't really matter if this video source is real becuase the bilboard is, and this is just images of it.
ReplyDeleteClearly the billboard is trying to reach the parents of overweight children, with the hopes that the sign will have some influence over what these parents choose to feed their children. I think the way that the billboard was phrased, "are we feeding our children to death" was a little harsh as well as poorly worded. Overall though, I don't feel that this is a negative or positive influence on our current society. Fast food, and to some extent overweight people, have become apart of American culture over the past 20-30 years. Many european vacationers come over to the States with the hopes of seeing the sites as well as grossly overweight people. This is a very hard trend to change, since some people are more inclined to gain weight than others, and therefore need to be looking for healthy food. However, if the people with these genes don't have the means to buy the healthiest food, they often resort to the most convenient and cheap food around them, which sadly is fast food. The answer to America's obesity problem is not to guilt people into eating correctly. The answer is to try and eliminate food establishments that serve food with high fat content and lots of preservatives. If places like McDonalds were replaced with local food markets, obesity would be much less of an issue.
ReplyDeleteI understand what this billboard is trying to say about obesity and the initial idea of this billboard is good. However, this billboard somewhat gives young kids incompatibility. Young kids may feel complex about their obesity and put in depression because of the picture of fat boy eating food. This billboard is obviously reaching out to parents who have obesity children to make them understand how overweight is dangerous for young people. This ad will be beneficial to decrease the rate of obesity in America, however, it will give a negative influence. I think this may lead young people be on excessive diet. I don't if this source is credible or not but it is not a matter of credence. I think it is matter of how people take this issue.
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